This was again, like I said, three years ago.

So, I kind of wanted to go over some of the things that you should and should not do when you go to a coin shop because I understand for people that are new to the hobby.

You might feel a little intimidated because you don’t exactly know what it is that you are doing.

And maybe the the store is extremely busy and you don’t want to be in the way and you don’t want to ask something stupid.

And a lot of times too, what I often hear from people is that the coin shop guys are like these old stodgy um gruff types that are a little off-putting or maybe not exactly the friendliest.

Um I’ve seen those comments before.

So it certainly does help to know what it is that you’re going in for when you are going into the coin shop because you do not want to waste anybody’s time.

So anyhow, let’s just get right to it.

So, first of all, coin shops, you got to keep in mind, they are microcosms of history.

They’re filled with a lot of knowledge.

The coin shop owners are passionate about the hobby and about numismatics.

You have to treat this space and the contents with care.

I’ve seen people go into coin shops with little kids and just let them run around, not stopping them or anything, and the kids like banging into stuff or whatever.

I mean, have some, you know, I guess just just common sense on managing how you are watching your children in the coin shop and how you are operating in the coin shop.

Handle things gently.

Handle things with care.

Right?

The pieces aren’t yours.

You want to handle them as such and respect the expertise of the coin shop owners and the employees.

Okay?

They probably know a lot more than you do, unless they’re somebody that’s brand new and and just started working there.

But you want to be respectful.

So, don’t touch anything without permission.

I would always say make sure you ask before you touch anything.

Usually, a lot of the items are held behind display cases, so you have to ask to see something.

But if there’s anything that’s out in the open, it always helps just to ask uh politely if you can touch something.

All right?

So, make sure you get permission first.

Just remember, coins are valuable.

Also, don’t be a know-it-all.

I’ve seen people go into coin shops who just started maybe watching YouTube or whatever, started learning a few things, but they still definitely don’t know a lot about coins or the hobby or stacking.

And I’ve seen them act as if they know more than the coin shop owner.

And you can just tell by sitting there listening to the conversation, person doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

So, don’t be a know-it-all.

If you’re genuinely curious about something, by all means, ask.

have a conversation.

Just do not be arrogant.

That’s going to work against you, especially when it comes time for you to do some wheeling and dealing.

And when it comes to wheeling and dealing, don’t haggle aggressively.

Um, you know, fair negotiation, that’s fine.

Be respectful, be understanding, but you have to remember the coin shop owner, they have to make their profits.

They have a business that they are running.

They have to keep the lights on.

They have to pay for the overhead.

They have to pay for the employees.

They have to pay for the inventory.

So even though when you go online, either it be on eBay or some other website like an online retailer, if you see the price of something is relatively high or priced for retail, just remember the coin shop owner, they might be able to sell you something slightly below what the items are selling for online.

But when it comes to buying the pieces, do not expect for the coin shop owner to pay you the full retail price.

They have to pay you below the retail price because that’s the price that they have to sell it.

Arguably, they’ll probably sell below retail.

So, if retail is here and here’s the cost of your item, all right, the coin shop owner is going to buy it and they want to sell it maybe slightly below retail, they need to make their margin.

So, keep that in mind.

Now, when it comes to the pricing of items, you have to make sure that you remember that prices are influenced by the rarity of items, by condition, and by market demand.

Again, just because online prices are what they are, that doesn’t mean that that’s what the local coin shop by you has to sell them for.

they have their own costs and things that they’ve purchased items for and they have to be able to sell the items and get what they need to out of those particular items.

So, one thing that definitely goes a long way is if you’re transparent about your budget and what it is that you’re looking to buy and what you’re looking to possibly sell.

But when it comes to collecting, you certainly want to know what it is that you are going for and just tell them what you’re looking to do.

If you’re looking to buy constitutional silver, if you’re trying to fill a book and trying to get certain dates or you’re looking for slabbed and graded items, whatever the case may be, do your research first.

Make sure you look up the average prices of things and the grades of the coins that you want and then discuss it with the coin shop owner.

You again have to remember coin shop owners are busy.

Don’t go in there thinking that you can just ask them everything and anything under the sun and just expect them to stop what they’re doing and to help you.

It certainly goes a long way if you do some of your research first.

Now, if it’s a slow day in the coin shop, it’s boring for the coin shop owner.

Maybe they’ll be able to spend more time with you and talking to you about whatever it is that you’re looking to do.

But again, remember, time is money and they have other things to do.

But don’t be afraid to ask them questions and to learn about, you know, the value of specific coins.

Now, aside for the coin shops being hubs for collectors, um what often happens is if you go to different shops enough, you’re going to see regulars just as if you were going to a local bar or um you know, a community center or any hangout or a restaurant, whatever the case may be.

But there will be regulars at the coin shop.

you might be able to strike up conversations with them, foster connections.

It certainly helps with the atmosphere.

Um, be mindful of others experiences.

You know, you want to be welcoming to everybody.

And make sure you leave a good impression.

You know, be respectful, knowledgeable, engaging.

That’s going to go a long way again when you’re trying to build that rapport with your coin shop owner.

It’s going to help you when you are looking to buy items.

They might be able to give you even more of a deal on a particular piece.

And when it goes to selling, they’ll be able to maybe pay you a little bit more aggressively for your particular item.

Um, especially again if you’ve built that rapport over time.

That’s the other thing, too, building a longstanding relationship with your coin shop.

Um, if you do repeat business, you go in once every couple of weeks or once a week or whatever your schedule allows, buy a few things here, buy a few things there, you know, it it’s not rocket science.

It really isn’t.

But, you know, the purpose of this article again is just I’ve seen things in different coin shops that I have been to where things can get awkward real fast.

Um, you know, people again, like I said, that are acting like know-it-alls or they don’t know what it is that they want or if again they’re being arrogant, especially when it comes to haggling and don’t be rude and disrespectful.

I mean, that goes a long way.

I haven’t seen anybody get tossed out, but I have seen some funny comments given by the coin shop owner to the customers when they say stupid stuff.

So, um, again, just, you know, common sense people.

Anyway, this thing, by the way, that I’ve been twirling around.

Very, very awesome piece.

Um, I was going to do a review on it, but since it’s already here, take a look at this.

This is the Switchblade.

Dragon Tiger Switchblade.

This is made by Specters IO and you can follow them on Instagram.

I’m not sponsored by them.

From time to time, they’ll send me a piece.

Let me uh you know, let me review it and and I tell them what I think.

But this thing is amazing.

I believe the mintage on this is 888.

The reason I love this piece, the dragon and the tiger, is because I got a dragon and a tiger tattoo on my arms.

But just very very nicely done.

Um definitely check again specters.

io out.

Let them know Stormy sent you.

But anyhow, as I was saying, back to the coin etiquette or coin shop etiquette.

Just don’t be a dummy.

All right?

Doesn’t take rocket science here.

It’s just common sense stuff.

Let me know in the comments below, though.

I would be very curious as to any sort of awkward interactions that maybe you have had or have witnessed.

I would love to I’d love to see what you have to say.

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