I just got back from Virginia. Spent some (a fair amount) of time visiting Coin shops all over the state. Best coin that I seen was a 1892 XF45 Morgan PCGS. Asking price a mere $2750.00 I have seen so many dealers etc in the past week down there. I can not for the life of me see how most stay in business. Example: I was looking at a 1936S buffalo. I thought it would go XF. Not a bad coin. I asked the dealer how much.. $125.00 its at least a MS65. I walked outside and looked at the door and came back in. He asked me what I was looking at. I said I wanted to see if he was a SGS dealer. He didnt get it. Another: GSA CC Morgans. $625.00 Another: 2003 Proof set. $100.00 why? because the 2004 was 90 and the 03 is older! Another: You all will love this one. How much is the 3 legged buffalo. Answer, you cant afford it. (I had on a Harley T-Shirt (a true scumbag I guess)) I said ohhhhhhhh sorry for asking, do you have a junk coin bin I can dig through? Ths list goes on........ Does anyone else run into this? I was in at least 10 stores over the last weekend down there and came home empty handed.
Boy, that is some crummy service. Sorry to hear your trip to VA wasn't very good (as far as coins are concerned at least). You should have told him that you have some sets from the Seventies that you'd sell to him at the bargain price of $150 each. :rolling: They're a lot older, right?!
Did you go through the Shenandoah Valley by chance? What coin dealers did you visit there if you were there. It would be along I-81.
In defense of the nice dealers out there I have to say I've run across a couple of really great people in the short time I've been dinking around with this hobby. I can't say that I've gotten them to budge from the asking prices but there are two places I like to go to that have not only been very patient with my newbie questions but they have also been very nice to two of my kids that have shown an interest in coins. I usually take them with me when I can and one dealer in Fort Wayne (Fairfields in case anyone can get there) lets them dig through a box they have full of foriegn coins and lets them keep a few if they can tell him where they come from. The kids love it and who knows, they might acually learn a bit of geography as well. Another time the same guy spent several minutes going over silver rounds and bars with my eleven year old son and even went to the back and brought out a 100 ounce silver bar for him to hold. At another shop in Lafayette (Smiths coins) the owner spends quite a bit of time going through a junk box with them if he isn't busy and after they pick out a few odds and ends that probably never amount to five dollars total he throws in a few more odds and ends for free. Bear in mind my coin budget is SMALL and I'm sure they have noticed but these people have done quite a bit to get those two kids interested in the hobby and earned what little business I can throw their way. Don't get too bummed Jim there are some nice guys out there yet.
I get the same sort of thing because Im usually dressed in a crummy Led Zeppelin T-shirt and faded torn jeans so they assume that I dont have any money, that and Im 16 hahaha. The fact is there are some really great dealers out there that I love dearly because they really like to see kids collecting so they act sort of as mentors and point me in the direction I should be going. However there are also some who just assume Im some kid wanting to pawn off some junk coins for cash, they think twice when I whip out my box of BU bust halves
What is your opinion on these shops? I've been to the one in Va Beach and thought it was ok. I haven't been to the one in Hampton.
Shenandoah Valley Actually yes I did. Was at a place in Winchester. Real nice guy. More of a bullion dealer though. His first words to me was he was extremely busy. We didnt get to look at much and left. Also stopped at one in Charlottesville. No Comment on this one.
Hampton Roads Area I did spend some time in the Newport News, Hampton area as well. Visited one of the dealers in Hampton, nice guy, nothing of interest in the store though. I believe this is the one that pulled out the latest Coin World and was quoting prices from it. I talked to the one in VB on the phone, said he had some of the stuff I was looking for, said he would call me back when he made sure they were "not already sold". Only been a week now. Still no call back. I do get down in that area about every other month so I will swing into that store to see whats shaking.
You know its really kind of funny. When I went back outside, I looked around to see what cars were in the area. The one parked right in front of the back door was an older model Ford Taurus. I know the Harley cost almost 26k. Wonder how much that car is worth? LOL.. Oh well, his loss.
Ya'll are talking about how ya'll dress and such so I thought ya'll might like a little known fact.... The first thing anyone looks at when seeing someone is their shoes..... The things you wear, (no matter how wrong this is) will always change how people treat you....when going to show I find it a good thing to dress up some...no tie or such but it does help to dress up where people will help and treat you alittle better. Now for the good dealers it doesn't matter how you are dressed they will treat you the same....but I've found fewer dealers treat me like I don't have a dime when I dress up alittle better It doesn't get any better when you are 17....they still do that.... Speedy
There are Many coin dealers in the Tidewater area. The ones I am talking about are the only 2 full time shops left in the area. They actually still have display cases.:smile Prices are on par with some Ebay'ers , at least you can actually look at and hold the coin you want to buy, and even haggle a price. Both have been very friendly and helpfull towards me.I dont buy alot from them, due to budget constraints, but They sure beat the heck out of most mail order places that I have dealt with. Opinions are like...well you know what I mean . Mike
