This week’s letters (02/14/12)
‘Viewpoint’ overlooks one crucial facet to collecting
I’m responding on the Jan. 24 “Viewpoint” that Mike Davis wrote. I agree with most of what he said. I have noticed that ever since 1999 and the state quarter program started many people saw easy money. Before you knew it there were thousands of coin dealers and most of them didn’t know anything about coins. They just wanted to sell you a set of quarters take your money and move on. I call these people the one and done dealers. I’ve been in this hobby for 36 years, 10 of them I collected coins then began selling coins and now have a very nice business.
I have a library that, when a customer comes over, I can pull four or five books out about one coin and that’s not counting the computer programs. I get a kick out of the looks on peoples’ faces when they see this.
My first set of coins was Franklin half dollars proofs graded and cameo. It took me many years to build that set and while I was doing that I was also filling in books with the best coins I could find.
My opinion is 80 percent of today’s sellers don’t want to be bothered with questions. They just want to make a quick buck. That’s where I see our great hobby with a big problem. These people don’t even see or know what they’ve done but now the new buyers I meet are always on their highest guard when talking with me.
I tell people I will do many things that most dealers have stopped and if they do buy from me I let them know that they can call me with questions. I love what I’m doing and I love to learn as much as I can so by helping them I’m helping myself and I’m gaining their trust by helping them out, so it’s a win-win for me.
Today I only collect one coin, Washington quarters from 1932 to 1964 graded MS-66. You can’t be
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