deciphering dealer's codes

KollectorKing · October 23, 2017 9:04AM

Has anyone been successful in deciphering dealers' codes, eg:

BillDugan1959 · October 23, 2017 9:11AM

Bik 3-4 / YYI/

Oo7/ xxx/ 3-4

Xxxnnnxxx

KollectorKing · October 23, 2017 9:15AM

Needless to say, I have too much time on my hand.

TommyType · October 23, 2017 9:56AM

I did once. It was a simple substitution code for prices using the dealers name....10 letters....first letter stood for 1, second 2, etc.

Thing is, he only coded his ASKING price, and not his purchase price. So it wasn't terribly useful since he was perfectly willing to TELL me his asking price, (which was negotiable to maybe 5 or 7 percent). If I could figure out his purchase price, then maybe I would have had some real inside information!

1630Boston · October 23, 2017 9:59AM

40 or more years ago when I worked in a pharmacy, there code was "BLACKSTONE", B=1, L=2, A=3. etc.
Not sure why they needed a code though

Insider2 · October 23, 2017 10:03AM

I have. Two local dealers in large city. The only way I could do it was to buy lots of coins at different price levels. It goes faster when you also sell coins and look at them again when they are "coded" in the case. This was before slabbing.

Moldnut · October 23, 2017 10:17AM

Its JJteaparty! What do I win?

ms70 · October 23, 2017 10:20AM

It says "40% markup, 50% if sold on eBay. No free shipping."

MrHalfDime · October 23, 2017 10:23AM

Long ago I used to engage in this silly practice, attempting to decipher dealer codes for some of my favorite dealers. But, as Insider2 states, it required buying many coins at different levels in order to completely break the code. Eventually I came to the realization that knowing what the dealer paid for a given coin was useless information to me. The only thing that really mattered was the selling price they quoted to me. Why should I care what they paid? If a coin that I really wanted was offered to me at a fair price, of what concern should it be to me what the dealer paid for the coin? For that matter, their profit margin is also of no interest to me, just as long as the asking price was fair and reasonable, and in line with what I wanted to pay. Whether they found it lying on the ground and had no net cost in it, or paid an exorbitant price and were now selling it at a loss, the only price that matters is what they are quoting to me. Life is too short, and time too valuable.

LanLord · October 23, 2017 10:32AM

@1630Boston said:
40 or more years ago when I worked in a pharmacy, there code was "BLACKSTONE", B=1, L=2, A=3. etc.
Not sure why they needed a code though

I think CHARLESTON works there as well. Same idea, different letters for each number

messydesk · October 23, 2017 10:33AM

Long ago, I attended some live auctions that didn't repackage consigned lots of raw coins. There was a large number of lots that were obviously marked with price codes. I made note of some and figured out the code while waiting for the auction to begin. I also figured out who the consignor was when the auction was live, realized I wasn't going to get some of the lots I wanted for the price I was willing to pay, and left.

Wabbit2313 · October 23, 2017 10:39AM

If that dealer's memory starts to fade, there could be trouble.

keets · October 23, 2017 10:41AM

if a dealer codes his purchase price(as he should) then the only way to figure things out is to buy a lot from him till you get a few letters correct. then maybe you can guess his word/phrase.

honestly, though, what's the sense??? all you'll do is figure out what he paid and how much he made on you.

panexpoguy · October 23, 2017 10:46AM

It is actually a lot easier to do these days than in the past and you don't need to buy many coins. Go to the dealer's website and see if the coins are imaged in the holder with the coded tag on the back. Run the cert numbers through cert verification to see if they have appeared in recent auctions. Match the price paid in auction to the code. Pretty quickly you will have enough letters to figure out the word.

golden · October 23, 2017 8:57PM

I cracked a currency dealers code, back in 1995, when he bought a huge collection and I got his price list with his codes.

ColonelJessup · October 23, 2017 10:48PM

Fred Weinberg and Martin Paul had similar codes a decade ago. Can't reveal Fred's and wouidn't tell Martin's 'cause it would surely be a clue. I've had three over 40 years. TRUECOINS when I started, FASTMONEY when I bounced back after '82, and PLAYTHINGS when I came back in 1999. One of my favorites is DONTBELAZY, but that's an auction catalogue code.

How about XJ74c -
XJ=nulls
c = 3rd letter of alphabet so number of digits is 3
74 = 47 backwards
translation = 470
Nulls can be inserted anywhere to give irregular lengths.

See my agree with @MrHalfDime, I sold a coin a few years ago that cost $8500, was upgraded (by another Forum member than myself), and I sold to another knowledgeable Forum member for 59K. CDN was 40K at the time, but no one in the chain of subsequent owners could have cared less.

Too much work to outsmart someone else, especially when you're willing to walk away if the quote isn't within your own parameters.

A NY dealer had the code MONKEYSHIP. I think his dad made him change the last letter.

Type2 · October 23, 2017 10:52PM

Looks like you sank my battle ship.

MWallace · October 24, 2017 1:29AM

CANDYSTORE is another.

Cougar1978 · October 24, 2017 3:46AM

I don’t waste time on that.

BackroadJunkie · October 24, 2017 4:34AM

Not only coin dealers.

Walgreens used "BRUSHCLEAN". General Motors used "GMPRODUCTS". A place I used to work at used "CUSTARDPIE".

We'd go out of our way to try to create dirty words from those codes. Hey, I was in high school. That's what you did before the internet was invented.

TwoSides2aCoin · October 24, 2017 6:52AM

UncleSambo
EbaySuxCod
TakeYorPic

shorecoll · October 24, 2017 7:15AM

Used to try to figure them out, but I agree, what difference does it make?

Some are way easier than others, but again...so what?

ricko · October 24, 2017 7:17AM

I never cared about the codes.... too many other interests to worry about such things. Tell me the price, I either buy or say no thank you. Cheers, RickO

logger7 · October 24, 2017 7:33AM

And like people for whom english is their second language who resort to their native tongue when communicating confidentially, dealers have their own language when necessary.

"Ou-yay ow-knay at-whay o-tay o-day. Et it-gay?"

KollectorKing · October 24, 2017 8:35AM

@shorecoll said:
Used to try to figure them out, but I agree, what difference does it make?

Some are way easier than others, but again...so what?

I thought it was perfectly clear the op has too much time on his hands...that's what...

Insider2 · October 24, 2017 8:53AM

@ColonelJessup Mine is much more complicated but I stopped using it long ago.

COL (keep three letters - skip one)
NE (keep two letters - skip one)
J (keep one letter - skip one)
S (Keep one - skip next)
UP
X (commonly used for "0" so many will think it is a null and not "0")

Now, I just put a higher fake buy price on the back that a four year old can read - $ sign and all. Take my price or leave - no discounts!

topstuf · October 24, 2017 10:02AM

I use direct substitution of letters in a non repeating phrase.
That's as complicated as I ever want.

When I was in the shop, I caught myself doing math and using the damn LETTERS.

A guy I know uses SYMBOLS and....man,,,, not even the Enigma machine could tackle that mess.

TwoSides2aCoin · October 24, 2017 10:31AM

Another sticker thread.

BustDMs · October 24, 2017 3:27PM

Someone bragged about “breaking” my code a few years ago. I just quoted him higher prices.

au58 · October 24, 2017 3:50PM

The code in the pic looks to refer to retail and wholesale.

mrearlygold · October 24, 2017 4:08PM

tick tack to is easy to figure

logger7 · October 24, 2017 4:13PM

Here's one to decipher:

Cameonut · October 24, 2017 4:17PM

QUICKTRADE

KollectorKing · October 24, 2017 4:18PM

blackhorse

cnncoins · October 24, 2017 6:05PM

This is a humorous thread to me. Cost codes are used, by most dealers, as an accounting/tax tracking method. At the end of the day, the buyer could care less if you paid $50 or $10,000 for a particular coin. If it's "worth" $2500 in the marketplace that's all that matters. Dealer cost is irrelevant. Many dealers base their "sell" price on cost, which is a mistake IMO.

BryceM · October 24, 2017 6:50PM

Maybe I’ve figured out a few and maybe I haven’t. Like others have said, games are too much trouble. Just tell me how much.

deciphering dealer's codes

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