anyone dealt with Jack Beymer in Santa Rosa, CA?
mact
Posts: 236
I get his mail price sheet every so often but have not made it to his shop. His prices are strong and I see his name around the numismatic community. Good quality or high priced? Any experiences?
thanks,
Matt
thanks,
Matt
"the world is full of kings and queens, they blind your eyes and steal your dreams, it's Heaven and Hell"
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Comments
William S. Burroughs, Cities of the Red Night
I firmly believe in numismatics as the world's greatest hobby, but recognize that this is a luxury and without collectors, we can all spend/melt our collections/inventories.
eBaystore
Veep
1. Nice gentleman and veteran numismatist.
2. Quality service and conservative grading.
3. Grossly overpriced.
Brian.
As Santa Rosa is near the Silicon Valley I see him and his wife at all the Santa Clara and San Jose shows. He usually has a pretty good selection of nice coins. I never did find a second coin at a price I wanted to pay though...
matt
a fair number of coins from him and resold most of them quickly at decent profits.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Fugio Cent from him in 1987, for only $20. The chain reverse is a weak Good, the front only has about 1/3 of the design visible. Even so, not something you'd get for $20 today. I also recall he had an AG, holed Pine tree 3 pence ( or some such ) advertised for $225. I wish I'd grabbed it then! His prices do tend to be full retail, but like other have said, he does seem to be a conservative grader. He's afforded me the opportunity to obtain some hard-to-find Colonial types because I've gone after his bargain-priced problem pieces.
I've purchased some nice type coins from him on three different occasions, all at the Long Beach Show. I tend not to purchase "classic" coins through the mail, so I can't add anything about return policies, etc.
I'll echo what everybody has said. Great guy, lots of coins, full retail, grades very conservitive and you can return any coin for any reason no questions ask.
Jon
PS: I've bought hundreds of coins from him and have sold hundreds of coins to him.
this is why i do not like david-lawrence - they aim their prices simliarly high, but will not come down.
beymer is an exceptional grader too. i would not hesitate to recommend him, not in the slightest
also, beymer will pay proportionally more for your choice coins.
i have both bought & sold to this gentleman w/ great success
K S
P Johnny,
You don't have to pay the tax unless you live in Calif. or you are in Calif when you buy.
Jon
David Hall
My two cents.
Mike Printz
My Site
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
https://hjbltd.com/#!/department/us-coins
Jack is a gentleman and a very knowledgeable dealer who has also been extremely helpful to me. Jack grades very conservatively, and he prices his coins on the high side - as do many of the better, more reputable dealers.
Grades conservatively.........
Has large inventory..............
Courteous...........................
Long time in business..........
........but........RETAIL PRICING ??????
Time to heat the tar and pluck the chicken.
Many messages in this thread.
oops - i did it again......my apologies
topstuf: the fella is a retailer, so what's the big suprise? i dont get it. Bowers and other such retailers have relied on a "quality coins" pitch and have been slaying retail customers for eons.
Anyway, props to Jack Beymer all the way around - a very good man.
Ken
My ebay auction(s)
islemangu@yahoo.com
I was looking for an 1875 3CN in nice circulated condition to fill a hole in my Littleton 3CN collection. There's some real low grade and problem material out there for this date but after 2 years I was feeling a little desperate finding a nicer, problem free coin. I've heard that even though Beymer charges stupidly high prices on his material that you'll get something decent (so perhaps the price wouldn't be really all that high).
On a whim, I called his store even though I saw no 1875's for sale in his latest listing. The lady who answered was very nice and she noted that they happened to have a very nice, XF 1875 3CN for sale. She noted it was very eye appealing and problem free. It was $58.50 which was very strong money for an XF 1875 (this was a few months ago now). I said what the heck, "ship it!" I was desperate, I'll pay a premium, especially if it's all there.
I get the coin a few days later and within 10 seconds after looking at it I was dialing his phone number. Within a minute after opening the envelope containing the coin, I was telling the lady on the other end how disappointed I was and that I was sending it back for a refund. She seemed truly concerned and regretted my discontent with the coin.
The first thing that was noticeable was that the coin was no XF. Perhaps a coin with okay VF details (VF25...maybe someone could argue VF30 based on a poor strike). The reverse details were that of a Fine coin and were very mushy. True, these coins rarely struck up very nice, if at all. The obverse hair details were largely flat. If this was more of a strike problem than a wear situation, then it was still a poor coin to charge the premium he was asking.
The second thing was simply unforgiveable and basically set me against buying anything from him sight-unseen again. There was a pin/staple-scratch going through the top of Liberty's head all the way to the rim. Perhaps not obvious when looked at dead on, but pretty obvious when tilting the coin around. This coin was not worth any price to me and a no-brainer return item.
If they had mentioned the staple-scratch, I would have never requested the coin. I wasted by time, materials, postage, and insurance getting that overgraded, damaged coin back to him. I wrote a note requesting the postage/insurance back which I spent to send that mistake back. I realize it was doubtful that I would get a favorable response, but I did not expect the response I did get back.
Tom sent me a note back, with the credit refund slip, stating that the (so-called) "scratch" was microscopic and he couldn't believe I'd make a big deal about it and there was no way they would refund my postage. Sorry, Tom....that was no "microscopic" scratch.
Ever since, I've been soured towards anything offered by Beymer in his ads and I would doubt everything (like I would most of the advertisers).
Maybe he's a great guy and this is a rare mistake, but they knew I was a first time customer and first impressions are everything. I'll preview his stuff at a show, if I ever see him at a show, but I will never again buy anything sight unseen from him. It's a bummer, because I expected much more than I actually got.
Oddly enough, less than a month later, I won an NGC XF40 1875 3CN on eBay that was perfect. I paid $41 (total) for the transaction and I got pretty exactly what I wanted. Although, I'm still looking for a raw one to put in my album (I'm silly about not wanting to break coins out of their plastic).
Yet another lesson learned.
i remember him as one of the first dealers i purchased from in the mid-60's, Lincoln Cents from an ad in a coin magazine. now, fast-forward to the 2003 Baltimore ANA where i finally had a chance to meet him, shake his hand and thank him for helping a young collector get started in this great hobby. ah, but there's a funny twist!!!!
a few months earlier i had won an auction lot at a club i belong to, a reference on United States Early Silver Dollars by M. H. Bolender, and inside was a Jack Beymer price list from 1982. i showed it to him and asked if the prices were still in effect!!!!!
Conservative grading = stronger money......
Lou
ANA Life-Member
David Hall himself imparted an important piece of wisdom when I worked for CU/B+M: Any industry has three goals: excellent service, superb product, and low prices. Any individual company can only choose which two of those they can offer.
If you surveyed collectors 10 years after the fact, asking them how pleased they were with nice coins they had to pay a strong price for, I think they would indicate that those pieces are the coins they valued most in the long run.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
I've bought from him before and I will do so again. He's good on his classic commems.
<< <i>If you surveyed collectors 10 years after the fact, asking them how pleased they were with nice coins they had to pay a strong price for, I think they would indicate that those pieces are the coins they valued most in the long run. >>
Yep. Occasionally, I get a bout of "buyers' remorse" if I think I way overpaid for a PQ coin. But over time, that fades and you're still left with a lovely coin to enjoy for a long time.
When you pay an average price for a dog, you're stuck with the fleas and you're reminded of it again and again, and you are reminded of its shortcomings.
Stupid as I am, I always try and bury the hatchet with him. Take for example my most recent run in. I was selling a very nice seated half, PQ, totally original and a very tough date...a date actually that he had mentioned before from one of our first run ins that he would pay very strong money for. (I try and remember things like this)
Anyway, I walked up to the table and said hello and asked him if was interested in the coin and that it was 4000$ if he was. He went straight for his sheet. As he reached, I, trying to be helpful, said, "It is between 63 and 64 money". He looked at me and sarcastically asked if I could get it into a 63.5 holder. Slightly peeved, I told him that it already was. He offered me 3000$ for the coin, to which I replied that I couldnt do that, I was in the coin 3800$. To which his final response was, "It isnt my job to make you a profit, that is yours." in a very snotty tone.
If I had been a wiser man, I would have just walked away. Instead I intentially picked out two average looking coins in his case and asked Sandra what the prices were. He had an AU53 bust dime R4 variety and in the condition census. The coin was undergraded in an Old PCGS holder, was a 58 but wasnt original. Sandra quoted me 100$ under 63 money. I asked Jack if he had any room, which I am sure he did, but sensing where I was going he said he didnt, that it was " a very nice coin", and threw the coin back down on the case. (I hate that btw...why throw coins, except to show superiority or apathy). I picked it up, looked at him, shook my head and handed the coin back to Sandra and walked away.
Like I said before, he is honest, but his markups are high...he is old school full retailer.
Flame away!! Green trees dont burn
siliconvalleycoins.com
<< <i>I
Tom sent me a note back, with the credit refund slip, stating that the (so-called) "scratch" was microscopic and he couldn't believe I'd make a big deal about it and there was no way they would refund my postage. Sorry, Tom....that was no "microscopic" scratch.
q]
Are we talking about the same guy here?
Pete
Louis Armstrong
<< <i>Jack is one of the true honest dealers out there. Very conservative grading and has a great eye. He is very fair and deals in so many coins that he can make mistakes when grading. Heck, even the TPG make mistakes. If, his secretary failed to describe the scratch that does not mean she lied to you or Jack himself. Jack has sold me coins in the past at very fair prices. He even down grades coins from the TPG grades if he dissagrees and will sell it at a grade below even if the holder says something else. He buys back coins at very competitive prices and gives you a very fair offer. He is truly one in a million. I have delt with him for years and will continue to do so. Also, I don't think you mentioned speaking to him. You spoke to his employees if it was Jack he probably would pay you the difference. Better yet please P.M me I will pay you for the coin itself or the cost you are trying to get refunded. May, I mention Jack is a major player in the market and has been for over 40 years he plays with some of the major rare coins and am sure he would replace this one easily as it is not worth the headache. Like I said please P.M me I will buy the coin back from you myself cover all costs to ship it to me or I will send you the refund you are trying to get back. >>
First off, let me note that you can't be PM'd...you have to remember to turn that on.
Second, as noted in my last post here, I already sent it back and did receive the refund (w/o my side of the postage...which would have been out of the norm anyway). I do appreciate your offer, but I'm already out of his coin and into another one from someone else
<< <i>Grumpy ol' codger. >>
That's my experience too. However, he's one of a few that actually occasionally downgrades TPG coins he has for sale.
I offered him a nice 1901 S NGC VG08 quarter at a Long Beach show awhile ago, and he said he would sell it as a good. Mybe so, maybe no. Another dealer was glad to have it at VG $$.
Jack and Sandra are the best! Jack is a true numismatist and they are very fair, honest dealers. I buy from them often and I make money on everything I purchase. Therefore, his prices can't be too high.
Jack Beymer is one of my favorite dealers.
Dennis
Our eBay auctions - TRUE auctions: start at $0.01, no reserve, 30 day unconditional return privilege & free shipping!
Ray
Funny how some of us have far different opinions of Jack. He never seemed very friendly, or happy to spend time showing me his coins.
If I were a newer collector looking for a list of reputable coin dealers ; he should be on it. Whether he and his company would fit for you, would be clear after a few interactions.
ha ha ha ha
I can say in reading the pages of comments here, that I would do business with JACK BEYMER anyday, and of course, I would do business with anyone, anytime and repeat business too, so long as we are both smiling after the transaction and they LOOK ME IN THE EYE WHEN TALKING.
There is a saying in a lot of businesses that goes like this : IF THEY AIN'T
Ask yourself this question : HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR NAME PUT UP ON THE FORUM PAGE ASKING THE WORLD WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF YOU AS A CUSTOMER ? (food for thought)
ALSO, wouldn't it have been fairer to go meet Jack and make a determination yourself as to his character or his prices ?
I apologize for sounding disrespectful in any way, but asking EVERYONE about someone you haven't met just doesn't seem right in determining whether you do business with them or not.
Trust instinct, not gossip.