Experiences at the recent Raleigh, NC show
lowcountrycoinut
Posts: 177 ✭✭✭
I set up this past weekend at the Raleigh, N.C. show, which I am told is the largest show in North Carolina. It was in the large Exposition Building at the Raleigh Fairgrounds. The show was well run, and generally, the traffic was modest on Friday, very busy on Saturday, and slow on Sunday.
I met a lot of "interesting" collectors over the weekend, and here are a few of the encounters I remember.
Late Saturday afternoon a gentleman asked if I had any Mexican coins. I carry only a few foreign coins, and showed him the two or three that I had, including a circulated 1920 50 Centavos which was priced at $7. He asked if I would take $5, and I replied, no, but I'll take 6, and he stormed off.
Another gentleman came around a few times, looking at a raw 1882-S $20 Liberty in my case. I grade it AU-58, conservatively. He asked the price, I quoted it, he asked if I would sell at that price less $20, and I said I would. He kept mumbling about a $10 Indian he saw but couldn't remember who had it. After returning two or three times, still mumbling about the lost $10 Indian he bought the coin from me.
The best one was the gentleman who said he collected Morgan dollars and needed a few to finish the collection. He asked about an 1894, which I had. He asked what the price was and I quoted "$1,000". Well he reacted like I was crazy. I tried to explain that the 1894 is a key date, and thus more expensive. Then he said he needed an 1895-P. Well, unfortunately, I didn't have any, and explained that this was the key Morgan and was only available in Proof. I may as well have been talking to the wall!
No wonder I had a couple of drinks that night.
I met a lot of "interesting" collectors over the weekend, and here are a few of the encounters I remember.
Late Saturday afternoon a gentleman asked if I had any Mexican coins. I carry only a few foreign coins, and showed him the two or three that I had, including a circulated 1920 50 Centavos which was priced at $7. He asked if I would take $5, and I replied, no, but I'll take 6, and he stormed off.
Another gentleman came around a few times, looking at a raw 1882-S $20 Liberty in my case. I grade it AU-58, conservatively. He asked the price, I quoted it, he asked if I would sell at that price less $20, and I said I would. He kept mumbling about a $10 Indian he saw but couldn't remember who had it. After returning two or three times, still mumbling about the lost $10 Indian he bought the coin from me.
The best one was the gentleman who said he collected Morgan dollars and needed a few to finish the collection. He asked about an 1894, which I had. He asked what the price was and I quoted "$1,000". Well he reacted like I was crazy. I tried to explain that the 1894 is a key date, and thus more expensive. Then he said he needed an 1895-P. Well, unfortunately, I didn't have any, and explained that this was the key Morgan and was only available in Proof. I may as well have been talking to the wall!
No wonder I had a couple of drinks that night.
No good deed goes unpunished
carolinacollectorcoins.com
carolinacollectorcoins.com
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<< <i>Late Saturday afternoon a gentleman asked if I had any Mexican coins. I carry only a few foreign coins, and showed him the two or three that I had, including a circulated 1920 50 Centavos which was priced at $7. He asked if I would take $5, and I replied, no, but I'll take 6, and he stormed off. >>
I recall myself once fretting over two coins at the Long Beach show. They were raw, and with a difference in price of like $4. What to do, what to do....
The dealer gave me a knowing look, and asked, "So, what did you pay for parking today?"
I bought the more expensive coin, with a laugh.
We all get caught up in the unimportant sometimes, just because we forget they are unimportant....
<< <i>I set up this past weekend at the Raleigh, N.C. show, which I am told is the largest show in North Carolina. It was in the large Exposition Building at the Raleigh Fairgrounds. The show was well run, and generally, the traffic was modest on Friday, very busy on Saturday, and slow on Sunday.
I met a lot of "interesting" collectors over the weekend, and here are a few of the encounters I remember.
Late Saturday afternoon a gentleman asked if I had any Mexican coins. I carry only a few foreign coins, and showed him the two or three that I had, including a circulated 1920 50 Centavos which was priced at $7. He asked if I would take $5, and I replied, no, but I'll take 6, and he stormed off.
Another gentleman came around a few times, looking at a raw 1882-S $20 Liberty in my case. I grade it AU-58, conservatively. He asked the price, I quoted it, he asked if I would sell at that price less $20, and I said I would. He kept mumbling about a $10 Indian he saw but couldn't remember who had it. After returning two or three times, still mumbling about the lost $10 Indian he bought the coin from me.
The best one was the gentleman who said he collected Morgan dollars and needed a few to finish the collection. He asked about an 1894, which I had. He asked what the price was and I quoted "$1,000". Well he reacted like I was crazy. I tried to explain that the 1894 is a key date, and thus more expensive. Then he said he needed an 1895-P. Well, unfortunately, I didn't have any, and explained that this was the key Morgan and was only available in Proof. I may as well have been talking to the wall!
No wonder I had a couple of drinks that night.
Hmmmmm. I wonder what impression I leave with dealers at times. Food for thought.
My War Nickels https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/nickels/jefferson-nickels-specialty-sets/jefferson-nickels-fs-basic-war-set-circulation-strikes-1942-1945/publishedset/94452
LOL, another collector bashing thread ............. lets not let it bother us though. It does people good on both sides of the table to vent sometimes.
I will offer some feedback though.
It really is in bad taste to knock the public like that. Collectors come in all ranges of knowledge. I personally think Dealers should spread the knowledge, not treat nor think of their potential customers as Idiots because they haven't memorized the red book.
Afterall, why would you conservatively grade a raw S mint DE as AU58 ? Is it BU or not !!!! Why are you trying to sell an 1894 raw to a collector ? Will it not tpg !!!
I hear ya though, it's fustrating as h _ _ _ sometimes that you can't sell enough to even pay the Bourse fees. Might be a reason for that though !!!!
oh boy, hope the wine doesn't get me in trouble tonight.
<< <i>
<< <i>Late Saturday afternoon a gentleman asked if I had any Mexican coins. I carry only a few foreign coins, and showed him the two or three that I had, including a circulated 1920 50 Centavos which was priced at $7. He asked if I would take $5, and I replied, no, but I'll take 6, and he stormed off. >>
So... you let a potential customer walk over a buck.
I laughed at this. $1 on a 1920 50 Centavos.
Latin American Collection
Years ago a guy asked about the price of semi-key Morgan dollar that was PCGS certified. I pulled out a Gray Sheet and quoted him a price that was between "bid" and "ask." He claimed I was "a crook" and wanted two much money. He said he had retail price guide that quoted a lower number. I explained to him that Gray Sheet prices were the dealer wholesale baseline numbers. Finally I found our what his "retail price guide" was. It was a four year old Red Book!
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
I like the OP's thread. Very interesting to me. Did he lose a sale over $1, or did the other person lose a purchase over $1? I don't think
there was any collector bashing. Just telling a few interesting things that happen at a coin show. I love reading these. Please keep them
coming. Everyone can learn from others experiences.
<< <i>Another gentleman came around a few times, looking at a raw 1882-S $20 Liberty in my case. I grade it AU-58, conservatively. He asked the price, I quoted it, he asked if I would sell at that price less $20, and I said I would. He kept mumbling about a $10 Indian he saw but couldn't remember who had it. After returning two or three times, still mumbling about the lost $10 Indian he bought the coin from me. >>
Yeah, shame on this low-life collector that was trying to decide how best to spend his hard earned cash. They should just throw it at the dealer since as we all know..,. they are doing us a favor to sell us a coin. Or, at least this type that whines about needing a drink after "ALL THIS." What a load hahahaha
<< <i>So... you let a potential customer walk over a buck. >>
For me, I have certain rules. I never sell a coin for under it's bullion value.
There are bottom feeders at shows that scour boxes and throw out numbers on groups of coins that are high metal content, low value over that content, and quote some % of spot.
I say "Thanks for the offer - but I wont sell a coin under its bullion/scrap value"
I don't care if it's a $10 bullion value coin and the offer is $9. You aren't getting it.
You have to understand, once these "types" think you are operating a "flea market table", they always come back.
Pete Whitt
www.pccoins.com
TJM965, thank you for your positive comments.
STMAN, I was just attempting to relate some of the experiences I had at the Raleigh show, nothing more.
FadetoBlack, the Mexican coin in question had a $7 sticker on it. When the customer saw it he said "I'll pay $5 for it". I counter-offered it at $6, and he walked away. That was it. I made the counter-offer, and he rejected it.
carolinacollectorcoins.com
<< <i>My, what interesting comments to my post. I wasn't trying to bash anyone, publically or otherwise. I try to treat everyone who comes to my table with dignity. And I do try to educate customers who are willing to listen, whether or not they have any intention to buy something.
TJM965, thank you for your positive comments.
STMAN, I was just attempting to relate some of the experiences I had at the Raleigh show, nothing more.
FadetoBlack, the Mexican coin in question had a $7 sticker on it. When the customer saw it he said "I'll pay $5 for it". I counter-offered it at $6, and he walked away. That was it. I made the counter-offer, and he rejected it. >>
Welcome to the forum...
You could post that you love puppies and someone will find a fault. Your thread hits on a sensitive topic of late which is the collector vs. dealer negativity which has been increasingly highlighted here. That is important context for the responses which you have received.
Latin American Collection
<< <i> The customer made a fair counteroffer, he should have accepted it. >>
If I can melt it for more, its not a fair counter offer.
In that situation, I can sit home on my a&& and just send the lot to the refiner.
<< <i>
<< <i>Late Saturday afternoon a gentleman asked if I had any Mexican coins. I carry only a few foreign coins, and showed him the two or three that I had, including a circulated 1920 50 Centavos which was priced at $7. He asked if I would take $5, and I replied, no, but I'll take 6, and he stormed off. >>
I recall myself once fretting over two coins at the Long Beach show. They were raw, and with a difference in price of like $4. What to do, what to do....
The dealer gave me a knowing look, and asked, "So, what did you pay for parking today?"
I bought the more expensive coin, with a laugh.
We all get caught up in the unimportant sometimes, just because we forget they are unimportant.... >>
All coin purchases are unimportant. It's good to sometimes focus on unimportant things like hobbies.
Important things will eventually take your attention like it or not.
It's easy to sometimes forget that to get to a coin show, it takes gallons of gas and hours of a day that could have been spent doing something else, then to make matters worse you scour the floor for even more time looking for a coin that's $5 cheaper. It's nice to step back and put things into perspective.