@Barry said:
To sum it up, dealers should take away from this thread:
You are in a customer service business. You treat customers poorly and you will suffer where it counts - in the pocketbook. Also, this discussion proves coin buyers have long memories about being treated poorly. Blow off a "kid" today, you may miss the opportunity for a big sale 10 years from now.
Not coin related but your post reminds me of the time that a mate and I had some time to kill so we wandered into a Ferrari dealership. We were both in our mid-twenties at the time. Anyway, the guy on the floor jumped to his feet, greeted us warmly and proceeded to give us a complete run-down on the cars in the showroom. Finally, I said something like, "dude, you know we're really not going to buy a Ferrari, right?" His response: "Maybe not today but if we treat you right, you may come around in the future." That guy got it.
I take issue with #4. I'm interested in medals as well as numismatically-related worlds fair memorabilia. Sports cards and jewelry do belong elsewhere if the show is for numismatic material.
BTW, my #1 complaint is being ignored while the dealer is clearly just shooting the breeze (too long) rather than transacting business. Related, being ignored while the dealer is screwing around with his inventory. Sometimes I come back, more often not.
How about when two dealers share a table. It seems when you find something of interest it’s the “others guys coin”. He of course is gone. The person present has no idea where they are or when they will be back.
@No Headlights said:
How about when two dealers share a table. It seems when you find something of interest it’s the “others guys coin”. He of course is gone. The person present has no idea where they are or when they will be back.
....& of course he doesn’t have his table partner’s cell # nor have them page to let him know he has a customer
When I'm trying to make a trade and the dealer tells me all my stuff is crap and his is all PQ.... Sure his 66's are better than my 64's and 65's but that's why I'm trading and I know mine are not crap. And he's probably getting two or three of mine for one of his.
Yes, being ignored is annoying. What's more annoying is the comment, "You can't afford that," as if the guy knows anything about my net worth or the size of my bank account.
Translated, " It is on consignment and the consignor is asking too much for it."
Some refer to overgraded slabs as Coffins. I like to think of them as Happy Coins.
Yes, being ignored is annoying. What's more annoying is the comment, "You can't afford that," as if the guy knows anything about my net worth or the size of my bank account.
Translated, " It is on consignment and the consignor is asking too much for it."
Two comments “not always.”
And if that’s true, then way not be honest about it? That would be far much more productive that making a rude, incendiary comment.
I know what I have heard, and the context in which it was given.
And yes, i’ve also been told, “The consigner wants too much.”
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 ... ?
@No Headlights said:
How about when two dealers share a table. It seems when you find something of interest it’s the “others guys coin”. He of course is gone. The person present has no idea where they are or when they will be back.
....& of course he doesn’t have his table partner’s cell # nor have them page to let him know he has a customer
Yep, that’s the guys I’m talking about. I swear these people have a website. They are matched two minutes before the show starts so they can split the cost of the table.
I treat all customers and potential customers with respect.
I cannot understand rude dealers.
It doesn't compute.
However, I have noticed that some dealers seem to have developed a cult-like following despite (or possibly, because of) such boorish behavior.
Still, it doesn't make good economic sense to be rude.
It's just easier to be nice.
My favorite line is when I ask a dealer if he has a certain kind of coin which many dealers have not had in ages. He will come back with, “oh yes, I have those but I left them all at the store!”
Yeah, right!!
Also, I’ll get the “I have one of those but it’s quite expensive.” How the heck does he know how much money is in my pocket and define expensive for me?
That $6 sloppy joe sandwich that you are wolfing down in front of my face is expensive!
Makes me enjoy auto swap meets more, where the person selling their stuff has everything labeled, but isn't there. But there is a large sign with his phone number, and when you call him, he says just open the truck door, and put the money for the part in the console". When I open the console, there is a pile of money, and I just toss mine in, and go on my way, with my purchased part.
@mustangmanbob said:
Makes me enjoy auto swap meets more, where the person selling their stuff has everything labeled, but isn't there. But there is a large sign with his phone number, and when you call him, he says just open the truck door, and put the money for the part in the console". When I open the console, there is a pile of money, and I just toss mine in, and go on my way, with my purchased part.
I'm guessing that self service wouldn't work too well at a coin show.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I find nearly all dealers to be nice. When I took my 5 year old to a show a few weeks ago she walked away with freebies from 3 or 4 dealers from whom we bought nothing.
@parkave said:
In defense of my fellow coin dealers, many dealers are wholesale only and set up at the show to buy/trade strictly on that level.
Bleep you and the horse you rode in on. You are set-up at a mixed (wholesale/retail) venue you owe EVERYONE a minimal level of politeness. I'm not going to wear my sales tax permit around my neck like a badge of honor...
IMNSHO If there is really enough of you to be a thing, the promoters should stick you in the back by the dumpster, behind a rope.
Seriously, there are several ways to handle this that don't PO the majority of people attending the show.
/1/ Don't take a premium table where the retail customers see you first thing.
/2/ A sign on the front of the case "To the Trade Only".
Or you can do like several smart dealers do since they are primarily wholesale only, they tell potential retail customers that the prices are wholesale, there is an x% markup for retail sales. Or politely ask them to come back later when things quiet down.
-----Burton ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
@savitale said:
I find nearly all dealers to be nice. When I took my 5 year old to a show a few weeks ago she walked away with freebies from 3 or 4 dealers from whom we bought nothing.
Yes, most dealers are nice, some are outstanding! I have witnessed when dealers give out coins to kids! Win, win for everyone. The problem with a handful of dealers is when they act, or treat others like 5 year olds. Now I just chuckle to myself and move on.
Dealers/Buyers who dismiss variety value and then turn around and promote (mark-up) for the variety. I had one dealer ask me if I would pay a premium for a variety I was asking him about, and then dismissed it as common. I sold that piece a couple weeks ago for almost a thousand dollars over what I bought it for...from him earlier in the year.
oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's
When I lived in the PNW and went to many shows, there were a few dealers that fit a couple of the items listed in the OP...Once I experienced such treatment, I always passed their table at future shows. There were a couple even Russ would not deal with... Cheers, RickO
There's a mineral and gem show that my wife and I attend every year in Raritan NJ. It's a very large retail event that attracts thousands of customers. There is an area inside the venue that is accessible "to the trade" and you need a resale number to go into that section of the venue. Solves all of the issues brought up by the OP.
Successful BST transactions with lordmarcovan, Moldnut, erwindoc
Anyone who has ever worked a trade show of any kind knows how it can be. Sometimes it can be a blast and the time fly by, other times you can be talked out with 3 hours to go. One weird interaction can change the momentum on either side if the table. There can be a lot of annoyances to being in public, one just has to decide if the activity is worth the attendance and if you’re in the mood to put up with it.
How about the dealers who own shops and stare at you the entire time? I get it, you don’t want to be robbed, but making your clients feel like robbery suspects is NOT good customer service.
Also, some dealers seem to forget that we don’t have to buy from them!
Interesting blast from the past - nice to see JB, Russ, Lucy and others again.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose, Cardinal.
It's funny how little things have changed in the past 15 years since this thread was started.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I have had very few problems with most of the dealers at the shows. Being ignored is really the only one that annoys me and I don't mind it if you are doing a deal. It only bothers me if you are shooting the breeze with someone who has all his stuff all over your cases and I can't see what you have.
Edit: No clue why the text is enlarged. If someone knows, please let me know how to make the text smaller.
Because you started a sentence with a number sign (hashtag).
If you really want to include a # in your post, you can put a backslash \ in front of it: \# .
This tells the software to not use the # to make a title with huge font.
@PerryHall One thing that seemingly has changed is that there are fewer complaints about 3rd world slabs. I remember when that was a huge topic and some of the early posts in this thread mention them. But as you say, other complaints, eg, being ignored, definitely have not changed.
One fun aspect of this thread is reading @airplanenut mentioning being ignored because he is a kid. Based on the age difference, he's still a kid to me but he might think of himself as more of an adult now!
@Barry said:
To sum it up, dealers should take away from this thread:
You are in a customer service business. You treat customers poorly and you will suffer where it counts - in the pocketbook. Also, this discussion proves coin buyers have long memories about being treated poorly. Blow off a "kid" today, you may miss the opportunity for a big sale 10 years from now.
Not coin related but your post reminds me of the time that a mate and I had some time to kill so we wandered into a Ferrari dealership. We were both in our mid-twenties at the time. Anyway, the guy on the floor jumped to his feet, greeted us warmly and proceeded to give us a complete run-down on the cars in the showroom. Finally, I said something like, "dude, you know we're really not going to buy a Ferrari, right?" His response: "Maybe not today but if we treat you right, you may come around in the future." That guy got it.
I don't dress like a million at coin shows but instead like I dress everyday everywhere else. It helps me filter out the dealers, and I am talking about the retail dealers, not the largely wholesalers. Some well-known dealers give me dirty looks just for looking at their cases, so I gladly pass on to the dealers that get it.
One fun aspect of this thread is reading @airplanenut mentioning being ignored because he is a kid. Based on the age difference, he's still a kid to me but he might think of himself as more of an adult now!
I don't get to too many shows anymore (when this thread was started, I was in high school and the Parsippany show in NJ was monthly and nearby), but this was an interesting comment to look back on. There are dealers I still remember--from quite literally half my lifetime ago--who were jerks that I still have no interested in dealing with. On the other hand, there are a few who went out of their way to make me feel welcomed and show me the ropes, and I still revere them.
The lesson? Never underestimate the impact you can have on a kid through even one or two interactions.
I went to one where one of the currency guys was upset because I had mentioned one of his notes on the currency forum, and he said something about a "six months"etc. timeout from his table. Talk about thin-skinned and arbitrary. If anything the internet increases business transparency so people can't hide from the usual dealer tricks and tactics. You can actually do just as well or better buying on ebay; and many of the shops and shows get more for their stuff because they are able to control people through "big shotisms".
@Legend said:
You guys missed cranky dealers.......
Darn I hate cranky dealers.......
On a serious note: It has been a proven FACT that dealers tend to get robbed more when they put price stickers on coins. Most of the bad guys have no clue otherwise as to what they are stealing. The most well known robbery was about 2 years ago when Tom Reynolds was targeted and robbed (several hundred miles from the show) because the theives could see the value of his coins.
Good and valid point, Legend. I had not thought of that one. I guess at any venue where valuable items are displayed and sold, there are always crooks 'sizing' up the situation.
Comments
Not coin related but your post reminds me of the time that a mate and I had some time to kill so we wandered into a Ferrari dealership. We were both in our mid-twenties at the time. Anyway, the guy on the floor jumped to his feet, greeted us warmly and proceeded to give us a complete run-down on the cars in the showroom. Finally, I said something like, "dude, you know we're really not going to buy a Ferrari, right?" His response: "Maybe not today but if we treat you right, you may come around in the future." That guy got it.
Smitten with DBLCs.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I take issue with #4. I'm interested in medals as well as numismatically-related worlds fair memorabilia. Sports cards and jewelry do belong elsewhere if the show is for numismatic material.
BTW, my #1 complaint is being ignored while the dealer is clearly just shooting the breeze (too long) rather than transacting business. Related, being ignored while the dealer is screwing around with his inventory. Sometimes I come back, more often not.
How about when two dealers share a table. It seems when you find something of interest it’s the “others guys coin”. He of course is gone. The person present has no idea where they are or when they will be back.
I don't like it when a dealer acts like I'm wasting his time or rushes me...it pisses me off.
Or when I'm buying--his prices are way over retail and he won't negotiate.
And when I'm selling---he offers me an obnoxious lowball offer.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
....& of course he doesn’t have his table partner’s cell # nor have them page to let him know he has a customer
When I'm trying to make a trade and the dealer tells me all my stuff is crap and his is all PQ.... Sure his 66's are better than my 64's and 65's but that's why I'm trading and I know mine are not crap. And he's probably getting two or three of mine for one of his.
The two biggest pet peeves from the OP's list is #5 and #7.
3 isn't true. I've graded an MS67+ Buffalo Nickel which I found out of an ACG MS65 holder.
Edit: No clue why the text is enlarged. If someone knows, please let me know how to make the text smaller.
Because you started a sentence with a number sign (hashtag).
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Translated, " It is on consignment and the consignor is asking too much for it."
Two comments “not always.”
And if that’s true, then way not be honest about it? That would be far much more productive that making a rude, incendiary comment.
I know what I have heard, and the context in which it was given.
And yes, i’ve also been told, “The consigner wants too much.”
Yep, that’s the guys I’m talking about. I swear these people have a website. They are matched two minutes before the show starts so they can split the cost of the table.
I treat all customers and potential customers with respect.
I cannot understand rude dealers.
It doesn't compute.
However, I have noticed that some dealers seem to have developed a cult-like following despite (or possibly, because of) such boorish behavior.
Still, it doesn't make good economic sense to be rude.
It's just easier to be nice.
My favorite line is when I ask a dealer if he has a certain kind of coin which many dealers have not had in ages. He will come back with, “oh yes, I have those but I left them all at the store!”
Yeah, right!!
Also, I’ll get the “I have one of those but it’s quite expensive.” How the heck does he know how much money is in my pocket and define expensive for me?
That $6 sloppy joe sandwich that you are wolfing down in front of my face is expensive!
Oh brother!
Makes me enjoy auto swap meets more, where the person selling their stuff has everything labeled, but isn't there. But there is a large sign with his phone number, and when you call him, he says just open the truck door, and put the money for the part in the console". When I open the console, there is a pile of money, and I just toss mine in, and go on my way, with my purchased part.
I'm guessing that self service wouldn't work too well at a coin show.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I find nearly all dealers to be nice. When I took my 5 year old to a show a few weeks ago she walked away with freebies from 3 or 4 dealers from whom we bought nothing.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Bleep you and the horse you rode in on. You are set-up at a mixed (wholesale/retail) venue you owe EVERYONE a minimal level of politeness. I'm not going to wear my sales tax permit around my neck like a badge of honor...
IMNSHO If there is really enough of you to be a thing, the promoters should stick you in the back by the dumpster, behind a rope.
Seriously, there are several ways to handle this that don't PO the majority of people attending the show.
/1/ Don't take a premium table where the retail customers see you first thing.
/2/ A sign on the front of the case "To the Trade Only".
Or you can do like several smart dealers do since they are primarily wholesale only, they tell potential retail customers that the prices are wholesale, there is an x% markup for retail sales. Or politely ask them to come back later when things quiet down.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Yes, most dealers are nice, some are outstanding! I have witnessed when dealers give out coins to kids! Win, win for everyone. The problem with a handful of dealers is when they act, or treat others like 5 year olds. Now I just chuckle to myself and move on.
Dealers/Buyers who dismiss variety value and then turn around and promote (mark-up) for the variety. I had one dealer ask me if I would pay a premium for a variety I was asking him about, and then dismissed it as common. I sold that piece a couple weeks ago for almost a thousand dollars over what I bought it for...from him earlier in the year.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
When I lived in the PNW and went to many shows, there were a few dealers that fit a couple of the items listed in the OP...Once I experienced such treatment, I always passed their table at future shows. There were a couple even Russ would not deal with... Cheers, RickO
There's a mineral and gem show that my wife and I attend every year in Raritan NJ. It's a very large retail event that attracts thousands of customers. There is an area inside the venue that is accessible "to the trade" and you need a resale number to go into that section of the venue. Solves all of the issues brought up by the OP.
Successful BST transactions with lordmarcovan, Moldnut, erwindoc
Anyone who has ever worked a trade show of any kind knows how it can be. Sometimes it can be a blast and the time fly by, other times you can be talked out with 3 hours to go. One weird interaction can change the momentum on either side if the table. There can be a lot of annoyances to being in public, one just has to decide if the activity is worth the attendance and if you’re in the mood to put up with it.
How about the dealers who own shops and stare at you the entire time? I get it, you don’t want to be robbed, but making your clients feel like robbery suspects is NOT good customer service.
Also, some dealers seem to forget that we don’t have to buy from them!
Interesting blast from the past - nice to see JB, Russ, Lucy and others again.
It's funny how little things have changed in the past 15 years since this thread was started.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I have had very few problems with most of the dealers at the shows. Being ignored is really the only one that annoys me and I don't mind it if you are doing a deal. It only bothers me if you are shooting the breeze with someone who has all his stuff all over your cases and I can't see what you have.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
If you really want to include a # in your post, you can put a backslash \ in front of it: \# .
This tells the software to not use the # to make a title with huge font.
@PerryHall One thing that seemingly has changed is that there are fewer complaints about 3rd world slabs. I remember when that was a huge topic and some of the early posts in this thread mention them. But as you say, other complaints, eg, being ignored, definitely have not changed.
One fun aspect of this thread is reading @airplanenut mentioning being ignored because he is a kid. Based on the age difference, he's still a kid to me but he might think of himself as more of an adult now!
Have to agree with @Lakesammman - great to see comments from some of our old friends.
I don't dress like a million at coin shows but instead like I dress everyday everywhere else. It helps me filter out the dealers, and I am talking about the retail dealers, not the largely wholesalers. Some well-known dealers give me dirty looks just for looking at their cases, so I gladly pass on to the dealers that get it.
Best, SH
.
the pound sign plus the number 3 probably refers to text size. reminds me of html. not sure if it is the 3, 5 or 7 in your post.
.
Last time I went to my local show, about 1/3 of the dealers were selling stamps, antique crap, etc. Look like a swap meet.
Yes! The rest of the dealers were trying to dump the same stuff they had from six months earlier. Ugh!
Very difficult to find a decent monthly show anymore.
I don't get to too many shows anymore (when this thread was started, I was in high school and the Parsippany show in NJ was monthly and nearby), but this was an interesting comment to look back on. There are dealers I still remember--from quite literally half my lifetime ago--who were jerks that I still have no interested in dealing with. On the other hand, there are a few who went out of their way to make me feel welcomed and show me the ropes, and I still revere them.
The lesson? Never underestimate the impact you can have on a kid through even one or two interactions.
I went to one where one of the currency guys was upset because I had mentioned one of his notes on the currency forum, and he said something about a "six months"etc. timeout from his table. Talk about thin-skinned and arbitrary. If anything the internet increases business transparency so people can't hide from the usual dealer tricks and tactics. You can actually do just as well or better buying on ebay; and many of the shops and shows get more for their stuff because they are able to control people through "big shotisms".
"big shotism".....love it!
Sorry, should have quoted as "big shotisms."
Good and valid point, Legend. I had not thought of that one. I guess at any venue where valuable items are displayed and sold, there are always crooks 'sizing' up the situation.