What's the strangest coin shop you've been in?
ccex
Posts: 1,188 ✭✭✭
Four years ago this month I visited a well-to-do suburb of Chicago for the first time. When my host drove us away from the historic downtown business district, we passed a coin and stamp shop, which had the front door wide open at 8:30 PM. I spotted a customer looking through albums infront of the elderly owner.
A month later I decided to check out the place for myself. No one was inside other than the unshaven owner with food stains on his shirt. He must have been about 80 years old. I mentioned that I had just started working for a computer shop and he asked if I could fix his new computer. He told me that he had spent a couple thousand dollars on the system so that he could sell his coins and stamps on eBay, since attending shows was too difficult for him. His internet access was not a problem, and Windows still booted up quickly. The only problem was that he couldn't figure out how to make text and pictures bigger on his new 21" monitor. I mentioned "display properties" and lowering the screen resolution, but when I looked at his monitor, it was already set to the lowest setting available (640 x 480). Strange, I thought. But if Ray Charles can drive a bus, why can't we have a blind coin dealer?
He then took a check for over $300 out of his till and asked me to smell it. It looked and smelled normal to me, but the owner of the shop told me that earlier that afternoon someone had written this to pay him for an early U.S. airmail stamp, and he wondered if the check might bounce because he thought it smelled like marijuana!
While I looked through his book of mostly polished Barber Dimes, he was still sniffing that check. I picked out a common date dime marked $4.00 on the 2x2 and a couple Wayte Raymond album pages from his pile of 50 cent used albums which looked like they had been sitting in the front window for years. I wanted to get out quickly and gave him a five dollar bill. He said that he liked me and insisted that he sell me the dime for $2.50 and throw in one album page for free. I didn't know how he could stay in business this way, and I initially refused the change. Rather than stay there arguing with this cazy old dealer, I decided to accept the $2.00 change and get out quickly, never to return.
This is a true story, but I have forgotten the name of the shop and the owner. Can anyone top this? The old man may have been Josh Tatum's grandson, giving back change from a real $5 note for a purchase of an AT coin to make up for grandpa's practice of accepting $4.95 change when an AT nickel was offered for a 5 cent purchase.
A month later I decided to check out the place for myself. No one was inside other than the unshaven owner with food stains on his shirt. He must have been about 80 years old. I mentioned that I had just started working for a computer shop and he asked if I could fix his new computer. He told me that he had spent a couple thousand dollars on the system so that he could sell his coins and stamps on eBay, since attending shows was too difficult for him. His internet access was not a problem, and Windows still booted up quickly. The only problem was that he couldn't figure out how to make text and pictures bigger on his new 21" monitor. I mentioned "display properties" and lowering the screen resolution, but when I looked at his monitor, it was already set to the lowest setting available (640 x 480). Strange, I thought. But if Ray Charles can drive a bus, why can't we have a blind coin dealer?
He then took a check for over $300 out of his till and asked me to smell it. It looked and smelled normal to me, but the owner of the shop told me that earlier that afternoon someone had written this to pay him for an early U.S. airmail stamp, and he wondered if the check might bounce because he thought it smelled like marijuana!
While I looked through his book of mostly polished Barber Dimes, he was still sniffing that check. I picked out a common date dime marked $4.00 on the 2x2 and a couple Wayte Raymond album pages from his pile of 50 cent used albums which looked like they had been sitting in the front window for years. I wanted to get out quickly and gave him a five dollar bill. He said that he liked me and insisted that he sell me the dime for $2.50 and throw in one album page for free. I didn't know how he could stay in business this way, and I initially refused the change. Rather than stay there arguing with this cazy old dealer, I decided to accept the $2.00 change and get out quickly, never to return.
This is a true story, but I have forgotten the name of the shop and the owner. Can anyone top this? The old man may have been Josh Tatum's grandson, giving back change from a real $5 note for a purchase of an AT coin to make up for grandpa's practice of accepting $4.95 change when an AT nickel was offered for a 5 cent purchase.
"Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity" - Hanlon's Razor
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The three workers that where there where walking around like chickens with thier head cut off. I wasn`t there for more then 5 minutes when a fellow came up the stairs to say he was there. Then two of them followed them down to a truck and brought up some boxes. After seaveral trips, I was almost boxed in by a shipment of new Canadian Bullion. The delivery man handed the one that wasn`t bring up boxes 3 receipts. I saw 2 of them that he signed as proof that the shipment was complete. The first receipt I saw was for about $46,000 Canadian and the other I saw was for about $32,000 Canadian. In all, to my best estimate, was about $100,000 Canadian worth of Canadian Platinum, Gold, and Silver bars and rounds. The Bars looked like 10 oz troy in gold and silver as I saw them opening up the boxes and looking at them. The rounds where plain rounds and fancy colorized rounds.
I left soon after that as they where too concerned about sorting it out in such cramped quarters and I was basically in the way. I wasn`t offended by it as with a shipment like that, I would be a bundle of nerves too and wanted it to be in safe storage.
Here in Florida, there is always the one common denominator when it commes to weird shops.
What you have is a coin shop trying to be a jewelery shop/pawn shop/gun shop/antique store/stamp shop/VFW lodge/cash advance place/i know everything shop.
A super hybrid store never works for long. One has to pick a specialty and stick with it.
That should wasn't in wanetka was it? I think I have been there!
One of the shops was a coin store. It was in the ghost town bank, as I recall (it's not easy to reach back 50 years). They had rows of large cents, indian cents and the like on display for sale, in various circulated grades. The storekeeper was dressed in cowboy garb, complete with six-shooters on his hip!
My Dad (RIP) would always take me to the store on our Knotts Berry Farm visits and buy me a few coins or a "modern' (sorry Russ) proof set (1950-up). I still have the proof sets, and they conjure-up some great memories.
To me, a coin shop in a mock ghost town with a cowboy behind the counter falls smack into the "strangest coin shop"" category!!
The shop was in an ancient brown stone building. You entered and walked about 20 feet down a dark hallway then took a left down an even darker hallway. When you reached the end of the hall you found 3 chairs in the hall and a barred window with closed shutter. You knocked on the window and a young fellow raised the shutter. After talking to you a bit, he would slide you trays of coins through the slot at the bottom of the bars. None of the coins were in 2X2s or flips. They were loose in the tray compartments sliding around in the dust and grime.
The thought occurred to me that someone could take a tray and bolt out of the building before the guy could get out of his locked cage.
Different way of doing business but the operation do doubt evolved over time as the young owner had taken over the shop from his father.
Bought a lot of nice coins there.
Got quoins?
<< <i>Back in the 50s, Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Bark Calif. was just a berry patch with a mock ghost town >>
I worked part-time at Knott's for 5 years during college (early 80's). I didn't even realize there was a coin shop in ghost town...or I completely forgot about it. Thanks for triggering the memory.
<< <i>Hey CCEX,
That should wasn't in wanetka was it? I think I have been there!
No Marty,
The shop was in LaGrange.
I say watching because it has NEVER been open. I parked one day and was able to see a large case of
coins that just lay there getting dusty.
Steve
">"http://www.cashcrate.com/5663377"
The coins ran the gamut from junk to gems, with most of the visible stuff being the usual sort of things one sees in your average coin shop. Mrs. Sellers would sometimes overgrade (heck, she was older than Methusela), but she would sometimes undergrade, too. And sometimes her prices could be out-of-whack, but usually to the buyer's advantage- if she bought a coin in 1979, say for example she'd often still sell it at the 1979 pricetag- in 1992! One time I got one of those really nice Capital Plastics frames for a type set- you know- the kind with the screws, that sell for twenty or thirty bucks or more today. This one was still wrapped in the original wrapper, with the original pricetag... two bucks!
Despite the towering piles of clutter, it was always a fun place to visit, and Mrs. Sellers was always a joy. I would bring my son in, who was a toddler at the time, and Mrs. S. really got a kick out of seeing him.
She finally got too old to run the shop by herself, and I understand she's in a nursing home now. She's gotta be in her nineties, at least. God bless her.
Paul O'Neal's shop here in Brunswick, GA (Hildegard's Antiques and Collectibles) was similar to Mrs. Sellers' shop, but a tiny bit less cluttered. It was a Mom-and-Pop. (Mom owned the shop and sold antiques, while Pop had the coins). All in all, Mr. O'Neal was amazingly similar to Mrs. Sellers. I used to visit his shop as a kid. I graduated from high school with his son, too. Like Mrs. Sellers, Mr. O'Neal finally closed up shop due to advancing age and failing health (he'd been widowed when Hildegard died). He went to live with his children. After Jim Atha of Golden Isles Collectibles moved to Raleigh, I was left as pretty much the only dealer in town, but my little antique mall booth ain't much to speak of.
<< <i>Hey CCEX,
That should wasn't in wanetka was it? I think I have been there!
Are we talking about Wayne in Winnetka, ILL, or Dwayne in Winnetka, CA ?
I can quit collecting anytime I want to.....I just don't want to!
No coins out on display, nor any coins in the display cases either.
I guessed they didn't want to be robbed too easily.
I guess I didn't buy anything either.
Steve from MA
Driving through . . . a town of just a few hundred people north of St. George on I-15 . . . . heard they had a coin shop from a local SLC dealer. Sure enough . . .a hole-in-the-wall spot in the interior of a 'strip mall' . . . had a doorway which opened up into a simple 8 sq. ft. area to just stand in front of a rolling case. Older gentleman who was competent running the place. Not enough room for two people to even turn around, you had to back out of the door. He sat behind on a stool and had a bit more inventory here and there if you asked, but not much.
Looked in the case and saw a spectacular 1909-VDB . . .$30. Became one of the first coins I ever submitted to PCGS . . .MS67RD.
I think the place is gone now . . .
<< <i>The strangest shop I have ever been to was closed but the sign outside was RARE COINS & LIVE BAIT.. I SH!T you not!!! >>
The owner must have been making use of his own inventory, closed for fishing. What a life he must have led. When he was tired of trolling for suckers or selling sucker minnows for going trolling, he could always decide to go trolling with his own suckers.
I have caught stupoid panfish before with pieces of rubber off the back of the boat as bait, but haven't figured out how to put my coins on a hook (since some are worth less than the live bait I buy every summer). I would not be surprised if someone, like the proprietor of that shop made spinners out of elongated Lincolns and such. I would be very surprised if he ever caught a real fish with a slabbed coin, regardless of grading company.
Perhaps some of the "bottom feeder" grading companies out there could spend their spare time gathering data from the preferences of real live fish. If catfish, walleyes, or pike like fishing lures made of cracked slabs from company ABC more than the same lure fashioned from company XYZ's slabs, I expect to read the results in company ABC's eBay auctions.
But back to topic: where was this coin/bait shop located? I'm looking for a new place to go fishing this fall, and will probably check out a few weird coin shops along the way.