Prices on slabs at coin shows

Well said! I like the car analogy.

 

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Personally, I prefer no price tags. I know what I'm looking at is worth in my eyes and, if the price tag is too high, I will typically move on....I usually don't bother to ask if the tagged price is accurate.

On the flip side, if I see an unlabeled coin I like, I'm almost sure to inquire to see if the price meets my expectations.

 

Great idea, show them you're drooling over a coin, then ask for a price that can change based on the sucker vibe you give off.

 

These tips are great, shows the precise attitude of some dealers:

Arriving at a Dealer’s Table

Don’t interrupt a dealer – if a dealer is already involved with another customer, either wait or come back later

- Take a second to acknowledge waiting customers, they're less likely to interrupt if you pay them a second or two of attention.

Don’t block another customer’s access to a dealer’s table – be courteous so that other customers may also peruse the dealer’s coins

- If I'm looking at your table and I got there first, are you saying the guy behind me is now more important?

Don’t place your belongings in a separate chair – it prevents another potential customer from being able to sit and peruse coins

- You know what, I'll move them if and when another person shows up.

Viewing a Dealer’s Coins

Only ask to see a coin if you’re seriously interested in purchasing it – don’t ask to see a coin just to compare it to one you already have or just purchased

- Really? In what time frame should I be planning on buying it, before I am allowed to ask to look at both sides of a coin?

Don't monopolize dealer "junk boxes" – keep your time sifting through dealer’s junk boxes limited to around 15 minutes so as to let others have a chance to go through them

- Make your junk boxes smaller, so that it only takes 5 to 10 minutes to look through each one. Already sounds like these junk boxes are more important than the clients

Be cognizant of taking up too much of a dealer’s time asking questions – many dealers will take the time to answer questions and offer advice, but don’t be burdensome - keep in mind they are there to sell coins so don’t sit in front of their cases asking a lot of questions when the dealer has other customers waiting

- How much time is too much time, yet enough to get the optimum coin show experience?

More OCD tips here...

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/recycled-article-no-1-coin-show-etiquette.209153/#post-1479371

 

A "sucker" is someone who doesn't have knowledge....and that's not me. I've been buying coins for a few decades. Go ahead, buy based on a sticker price, if that's what you like. For those of us that know what we're doing, talking to the seller about what he's selling is by far the best way to go.

 

I didn't say I automatically buy based on sticker price. I've been looking at coins for a few decades, buying, swapping, finding, etc. Given a sticker price and coin appearance, I can quickly decide if the dealer and I have anything to talk about, or not. I guess, with your knowledge, talking to a dealer and showing your cards prior to getting a price is preferable. If it works for you, great.

 

Did I give you the impression that I suffer from a lack of established contacts, dealers, suppliers, etc? I have no trouble with any sellers or swappers. I do not leave a trail of negative feedback on any of my transactions. I deal with people in an honest, open, transparent and ethical fashion. My manners are always appropriate when visiting someone's establishment.

You and your dwindling circle of old-timers, with the antiquated way of doing business, the good old boy's club, are the main reason for someone other than me to have started this topic. Some even resorted to the very apt analogies involving used car sales. I don't go to shows spewing vinegar at shady individuals that can't be bothered to display a price, I just walk by, to the next dealer, hopefully one with a bit of old-time integrity left in him/her.

I don't care how dealers run their businesses, but, I do only support the ones that appeal to my very demanding standard of having a price showing in a retail sales environment.

The rest are just posts under a topic that I did not initiate. Just shooting the crap, as usual.

I'll leave the passive, accepting attitude to the sheep, thanks.

 

DON'T RESPOND!

 

Just one other thing. You do realize that this thread has step by step procedures listed, of how I should shop when standing in front of a dealer's rented table.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/recycled-article-no-1-coin-show-etiquette.209153/

Maybe, accepting how customers wish to do their shopping "is a bit more like honey"? Isn't it their right to choose, especially in a public venue? Do the rules of the venue coincide with the warped do's and don'ts idea of some dealer's coin show etiquette? Does the venue have a specific rule about where I stand, how long I stand there or if I am able to put my things on a second chair? When at a coin show, am I really at a dealer's "own business"?

Most likely, and especially if there is a charge to get in, the dealer and I are both guests at a given venue.

 

And I know some dealers who haven't changed their prices since May of '09

Egad, they may take a loss!

One dealer who was selling silver after the price had dropped still kept the high price for junk silver.

I asked why?
He said: "But, then I would take a loss".

I said: Oh, it is okay for us to take a loss, but not you?
I moved on

 

My standard line:

"So, what is the non-tourist price?"

And, yes, I do say that

 

Yes, he does. He said it to me in Chicago!

 

I think there is truth to this. As a new generation of consumers/coin collectors come along, they are less social, they rather shop online. They are used to price checking everything over the internet. Everybody is in a hurry, they dont want to spend all day talking to strangers. I go to a local show, I'm there for two hours tops, the big show 4-5 hours. I have other things to do, I don't have the patience or the luxury to stroll around a coin show for days, asking what the price is for every coin.

 

Well, I set up with some other dealers at a table in the budget section in Chicago. The table was $630, which we split 3 ways and then crammed into. Some of the prime spots cost thousands of dollars, then there's hotels, meals, flights, etc. Non-ANA members pay $6 to get into the show.
While I see your points, (and yes, I priced my 25 coins I had for sale in the case), I can see why the "rules" are there. Starting off a show in a deep financial hole can create a lot of pressure for some people.

 

was it worth it? did you sell them?

 

I sold a few, including the proof Morgan. But sleeping on the streets of Chicago for 2 nights for gold Kennedy's is where I made the real money.

 

Listen, I just want to get the thread to 7 pages. I would never waste my time giving someone a hard time at a fun social event. The coin show etiquette points are a joke. The symbiotic relationship between buyer and seller must go on, especially when we're both paid guests at a public venue. It is your choice to pay to play the role of the seller, I choose to pay to play the role of the client. Doesn't mean I'll buy from your shared table, but, I wish you success and good sales, well past the break-even point.

 

Who pays more rent to the venue, the dealers or the masses?

Seriously, just curious, what kind of attendance numbers did the Chicago show have?

 

In Chicago, the numbers will be skewed. Dealers paid 100's of people to wait in line. Some bought their hired hands dealer badges, some didn't. Bottom line is, the ANA probably made an absolute killing.