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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 8327, member: 57463&quot;]Well, this is pretty clearly yet another eBay thread.&nbsp; In particular, you seem to be doing some market research, which is always a form of advertising, really.&nbsp; Advertising by its nature includes &quot;meaningless&quot; words (new! improved!) and the first one that jumped out at me was &quot;good&quot; as applied to sellers and buyers.&nbsp; By this, you must mean that they have good FEEDBACK.&nbsp; Otherwise, what is a &quot;good&quot; dealer, or a &quot;good&quot; seller?</p><p><br /></p><p>When I buy -- which is seldom -- I buy at coin shows and coin stores.&nbsp; I save my money for ANA conventions and such (MSNS; CSNS) and do not squander it on so many junk coins a week or whatever compulsions other numismatists seem to have.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>When I buy, what counts most is that the dealer actually HAS the material.&nbsp; My interests are not in the mainstreams that are tabulated and spreadsheeted each week or month.&nbsp; I mean, if I wanted a 1916-D Mercury, all I would need is money.&nbsp; The last time I went to a show, I bought Michigan Iron Mine Scrip. Two dealers had it.&nbsp; They actually had a couple of notes in common, but mostly he had this and she had that.&nbsp; The same applies in ancients or any other specialty area. </p><p><br /></p><p>Once I see what I want, price is not important -- as long as I can afford it, of course.&nbsp; If I do not have $100 or $10 or $1, I am not a buyer.&nbsp; If I have &quot;enough&quot; on me to get &quot;enough&quot; change back, I will make a counter offer to the sticker price as a formality.&nbsp; Otherwise, I seldom quibble about price.</p><p><br /></p><p>What impresses me most about a dealer is not the compilation of statistical opinions, but the dealer&#039;s KNOWLEDGE and their demeanor toward me.&nbsp; Again, once you get outside of the mainstream of US Type, knowledge counts.&nbsp; Within U.S. Type, I have yet to see where &quot;knowledge&quot; makes much difference, as long as you can grade and price the item.</p><p><br /></p><p>Communication BEFORE the sale means something to me.&nbsp; Do I know the dealer?&nbsp; Have I read their works in the Celator or heard them speak at Numismatic Theaters?&nbsp; Do I know them from RCC, perhaps?</p><p><br /></p><p>Buying most often in person &quot;shipping&quot; and such are not factors.&nbsp; However, they do come up, interestingly.&nbsp; I have twice or more times seen something at a show when I was out of money and arranged to buy it later.&nbsp; The last time, I dropped the dealer a letter, asking if the material was still available and at the price and I rounded up for shipping, etc.&nbsp; He replied and rounded down.&nbsp; I paid the higher amount because when he &quot;replied&quot; he included the items.</p><p><br /></p><p>I know that this reply is not what you are looking for. However, I felt a need to speak up for the many uncounted traditionalists who are not eBay buyers or sellers.&nbsp; This is a tougher market.&nbsp; So, I really appreciate the old-fashioned dealers who built a lifestyle around commerce in numismatics.</p><p><br /></p><p>Michael[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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