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I have a New Respect for B & M Dealers
EastCoastCurrency
Posts: 117 ✭✭✭
I know a lot of people on this board like bashing dealers whenever they get a chance. However, I thought I would flip the script and praise a dealer for once.
I went my local shop in Greenville, SC last Saturday, as I do about once ever other month to buy old "junk" silver coins just over melt. I was there for less than 10 minutes and this is what all he had to put up with.
-someone selling what ended up being 5 dollars worth of silver jewelry
-4-5 people calling for directions
-2 of his regulars busting his .... about prices
-one agitated lady who couldn't understand why he would only pay her $13.25 for a 1923 peace dollar (she ended up storming out)
-a kid smudging his glass and asking to see every state quarter
-and me bothering him about paper money
So next time you complain, just remember it's not all fun and games for the dealers either
I went my local shop in Greenville, SC last Saturday, as I do about once ever other month to buy old "junk" silver coins just over melt. I was there for less than 10 minutes and this is what all he had to put up with.
-someone selling what ended up being 5 dollars worth of silver jewelry
-4-5 people calling for directions
-2 of his regulars busting his .... about prices
-one agitated lady who couldn't understand why he would only pay her $13.25 for a 1923 peace dollar (she ended up storming out)
-a kid smudging his glass and asking to see every state quarter
-and me bothering him about paper money
So next time you complain, just remember it's not all fun and games for the dealers either
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Comments
The owner was blasting the Michael Savage radio show. Mr. Savage was railing his hatred against something.
It was disturbing, and not my idea of a good environment for looking at coins. But it might appeal to the 'end of the world' folks.
I'll visit again to take another 'sample', but if it's like that again, i'll find another B+M store!!!
I will be visiting more shows.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
<< <i>The last time I walked into my local B&M shop...
The owner was blasting the Michael Savage radio show. Mr. Savage was railing his hatred against something.
It was disturbing, and not my idea of a good environment for looking at coins. But it might appeal to the 'end of the world' folks.
I'll visit again to take another 'sample', but if it's like that again, i'll find another B+M store!!! >>
Must be a very intelligent dealer.
<< <i>You're saying we should sympathize with him for having to do his job? >>
I would say no, not sympathize, but definately understand that what dealers have to deal with is not always pretty. I help out a local B&M guy and by being there only on Saturdays I see that he gets a very wide and, shall we say, 'diverse' array of customers. Some are difficult, some are easy; some stink (literally), and some are just ignorant.
I think a better way to charaterize a dealer is to say that they are in the business of customer service, and anyone who has provided any level of customer service knows that it is not always an easy job.
Edited for grammar and horrendous spelling.
And lately they have had to put up with a bunch of crap from the scap sellers. This one dealer gets so many calls every day about 1943 copper cents, 1804 dollars and others BS. Not for me.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
the tendency at this forum is to hear everytime there's a bad experience at a coin shop. then the whinersmoanerscomplainers crawl out of the woodwork to relate there personal bad story.
very seldom do we hear about a shop's good points or good experiences with them. i liken this phenomenon to what i call the "Lottery Winner Syndrome" where you hear all about the $500 winning ticket that Joe had, but never a word about the $2000 he lost prior to the big win!!! some people just don't get it and never will.
Post of the week.
Also looking for VF-EF Seated halves.
Sell me your old auction catalogs...
Three to four times per week someone walks in our door looking for "29 N. Clark St." Apparently some typists mistype 28 up one number as 29, or 20 down one last digit as 29. It happens.
Curiously enough, when we tell people that there is no such address as "29 N. Clark St.," approximately one person in three gets angry at us and wants to argue the point. By no great coincidence, these are usually the people who interrupted our conversation with a customer to ask us for directions in the first place.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
you would be surprised at the number of people who come in and must think he's an appraisal service. i remember once a guy came in to sell a large box of stuff and my pal spent close to 45 minutes looking things over, making a list and quoting a price. all the while he had to mind the rest of the store traffic and the phone, so i helped as much as i could. when he gave the gvuy a price it was immediately clear that the price was lower than expected. the costemer left despite the dealer telling him that the price was fair and that other dealers in the area would pay less. he even honestly told him that most of the smaller area dealers sell to him, that he'd eventually end up with the items at the same price but that he(the collector) would receive less in the end by selling to someone else.
well, a few days later the guy came back in. apparently he had tried some other dealers and guess what?? their price was lower so he was back to sell. my pal quickly told him he wasn't interested and he turned away to help another customer!!! business as usual...................
another little gem-----i wish i had a dollar for everytime i was in the shop and someone called to get a price on a coin they have. my pal tries to explain that he can't do that over the phone, he needs to see the coin. well, that explanation never works and questions always follow, so he has a pat line he uses, "If you hold the coin closer to the phone I'll give you a grade and a price!!" most of the time they "get it" and the conversation ends.
being a dealer at a B&M is tough work, but someone has to do it. i really enjoy my time at the local shop, where else can i hang out for 3-4 hours and drink coffee, look at coins, enjoy friends and get an education?? probably nowhere else close by.
<< <i>You're saying we should sympathize with him for having to do his job? >>
Empathize, not sympathize. Anyone who wants sympathy can find it in the dictionary...
Seriously, though, the Internet has definitely reduced the number of rips a b&m dealer can get in general from the public. I think that b&m's have to work harder today for lower returns and higher overhead. JMHO. The show only or Internet only (with or without Ebay) venues make more sense now than ever.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
<< <i>
<< <i>You're saying we should sympathize with him for having to do his job? >>
Empathize, not sympathize. Anyone who wants sympathy can find it in the dictionary...
Seriously, though, the Internet has definitely reduced the number of rips a b&m dealer can get in general from the public. I think that b&m's have to work harder today for lower returns and higher overhead. JMHO. The show only or Internet only (with or without Ebay) venues make more sense now than ever. >>
my brick and mortart dealer is making $5000 to $10000 per day since gold traded over 800...
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
another little gem-----i wish i had a dollar for everytime i was in the shop and someone called to get a price on a coin they have. my pal tries to explain that he can't do that over the phone, he needs to see the coin. well, that explanation never works and questions always follow, so he has a pat line he uses, "If you hold the coin closer to the phone I'll give you a grade and a price!!" most of the time they "get it" and the conversation ends.
I've used that "hold it up closer to the phone so I can get a good look at it" line many times over the years, but stopped when somebody pointed out that many phones have cameras now.........
the risk that they can't make enough profit to pay the overhead but there's the risk
of paying far too much for a counterfeit or alterred coin. There's danger sitting in a
store surrounded by lots of expensive inventory. Even when you're at home the in-
ventory can be taken. There are countless bills and the constant headache trying to
stay abreast and in compliance with all the rules and regulations.
After all that you'll still need to know enough about coins to stay ahead of your custo-
mers who are often very knowledgeable specialists. And you have to try to be courte-
ous to some people asking what to us are very inane questions and then arguing or
getting upset with the answers. As a group coin collectors are not the easiest to please
and often expect more service than can be provided for the mere pittance offered.
It's easy to get angry with dealers but if many of us could do the job then there would
be a lot more coin dealers.
<< <i>i've always been amazed at the crap B&M dealers have to put up with......................now i just wish i could find one with some nice toned inventory...... >>