What is more important for a dealer-- having a good eye or having good access?

Longacre

Dealing coins is one of the most complex jobs out there. You not only need to know your wares better than a collector who specializes in a certain series, but you also have to continually replenish your inventory with coins that are getting scarcer by the day. Therefore, you need both good eyes, and good access to choice coins. If a dealer cannot pick out prime pieces from a bunch of coins, some other dealer (or collector) will. Similarly, if the dealer is not tied in to the right circles, no matter how good his eyes are, he just will not be able to purchase the choice pieces.

Do you think it is more important for a dealer to have good eyes, or good access to material?

RYK

I think good access is more important, especially if you, the collector, has experience and a good eye. Without good access, many desirable coins will not be made available to you.

As RYK likes to say (borrowed from his eighth grade history teacher), "If you throw enough crap against the wall, some of it will stick."

Coxe

Of course, never having been a fulltime dealer this is guesswork on my part. I would think a good eye is ultimately more important. Sure, you would be shut out of opportunities on specific coins or collections. In the end, you can only inventory so much and not making mistakes in choices because you have a good eye will make all the difference. OTOH, there aren't too many long term survivors in the business who also are not well connected.

SeaEagleCoins

After some thought, I'd have to say that I don't think a dealer would be able to hang in for the long haul without BOTH...

If you have a good eye but no good access ... what good would that be... being able to spot great coins but only having access when they are priced at retail would do a dealer no good...

On the other hand... if you have great access but no good eye... you'll probably only walk away with the discounted lesser coins (aka dreck) while leaving the gems behind...

That is just my 2c ...


(and since very few folks here seem to pay much attention to my posts...I suppose I should have just finished my lunch instead of writing this post...oh well...back to work for the MAN...or in my case...the WOMEN...I have three superiors in my dept...all women...please pray for me... )

rgCoinGuy

<< <i>
(and since very few folks here seem to pay much attention to my posts...I suppose I should have just finished my lunch instead of writing this post...oh well...back to work for the MAN...or in my case...the WOMEN...I have three superiors in my dept...all women...please pray for me... ) >>

ziggy29

I would think it partially depends on whether you want to be a "boutique" dealer with a small inventory of very PQ coins at high prices, or if you want to sell average coins in greater quantity around typical retail price. The former needs the better eye, and the latter needs more access.

Bochiman

<< <i>
(and since very few folks here seem to pay much attention to my posts...I suppose I should have just finished my lunch instead of writing this post...oh well...back to work for the MAN...or in my case...the WOMEN...I have three superiors in my dept...all women...please pray for me... ) >>



Just say "Hey, Baby! You look FINE today! Is that a new hair style? Looks fab!" and you will get away with murder!

Steve27

" Dealing coins is one of the most complex jobs out there."


I hope you were making a joke.

RYK

<< <i>" Dealing coins is one of the most complex jobs out there."


I hope you were making a joke. >>



What? Longacre being facetious?

UtahCoin

You need both, but if you could only have one, I'd take ACCESS. If you have a good eye, but no access, you've got nothing. If you have access and no eye, that dealer becomes a Cherry Pickers delight. I know several dealers that fall into the latter, and I really enjoy going through their inventory every couple of months and picking out the cherries.