David Lawrence

MSD61 · February 18, 2004 6:27AM

Anyone every deal with David Lawrence coins????

Thanks,
Micheál

airplanenut · February 18, 2004 6:30AM

Very friendly people--they really are customer oriented... absolutely no complaints.

Jeremy

Colorfulcoins · February 18, 2004 6:32AM

Always a +++++ experience.

cosmicdebris · February 18, 2004 6:32AM

A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All the way!

Stuart · February 18, 2004 6:33AM

They are Excellent to deal with -- very pleased!!

MSD61 · February 18, 2004 6:38AM

Outstanding!! He has some items I want. Thanks All!!

MatthewBabcock · February 18, 2004 6:39AM

I have and DITTO the comments above! (I've purchased nearly 100 coins from them.)

ibzman350 · February 18, 2004 6:55AM

David Lawrence is 15 minutes up the road from me, I bought a couple of coins that I was not pleased with so I asked if I could return them and that I could be in Virginia Beach in 15 minutes with the coins. I was informed they don't have a physical storefront and to send them to the PO box, I wasn't to happy about having to spend extra money on return when I could hand deliver in 15 min.

After my initial stupid behavior (i've been known to make an a** of myself when po'd) the folks at David Lawrence refunded my money and all is well.

Yes I would recommend them.

Blade · February 18, 2004 7:06AM

Can't say enough positive. If I could only buy from one dealer, it would be David Lawrence. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they do with their new auction business.

Peaceman · February 18, 2004 7:16AM

I HATE their "want list"... by no means is it a true want list... I've talked to some people over there about it and it doesn't cater to the repeat customer..... You sign up for their "list", they get the coin in and email you that there is a match and it's up on their site. You click on their link from the email they sent you and all you get is their rating on the coin (a number and some stars) and no picture for at least 5 days.... so you have to buy it sight unseen if it's a hard to get coin (like the 28' Peace I collect)... I told them the better way would be to have the pics ready.... offer the coin for one day to their want list group and then put it up on their web site.... o well..... I'm just a customer....

About a month ago I bought a 1***** 1928 Peace $ from them in a PCGS MS-63 slab sight unseen. That's their highest rating possible.... I'm not sure who assigns the "DLRC rating" but I'm glad it's there as I'd never touch any coin they sell under their highest rating (I may just be way too picky... ok.. I am....). The coin fit into my collection of over 50 1928 P$ at almost dead last for eye appeal.... well... blast white, clean cheek eye appeal anyways. So.. their best rated coin is almost my worst...... mmmm

So... I'd stick with only their highest rated coins unless you like "original" colors... they have 3, 28' up there now... all 3 of which I know about... the 63' they just bought on ebay....

Lakesammman · February 18, 2004 7:33AM

No problems with them. One of the greatest features of their web site is the ability to sort NEWPS by days. No need to search the whole web site looking for the new coin - just check the last days NEWPS in all areas - very handy.

LALASD4 · February 18, 2004 7:35AM

I agree with Peaceman, but if you call them they will give you a honest answer on the coin you want and you will never have a problem in getting a quick refund on returns.

gemtone65 · February 18, 2004 7:39AM

I was at a show a few years ago and they had 10-15 toned dollars. The eye appeal and technical grades overall were okay but not outstanding. One or two seemed to be worth further investigation, so I asked to look at them. They were polite and showed me what I wanted to see. When I asked the price, I was informed that it was an all or nothing deal -- I had buy all their toned coins, or none. I passed and haven't been back.

Pushkin · February 18, 2004 7:46AM

Excellent dealer and GREAT customer service. Highest recommendation.

tgilliams · February 18, 2004 7:49AM

Don't call Win, no matter what the ad says. If it's not worth $25,000+ and he can turn quickly, the conversation will be very Short.

Jacki · February 18, 2004 7:55AM

I have had GREAT experiences with the crew from DLRC, both in buying and selling. As Lucy would say, more DLRC for me

Jacki

Bikingnut · February 18, 2004 7:57AM

Great coins.

EVillageProwler · February 18, 2004 8:17AM

I know the crew at DLRC well, and I would say that they are a knowledgeable and hard-working bunch of folks who try hard to turn an honest buck. In this biz, there are many dealers who are not a credit to their profession and also many who try hard to deliver a fair product to their retail customers. I count Feigenbaum's crew among the latter.

Remember that when dealing with the retail public, one has to deal with a very broad range of issues, attitudes and expectations. It's not possible to please everyone all the time.

EVP

ccr · February 18, 2004 8:31AM

It has already been said but, still have to put my two cents. David Lawrence is one of the good guys. I have dealt with them plenty of times and plan on doing so for some time to come.

lava · February 18, 2004 8:44AM

DL is very good.

jdimmick · February 18, 2004 8:47AM

Great firm, great service and proffesional people who give you one on one personal service.

Highly recommended!

Also, I have mentioned this to them, but many of the coins look much better in person than thier image portrays.

I only live 4 hours away and have had the opportunity to drive up an look at a coins in person prior to buying and couldn't ask for a more personalized service.

Dave99B · February 18, 2004 8:58AM

Great people, great service. But crappy images on their website!

Dave

caitlin · February 18, 2004 9:22AM

TOP NOTCH A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

EvilMCT · February 18, 2004 9:42AM

A+ organization. If there isn't a pic available of the coin you want, there is a link to request a pic. It may take them a little while to get that posted. For the coins that I have purchased from them, the pics have been a lot worse than the actual coins. Usually receive my packages from them in 2 or 3 days with their regular shipping as well. Nothing but praise for them from me.

Ken

LanLord · February 18, 2004 9:50AM

I have only bought from them once, but was very pleased with the transaction.

Fairlaneman · February 18, 2004 9:53AM

Friendly, Quick and Secure shipping and usually the coin is much better looking than the image they show on the Web Site. No complaints here at all. Three new coins should show up tomorrow.

Ken

paul43438 · February 18, 2004 9:54AM

I haven't much experience with DLRC, only purchased two coins from their website. I'm happy with both coins. Different purchase times, one was a layaway. email me when the payment was received by them. email me when they shipped the coin. very nice. looking forward to buying from them again.

USMC_6115 · February 18, 2004 9:55AM

Several transactions without a problem. I really like there "Make an Offer" feature because they really will wheel and deal. Free shipping too, you can't beat that.

Skipper53 · February 18, 2004 9:57AM

After my nightmare introduction to coins-by -mail from Coast To Coast,
I tried David Lawrence. I've been pleased with every coin and service.
If you like the picture, you'll love the coin.
Prices are about average but you can find the occasional deal.

Skipper

Legend · February 18, 2004 10:12AM

Forget his coins, John is buff and has a nice haircut!!!

Bear · February 18, 2004 10:15AM

Laura did you mean Buffed or stuffed. Cause if its stuffed ,your talking about me.

haletj · February 18, 2004 10:16AM

After seeing this thread I just bought two coins there, ms65 63-d and 73-s pennies, both 1*****. Very cheap price for these two, but the ms66 Memorial Cents seem steep, but probably they're good quality. I got my 22-d and 27-d pennies in 64rd from DLRC.

fcloud · February 18, 2004 10:21AM

Some of my Mercury Dimes came from them... I have no complaints. Happy with the coins and their service!

mintluster · February 18, 2004 10:44AM

DLRC is exactly how all coin dealers should operate. You always get what you pay for and it always looks just like the photo. No touch-up gimmicks to trick you. In the rare instance where I got something that I was not satisfied with personally, they take it back with absolutely no hassles and no questions asked.
Truly a great way to do business and a great way to get extremely loyal customers.

mgoodm3 · February 18, 2004 11:17AM

I like all that I have gotten from them. No complaints.

CaptainRon · February 18, 2004 11:21AM

Not only great to buy from, but I have been very happy selling to them as well. They bought three coins from me for almost 25% more then I was offering them here on the boards, that no one jumped on..

MFH · February 18, 2004 11:36AM

I have nothing but praise for DLRC. I have bought quite a few coins from them in the last 10 years. They have been very helpful and everyone has been a pleasure to work with. They have maintained my want list for about five years or so and have notified me of key dates needed as they became available. I recommend then very highly.

Wondo · February 18, 2004 11:52AM

I have bought and sold to them. I have returned about 1/2 of coins I ordered (par for me) and they have always been professional and couteous. I sold a decent size type collection to them; Win called me with a fair offer and the deal was settled in 3 minutes. Excellent company.

mercurynut · February 18, 2004 12:25PM

One of the best in the industry!

dorkkarl · February 18, 2004 11:07PM

not my favorite seller, here's why.

i told the story in a prev. thread where a buddy of mine sold them a high-grade ngc early half for greysheet bid. they got the coin, called him back & told him it was a terrible coin (which it was), they'd overpaid, & to make a long story short, my buddy had to refund some of the $$$ to d-l.

whaddya know, this "terrible" coin ended up in david-lawrence ads - WITH A 4-STAR RATING (above average). so why when they bought it was it a "terrible" coin, but when they sold it it was a 4-star (above average) coin? hmmm....

this 4-star coin, which they called "terrible", did eventually sell, as it disappeared from their sale ads after a few months.

funny thing is, not a single coin, NOT ONE in d-l's ads over the past year that i've seen, did they rate below 4 stars. now, don't you think that's rather amazing?

K S

robertpr · February 19, 2004 1:46AM

I've bought from DL a few times and would just like to repeat what has already been said...their images absolutely suck - they'd do a lot better if they would improve their image quality. Coins always seem to be nicer than the images on their site suggest. That said, if you like the coin in the image, you'll like it in person.

Their rating system works like this: There is a number and then some stars. The higher the number, the more toned the coin is with a 1 being a purely white coin, 2 being mostly white, 3 is a light to medium toned coin, 4 is a heavily toned coin, and 5 and 6 seem to be charcoal. The "monster toned" coins would fall into the 3 to 4 range - usually 4. Then the stars. This denotes "eye appeal" according to DL. 5 Stars is great eye appeal, 4 is above avg. 3 is avg, 2 is below avg, and 1 is dogmeat.

The numerical rating for the toning seems to be spot on, but the eye appeal rating system is worthless. Most coins are grossly overrated for eye appeal. I dont' purchase from DL very often because it's tough to get a picture of the coin you're buying. The pictures aren't great, and the eye appeal system sucks. So it's somewhat tough to tell if you'll get a great coin or a dull lusterless POS.

As far as their customer service, it's top notch. None better, IMO.

So, if you find a coin you really want, sure buy it and if you're not happy - as others have said - you'll have no trouble returning it. I dont' buy from them a lot because I don't like to dicker around with returns and it's hard to get and accurate picture from their website of how the coin will actually look, that is, when there is a picture.

puff · February 19, 2004 2:24AM

I've bought a few high end graded Walkers from DLRC, but "only" on an approval basis, and with shipping paid from, and back to them by DLRC, if I did not keep the coin.....

I have never had any problems with them, but I would suggest that you know how to tell a high end coin from a low end graded coin before you buy, and do not pay alot of attention to their "star" rating, and judge the coins appeal from your own perspective and not theirs.

dorkkarl · February 19, 2004 3:24AM

exactly. it's their stupid "star" system that makes me shy away from them. just once, just one freaking time, why don't they make a "mistake" & have a 1-star coin?

K S

Hoot · February 19, 2004 3:57AM

DLRC is a very friendly bunch of folks who will show great customer orientation for purchases, even for the little guys like me. I have had to return a couple of coins and they adhere strictly to their "no questions asked" return policy (although I did politely explain). This makes buying sight-unseen much more plausible. I have also made several offers to them at about 80% of their ask and each was accepted. It's worth noting that the photos on their web site are generally among the worst quality.

Hoot

sonofagunk · February 19, 2004 4:09AM

I have had not complaints, just seems like their prices are getting a little expensive lately (I know the market is hot, but their prices seem to be approaching David Hall prices

Clankeye · February 19, 2004 4:34AM

I have had four or five transactions with them in the last two years. Every one was positive. Polite, responsive and quick shipping.

Clankeye

Fairlaneman · February 19, 2004 7:19AM

Karl so it was a above average POS that got 4 Stars. Atleast they did not call it PQ and give it 5+ Gold Stars like others do.

Remember...Buy the Stars not the coin.

Ken

DavidLawrence · February 19, 2004 12:30PM

Hi All,

THANK YOU for all the kind words. I really appreciate the comments here. As you've seen me chime in on a rare occassion, I take my company very seriously, and our integrity and customer service are of paramount importance to all of us. It's simply a credo I/we live by.

That said, I can handle criticism as well. Frankly, this is the first I've heard negative about our star rating. No question we "lean" to the 4 and 5 stars, however, we systematically "sell off" 3-star coins at shows becuase they do NOT sell well, at any price. I don't want to sell 3-star coins, so that's why you'll rarely see them. (Trust me they're out there... just not on our site!)

As to the image quality... That's a problem that's nagged us for years. I'd say we image more coins in a week than anyone else in the industry except for Heritage and, perhaps, Teletrade. Unfortunately the amount of speed takes it's toll on quality but we just spend thousands (this week) on a new camera system. Click here for a sample image. We think it's a lot better. We hope to slowly get all images to this quality. But in general, I'd rather understate the quality of an image than overstate it.

Also... we've just added another imager to our staff, so we aim to get every new coin imaged within 48 hours (at least the ones valued over $250). Based on a customer's suggestion (on of the poster's on this thread actually), we hope to institute a 48 hour holding tank for new purchases so they don't show up on the site until the image is available. It's just a matter of being practical with inventory/cash flow, etc.

Back to some of the positive comments... again THANK YOU for appreciating us and our efforts. I don't have a cheezy cliche to tell you that "the customer is always right" or "we're #2 so we try harder". The closest one to our real motto would be "do unto others as you would have done unto yourself." (Did I get that right?) My father taught me that we could differentiate ourselves in the coin business (or any other, for that matter) by being honest and doing what we said we would do. "Then..." he would go on to say, "your competetion will make you look good."

We are one of the last truly independent coin companies left (of any size) and we got here by adding one customer at a time. We got here the hard way and I intend to stay the course.

Take care and again, many thanks for your support.

-John

p.s. shameless plug here... We are working hard right now on adding Internet-only auctions to our web site. Hopefully it will prove a useful tool for us to turn older inventory at bargain levels (win-win) and also to make our coolest coins available for competetive bidding. With any luck we'll post the first auction in the next 2 weeks.

dpoole · February 19, 2004 12:41PM

As you can see, LOTs of people use DLRC, and LOTS of people have been pleased with the experience. Me, too.

bigbadchad777 · February 19, 2004 12:44PM

Good dealer!

Stuart · February 19, 2004 12:48PM

John: Thanks for taking the time and caring enough to post on our forum. I checked out your link and the $3 Indian Princess looks quite beautiful via your new imaging system. This is a big improvement over the old "washed-out" digital images that I am used to viewing on your DLRC web site.

I thank your company for a very nice darkly toned 1847 Seated Liberty Dollar that I purchased from you in September NGC AU-55. It was one of your "Darkly Toned" (#5 on a scale of 5) coins, and it's a gorgeous chocolate brown original Seated Liberty Dollar that's conservatively graded.

We appreciate that your company has maintained its family-owned independence, and I hope that you are enjoying a booming business in this strong coin market.

I'll look forward to some of your upcoming info on your new "Internet Only" auctions because I always love to bargain shop!!

David Lawrence

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