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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ed Zak, post: 14082, member: 824&quot;]I had the same experience with a ANA coin dealer (who will remain nameless) in the Daytona Beach area.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I was putting together a collection of 1902 coins to commemorate my buddie&#039;s tavern (The 1902 Tavern in New London, CT).&nbsp; The finished display (which is now in the bar), detailed the history of the bar whereby all of the coins put the 100 year old tavern into proper historical perspective.&nbsp; I had strikes from all denominations...not MS coins, but all were VG or better to show the age of both coin and tavern.&nbsp; I framed it with a picture from 1902 and it looks great.</p><p><br /></p><p>When I was buying a 1902-O Morgan Dollar, this dealer wanted $45 for a EF40 (at best) grade!?!&nbsp; Dumbfounded, I asked if I could borrow his 2004 Red Book and looked up the mintage.&nbsp; I showed him that the 1902-O EF40 was only $16.&nbsp; He commented that prices have gone up at least 30% since the book was published and I told him, okay...add 30% to $16 and I will give him $21.&nbsp; He then told me that it was better grade than EF40, so $45 was the price. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s the best part...he had a display of Morgan Dollars SHOWING each coin, in each grade,&nbsp; from VF-20 to MS65!&nbsp; With coin in hand, I showed him that his 1902-O coin (compared to the EF40 Morgan dollar on display) was not nearly as nice.</p><p><br /></p><p>He then asked me to leave...</p><p><br /></p><p>But the good news is I did find a local ANA dealer that would tell me if I had good stuff to good junk...always from the hip.&nbsp; Because he was honest, I have been one of his best REPEAT customers and he has &quot;slapped me silly&quot; if I have made bone head buys.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>For instance, he took my SGS &quot;graded&quot; coin that I bought on ebay (it was a MS70 at such a low price...being a newbie at the time, how could I refuse!?!) and told me to cross-it-over at PCGS.&nbsp; He told that if PCGS would grade it MS66 or better, he would pay for the slab cost and S&amp;H.&nbsp; I figured that a 4 point swing wouldn&#039;t be possible.&nbsp; What happened is that it came back &quot;dead-on-arrival&quot; as the minimum grade of MS66 was not possible.</p><p><br /></p><p>He has sold me coins at prices fair to him and I and let me lay away my 1909-S VDB MS63BN (PCGS) where others offered him more than what I paid.&nbsp; He stated, &quot;Can&#039;t do...already have my customer and we already shook on it.&quot;&nbsp; Imagine that!!&nbsp; A hand shake still means something!</p><p><br /></p><p>So, good, bad or otherwise...I learned to research my coins and READ.&nbsp; This forum is great because I learned from these threads and I hope I contributed as well.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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