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Things you get when you set up at coin shows . . . .

claychaserclaychaser Posts: 4,405 ✭✭✭✭

At the Colorado Springs show an "old school" vest pocket guy walks up to my table with a couple of double row boxes of raw coins in 2x2's. I start to look through it, and its a bunch of cleaned up, dipped, polished and overgraded coins. I asked about an obviously polished up Lincoln for that I would normally retail for around 50% of sheet, and the price was about 10% below what a legit one would sell for. Repeat again, same result. He then starts to look at my raw Lincolns in my case, and he picks out a few nice VF-XF coins for a whopping $80 deal. Just then, a very (in) famous dealer walks up who has had a history of bad checks, BK's, and the like and he hands the vest pocket dealer a stack of coins back and says that his customer need "more lustre" on them. The vest pocket guy says he "gave them all the lustre he could!".

The vest pocket guy then want to pay by check. I politely told him that "i need the cash please".

I feel bad that some nice original coins are going to processing plant . . .



==Looking for pre WW2 Commems in PCGS Rattler holders, 1851-O Three Cent Silvers in all grades



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Comments

  • ChrisH821ChrisH821 Posts: 6,293 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Ugh...

    Collector, occasional seller

  • coinbufcoinbuf Posts: 10,715 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Disgusting, however I doubt that anyone here is surprised to hear stories like this.

    My Lincoln Registry
    My Collection of Old Holders

    Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 7,544 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 24, 2019 11:39AM

    Or it’s the guy wanting $35 for Pcgs coin then MV says $23. CDN bid is $12.

    I showed him Pcgs Cert $23 verify MV (did not make offer) he said he would hold on to it.

    On the positive side I had bought an PCGS MS65 Texas half (plus another date Texas) from another dealer (Houston summer show this past weekend - just walking around the bourse see what others had) for $135 each (CDN bid 155 / CPG 202) and guy walking up wanted see see one of the 2 (both brilliant PQ gems) “wow what a flashy Texas” - “yes it’s a real blazer” I said. He then bought it for $175 before I even had chance put it in my display case lol.

    On the weird side another guy passed on PCGS 69 1998 $5 AGE at $198 (my table at same show) then not 5 or 10 min later phone message it sold bin from my online store for $200.

    So Cali Area - Coins & Currency
  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I was offered a wonderful midgrade(most XF-AU) set of Barber Quarters awhile back. The deal killer was the 01-S was counterfeit(Yeah I was the 1st to let him know). Well...the dealer that offered it to me didn't tell me later that he backed out the 01-S after talking to his client that had consigned them to him. The next day a vest pocket dealer was walking them around stripped of their originality.

    Yeah...I gave the vest pocket guy and that dealer a nasty mouthful after they were offered to me(at a ridiculous overgraded,inflated price). :s

  • COINS MAKE CENTSCOINS MAKE CENTS Posts: 1,788 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I was offered 10 yes 10 1909 s vdb at a show in North Carolina problem was all of them were fake. Some were altered some were outright fakes some had a added mintmark. The customer said no problem how about these. He pulled out a half a roll of RED 1914d lincolns all of them were again counterfeit. I was" supposedly "the first one to tell him. That was an interesting situation. He told me he got "a hell of a deal" and was going to " pass the savings on to me to make some real money"

    New inventory added daily at Coins Make Cents
    HAPPY COLLECTING


  • selling3selling3 Posts: 166 ✭✭✭

    claychaser-I thought the number one answer to your question would be ULCERS

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    From just the stories posted here, I can imagine the virtual library of stories and events that dealers experience every week.... I do believe there is a potential book there... It would certainly sell among collectors... and there are a lot of collectors here...not to mention other forums and those who do not frequent forums. Cheers, RickO

  • DRUNNERDRUNNER Posts: 3,791 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I am surprised this thread did not blow up into a huge litany of responses! I have been a bit busy . . . . but I could do chapters and chapters . . . . . and I only set up twice a year!!

    Drunner

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,208 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @thefinn said:

    @thisistheshow said:
    I've never seen this first hand but assumed it was happening...

    That's a funny line: "I gave them all the luster I could"

    Sounds like something Scotty would tell Capt. Kirk.

    I used a whole box of Brillo pads.

  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 3,744 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thirty eight or thirty nine years ago, this walked up to the table next to me. I was just hoping that the guy would pass and I could get a shot. IIRC the price was 2300.00. This wasn't necessairly THE coin, of course it was raw then, but I remember the rims looking like this. In all likelihood, this is the coin.....Have never owned one, but would have liked to.....

  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great thread

    Frank

    BHNC #203

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "They want 'em white"

    All glory is fleeting.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,427 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 26, 2019 10:24AM

    @thebeav said:
    Thirty eight or thirty nine years ago, this walked up to the table next to me. I was just hoping that the guy would pass and I could get a shot. IIRC the price was 2300.00. This wasn't necessairly THE coin, of course it was raw then, but I remember the rims looking like this. In all likelihood, this is the coin.....Have never owned one, but would have liked to.....

    Yes, a Humbert slug was one the coins that has been on my list for while. Unfortunately the market has passed me by. Now pieces with rim problems like this, or perhaps a bit less, get into straight graded holders. The pieces I like with no rim issues and just a little wear are over $20 thousand more that when I started looking 7 or 8 years ago. Although the market has dropped generally, “trophy coins” have continued to increase in price.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • BustDMsBustDMs Posts: 1,563 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I remember a CSNS show a few years ago when a nice middle aged couple came up to me at my table and asked, "is 1859 a LITTLE better date" referring to a half eagle. I asked to see the coin and upon turning it over I found a little "C" mintmark! They asked me what I would pay and I told them the coin should be certified before selling to get the best price and that I could help them do that. We talked about how much I thought the coin was worth and they thanked me and walked away. A couple hours later they returned and asked if the deal was still good. I took the coin and sent it to PCGS where it was graded as an AU50. I paid them accordingly and they were VERY happy. Some other dealer(s) tried to purchase it as a nice AU PHILLY coin for a lot less. Good for me and great for my customers.

    Q: When does a collector become a numismatist?



    A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.



    A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 43,796 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The ____ peddler needs new shoes. It is what it is. Sad to see, sad to say.

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