I'm in my late 30's. When I was a kid and went to the flea market a few towns over the people that setup to sell things were 99% one-timers (or maybe a few times a year). Now it's 99, if not 100% stands that stay setup year round. Same people. Same stuff. Not worth even going. But I digress.... I went there today for some reason and there was one coin seller. I asked how much for the 2004 clad proof set. He says "80.00". I asked how much for a 1993 American Eagle Proof. He says "240.00". I said "I'll pass" and walk away. He calls after me that the 2004 will be higher next week. I guess I really don't have a point. Just shaking my head out loud.
I wouldn't go back to that dealer. I have seen one just like that...he had prices so high you had to be nuts to buy anything from him--you just have to find the good ones. Speedy
i went to a flea market in Poland, their silver rounds came out to be like $20 american and not even a full ounce of silver
Was at two sizable flea markets in Puerto Vallarta just a couple days ago. Only coins I found were little circulation sets in cardboard cutouts. I had hoped for better results, but nothing there.
That wasn't in PawPaw Michigan was it? I had almost the same thing happen to me there last year. This guy must get around!!
Did this guy look like the guy from Coint Vault? Prices are going up next week! I've been going to flea markets for the past couple of weeks and the quality of their selections has really gone down hill. We must be getting to the top of the market.
Reminds me of a dealer here in Munich (more of a scrap gold buyer, phone cards, etc). He had a nice ¼ ounce Mexican silver Libertad, in a plastic flip. I asked him how much, he pulls it out of the flip onto his palm and looks it over (yikes!!!9 then say something like 10 marks (about $5 at the time). I just walked out – nothing to say.
Flea markets used to be a gold mine of cool stuff, but online auctions like Ebay have changed that forever. The one time dealers who would have gone to the flea market to sell their lifetime accumulations of neat junk are all but gone. Now, all the neat stuff goes online for sale. What's left at the flea markets are the same dealers selling the same things week in and week out with what appears to be very little turnover. And the coin sellers expect flea market folks to pay the same high prices as advertised on the internet or home shopping networks for their coins. Bummer.
You should have just said 'then I'll pass next week too.' I've always found flea markets to be a hard place to buy anything, and coins have never been an exception for me. It always seems the prices are high and the grades are low. I used to go to an auction, just outside the south side of town. Once I bought a small bag of foreign coins for a buck - had 4 large canadian cents and a bunch of other stuff. Now it's run by a guy who starts out the bidding on coins just below their actual value - with his own bid! I think that's unethical - because he's getting 20% of his own bid back, at least.
