Why don't most dealers do a better job at pre-screening?
Bustman
Posts: 1,911 ✭
I am now happily hooked up with a dealer who knows what I like for the most part and does a terrific job of pre-screening coins for me. The end result, I get great coins, they get far fewer returns.
I have attempted to get a few other well know & respected dealers to do the same, but to no avail. They keep sending me overgraded junk..... I keep sending them back, and they get mad because I return too much.
Why would they keep doing this? Has anyone else had success using a pre-screen? Has anyone else been cut off from a dealer for returning their average material?
I have attempted to get a few other well know & respected dealers to do the same, but to no avail. They keep sending me overgraded junk..... I keep sending them back, and they get mad because I return too much.
Why would they keep doing this? Has anyone else had success using a pre-screen? Has anyone else been cut off from a dealer for returning their average material?
0
Comments
Jay
and your scenerio is exactyl like hers can you believe it a woman no less!!!!
she haS dealth with many firms telling her on the phone the coins were great!!!!!!! she gets the coins and they were all no brainer crappy coins that did not even come close to what was described to her
and then THE COIN SELLERS GET REALLY PISSED OFF BIG TIME WHEN IT IS RETURNED!!!!!!!!!!
and believe me she makes himself very clear on the phone!
she told me that he feels that
the firms send out ALL the crap to many collecytors and they not only buy it they love it and thank the dealers ...............................................less than 10% get returned
the firms are so used to selling crap and making big money they really do not care
also it is really hard to find great coins like this collector_she
is looking for and if they get something like that they sell it immediately at a show to someone or keep it themselves a quick done deal
why should they ship it on approval to someone? you casnt find many great coinhs to keep you in business you have to buy all the crap and at best average coins to make a living so you market them to death and you preach their virtues most over 90% of coin buyers that get stuff in the mail on approval or whatever really have no idea waht they are looking at and it is easy to do as usually the coins are slabbed so these collectors think duh this coin is slabbed ms 65 lets say by pcgs/ngc it must be a really nice 65..................LOL maybe it is not.............lol well sometimes it is.................lol
they only ship the crapola
and they lie on the phone bold faced lies oh this coin is great for you! usually more most often than not the collector keeps it and thanks then coin seller for doing him a favor.............lol
such is the coin game the coin sellers could care less
now not all the coin sellers just over 90%
such is what she tells me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this has BEEN HER EXPERIENCE you would be shocked at the names of the firms that have done this more than once i will never name them though
maybe SHE IS TOO PICKY but she does tell them only the best and she is willing to pay for it!
now of course there is one/two firms that send her great stuff! on occasion when the firm gets some she likes!
sincerely michael wow a great post bustman!!!!!!!! and i think there are many many lots a huge amount like you such is the coin game
K S
You pretty much nailed what I have been going through. Like I said, I am hooked up with a great dealer I trust now, but other than that I really only buy at major shows.
I am kinda surprised this thread did not get more "play", I would have thought many others would share the same frustration.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.
There is another class of customers whose business I will decline. Those are the folks who expect to buy MS-65 quality coins in MS-64 holders. I've had some tell me in so many words I'll buy anything you can find in MS-64 holders that will upgrade to MS-65.
Well there is nothing special about YOU! So will everyone else.
What the heck - I just keep buying great coins from fellow collectors, at shows/auctions and from the few dealers that respect my criteria.
As for returns, I hope that I have never made a client feel poorly about returning a coin. There are many reasons why coins get returned and if we offer a return priviledge, which we do, then I fully expect it will be used if necessary. We have a very low rate of return overall, but on an individual basis it is higher with certain collectors than with others. As a dealer, I think it is mandatory to do his/her best to understand exactly what the collector is looking for in whatever he/she is collecting and to offer/ship only those coins that meet that individual collector's requirements. My guess is this is what Bustman is really getting at here, a willingness to try and understand (based on what has been purchased before and what has been returned) the individual collector which will naturally avoid greater returns as the relationship grows.
My two cents.....no pun intended Bustman (inside joke).
Mike Printz
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
https://hjbltd.com/#!/department/us-coins
<< <i>I have NO problem with paying for quality. I have stepped up to the plate MANY times. And yes I would rather have a high-end 64 then a maxed out, just made it 65. >>
For the same money?? I didn't think so.
Your question about why hassle with the collector that knows about coins is a bit odd actually, or for me it is anyway, yet I understand your point and the way it was meant to be taken with respect to the registry sets.
I think it really comes down to how you want to run your business and if you sincerely enjoy what you do (this from the dealers point of view here). Personally, why do something at all if I am not going to do the best I can? Working with very knowledgable collectors is a real pleasure, however, when a collector appears to lack certain knowledge or skills, taking advantage of that is reprehensible in my opinion. It's like going to see a doctor about a problem, which could be remediated with medicine and being told you need surgery with the doctor knowing full well surgery is not required. Yet he knows the patient will not know any better so the doctor looks at it as a way to make money and forgets the very first part of his oath.....above all do no harm.
Mike Printz
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
https://hjbltd.com/#!/department/us-coins
Glad to hear you are one of the better ones. There are plenty of sleazy doctors out there. It happens in every business.
Mike Printz
Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
https://hjbltd.com/#!/department/us-coins
<< <i>
<< <i>I have NO problem with paying for quality. I have stepped up to the plate MANY times. And yes I would rather have a high-end 64 then a maxed out, just made it 65. >>
For the same money?? I didn't think so.
Yes, actually I have paid 65 money for gorgeous, high-end 64 coins many times!!
My Whitlow experience is textbook as to how a transaction should take place. It starts with me knowing very specifically what I'm looking for. The dealer provides an exceptional and accurate image (Mike's are THE best!). That's what piques my interest. I call the dealer and am able to articulate what I want. He describes how/why the coin does or does not meet my expectations. Its usually obvious to both of us. If it does, the coin is shipped, usually on approval and I have it in one to two days.
I know within 30 seconds of opening the package whether I'm keeping it or not. If I have to think harder than that, its missing something and it goes back. (I've only had one return to Whitlow and it was because we both took a shot thinking the coin might "work for me.") When its a keeper, I call the dealer to tell him so and either give him my credit card number or send him a check THAT DAY.
Any weaknesses along the line, on either the part of the collector or dealer is where it falls apart. There can be problems on either side, but its because the uneducated buy coins and are sheepish about using their return priviledge that dealers will send "stuff" to see if it sticks.
*Edited for spelling