What is the best way to talk to dealers about coins?

atarian

what is the best way if you dont have a relationship with them. how much give and take is there normally. i dont want to go to a big name and be like yeah im 21. yet at the same time i do wnat some gold coins at a fair value. how to i juggle this? think ill get pushed away cause im a small ( would you even call me a ) client?

RKKay

There is no substitute for knowledge. Go in knowing everything you can about what you are looking for and pricing. If you don't, the honorable dealers will be straight, but the sharks will bite. If you don't have the knowledge, bring someone who does.

SarasotaFrank

with one hand on your wallet, and the other on your gun??

atarian

i guess online buying wouldnt be smart. since thats what i am refering too ( the only shop by me is crooked)

MrEureka

Just about any dealer will be happy to talk to you if you are in the market for the type of coins that he is offering.

epicrecipe

<< <i>the only shop by me is crooked >>



What makes you say that?

LincolnCentMan

Being candid, knowledgable, and polite has always worked for me. I also rarely haggle anymore. I used to fight tooth and nail on prices, now I just take it or leave it. I'll make a counter offer on about one in fourty or fifty purchases.

David

Goober

I have an awesome dealer. I get some unbelievable pricing from him. What makes him the go to guy is his attitude. He doesn't want some dimwit looking to make $$$, he loves the collector. To him, a collector with a little knowledge is someone he can relate to, and also teach, guide and trust.

ps Today, he taught me how to haggle with him

airplanenut

I usually just ask the best price and say yes or no... last weekend a dealer had a sticker price on the coin, and after I really liked the coin, said the sticker was what he paid. That's the only coin I've ever haggled on.

Jeremy

byergo

1. put your food/beverage on their display case
2. ask how much they paid for the coin
3. call them a liar
4. tell them the coin is overgraded
5. make a low-ball bid
6. reach for your wallet in an arrogant manner as if your low-ball bid will automatically be accepted, you are, after all, the COIN MASTER!

:-)

Myqqy

i guess online buying wouldnt be smart.

Why would buying nice slabbed gold from a reputable online seller not be a good idea??

atarian

since i dotn know a repuable one i would have time finding one. i was looking for advice as i flip though the Coin World mag.


ok ok you guys wont ever let me live down that. " im in the know stuff" are you. let me know now so i can brace myself for more taunting. i never claimed to be the master of anything besides video games

RKKay

For starters, Mark Feld, Pinnacle and Rare Coins of New Hampshire are very trustworthy, as are many other dealers on the boards.

Steve27

Walk in with a copy of the gray sheet under your arm, but don't refer to it, just talk about what your interested in buying.

dorkkarl

sound to me like your putting too much emphasis on the OTHER person (the dealer). i think the real issue here is, you're unsure of what you really like & want, & are afraid of getting talked into something your not sure about.

i suggest you figure out YOUR goals & objectives 1st. then, worry about how to work w/ dealers.

K S

Bayside

Don't be intimated. They are human just like everyone else.

MrEureka

They are human just like everyone else.

Bayside - You haven't met many dealers, have you?

keets

What is the best way to talk to dealers about coins?

........when they're enjoying their dose of sodium pentathol!!!

al h.

Bear

The best way is by holding a chair, a whip and a gun.

orie

Be as rude as they are. Most love to put you down. It's that self esteem thing. I pump up before going to a shop or show.
Two kinds, the ones that you feel good about the trade and others that make you think, why in the hel* did I do business with him//or her?
Some people buy from rude dealers because want the dealer to like them. my my my

Bayside

orie

atarian

where do i get grey sheet

kieferscoins

get greysheet here

Cameron Kiefer

MacCoin

I deal with coin dealer the same way as I deal with everone else. treat them with resect and demand to be treated the same. I tell them what I want and they tell me if they have it or can get it at a price I can afford. for me I like to do the handshake because thats the way I was brought up. I pretty much use the same dealer now he is honest and knows what I like for coins and notes. he all ways has something he thinks I would be interrested in, coin, note or civil war document. most of the time hes right.

msch1man

I agree with dorkkarl about first figuring out what exactly you are looking for. I'm currently putting together the 12-piece gold type set and there are certainly good, honest dealers out there that wouldn't be all that great to use for this just due to the fact that they don't deal in gold. Once you figure out what you want, I'd search through previous threads and pick out some dealer recommendations from other members that sound like they deal in your area of interest. Then I would contact those dealers and let them know what it is you are looking for and kind of get a feel for whether or not the two of you will be a good fit together. I'd be pretty honest about what your general budget is, maybe per coin, because you'll just be wasting the dealer's time and your time if you are too much of a "small fry" for that particular dealer. I'm not calling you a "small fry", I just think you might as well be up front and make sure that the dealer is willing to look for coins that are in your budget.
I've only been collecting "seriously" for about 6 months now, so I was just recently in your shoes. I've been working with Bill Jones and would give him my highest recommendation. One of the things that I like about working with Bill is that not only is he a dealer, but he is also a very serious collector (and has been for 40 years). Others may disagree, but for me, this is a very important attribute. Not only that, Bill seems as interested in teaching and sharing knowledge gained over the past 40 years as he does in selling me coins. I know Bill makes money on all the coins that he sells me (that is the point of being a dealer, isn't it), but the eye appeal/quality of the coins that I buy vs. what I might find on the internet or at a local show combined with the knowledge that he shares more than makes up for whatever % he makes on coins.
Hope that helps.

bullseye

When I buy I try to be cut and dry. If I need time, I tell the person first. If I need to do a trade, I do the same.

I always try to pass or play fast. And I only ask for a better price if I feel its warranted.

I've learned that being up front and straight forward counts a lot.

Mike

orie

Don't worry about being taken seriously by a dealer. They're the ones to worry.

BowTieCoins

Knowledge is always important, setting goals for yourself on what your looking for, take your time and shopping around, get informed about the items your looking to buy and the price ranges they should be at. A good friend of mine always says "everythings negoligible", I don't know may be alot of people say that. An offer with a counter offer. Some people the price is the price, but it doesn't hurt to ask, thats just my opion.
I've walked away from high pressured sales people with a simple no thank you.
I think business should always be a win win, its important to walk away from a purchase feeling good about it. No rush. I always have to controll my impulse buying, LOL!

Katrina

MrEureka

One of the things that I like about working with Bill is that not only is he a dealer, but he is also a very serious collector (and has been for 40 years). Others may disagree, but for me, this is a very important attribute.

I couldn't agree more. Dealers that collect take vicarious pleasure in building collections for others, and they work harder for you as a result. The only caveat is that you probably do not want a dealer that collects the same series as you do. Too many conflicts of interest.

mgoodm3

Make a huge wad of one dollar bills with a few $20's on the outside. Flash your wad and then pretend like you going to sneeze and pull out a bill and wipe your nose with it. Wad it up and throw it on the trash. That'll get their attention.

mrearlygold

Just be straight and realize that the dealers time is as valuable as yours. So if you're hunting for "free" time, remember you get what you pay for.

If you act like a one night stand, expect to be treated that way.

Tom

wingedliberty

Oh, so you think you're the master of video games. I bet I could kick you a$$ in Defender and Astroids. Pull up a chair.!!!!

majorbigtime

Most dealers follow the 'ol addage, "money talks, bulls**t walks".

I often take a "big" coin to shows to ask dealers for their opinion, and this let's 'em know I'm no piker!