Funny morning so far at the Coin Shop.
keets
Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
We're opening up, getting everything turned on and my boss says there are supposed to be two collections coming in. About 15 minutes later a car pulls up and three older women get out with a young man who's the driver. One of the women is with a walker, they go into the trunk and head for the door. My boss says "Here comes the nursing home" and everyone turns to look.
I happened to remark that "You never know, maybe they'll come in with a Three-Dollar Gold" and everybody just laughed.
The first four coins they show us --- a California Gold pc., Type 1 and Type 3 Gold Dollars and, you guessed it, an 1881 Three Dollar Gold piece!!! 
Funny, Funny, Funny.
Al H.
12
Comments
So....how did it work out?
he's still working on the deal.
You should play the lottery
with your keen intuition. 
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Just wait until you're in a nursing home needing a chauffeur. Those ladies will be looking good.
I worked in a family owned catalog showroom while in college.
We got a couple bad checks and the new rule was that all checks must have the drivers license number written on the back.
Three nice older ladies came in and bought a clock radio for about thirty bucks. I accepted their check without the ID.
As I walked into the back, the boss lady grabbed the check and jumped all over me for omitting the ID. When I tried to explain, she said she would get it herself. She walked into the showroom to meet the three nuns that were patiently waiting for the receipt.
Didn't hear much more from the boss the rest of the day.
>
You likely didn't need to worry about the nuns. But you would need to worry about the person behind them claiming discrimination for needing to see their ID when you didn't ask for one from the three elderly nuns. But your heart is in the right place.
It was 40 years ago. Much different world.
Sigh
Wow! Do you get a lot of days like this?
Fan of the Oxford Comma
CCAC Representative of the General Public
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
not lately, coins have been slow. considering that we are a small shop we do, however, get some really good stuff. over the years I have been pleasantly surprised many times.
I had a couple senior citizen sisters come in today to inquire about how to dispose of their late father's stamp collection. The level of emotion displayed between the two as they described their memories of dear old Dad had me shaking in my shorts as I tried to figure out a way to share the reality of what they faced without having them fall to the floor and curl up in the fetal position. Some days are challenging, to say the least.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.american-legacy-coins.com
Are the gold coin raw or graded?
everything was raw, the $3 is a mid-VF.
What would be a fair buy price on that for a wholesale shop, 50% of likely sale price?
first off, I gave the wrong date, the coin is an 1855. my boss did the deal and I assume he paid 20% back of GreySheet bid which is typical.
and neither of you gentlemen decide to help them bring the stuff in?
Latin American Collection
please re-read the OP which states "with a young man who's the driver" and also the one who carried everything into the store.
How was the rest of the 'collection'? Just regular stuff or was there some good coins there as well? I always enjoy 'coin shop' stories... makes me wish there was one around here I could work in... would be worth it just for the the stories. Cheers, RickO
there were some nicely toned, common date Dollars and lots of other misc. stuff that didn't really amount to much cash
I'm sure your business is pretty fair when it comes to buying. 80% of Greysheet is strong money in this economy. There aren't that many double your money opportunities for shops with all the other competitive potential buyers out there in many places for savvy sellers.
A local dealer buys large quantities of Morgans, recently a guy walked in with an original partial bag of 1887 Morgans in Unc., lots of toners, quite a few 65-66 shots. NGC has a bulk grading program that starts at $7 a coin for MS63. He paid $40 a coin for those he could pick out, he bought 200, the other top buyer offered $35, so he was able to go back to him after having the better ones cherry picked. Buyers need to have a good plan for cash flow, depending on their working capital. $3 gold pieces are usually slow movers, GS is high on those.
I recall one of these "parades" at a local Detroit show - the ladies exclaimed how they had spent hours the night before "cleaning them up real nice".
Made me sick.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
On Raw coins? Greysheet is based on graded coins and some say, it also has to have a CAC sticker.
Cool story if you disregard the ignorant "Nursing Home" comment.
I've heard some coin shops especially during the major gold and other metals frenzy years of having people literally weeping as the shop workers would dismember the jewelry to buy the metals and return the gems.
You really just NEVER know.
My friend is a coin dealer. He has some guy call him and asks about selling some coins his grandma left him. My friend asks if he would mind sending a pic. The guy says sure and then sends him a selfie. True Story!
Funny!
just had another nice walk-in after a call yesterday.
someone got referred to us by another customer, a guy we had submitted some coins for last year. I spoke with him for a few minutes and suggested he visit PCGS.com and join to submit. he came in this morning and sold some nice Morgans and a little bullion, then on the way out he mentioned that he had the two submission candidates he had told me about.
the first was a nice 1926 Sesquicentennial $2 1/2 Gold Comemm that me and my boss saw as an MS63, the second was an 1890-CC $10 Liberty, I saw it as an AU58 and my boss thought MS61. Apparently he had an Uncle who collected, passed the collection to a brother who is now sharing it with the nephew. nice story and nice stuff.
Hopefully sellers check around a little so they don't end up being screwed over by the pawn shops. With the coin shops you generally need to get a second opinion too. I was at one yesterday where one of their designated buyers who knows nothing about numismatics helped a woman who came in and they bought the gold fractional eagles around spot but when it came to the numismatic coins was offering small premiums over the metal though the coins had obviously been selected with some care as they were in proper holders in books. I heard him say the Bust half had scratches so would only pay $20 for that, and I got to thinking why would it be in a proper holder if it were junk? The same shop holds out for full retail and above on many coins when selling.
What's the difference between pawn shops and coin shops when it comes to selling?
If you're lucky, you might find a coin shop that pays honest prices to the general public. You won't find such a pawn shop.
Too bad collectors have to be lucky to find an honest shop. Too bad coin shops have to thieve to make an honest living.
I can't be sure but it sounds like some of you guys think we're in the category that rips people off.
keets, I didn't get that impression but I do think some people took some unwarranted shots.
I like your stories, please keep them coming.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
One makes you bleed the other don't
I did not assume that myself @keets
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Some only buy silver/gold and for that they pay a little under melt.
From reading your posts Al, and private communications, I believe you and your shop would be a pleasure to deal with (and I have). Keep the stories coming and disregard the negative Nellies...Cheers, RickO