A tale of two early copper selling methods, both equally effective (Burress and McCawley)

Longacre

Last evening, as I returned home from taking a sound beating by The Man (including his decree that he will be identifying human capital redundancies in mid-April), I was delighted to open the mailbox and see a plethora of numismatic reading material.

I received the new Superior catalog, the latest issue of the Numismatist, and the new issue of Penny Wise. Also included was the auction catalog for the upcoming EAC Convention, with a bounty of early copper, presented by McCawley & Grellman.

The McCawley & Grellman catalog is beautifully presented, with nice glossy photos, color plates, and very detailed descriptions, giving detailed provenance when necessary. The catalog is neat, orderly, nicely printed, and a numismatic reference for the early copper buff.

Then I noticed something else in the pile of mail. It was a plain white business-size envelope, with my name scrawled on the front, in old-fashioned cursive handwriting. I opened it up, and it was a fixed price list from early copper dealer Rod Burress.

This list was in stark contrast to the well polished McCawley catalog. The list from Burress was typed, not on a computer, but on a typewriter! Then it was Xeroxed (or perhaps it was mimeographed), and placed in the envelope. The list gives all of the essential details of the coins, such as old-time EAC grades, planchet quality, surface notes, and descriptions of other aspects of the coins. Pictures? Are you crazy?

I was intrigued that I spent a lot more time combing through this typed, Xerox list, rather than thumbing through the glossy catalog (which I plan to do tonight). I wanted to email Mr. Burress about some coins, but it does not look like there is an email address anywhere on the pages. There is a phone number on the list, no doubt a land line, which I will use.

All in all, I was amazed at how there could be two very different approaches to selling early copper, and both are equally effective.

RYK

When I was a copper wannabe about ten or so years ago, I purchased several coins from Rod "Don't Call Me Plaxico" Burress. I called him up on the phone, he described the coins to me, I mailed him a check, and he mailed me the coins. Never had a problem. More often than not, the old school coin purchases I have made, including recently from I. Kleinman, have been perfectly satisfactory, while some of the more newfangled transactions (with internet images, email, etc.) can be frought with peril.

Walkerguy21D

And I bet he doesn't sit there at shows fixated on his laptop while customers are at his table, either
But old time established copper dealers can exist like this, as they have a clientele who trusts and respects them, and many of them have probably done business like this for years. I wouldn't recommend it for any newbie dealers!

Coinosaurus

There are fewer and fewer guys like this. Jim O'Donnell was one. This way of doing business will be extinct in a few years.

My dermatologist has zero computers in his office. He is about 70, and his wife patiently taps everything out on a typewriter. I honestly don't know how they manage, except that they probably have been doing it that way for 40 years and it seems to keep working.

MikeInFL

In many cases a dealer's word/reputation is more valuable than a coin's photograph, as Longacre so eloquently alludes to....Mike

MikeInFL

p.s. the above post is, in no way, and indictment of McCawley's photographs or reputation (I'd trust Chris' word in a milisecond), but rather to show the relative value of a photograph versus a trusted dealer's word.