Do dealers even bother with a Whale who they know collects in a specialty outside of their area?

Longacre

Let's take a Numismatic Whale as an example, such as Dan Holmes. He is in the news recently because of his spectacular collection of early copper. I don't know Mr. Holmes, but let's assume that he collected solely copper and nothing else.

Do dealers who do not sell or specialize in early copper even bother to speak to a Numismatic Whale such as this, because they assume he would have no interest in gold coins, for example? Or do the dealers make an attempt to get to know all Whales, because you never know when that Whale might need a coin that is outside of his primary collecting interest?

rgCoinGuy

It depends, does the whale like Applebee's?

Longacre

<< <i>It depends, does the whale like Applebee's? >>




You can add that to the hypothetical, but I will not give you any credit on the final exam.

wikyva

<< <i>It depends, does the whale like Applebee's? >>




I like Applebee's ... but I am just part of the Numismatic Hoi Polloi

RYK

From observing the behavior of specialty dealers and specialty whales in the wild (namely at the FUN and ANA shows), the dealers often get to know the major, high profile collectors in all specialty areas. Perhaps there is a motive the someday woo them us customers, but most dealers I have known are genuinely interested in nice coins and nifty collections and probably get to know the whales largely for this reason.

LindeDad

I would think any dealer that wanted to stay a dealer would forester good relationships with all the collectors that they came into contact with. Whales or minnows good customer service and relations go a long way in any business.
Plus remember that most whales travel in pods and they are known to communicate with each other.

TahoeDale

For those collectors who make all or most of the major shows, and have large collections(of any series), most dealers recognize them , and are quite congenial.

It is more because they are regulars, rather than the future possibilty of any large sales.

And it doesn't take Whale status. But is doesn't hurt that the collector regularly buys high end coins for big bucks

mr3holesinone

Most dealers who have been in business long enough come across almost all the major coin types at some point. Some will even have the opportunity to acquire collections that may have pieces that aren't in their specialty area. It would be useful to know which of the whales in the pod are most likely to be interested in the nicer pieces, that is, the pieces that are higher priced and generally not for the masses.

The days of whaling on the high seas are past us now, thankfully. However, there are still rogue dealers who seek out the whales inhabiting bourse floors. Look behind their tables and sometimes you may see them if you are lucky, or unlucky as the case may be. Though they are rare they are still to be found. Just don't be the Whale who is doing the looking or you may find that rare item being aimed at yourself...yep, a Harpoon!

shorecoll

Good to see a couple of the aforementioned Whales have chimed in

291fifth

Dealers carry a wide variety of harpoons with them. Just call them Ahab.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

A serious collector is someone you want to stay in touch with. Even if they don't collect your specialty, you never know what they'll be collecting down the road.

2manycoins2fewfunds

90% of all of you questions about dealers can be answered as follows.........


All dealers will do what they perceive as is in their best interest.

Some will do it better, some worse.

Some will take a short term view...........others long term.

You may or may not ever understand all of their actions or motivations.

Live with it.................

KentuckyJ

What RYK said. I perceive most higher end dealers as being genuinely nice people interested in more than just bread and butter numismatics.

PonyExpress8

Most dealers were collectors in the beginning and love beautiful coins, to study and appreciate. I love talking and learning all the time and I find I pick up a ton of information every time I speak to a high end collector. It doesn't matter to me if I don't specialize in what they do, because some day I may run across a piece that will fit in their collection.

While most dealers have a market niche or segment niche, its always a pleasure to broaden one's experience and knowledge by knowing/talking to top collectors. It's a great way to grow your experiences.