Coinshop owners fear customers stealing?

Oh brother. :rolling: Chalk that up to the "shopkeeper demeanor", but if you've already conducted business with them, they should be way past that. This is why I enjoy buying at shows--it gets dealers out of their "little kingdom", and if they show a 'tude--I just go over to the next table.

 

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Not me...just because I have done business before with a person doesnt mean he isnt trying to rip me off. Classic scam...build up trust...then when the guy trusts you enough, thats when you disappear and never return and I am out what you took.

The only people I trust are members of my family and one friend...everyone else are potential scammers. I have had a guy who was a friend from High School who came on hard times, I loaned him money and then I never saw him again...my opinion is never let your guard down...ever...

But then again I would also say be discrete...dont be the guy hovering over everyone but most dealers I have dealt with will NOT leave a tray out and walk away...they will stay close until I am done and ask if there is anything else I would like to see. They are watching but with them close they can watch and also be attentive to my needs.

While I would not be insulted by the comment, I do think its in bad taste....one thing I have noticed is coin dealers (even worse online), more than many other retailers, often dont have good business sense (even worse online),....many act as if you are bugging them or they are doing you a favor by taking time out of their days to show me a coin and have VERY poor customer relations skills and that WILL probably push me to go elsewhere.

 

Ok, I'm just saying...if a shop owner exudes that kind of casual suspicion, they shouldn't be surprised when that sentiment is returned--you get back what you put in. I think that people who make a habit of being honest quickly pick up on this kind of overt attitude, and avoid doing business again. I know I have. That's just my take from running my business.

Agreed--from what I've seen personally, quite a few coin shop owners aren't very good at putting visitors at ease--and that's a problem because uncomfortable collectors buy less.

 

Don't take it so personal. And even if they know you that makes little difference. Many, many people have been robbed by relatives, friends, neighbors and even wives and/or husbands. So if your not one of those, imagine how dealers feel since they too have all of the above to worry about.
At one flea market several coin dealers have stopped selling there due to all the theft. In one instance some kids ran off with an entire tray of coins. What could he do, leave his table alone and chase them? It would be all empty when he returned. At coin shows almost all dealers have those glass enclosed cases for coins. And even then, many deveople wings.
And just because you have been doing buisness with someone for a long time does not make you a saint. At another flea market a seller there has a lot of coins on his table. One individual that has been buying coins from him for many years was finally caught by that seller pocketing some coins. That seller was warned by other customers for a long time but he failed to believe that such a good customer would steal. One of my neighbors had a bunch of Gold coins stolen by his grandson. They were sold off for drugs.
So what I mean is if your in buisness to make a living selling anything, you have to protect your investment. No one is beyond the possibility of theft.
Isn't it better to be safe than sorry?

 

It is bad and with people hurting for cash these days everyone need to be more carfull it is going to get worse. Not only for shop owners but your selves as well. I try to take great care in my collection and keep it under lock and key. I tell everyone at work who want to know where I live that it is best they don't not that I don't like them or anything like that I just don't trust them. When I was working in Security at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas I could not belive all the theft we had to deal with there. In the shops and on the casino floor as well as the guest rooms. Bottom line is no matter what you do or try and do it comes back to you taking the best corse of action for your protection. It was a bad coment to let you hear but for some reason he got there not by you or by me but some where some how he has gotten riped off and now everyone pays. We are all watched and It will be that way for the rest of our lives so don't let it get to you and try and not pay attention to little coments like that. Also rember it works both ways. dealers can steal from you as you can them. So pay attention both ways.

 

For more than two years I've gone to the same place and for a year of that I was one of those guys to be watched just like any other. It takes time, and a lot of it to build up trust.

 

Question is, why would somebody need to say "watch him" anyway? Do they not ever communicate about responsibilities after hours?

I've been to stores where dealers were arrogant, rude, armed and jumpy.

I like going to shows a lot better. The atmosphere seems friendlier despite the fact that they're always a mad house. I would think it would be very tough to keep track of everybody looking through albums. Some of the dealer's tables get very long. Hopefully customers are keeping an eye out for thieves as well these days.

 

The better dealers that i have dealt with use a system that, to me, seems to make it easier and less obvious to keep track of what a customer is looking for. Never put out a tray of coins without every spot being filled, that way if there are 2 empty slots the person had better be buying 2 coins. This only works with the higher priced stuff that is in trays but thats where the most money could be lost.

Richard

 

Good point Cloudsweeper99 and we actually do for more "pressing" matters (such as being cased) and they are verbal at that.

Can't give them away but if we felt we were being cased, for example, it would be "hey where did you put that so and so coin?" WE know what it means.

One really does have to watch in a shop at all times.


A bit off topic but we had an interesting situation today that I learned how and why to deal with from my coworker.
A guy comes in with an off brand 100 oz silver bar for sale. Boss is ready to head out the door but checks it out, does a few tests and makes an offer. Guy isn't sure he wants to sell. Ok no obligation to sell.
Five minutes after the boss leaves he's back in. Quotes me a price the "boss gave him" $50 more than actual. I called him on it because I heard the offer. Strike one.
My coworker then REPEATS the tests. Why? Who's to say he doesn't have a "dummy" version out in his car.
We bought it but it was something I had actually NOT thought of. I'm used to selling for the most part not buying but a valuable lesson that I will NOT forget.
Just another thing dealers have to watch out for.

 

There's a local coin shop I've been to a couple of times. Two different men behind the counter; two entirely different shopping experiences. The first time I was shown the nice stuff that's kept in the safe. The next time, different guy, wouldn't admit he had the good stuff until I pressed the issue a little...dosen't he want to sell anything?

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

First guy may have been the owner. The second guy the employee. I run into this nearly EVERY day and it gets frustrating on my end.

There are areas of the vault I don't go anywhere near without the bosses permission. Not a trust issue here but HE wants control of the big stuff for sure. Hey, he owns it so who am I to argue.
Yes, there are times where we'll miss a sale due to this believe me. When he's gone our hands are pretty much tied.

His stuff, his money his shop. He pays me to work there so I deal with it.

Every shop is different but all have to have control of inventory. Some just take it further than others.

 

Lotta good points. The guy, who I'm sure is the owner, has to know who I am. I've used a couple different credit cards .I would think it would be easy enough to remember a name from a somewhat frequent customer (especially my name, trust me, it 's not a common one). The first or second time I was there, he asked me where I worked. I told him. He asked me if I knew someone that work there (turns out I didn't, maybe because I work weekend nights). Anyway, I understand there are a lots of idiots/thieves/scammers, whatever, more so today than ever I suppose, but, I don't know . I thought I had built up a little of "something". It surprised me and PO'd me the more I thought about it after I left. I know it's got to be tough to trust anyone these days, and if I were in his positio I might be just like he is, maybe worse, because I trust noone either. However, it he's that paranoid about people ripping him off, especially repeat cutomers, maybe he should employ some different tactics, maybe an intense video security system, ask for everyone's ID when they come in or something. I don't know. I have to say if was offensive. I can understand the first or even second time, but, I know he has my information if he wanted it, has seen my car, and liek I said, knows where I work. I have a different opinion of him now, and I have to admit, I don't think I like him much now. (on a side note..he never gives me "10 percent" off as opposed to the other guy who has done so every time so far, which I kinda bugged me a little but I blew it off, until now). I think it's sad people/things are the way they are, but such is life I guess. If I had another coin shop locally I liked (and now I guess I'll look for one), I'd probably go there from now on. It just bummed me out as I thought I was building some kind of "repore" with him. I guess not.:goof:

 

There is a few general habits I do when visiting MFD or a dealer at a show. I never have a coat on and always show my hand palm up and down before I ever put them out of sight of the dealer when there is product on the table.

Also its not only customers the shop/dealer has to watch out for as James Marino ex coin club president of the St. Petersberg coin club was caught it a sting!
http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/02/coin-collector.html
So I dont get too bothered by someone theat isn't to trusting of people that they deal with

 

Did you used to be a dealer at a casino? That's what they do. Sometimes I find myself doing the same thing when I want to make it perfectly clear to anyone watching that I have nothing in my hands before I leave a table.

 

I'd rather have a cop or security guard, hired to, staring intently at me the whole time I was there, rather than trying to pretend play friendly with me and then hear the whispering.

 

I always enjoy your "war stories." I would think it should be standard practice that once the item leaves your hands, even for a minute, that all test would have to be repeated. I'm sure the Comex has a similar policy, and what is good for them is probably good business practice.

 

They certainly shoudnt have said anything within your hearing range and that is for sure, now me I would have continued doing what I was doing paid for my items them pointedly checked my change note by note, coin by coin saying well you cant be too careful these days can you
I do it regularly whenever a cashire checks what I give them LOL

 

I can't remember ever asking to see a tray of coins. Usually in a tray there is only 1 or 2 coins I am interested in at the current time. I ask to see one and then trade it in for another if needed. If a dealer I didn't know well set a whole tray out, I would ask him to just show me one coin at a time. Problems can go either direction. I do spend a large amount of time almost "licking" the glass of a display cabinet until I see a coin I want to see.

Jim

 

Oh well. Maybe next time, if I go, I'll embarrass them and tell them what I heard. May as well make them uncomfortable too.:goof: