Do you tip your LCS guy, or at a show?

Suze

Just curious what is the consensus, anonymously seems best

johnny9434

Maybe some musterd at Christmas, that's bout it

DCW

Why would you tip anyone in retail? In my opinion, tipping culture has gotten way out of hand. Especially in these days of ever increasing minimum wage.
Everywhere I go, not only does the cashier add 3% for using a card, they turn the screen around which inevitably displays how much you want to add for a "tip."
Go out to eat, leave 20%.
Go to a bar, leave a couple bucks for a beer.
Go to coffee shop, by all means tip your barista.
But I'm not leaving the cashier at Home Depot gratuity for doing her job. That's the employer's responsibility.

If you are friendly with your coin dealer, maybe send them a bottle of scotch over the holidays. Leaving a tip will lead to expectations of it happening every time, and quite possibly encouraging the dealer to add zeroes onto the price for fear he is undercharging you

291fifth

This tipping bit is nothing but another attempt by ownership to pass business expenses on to someone else.

Suze

@DCW said:

If you are friendly with your coin dealer, maybe send them a bottle of scotch over the holidays.

Thanks - I should’ve added option D to be an occasional gift… can’t seem to add it now tho sadly

PerryHall

The poll results so far are not surprising.

Mr_Spud

It would make sense to offer a tip as a “finders fee” if the dealer located a coin you need in another dealers inventory, but it wouldn’t make sense to negotiate a price with a dealer for a coin in their own inventory and then be expected to add a tip on top of that.

bestmr

If I bring a customers part to them or load it in their car, I don’t expect a tip because I’m just doing my job.

Coin Finder

What is an LCS guy?

bestmr

Local coin shop I think

pcgsregistrycollector

You shouldn't expect to be tipped just because you are doing your job. That, in my opinion, is unreasonable. I work at a fast food place, and I don't expect customers to give me extra money just for handing them their order with a smile. I'm paid to do my job, and I try to do it well—that's part of being a responsible employee. Tipping should be reserved for situations where someone goes above and beyond, not just for showing up and doing the basics.

skier07

Why in the world would I tip the LCS?

Perhaps if I was someone like Simpson, Hanson, etc. and I had a special relationship with the dealer who was finding me most of my coins I would perhaps get them a Christmas present as a sign of appreciation.

Coin Finder

No, but if they are running a legitimate fundraiser for charity, I'll leave money in the jar...

erscolo

The tipping mentality in this country is over the top and insane. It is not an entitlement.

johnny9434

local coin store gent's

lermish

@erscolo said:
The tipping mentality in this country is over the top and insane. It is not an entitlement.

It's the same in Canada.

1Bufffan

why??? they are getting more than I would "tip", from what I would buy from them in their profit margin or mark-up.

tincup

@erscolo said:
The tipping mentality in this country is over the top and insane. It is not an entitlement.

Agreed. I found it hard to believe the question is even being asked. But if someone is rather new to the collecting of coins... I suppose it could be a legitimate question. After all, as mentioned, the tipping mentality has become insane.

It really escalated when covid was ramping up. But... after covid died down... unfortunately the tipping insanity did not die down. Of course businesses want you to pay more. Many younger individuals may have been led to believe that tipping for everything... no matter how minor or insignificant... is normal. It is normal... only if you allow it to be.

PeakRarities

Before I became one, I have actually tipped a dealer in one case, but it was auction representation where things worked out favorably and I gave extra as I ended up getting a great deal.

Ultimately no dealer ever expects to be tipped, but there are other ways to show your appreciation if it was earned. As a collector, something I would do semi-frequently with dealers whom I had expected to do much future business with, is a courtesy purchase. It's pretty self explanatory, but if a dealer spent a considerable amount of time trying to find something for me, or took the time to give me an education about something I didn't know, I would often try to spend some money with them in the interim of a larger conquest.

The way I rationalized it, I would pick something that I knew was easily liquid for not much less than the actual cost to me, at a small fraction of the amount of the primary target. For example, if the primary want list coin was $30,000, Id make a courtesy purchase at $3,600. This would indicate to the dealer, I recognize that their knowledge and time has value, and I have no intention of wasting or taking advantage of them. In several cases, I think these had ultimately led to being offered very desirable coins at the top of my want list, and a $200 "loss" tuned out to be one of the best "investments" I had made. YYMV.

lermish

@PeakRarities said:
As a collector, something I would do semi-frequently with dealers whom I had expected to do much future business with, is a courtesy purchase. It's pretty self explanatory, but if a dealer spent a considerable amount of time trying to find something for me, or took the time to give me an education about something I didn't know, I would often try to spend some money with them in the interim of a larger conquest.

The way I rationalized it, I would pick something that I knew was easily liquid for not much less than the actual cost to me, at a small fraction of the amount of the primary target. For example, if the primary want list coin was $30,000, Id make a courtesy purchase at $3,600. This would indicate to the dealer, I recognize that their knowledge and time has value, and I have no intention of wasting or taking advantage of them. In several cases, I think these had ultimately led to being offered very desirable coins at the top of my want list, and a $200 "loss" tuned out to be one of the best "investments" I had made. YYMV.

I've followed your lead and done this multiple times in my specific collecting niche and it works like a charm. The coins I seek are so scarce that any slight advantage is absolutely worth the money.

BTW, some of your "courtesy coins" I have seen have been pretty darn nice.

oih82w8

I was at a coin show and a regular dealer, I frequent, tipped me off to another dealer who was looking for one of my varieties. I slipped him a double saw buck for his lead.

TxCollector

@erscolo said:
The tipping mentality in this country is over the top and insane. It is not an entitlement.

The best is that some of the self serve kiosks at my local airport now ask for tips.

Coins3675

I don't tip my coin dealer, I didn't even know that was a thing.

Aotearoa

What?!

Smudge

I assume the tip is figured into the price.

SoFlo

You want a tip? Plant your potatoes early.

ChrisH821

No, I buy from them and make sure to occasionally sell something to them as well.

oldabeintx

I make courtesy purchases to support dealers who are friends or who go out of their way to be helpful. As a collector of all sorts of things, I can often find something I can enjoy outside of my want list. Sometimes it takes me in a new direction.

handyman

Yes I tip a min of 20% every time I buy a gold eagle. I also hope they do the same when they buy it back from me. I have yet to receive a tip other than “try next door”.

messydesk

Looking forward to a dealer telling me, "I need you to sign this invoice that you've received the coin, but first, it's going to ask you a question on the bottom."

ShaunBC5

We probably just haggled. The full exchange was negotiated. We shake hands and trade money/goods. Everyone is happy.
I can see if there was some extraordinary service provided (finding/representing/etc). It that would be specific case.

Cameonut

The only "tips" I have given to professional dealers is telling them about unattributed varieties in their inventory. They seem to appreciate that info.

Walkerfan

I’ll just say this: Dealers have a huge profit margin, regardless of what they tell you. We used to know a guy who tipped at shows. I told him that he thinks with his heart instead of his head. :'(

Aotearoa

@SoFlo said:
You want a tip? Plant your potatoes early.

Jed actually said, “corn”.