Dealers: What’s the coolest thing that ever walked up to your table at a show?

A nice cool custom holder.

@MrEureka said:
This one comes to mind for no particular reason. Back in the mid-80’s at a GSNA show in Cherry Hill, NJ, Larry Whitlow walked up to my table with this holder, including the coins. IIRC, I paid him 45K for a 50% interest in the set. Actually, the first piece may not have been part of the deal, so maybe it was just the pattern. Either way, a unique pattern $20 gold STRUCK IN GOLD is a pretty cool thing to walk up to your table. Especially in New Jersey!

What ever happened to Larry Whitlow?

A nice BU roll of Franks walked up to my table many years ago (can’t recall the date of the coins). Got a number of them slabbed and did real well with them whether slabbed or raw. Double bubble and more.

Had barely bought them some guy wanted look at them like pick the deal off. To get rid of him - Told him “they are for a customer.” Then put the roll in bank bag. He walked off a huff in lol.

During a brief stint as a dealer in the 80’s I specialized in Lincoln cents. Other dealers would bring me some great material, including original rolls from the 30’s, which were saved in quantity. One roll in particular was amazing. 1930S, 90% of them a beautiful lustrous pale gold color. The color was so unusual I initially thought they had been processed in some way. Sadly, all were dispersed over time. I did keep some partial rolls of the more common 30’s. I may send some of the best coins in one day to see if I can get a 67, mainly for fun.

@skier07 said:
She was about 5’7” 135 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Debbie?

@mattniss said:

@CaptHenway said:

@skier07 said:
She was about 5’7” 135 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Debbie?

Only if the table she walked up to was in Dallas.

I heard that was a good movie. 😉

@logger7 said:
One show I was set up at had a Stella come in and offered to a dealer across the aisle, I think they wanted cash.

Somehow I doubt anybody would have had the cash on hand for that...

Quite difficult rare coin. Only 8 known, all graded MS62-MS63.

@ZenithBullionPA said:

@logger7 said:
One show I was set up at had a Stella come in and offered to a dealer across the aisle, I think they wanted cash.

Somehow I doubt anybody would have had the cash on hand for that...

Oh, I would bet you that at every major there was always a half a dozen people who started with a $100K bank and brought in more as needed.

@FredWeinberg said:
I’d take the ‘over’ of six dealers having 100 grand in cash or more at major coin shows.

I was at a local small coin club show/sale with 4 dealers and me showing up with some odd stuff priced on the higher side.
Mostly silver but I'd wager there was $100k in that room for buying.
Being a Small fish in the room, I had about $8k cash and $30k in my 2 cases.
I made a few offers on some gold that people brought in to sell but the dealer on the other side of the room was paying strong for gold and I wasn't.

@logger7 said:

@CaptHenway said:

@FredWeinberg said:
I’d take the ‘over’ of six dealers having 100 grand in cash or more at major coin shows.

I know, but I wasn't sure if we were talking about the mid 1980's or not, back when $100K was still worth something.

I wonder how they work out the record keeping as any transactions over a certain amount triggers mandatory reporting to the government and an 8300 form.

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/form-8300-and-reporting-cash-payments-of-over-10000

@CaptHenway and @FredWeinberg I mean...I've been to a few shows big and small, and they all brag about having armed security on hand. But $100k cash in hand? Perhaps I'm underestimating how well-capitalized the dealers are.

I wouldn't doubt for a moment that many dealers have over $100k available to them for business purposes, but that's a lot of cash for one person/one table to hold at the ready.

@logger7 I'd guess they either arrange trades of merchandise to avoid triggering a reportable transaction...or just file the 8300. If you're in the rare coin business, it's probably not uncommon to withdraw $10k cash or more, and you can easily explain it as a cost of doing business if anybody asks.

I wouldn't advise trying to avoid mandatory reporting...banks (and especially the government) will frown heavily upon that!

Interesting related note...that $10k requirement comes from the Bank Secrecy Act, passed in 1970, when $10k could buy two brand-new Corvettes. They obviously didn't enter an inflation adjustment, so 56 years later, that same threshold is still in effect, and it's barely enough to buy 2 ounces of gold, let alone 2 cars! (For comparison's sake - two brand-new Corvettes today would cost $140,000, excluding destination fees) Source: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/bank-secrecy-act

@ZenithBullionPA said:

@logger7 said:

@CaptHenway said:

@FredWeinberg said:
I’d take the ‘over’ of six dealers having 100 grand in cash or more at major coin shows.

I know, but I wasn't sure if we were talking about the mid 1980's or not, back when $100K was still worth something.

I wonder how they work out the record keeping as any transactions over a certain amount triggers mandatory reporting to the government and an 8300 form.

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/form-8300-and-reporting-cash-payments-of-over-10000

@CaptHenway and @FredWeinberg I mean...I've been to a few shows big and small, and they all brag about having armed security on hand. But $100k cash in hand? Perhaps I'm underestimating how well-capitalized the dealers are.

I wouldn't doubt for a moment that many dealers have over $100k available to them for business purposes, but that's a lot of cash for one person/one table to hold at the ready.

@logger7 I'd guess they either arrange trades of merchandise to avoid triggering a reportable transaction...or just file the 8300. If you're in the rare coin business, it's probably not uncommon to withdraw $10k cash or more, and you can easily explain it as a cost of doing business if anybody asks.

I wouldn't advise trying to avoid mandatory reporting...banks (and especially the government) will frown heavily upon that!

Interesting related note...that $10k requirement comes from the Bank Secrecy Act, passed in 1970, when $10k could buy two brand-new Corvettes. They obviously didn't enter an inflation adjustment, so 56 years later, that same threshold is still in effect, and it's barely enough to buy 2 ounces of gold, let alone 2 cars! (For comparison's sake - two brand-new Corvettes today would cost $140,000, excluding destination fees) Source: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/bank-secrecy-act

But if you factor all the corresponding economic factors in comparing to 1970 to 2026 with what was being targetted then and what is being targetted now by this law, how it was and in enforced, ie to combat money laundering, potential stolen material, etc. it still makes some sense.

always has. give birth to a thread and it is immediately an independent being

@CaptHenway said:
Was at our table at an ANA show in the 90's when a gentleman came up and handed me an 1802 Half Dime and asked if we were interested. Now, this coin had been worn almost slick, but before it became that worn it had been slightly bent back at the lower obverse so that the date was protected a bit and was still readable. There was no question in my mind that the piece was a genuine, 1802 Half Dime, but I just did not want it.

I politely declined, but told the man that back in the 70's I had once worked with a collector that it would have been perfect for. This collector had set out to collect one of each regular issue (no Proof only) copper, copper-nickel and silver (no gold) U.S. coin ever issued, but on a teacher's salary so condition was not important. Basically this was the low-end Eliasberg Collection. The collector even had one of the two circulated 1894-S Dimes!

I then said that "The man was James G. Johnson at Coin World in Sidney, Ohio," and the guy at the table blurts out "That was my Father!" I had been right, that coin was perfect for Jim's collection. The gentleman sat down and we had a nice long talk about his Dad.

Excellent post. What a great story.