I went to a random coin shop today for the first time. I asked the man how's busines. He says people are only interested in builion. I looked at his coin on display and they were all junk silver and low grade common wheat cents.(75% of the store was beenie babies, but thats another story) I'm a very easy sell, and I usually find something interesting but all he has is a bunch of low grade dreck. If you dont offer quality coins, how are you going to attract coin collectors. He wonders why all people are ony interested in builion when your choices are beanie babies or junk silver.
I've had the same experience in a few places. Most of the collectible coins seem to trade at auction and coin shows.
I don't understand how anyone running a business can fail to understand that if people aren't buying what you have, that means you don't have what they want. (And seriously, people are still in the beanie baby business? He have any pet rocks for sale too?). Assuming it's not just because he's in a bad location, has poor marketing and/or advertising, or just bad customer service; that's a lot of things to assume. The sales rep where I work always says "no matter how good your customer service, marketing, and advertising is, you can't sell something you don't have." Obvious advice, but apparently something that went over the head of that store owner.
On the other hand though, maybe he used to have a bunch of collectible coins on display and no one bought them. If all his customers come in asking for silver, that's what he's going to sell. When I'm in a coin shop, most of the time any other customers who walk in are buying or selling silver. Seldom do you see a real collector.
You have to figure in their turn over rate. He may have customer want list that as soon as a piece comes in he calls said buyer and they come in and pick it up. I've visited many shops across the country and very few have anything good in there cases as it's either set aside for a customer, put on flea bay or sold to the first person they help after they buy it. I've been visit in one shop in Madison, that had had money laying on the floor for the last 15 years. He hardly has anything set out. If I want something in particular I call he a day in advance so he can find it and accessible for when I show up. That includes cull silver dollars, other wise I waste my time stopping because he's "to busy" trading in the market. But that is where he makes his bread and butter.
Well, since he told you his customers are only interested in bullion, why expect him to stock much in the way of collector-grade coinage? Metals are hot and sell easily while general B&M-type material is relatively stagnant. It has been my experience that in many cases, true/serious collectors today are dealing with more specialized dealers than they were in the past, plus ebay has surely taken its toll too, so many little shops have had to change with the times. I deal with a couple different B&Ms on a (presently somewhat) regular basis and can truthfully say that nearly all of the better material they get in never makes it to the display. This is partly due to collector want lists, but also because of other dealers, so their numismatic offerings remain blah while they spend their days raking profits from metals. Of course every shop is different, but from what you said, I would advise you to talk with the gentleman about your interests. If you show him you are a serious buyer, and not just someone expecting to buy everything at melt and/or better/tougher material back of bid, it is possible that he may be able to do more for you than his displays would suggest.
