How many times have you heard " I love coin collecting so I want to become a dealer and make a living from my hobby." Trust me when I say that once you make your passion your job after a while its not so great. There are exception to this and you can tell which dealers really love their job. When you go to their shops they are always happy to talk coins and coin collecting. How many out there have gone into a coin shop and the person behind the counter was rude or did not even seem to want to help you or was just plain crabby. This type of person has lost the passion for coin collecting and the hobby. Other people that get in to the coin business just see dollar signs and get caught up in making money. These type of people I feel sorry for them as sooner or later their quest for money will leave them with no friends in or out of the business as they see everyone else as competition in buying or selling coins. So my point is if you want to keep your passion for coin collecting keep coin collecting your hobby and when you go into a coin shop and the guy in back of the counter comes off as a jerk do not get mad just feel sorry for him.
I think some of the rude dealers started out decent but got jaded after years of dealing with the public. It might be difficult to figure out, though, which ones just have a rough exterior and once you get to know them you'll enjoy doing business with, and others are just rotten to the core.
I agree with you. Dealing with the public can be hard. I ran my fathers business for 27 years in Wisconsin after my mother and father were hurt in a car crash. After working 7 days a week for over 27 years there were days I wanted to talk to no one and I am sure I was not the nicest person on those days. So do not judge some one until you have been in their shoes. Jim
I asked the owner of the local coin shop what the worst thing about the business is. He simply said: "The customers". :|
Yep... it has to be tough dealing with the public. People come into your shop expecting top dollar for their coins, you offer them a fair price and they leave insulted. They're the same people who (when buying) try to haggle every last cent of profit out of a coin. On top of that, the B&M owner has to meet his monthly expenses, with all the pressure and stress that these obligations bring. So a dealer probably has more bad days than good days, and if you happen to be there on a bad day, well, you know the rest of the story.
Absolutely. Another thing he said that troubled him was when widows brought in their husbands coins. He would hate telling them they were fake or not nearly as valuable as they expected.
My best measure of a dealer is how they treat YN's when they come in the store or up to their table at shows. I have taken one or two of my kids when I go to shows, reactions from dealers range from downright rude, to going out of their way to sell them pricey stuff on the cheap. My now 16 year old daughter has an eye for rare stuff, and can pick out inane stuff out of junk boxes that have value beyond what they are selling for. It is like she is psychic or something - and dealers get a kick out of it. All my girls like gold, but I usually won't buy it for them.
LOL - gold is better than diamonds. Or call me son and you can buy me gold. Just kidding. My local dealer treats YN's very good and he likes waiting on them. He know they are his future business. I have only dealt with a couple of rude dealers, but it was easy for me to walk away from their table even though it was a small show. Last week while I was there they were so busy they really did not have time for coin collectors - the bullion selling was hot. But I was patient and one of them would swing by and check if I needed to see something. All of them always seem so polite especially the owner.
