Butt in or butt out

I could not help but, (hehe) post this here.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Post what here?

 

Wrapping up and responding to the very insightful opinions shared in this thread after the two unsuccessful attempts the dealer stopped phoning.

I printed the thread and she asked that I thank everyone for their time and responses as she knows (from me - she doesn't use computers) that this forum is mainly organized for the sharing of numismatic information.

The evidence that there were so many variable opinions posted here supports why she felt so conflicted in how to proceed herself initially. The fact that the majority of responses were in favor of the 'butting in' for the safety of the minor was reassuring that she wasn't completely inappropriate in her first reaction.

As for why she ceased phoning after the unsuccessful second attempt of contact?

Her conclusion was after reminding the minor she would need to bring one of her parents or a legal guardian to the shop in order to sell:
1) best case scenario the child may have asked her parents about selling the coin and they intervened as within their rights and all is well
2) worst case scenario the child had already pursued less monitored avenues and the coin has already been sold and is now in fact a matter for the local authorities depending on the circumstances (the who, what & why)

She asked me to list a couple of responses to the comments posted:

1) 18 is the minimum age in the shop to sell and even then the dealer gets ID & contact information. The only exception is when the parents or guardian has made prior arrangements giving permission for the minor to transact business and even then the dealer keeps a record just as she does with non minors. The parents she deals with respect the sharing of information and no minor has ever voiced an objection. Realizing this may draw some fire from some here (and I hope it doesn't, as GD recommended, PLEASE do not use this as an agenda to begin attacking me, the dealer, or each other) the dealer is in a small town and tries to make it clear the shop is for legally buying and selling coins and currency, nothing else.

2) In no way was the dealer even interested in buying this or any other coin if it isn't done legally. I've read the opinions some hold of 'greedy coin dealers' on this forum and I assure you this dealer does not fit that label or I wouldn't have done business with her for over 10 years.

One example: about a year ago a young adult brought in a 4 coin gold set commenting 'my step dad gave it to me, they look like medals... is it worth at least $50?'. The dealer could very easily have said 'uh.. yeah.. I could do that' but she told the truth and offered fair market value. The telling part of that transaction was how the young lady turned pale and said 'never mind' and left the store. Conclusion? Obviously the coins weren't really hers to sell and getting caught for boosting $2k in coins from stepdad's collection was worse than getting in trouble for $50.

Based on my observation or conversations with her, the dealer does not make herself the 'police' by any means. She receives calls all day long, many from young people asking the value of coins and is happy to encourage the YN's to be informed and further their interest in numismatics, after all, the YN's are the future customers. She also gets her share of crank calls, silly calls, long story telling calls, you name it. There was just something about 'this' call that made that little bell go off in her head that said 'something is not right'.

Again, thank you all for the responses. It's been enlightening. Myself, personally, I supported her for wanting to phone and for trying. My husband, on the other hand, agreed with the 'butt out'. I may go back through the thread and count up the ratio of 'in vs out. The suggestion that this should have been made a poll in the first place was interesting -- I didn't think of that (nor do I know how to do it).

Thanks again everyone.
CoinGal

 

Perhaps it was her coin, and she was trying to raise money to buy a gift for a family member.
Any one can speculate, and that is all that is happening here.
I do agree with the majority,being a father of 3. I would want to know what my child was up to,because lets face it we were all kids once.And I would be willing to bet that everyone here has done something,without the parents knowledge,that they would disapprove of.

Just my Two Cents

 

so here we are. All the concern, time and effort the dealer displayed in this, availed nothing. Seems something is amiss on their home front too, if there is no way to leave a message. Just so people don't misunderstand the effort of that dealer, it was not motivated by any legal responsibility, many confuse this with a moral sense of responsibility, and there is nothing worse than having someone else tell you what your moral obligations are.


It was an interesting thread, but I fear many could not place themselves in the shoes of that dealer, when it came to presenting any downside to getting involved where there was "real" reason for doing doing so.

Thanks for the update and feedback CoinGal.

 

well...she could use the call ID and call just to inquire if they still wish to sell the coin...asking the person who answers the phone.

 

As kids we use to take .50 cent and silver dollars from my fathers coffee can to buy candy. He tried soldering the can but we just shook it until they popped out. The store cashiers never questioned it.

To think, they would be in my hands today :hammer: