How Hard Is It to Buy Coins w/o a Checkbook?

Coinosaurus

I was going to fly to Baltimore.....but on the way realized I forgot my checkbook

How much biz can I do on the bourse floor without it???

hchcoin

It's easy to do biz if you have cash

ambro51

Does your Bank have a branch in Baltimore?

Did you forget your ATM card too?

Maybe its an omen and you should just turn around and head back home.

KeyLargoRareCoins

I have never purchased a coin at a show with a check book before. Cash is king IMO

Chump4Change

What are these "checkbooks" that you speak of?

rays

Same think happened to me in Long Beach in Feb. I sent the checks when I got home. (I bought from dealers who know me).

keyman64

Most DEBIT CARDS have daily ATM Limits of $400-$1000 if you have not made other arrangements to have that modified...so depending upon what you like, you might be very limited unless you use a debit/credit card and the dealer accepts it etc. You'll be fine, I am sure you can figure it out. If you belong to a large national bank, find a branch and go withdraw cash...

Edit - I have not used a check in years... even to pay bills. I set up auto-pay with my bank online and they pay my bills for me.
I would have to do some serious digging through drawers to find a checkbook...if I have one...hmmm, I think my wife has it.

Coinosaurus

<< <i>Same think happened to me in Long Beach in Feb. I sent the checks when I got home. (I bought from dealers who know me). >>



OK, if the CRO guys complain in their road report about someone trying to use an IOU you'll know who it was

crypto79

I have had that happen to me before and I just used my smart phone to Paypal the funds to the dealer on the spot. I caulked up the fees as dumb juice for forgetting the cash.

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>I had that happen before and just used my smart phone to Paypal the funds to the dealer. I caulked up the fees as dumb juice for forgetting the cash. >>



Good thinkin' , imo. (3 % juice for fees is still less than the Big Houses' fees. )

Barry

<< <i>What are these "checkbooks" that you speak of? >>


It's what little old ladies use to make you wait forever at the grocery store.

keyman64

<< <i>

<< <i>What are these "checkbooks" that you speak of? >>


It's what little old ladies use to make you wait forever at the grocery store. >>

I encountered one of those instances a few weeks ago! Ugh!

TheShampineCollection

<< <i>

<< <i>Same think happened to me in Long Beach in Feb. I sent the checks when I got home. (I bought from dealers who know me). >>



OK, if the CRO guys complain in their road report about someone trying to use an IOU you'll know who it was >>




"If you give me a cheeseburger today, I'll gladly pay you Tuesday." -Wimpy

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>

<< <i>What are these "checkbooks" that you speak of? >>


It's what little old ladies use to make you wait forever at the grocery store. >>

Only the ones who don't make you wait because they need the cashier to come around and show them which buttons to push on the debit card reader.

Broadstruck

You can negotiate the deal and offer to mail them a check when you get home and the coin is mailed to you afterward.

Just explain your situation as it's not the first time that's happened to a collector.

I used to try to control my purchases by only bringing 1 or 2 blank checks.

If you need instant cash I bet you could quite rapidly sell a kidney in one on the inter harbor alleyways!

Elcontador

If you have good references (ie., if you know someone at Heritage, and some other well known dealers), you often don't need a checkbook. Re most purchases I make, the dealer is indifferent whether I pay with cash, check, or C/C. If the margin is tight on the coin, as others have said, you can negotiate a deal and send the check when you get back home, or get $ from the A.T.M.s nearby. I wouldn't worry about it.

DaveG

Len,

I can't imagine you having any trouble at all in getting dealers to hold coins for you until you mail them a check.

Actually, having the coins shipped to you after the show might beat carrying the coins home yourself.

Besides, won't you be too busy signing autographs to walk the floor and buy coins?

seateddime

Len - you have credit with me.

BillJones

<< <i>I have never purchased a coin at a show with a check book before. Cash is king IMO >>



Cash was king when the prices were lower, but today you would need to be a walking cash machine to buy very much. Seriously one or two thousand bucks doesn’t buy much of anything at a coin show these days.

This reminds me of story about the late basketball player, Wilt Chamberlin. Wilt who was 7 feet one or two inches tall, used to always run around with $1,200 in C-notes wrapped in a rubber band in his pocket. Somebody asked him if he was concerned about getting robbed. His answer was if he saw someone running up to him carrying a step ladder, he was concerned. Otherwise he felt perfectly safe with his $1,200 stash, which at that time was worth about 10 times that amount of money in today’s dollars.

messydesk

I think CRO would be more impressed if you were to pull out quill and ink and draw a check on a totally blank piece of fine writing paper, including the routing number and account number. Sign as you normally would and see if it gets through the system. Tell them it's a safeguard against people getting their hands on your unused checks. If nothing else, they'll be amused. Of course, if they're reading this, they'll see it coming.

BillJones

<< <i>I think CRO would be more impressed if you were to pull out quill and ink and draw a check on a totally blank piece of fine writing paper, including the routing number and account number. Sign as you normally would and see if it gets through the system. Tell them it's a safeguard against people getting their hands on your unused checks. If nothing else, they'll be amused. Of course, if they're reading this, they'll see it coming. >>



I had a uncle who claimed he wrote a check on a sack a sugar one time and got it cased. This was back in the '30s before we had all of the automated stuff.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>

<< <i>I had that happen before and just used my smart phone to Paypal the funds to the dealer. I caulked up the fees as dumb juice for forgetting the cash. >>



Good thinkin' , imo. (3 % juice for fees is still less than the Big Houses' fees. ) >>



Well, one can always send a check after he gets home and the dealer can refund the fees.

astrorat

<< <i>If you need instant cash I bet you could quite rapidly sell a kidney in one on the inter harbor alleyways! >>

Whose kidney?

AnkurJ

I always use a check book at coin shows. For people you have never dealt with before you may need references though. But it seems most dealers happily accept checks as payment.

If you deal with a major bank, you can probably go to a branch in baltimore and explain the situation. I'm sure they can print up some "starter" checks for you where you have to write in your name. Otherwise the paypal via smartphone thing works. Though not every dealer will be happy about it. The internet connection in the hall is a little screwy though.

AnkurJ

<< <i>I think CRO would be more impressed if you were to pull out quill and ink and draw a check on a totally blank piece of fine writing paper, including the routing number and account number. Sign as you normally would and see if it gets through the system. Tell them it's a safeguard against people getting their hands on your unused checks. If nothing else, they'll be amused. Of course, if they're reading this, they'll see it coming. >>



I wonder if anyone has tried this....