Buying coins: The good, the bad, and the ugly

With so many people selling coins out there today, it can be hard to find decent dealers. Maybe we can help each other by telling our tales of good and bad experiences so that others know which dealers and websites to avoid?

Clio, Michigan coin store is one to avoid. The owner is sort of a jerk and treats customers like unwanted guests. If it wasn't for his snotty attitude, I would recommend his shop. He had a wide variety of coins, banknotes, and other interesting things. If it weren't for his rudeness, it would be a great place to go.

I would also avoid Littleton Coins. They overcharge for their products and will turn you over to collections without letting you know you owe them anything. I got a notice recently from a collections agency for something I supposedly owe from over a year ago! Why wait a year without telling me I owe them money???

Most Amazon vendors are fast and reasonable with their customers.

 

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Amazon is a terrible place to buy/sell coins IMO.

 

Glen Holsonbakes is good , and you have a little room on some coins .

 

H-LL Ya Littleton is one bad coin corporation. They get bank change and sell it at a 25/75% make up.

 

I think they have some okay coins, usually common end coins, but not at a 25/75 % markup. More like 300-500 % markup.

 

Littleton is not good if your planning a MS66 coin. Littleton grade of coins are second basically. Book filler only but pricey!! $$$$$
Bye.

 

I would avoid buying from the US mint... it took them 6 months to ship my HOF coin 6 MONTHS

Also avoid monaco rare coins. They are overpriced and played a part along in screwing people at the ANA JFK gold Fiasco.

 

If you are from Arizona as your profile says, what are you doing in a Clio MI store?

 

One place I do like , especially for raw or slabbed early commemoratives is Harlan Berks . They always have a good selection of type coins and have a knowledgeable sales staff .

 

Always enjoyed buying from a few sources. Some of my faves:

www.valleycoin.com
www.sujipbank.com
www.sujipmol.com

I also have a list of favorite ebay sellers.

 

What? A coin dealer that acts like a prima donna? I can't imagine for a second that a vender who makes their living from retail sales could ever act so unprofessionally.

 

That's just it. Many of them are just storefronts for bullion exchanges. They don't make their living from retail sales.

 

Vic I remember a dealer in Cicero , Ill , lets just say he didn't have the best people skills ,I've seen him rebuke a customer for questioning the grade or any # of reasons . Now that shop was in the same place for decades with another owner , but when this guy took over he lasted about 3 years before going under .

 

I was being sarcastic. For some reasons I don't fully understand some people think a coin dealer is somehow not a retail salesman but an unquestionable sage free to insult or degrade his flock as he sees fit. Kinda like a cult leader without the 15 wives. For some reason women don't seem to tolerate this same behavior disorder.

While generally understood by the gen x crowd, the elders have yet to realize that a coin dealer is not different then a carpet dealer or car dealer.

While in no way am I saying all dealers act in a childlike way with intentional unprofessional behavior, it is surprisingly tolerated in coins more then any other vender profession. If there are x percent of unprofessional widget salesman there seem to be something like 4-5x coin dealers who act poorly and will even announce publicly on this website that if they feel offended they will plan on insulting you. Sounds childish and unprofessional to many here but indeed they do this. When all the elders die off many coin dealers left are going to be very shocked and surprised at how much this gen x crowd tolerates this behavior. Dude you are a coin dealer, not a judge or drug dealer. The attitude only costs you money.

 

That bad huh , no wonder I never dealt with them .

 

There's one here in Oakland right near the 19th St. BART that's very good as far as prices but not a lot of inventory. Same with Trader Sam in SF. Witter coins is probably the best coin store in SF -- very reasonable prces, he's nice, knowlegble and has a great inventory of both US and anceints. The ancents are rather pricey, though. The SF Gold Buyer on West Portal Ave. has no idea what ancients are worth so you can either get a great deal or they rip you off. So, if you know what it's worth, you have the cards XD

I would avoid going through Robert Johnson, especially to sell.

Also, there was a place by SFSU that was WAY overpriced.

I forget the name.

And the one in Walnut Creek by the BART is terrible, too. The guy is rude and rips people off. I don't think he liked me from the getgo however, probably because I'm knowledgable and I know prices pretty well. He'd rather people he can rip off.

I mostly buy online though, except for my albums I have at home. Most of the good stuff I collect is too rare and obscure to find in a store.

 

Please be vary careful with what you say in this thread.

Remember if its spoken is slander, if its written its libel.

 

Man, Vic, why do you assume that "elders" are clueless regarding dealers? Why do you assume that "elders" tolerate rude dealers? Not sure if I'm an elder at 55, but I don't and won't buy from unprofessional people.

Now, I will make an assumption. I will assume that these poor dealers, if they have survived for a length of time, also have sold to young collectors who also have "yet to realize" the same as you assert, thus making them "clueless".

You clearly have a chip on your shoulder regarding dealers. Choose them carefully and one won't have the bad experiences you profess. In fact, knowing a few good dealers can bring great coins - whether bought in person or over the net. Good advice for young and old collectors.

 

That's just silly. You keep putting everyone in the same boat based on age. You also put most dealers in the same boat as being bad. That's like saying that most young people are rude. None of it is true.