One rude coin dealer

Beefcake · Apr 11, 2007

I took my 1837 "large Cent" hard times token to the coin dealer to just ask him a few simple questions about ways to clean it, if I should clean it, etc. He exclaims "It's Junk, totally shot". "you can clean it if you like, it wouldn't make any difference, it's worthless. Have a nice day" and then turns his back to me... I'm thinking YOU @#$%, so I left mad and decided since it was in such bad shape and "worthless", I would just give it an electrolysis bath. so I did......and well you can kinda guess the rest of the story. Mind you I realized it was in pretty bad shape to begin with, I had no intentions of ever selling it... I wanted to have it for an historical artifact, since I will most likely teach History someday. Well all of the patina (CRUD) came off, the problem was is that the coin was so corroded that it had pitted in several places. Here's the pics. Have any of you had bad run ins with pompous coin dealers? I mean he made me feel like a total moron for even stepping foot into his lair.

TommyBoy · Apr 11, 2007

I agree with you, what an idiot. I think the act of finding the coin and thinking about the amount of time it had been lost makes it worth alot to me. The historical part, not any monetary value is what is important to me. Coin dealers seem to be more interested in what they can make off a coin than any other thing.

Beefcake · Apr 11, 2007

That's exactly how I feel about it. I think we all understand that in this hobby, we are very rarely going to find a coin (especially copper ones) that are going to be collector grade. I totally agree with you, I enjoy just thinking about the story behind the find and enjoy giving myself a mini history lesson in the process. All this clown saw was dollar signs. A friend of mine had taken a coin to him to have him clean it and he said that he devalued it in the process. I just can't imagine a businessman (well actually I can, I'm not fond of businessmen) just turning his back on a customer and then saying "gooodbye". the more I think of him the grumpier I get. Oh well maybe I'll make it into a necklace or something.

steve in so la · Apr 11, 2007

Most coin dealers I have talked with are rude - dont really care to help you out unless you are big bucks in their pocket. So I dont deal with them.
Why dont you post the dealer's name and business name ? I sure would, Steve inso az

geodawn · Apr 11, 2007

I don't know about you guys but it takes a lot more effort to be a rude schmuck than it does to be a pleasant human being. I have no time for people that are mean to anyone - coin dealers or whoever else. As I get older I find myself more often letting these rude people know that I don't appreciate them and in turn my wife letting me know that I'm coming off as mean myself. oops.

Silver Nickels · Apr 12, 2007

He was such an idiot. He just lost a potential customer. Plus you'll tell your friends. They'll tell their friends and so on. Thats a lot of potential customers and a lot profit he'll never see. So don't be angry, be happy. I've read this in several other books too. I copied this out of (Coin Collecting 101). Heavily encrusted coins can be soak for several months in olive oil. The oil won't damage the coin further, but it will eventually dissolve the crust.

early_americana · Apr 12, 2007

A lot of people are like that, and not only is it rude, it's incredibly short sighted. I'm sure you will find plenty of things he might be interested in over time and I'm also sure you won't be dealing with him.

DFX-Gregg · Apr 12, 2007

Ok obviously the coin dealer was rude! But also we should have an idea about some of the coins we find. Internet searches often reveal coins in this condition are worthless. I bought a 1837 large cent on ebay that was probably a VG or F for 10 bucks. Also I notice a lot of treasure hunters overgrade their own finds and make outragious claims of there value. The reason this dealer was such a jerk...just a guess he has been doing business a long time and has probably seen more junk then he cares to...just another job. But as someone said, hopefully you do not do business with him!

twistidd · Apr 12, 2007

There's a coin/baseball card/antique jewelry shop in a suburb of Chicago that my grandpa used to take me to often when I was a kid. I used to love going in there to look at all the baseball cards and coins that I couldn't afford. Something about the way a shop like that smells, kind of like an antique shop, that is kind of enticing. Anyway, there was an old man there who was really nice and saw that my interest in coins was genuine, and not simply a phase. I had those Whitman coin folders that I was trying to fill with the help of my grandpa. One day my grandpa surprised me when he bought me the 1909-S VDB that I still cherish to this day. Granted, it's not in the best of shape, but the coin's rarity, coupled with the fact that my grandpa cared enough about my hobby to buy it for me there, makes it priceless. That was probably the last time I was there, until last summer, about fourteen years later. I happened to be in the neighborhood so I stopped by. The first thing I noticed was that the store barely carried any of the cool coins and baseball cards it used to. Those items were relegated to one small rotating display case. The rest of the store was comprised of old estate sale items-lamps, furniture, etc. So that kind of bummed me out. But the one thing that upset me the most was the attitude I got when I was there. There were several men there working and no one once asked me if I needed help, although some others were asked right away. Fair enough, I figured I was young and appeared atypical for a coin collector. However, it was the mean looks and scowls that really turned me away from the place. The old man that sold my grandpa the 1909 penny was there, certainly not recognizing me, of course, and it looked like he just wanted to force me out if he could. So, although no one said anything rude to me, it was the overall attitude that I got from everyone there that really ruined a potentially positive and memorable trip. At least I still have the memories of being there as a kid to cherish. I will never go to that shop again if I could help it.

What a smile and a cheerful attitude can really do.

spittfire · Apr 12, 2007

That is a shame that your memories got tainted. The thing is, a lot can happen to people in 14 years that can change their lives and attitudes. It sounds like the shop has fallen on hard times and the owner too. I would make another trip in to see the old man and tell him what you felt as a kid and how the memory of your Grandfather coupled with the store was a treasure in itself. It might make him smile to think that he influenced your direction in life, you may also find out why he is unhappy with his lot. The one thing that is constant in our lives is change! You cannot go back to a childhood memory as an adult and see it through the same eyes. We are more synical as adults :no:

bobbulge · Apr 12, 2007

The thing I hate about coin dealers is that they have 2 books, one they use to buy stuff from you(cheaper rate) and the other they use to sell stuff to you(expensive rate). And its for the exact same coin!!!

Don · Apr 12, 2007

I've been collecting coins since '72', and during that time I have dealt with Many coin dealers. I have found that in most cases, if the shop is run by the owner, more times than not, he started the shop due to his love for collecting coins, and truly enjoys sharing his knowledge. On the other hand, if he started it just for the sake of profit, that usually shows right away, and it's no one that I will deal with. There are many shops too, like a coin shop set up in this jewelry store near me, that won't even talk to you unless you're ready to buy. There are good coin shops out there, though these days they are getting harder to find.

Beefcake · Apr 12, 2007

The funny thing was about this dealer is... I deliver pizza and drive past his shop between 20-40 times a day... and every time I go past his lot is empty. When I was in there, there wasn't a single person around and I have to agree with twistidd... I got the feeling from the moment I walked in his door that he wanted me gone and quick... culminating to the back turning and a condescending --goooodbye. Didn't even turn to see if I had left. Perhaps coin dealers no longer need the people skills to run a business? Maybe he does all of his business online through ebay and such? But either way, he will get no recommendations or business from me in the future.

early_americana · Apr 12, 2007

Ebay and the internet have certainly changed the way that people do business. You don't have to rely on local sales anymore. However you do have to rely on locals to buy from. What he did is no way to treat anybody and is certainly stupid from a business standpoint. It's really not that hard to treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself.

Treasurekidd · Apr 12, 2007

I've run into one or two coin dealers who came off as, well, let's just say arrogant. Luckily, a new shop opened up a few miles from where I live about a year ago, and this new guy is awesome, very helpful and courteous. I can't see how the other two shops will stay open once their customer deal with this new guy for the first time. Sorry you ran into that moron beefcake!

Carol K · Apr 13, 2007

Well fooey, cleaning it certainly messed it up. We have ruined so many coins cleaning them, we just don't clean them anymore. :roll:

It may not have been worth anything to the "joke" of a dealer, but a collector on ebay I'm sure would have liked to have added it to his collection.

I'm a history fanatic though, and I would have probably framed it and put it on my wall. lol

achaios · Apr 13, 2007

I've been a coin collector since about 1968. I learned early on that it was best not to clean the coins. Then I learned that that advice only applies to modern coins, and then, only most of the time.

Copper is susceptible to something called "bronze disease", which is an active chloride corrosion, and needs to be addressed or the coin will disintegrate. Don't worry, your token didn't have this. Bronze disease is a powdery light green and comes off when you rub it (but that's not all that's required to get rid of it). I now collect ancient coins, and see this from time to time.

Your token is holed and worn, and wouldn't be worth much to an investor, but there's always someone out there who would be interested in it as a curiosity or historical artifact.

A lot of coin dealers address the "investor" market, because of the money. There's a coin dealer near me who is a stamp collector, and would much rather sell to collectors than the investors, who he says have ruined the business.

I go to the coin shows when the come to the Vienna Community Center in Vienna, VA (I won't be there this time, though -- scheduling conflicts). There, I see my friends who deal and collect ancient coins. A few will give a coin away from the pick-em box to a young collector, and are willing to answer questions. If they have a customer, it's best to let them deal with it, and my friends always are polite and say that they will get back with you after they finish with the customer.

I have, however, met my share of rude idiots. Usually only once, since I won't go back to them again.

Enjoy your find,

-- Tom (collector of Seleukid & Parthian bronzes, and Northumbrian stycas, none of which I'll ever get to find with my detector)

Beefcake · Apr 14, 2007

I'll just chalk this up to taking one for the team... hopefully someone can learn from this and help us all in the long run... oh well, i know what it is and that's all that really matters to me... I'm not in this to get rich, I just like the history lessons.

Robin D · Apr 16, 2007

I haven't had a negative encounter with a coin dealer, but I did with a dealer of prospecting equipment.
I was looking to buy a detector, so I went to this place to ask their opinion and places to hunt. (This was before I found this forum)

The guy was full of himself and starts out by saying something like "Discretion is the cousin to stupidity." Then he spouted off a string of nonsense, and then turned his back on me to answer the phone. Another guy in the store just looked at me like, "What was that about?" I shrugged my shoulders and walked out. I don't know if that moron ever realized that he would never get a red cent from me in the future.

Snowy · Apr 16, 2007

How unfortunate you had this experience.

We visit a dealer and they are always happy to offer any information they have. They went out of their way, free of charge, to determine a 1700s early militia button I found. They've put some coins under a scope for us even if they knew the coin wasn't worth anything.

Like Carol said, it's better to not clean the coins, but I often use hydrogen peroxide heated in a microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Plop the coin in there for a short stint, take it out, clean it off with a q-tip ... I'm not recommending it by any means. But I'll never use electrolysis on a coin.

One rude coin dealer

Beefcake

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TommyBoy

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