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Is being a dealer physically draining ?
Gazes
Posts: 2,315 ✭✭✭✭✭
I see the large amount of travel certain dealers have to undertake to go to shows. I would think the travel would be physically draining. Any dealers who travel a lot want to comment ? Thanks
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At every show I see these old time dealers wheeling giant carts stacked high with inventory like a scene from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas and I get exhausted just watching them.
If you travel lighter, don't schedule 3 or more weeks in a row on the road and try hard to avoid carousing all night while you're there, it's not too bad.
Coin Rarities Online
At every show I see these old time dealers wheeling giant carts stacked high with inventory like a scene from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas and I get exhausted just watching them.
I bet that most of their coins have been to more coin shows than you have.
Do not let yourself be distracted from this even if some screwball incident where you look like jerk instead of Mr Nice Guy.
I had just boarded a plane going to Houston from Newark. I had just settled in my isle seat after a long day and my briefcase of coins and currency safely in bin above. A gal took the window seat and a guy a little later took the middle seat. The plane was still loading. This guy turned to me and asked if I would trade off w his wife in an aisle seat a few rows back. I turned around and a nice looking young lady smiled. He seemed about 28 said he was a minister and they were going to a funeral. No way leaving coins there and bad idea try move them w oh bins full. I told him not leaving my work in bin above and that was end of it. Let's say I had moved back while my coins still there. They could have pulled a grab and dash upon embarking I would have had a heard of people blocking me. Security? Good luck. Upon embarking I made sure nobody following me.
Was his story legit? Too much of a screwball co-incidence. Never let your guard down.
Loading and unloading for a show especially with glass display cases, inventory, and reference materials is the most physically demanding especially if alone. It helps to have a companion / partner to assist in the process and watch things at the table until the inventory safely locked away in the cases. These days I might have 60 of my best slabs plus stacks of currency in a briefcase and travel light. The rest I have on the market is in my ebay store which I can access 24/7 with my smart phone. Other material which is investment hold is in a bank box.
I would have to think that any profession that deals directly with the public is physically draining, emotionally draining, takes years off one's life etc. you are expected to spend two hours catering to the guy who is looking through the $1 box .. while his "library" of books is spread out on your cases obscuring the rest of your inventory
Covering a dealers case is a very bad practice. If I need to reference a book while looking at coin (which I sometimes do) I always put the book on my lap unless there is absolutely no one around who might want to look into the dealers case. This is their business and they are there to make sales. I always try to treat dealers the same way that I want to be treated....with respect.
Lafayette Grading Set
But anything that deals with general public has to be challenging.
I work as a nurse practitioner in local ED with 100,000 visits a year.
Don't have mustard stains, but did spill ginger ale on my shirt.
Was called vulgar names on 3 occasions for not prescribing narcotics.
Hospital wants complete patient satisfaction.
I have to balance saving patients from their vices and hospital execs expectations.
Going to a coin show can be physically draining too. Anyone that has job will have physically draining days
Of course all jobs have physically draining days. My original post was aimed at dealers who could maybe comment on the part of the job that I am not familiar with. The constant travel , set up, living away from home, conducting business away from home and then traveling back ----and doing it again. Thanks
I do set up at the local San Diego yearly coin show which is easy compared to doing art shows.
walking the floor all day + driving to/fro and not eating a lunch and not staying hydrated during a 1 day show, let alone 3+ can take its toll.
sitting behind a booth with refreshments and with help shouldn't be as bad. depends how busy.
a lot of shows a year, long drive times, is something one needs to acclimate to.
my first defiance show and seemed a bit slow. but plenty to look at and did see plenty of transaction and several monster coins.
neat seeing enough people that i knew; close to half the dealers. maybe more. didn't count.
driving is generally easy just long.
lots of variables about how tired one gets or doesn't.
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It seem a number of people ask you to bring somethings to a show and then never show up.
This happened to me at the last FUN show, one wanted to see a better Cal. Fractional, the other wanted to see a bunch of toned Morgan's.
NO one asked to see them. They were put on the back just for those that asked me to them.
Oh and did I add getting up at 5 to drive three hours to get to a show to set up?
ugh. i fergot arguably the most tiring aspect.
It seem a number of people ask you to bring somethings to a show and then never show up.
i hear this somewhat often from dealers.
ive also asked for someone to bring some thing(s) and it doesnt happen. i'd say that happening is like an r8+ tho.
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I imagine it has its ups and downs.
But anything that deals with general public has to be challenging.
I work as a nurse practitioner in local ED with 100,000 visits a year.
Don't have mustard stains, but did spill ginger ale on my shirt.
Was called vulgar names on 3 occasions for not prescribing narcotics.
Hospital wants complete patient satisfaction.
I have to balance saving patients from their vices and hospital execs expectations.
I too have "done my time" in the ED. You don't realize how brutal it is until you finally get away from it.
I would imagine being a coin dealer at a coin show would be much more gratifying.
Maybe less money, maybe more. But the cost of stress is priceless.