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Retail customer with dementia

The other day, I had an older gentlemen call me telling me that he had 20 rolls of 1965 "90% silver" quarters.

When I told him that I was virtually certain (you never know!) that they all were clad, he went ballistic, told me I was full of (expletive) and slammed down the phone.

An hour later, his wife called me as her husband had no recollection of the conversation's details other than the fact he called me. She stated her husband's condition, and very politely asked me to come over. She was in the same town, and of course I said yes.

When I got there, her daughter took her husband out of the house. I examined the first roll, and all of the quarters were 1964's!! So were the other 19.

It gets better. When I told her that I also bought sterling silver flatware, she rolls out over 250 ounces of a non-rare pattern sterling flatware and serving sets.

In all, from ashes came a transaction into the five figures. This is why that if anyone tells you retail is predictable, they are talking out of their other end. As we know, it works the other way as well.

Comments

  • kimber45ACPkimber45ACP Posts: 2,399 ✭✭✭


    << <i>When I told him that I was virtually certain (you never know!) that they all were clad, he went ballistic, told me I was full of (expletive) and slammed down the phone. >>



    Funny.

    Not the dementia, though. It is a sad and lonely disease.
  • RunnersDadRunnersDad Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>When I told him that I was virtually certain (you never know!) that they all were clad, he went ballistic, told me I was full of (expletive) and slammed down the phone. >>



    Funny.

    Not the dementia, though. It is a sad and lonely disease. >>



    I agree with your comment about dementia.

    But I am glad that it all worked out for you in the end and you were able to accumulate a significant amount of silver!
    Mike

    Visit my son's caringbridge page @ Runner's Caringbridge Page

    "To Give Anything Less than Your Best, Is to Sacrifice the Gift" - Steve Prefontaine
  • halfcentmanhalfcentman Posts: 1,498 ✭✭✭
    When you are wet behind the ears, things like this can make you go on "tilt." (nice poker reference)

    I was fortunate to have this work out, for everyone. The couple took thousands of dollars to send their grandchildren and great-grandchildren to Disney World. No joke, that's at least the seventh time someone used my money for that!
  • BearBear Posts: 18,953 ✭✭✭
    You mean that you will just send me money to send my bear cubs and their families

    to Disney World. What a guy. Send away.image
    There once was a place called
    Camelotimage
  • Heck yeah , if we can go on your dime i'm up for it , never been to disney.
  • GrumpyEdGrumpyEd Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭
    Nice that they weren't 1965!

    I'm curious how buyers know how to price some of the silver like knives, they usually have stainless blades and the handles are filled with a filler. I guess there must be a method for pricing it.
    Ed
  • blu62vetteblu62vette Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice the wife called to explain, sad about his condition. Glad you made a nice purchase out of it!
    http://www.bluccphotos.com" target="new">BluCC Photos Shows for onsite imaging: Nov Baltimore, FUN, Long Beach http://www.facebook.com/bluccphotos" target="new">BluCC on Facebook
  • coindeucecoindeuce Posts: 13,474 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I waited on a gentleman in his 70's in November, whose symptoms didn't surface until I started explaining the value of his 90% silver coins. It was an extremely stressful engagement, but I was thankfully able to recognize the situation even though his daughter was with him and made no attempt to forewarn me. After I was able to repeat my self calmly about half a dozen times, the daughter reassured him that the offer was legitimate. And he returned a week later with more than twice as much as he had presented initially. I find that the patience required to overcome a situation like this often comes with a very steep price. I nearly ran to the restroom to hide when I saw him approaching the second time. Fortunately the gentleman was completely lucid on his second visit...

    "Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
    http://www.americanlegacycoins.com

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 31,997 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Have had similar conversations over the years. Sometimes people just can't get it together anymore. It is indeed sad.

    If I might make a friendly suggestion, rather than telling him he was wrong, perhaps you might have asked "Did you mean pre-1965? They stopped making the silver ones in 1964." That would have given him the opportunity to correct himself with dignity and continue.

    I know that when I was in the business I tended to suffer fools badly. The hard part is being able to tello whether you are dealing with a true fool, or just a normal person who is either wrong or confused.

    TD
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • BaleyBaley Posts: 22,659 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Agree with the Capt. He knew damned well those coins were silver. You should have asked him if he was sure of the date, rather than saying you didn't think they were silver.

    Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry

  • coindeucecoindeuce Posts: 13,474 ✭✭✭✭✭
    One of my early mentors in this business taught me a very valuable lesson about dealing with the public regarding coins in particular. His sage words: " Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them are not interested in being informed (educated), they just want validation of what they already firmly believe in, which in most instances is total fantasy. Overcoming that mindset is the key to success."image

    "Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
    http://www.americanlegacycoins.com

  • BigEBigE Posts: 6,949 ✭✭✭
    The sad truth is that the older gentleman who called could be anyone of us in the future------------BigE
    I'm glad I am a Tree


  • << <i>The sad truth is that the older gentleman who called could be anyone of us in the future------------BigE >>



    Sad but true, and it is always heartbreaking when it someone you know & love.
  • 57loaded57loaded Posts: 4,967 ✭✭✭
    does he drive? hope he doesn't forget the sale and wonder where the coins went!

    -----it seems all were happy in the end ...good story

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