Moms friend spazzed on me

[dimefreak]

Apparently she thought her :

1925P Buffalo Nickel

3 VG 1940's dimes

and

1957D Wheatback

 

are worth around $3K

 

I told her she would be lucky to get $10.

 

 

 

Anybody else hate being the bearer of bad news?

 

Let hear some stories!

[mkman123]

Haha, people think that if its 50+ yrs old, it must be rare and valuable.

[dimefreak]

Haha, people think that if its 50+ yrs old, it must be rare and valuable.

 

She is suppose to be bringing me a book that says her penny is worth $1500

[JIM F.]

You should offer to sell her all of them she wants for a hundred bucks each.

[CyberspaceVoid]

Apparently she thought her :

1925P Buffalo Nickel

3 VG 1940's dimes

and

1957D Wheatback

 

are worth around $3K

 

 

She must have been looking at the MS-70 values

 

I generally dont look at my relative's coins for this same reason ... just not worth the frustration to me ... still ...

[Kenneth F]

Haha, people think that if its 50+ yrs old, it must be rare and valuable.

 

She is suppose to be bringing me a book that says her penny is worth $1500

 

Let me know the name of this book.. heck, MS67RD is only $500. Maybe the "Coin Value" told her that its worth $1500..

[MarkFeld]

I don't understand why (some) collectors, with far more knowledge than novices, apparently prefer to make fun of them, as opposed to educating them. On second thought, maybe I do understand - making fun must be easier and more enjoyable.

 

At one time, each of us was clueless about coins and their values.

 

I prefer to educate, rather than ridicule. It gives me much more satisfaction.

[mkman123]

Mark, if I was there i would most definitely educate the person

[lehigh96]

I don't understand why collectors, with far more knowledge than novices, apparently prefer to make fun of them, as opposed to educating them. On second thought, maybe I do understand - making fun must be easier and more enjoyable.

 

At one time, each of us was clueless about coins and their values.

 

I prefer to educate, rather than ridicule. It gives me much more satisfaction.

 

Because some people resist education with every fiber of their being. Don't believe me, go check in on Coin Talk, it will refresh your memory quickly.

[DaveG]

Mark,

 

I really doubt if anyone here would mock a novice.

 

However. . .

 

I think all of us have been in the position of having to tell a novice that his/her "treasure" isn't actually worth that much and some of us have had to endure the "angry" response - "this coin is too worth a fortune, you're just trying to steal from me, etc."

 

And, letting off steam in this environment is a lot safer (and more fun) than doing it in the real world, as most of us have learned that it's just not worth it to try to correct the angry response.

[physics-fan3.14]

I always try to educate. Sometimes, they are just plain stubborn and won't listen to reason, knowledge and experience. They know that what they have is rare and valuable. Nothing I say can change their minds. The same goes for a lot of people who post on internet forums.

[dimefreak]

Mark- In this case I was completely wrong and just trying to rip her off. She literally got irate as if I was trying to pull the wool over her eyes. I wished I was never even dragged into that situation. I hope that you were not getting the idea that I was teasing her.

[MarkFeld]

Mark- In this case I was completely wrong and just trying to rip her off. She literally got irate as if I was trying to pull the wool over her eyes. I wished I was never even dragged into that situation. I hope that you were not getting the idea that I was teasing her.

 

Jon, my comment was a general one, and I did not think you would try to take advantage of her.

[e1cnr]

I had to tell my friend that his bicentennial dollar wasn't worth much more than a dollar, and was not worth keeping wrapped in aluminum foil in the freezer.

 

At least if times get tough they have some cash on hand.

[jom]

Mark- In this case I was completely wrong and just trying to rip her off. She literally got irate as if I was trying to pull the wool over her eyes. I wished I was never even dragged into that situation. I hope that you were not getting the idea that I was teasing her.

 

I think that the first thing I'd do, once you noticed that she wasn't going to be calm about it, is to simply say that you are NOT offering anything for the coins but just giving her info. I'm fairly certain that is what I'd do...in fact if the coins were something special I'd probably guide to a dealer I knew.

 

If it were really something valuable that you would actually WANT to purchase I'd imagine the values would be a lot closer to what she might be expecting and hence no animosity.

 

jom

[MarkFeld]

Mark,

 

I really doubt if anyone here would mock a novice.

 

However. . .

 

I think all of us have been in the position of having to tell a novice that his/her "treasure" isn't actually worth that much and some of us have had to endure the "angry" response - "this coin is too worth a fortune, you're just trying to steal from me, etc."

 

And, letting off steam in this environment is a lot safer (and more fun) than doing it in the real world, as most of us have learned that it's just not worth it to try to correct the angry response.

 

Dave, I hope you're right. And I can understand the discomfort of facing a potentially angry response.

 

When I worked as a consignment coordinator for Heritage in the 80's (before PCGS and NGC began operations), I often had to tell would-be consignors that their coins were worth 20% or less of what they thought. And sometimes they took the bad news out on me, instead of those from whom they had acquired the coins.

 

Still, the above risk, notwithstanding, I'll almost always speak up and try to teach, rather than poke fun.

[dimefreak]

I told her the adress of the B&M here in town......... I know him quite well. im sure it will go like this $1.25 per dime, $.03 for the penny, and $.35 for the nickel. In the future ill just let people know that I dont give values.

[bartlesvilleok]

I told her the adress of the B&M here in town......... I know him quite well. im sure it will go like this $1.25 per dime, $.03 for the penny, and $.35 for the nickel. In the future ill just let people know that I dont give values.

 

While this would keep you out of it you need to think about the other side of it also. You would not want someone you know to be "taken" by someone just because they did not know how much they were worth would you?

[bartlesvilleok]

I had to tell my friend that his bicentennial dollar wasn't worth much more than a dollar, and was not worth keeping wrapped in aluminum foil in the freezer.

 

At least if times get tough they have some cash on hand.

 

I have never heard of anyone keeping a coin wrapped in foil in the freezer before. Why would someone do that?

 

[Crohnos01]

Haha, people think that if its 50+ yrs old, it must be rare and valuable.

 

Ummmm yeah! I am 50 plus years old and rare and valuable....ok, well at least my dog loves me....

[Crohnos01]

I had to tell my friend that his bicentennial dollar wasn't worth much more than a dollar, and was not worth keeping wrapped in aluminum foil in the freezer.

 

At least if times get tough they have some cash on hand.

 

I have never heard of anyone keeping a coin wrapped in foil in the freezer before. Why would someone do that?

 

 

To have cold, hard, cash?

[CyberspaceVoid]

I had to tell my friend that his bicentennial dollar wasn't worth much more than a dollar, and was not worth keeping wrapped in aluminum foil in the freezer.

 

At least if times get tough they have some cash on hand.

 

I have never heard of anyone keeping a coin wrapped in foil in the freezer before. Why would someone do that?

 

Many people like to hide valuables in the freezer as they feel no one will look there if there is a break-in. Police say it is one of the places that burglers often look (maybe for a quick snack?) so the preceived safety just isn't there. If it were a valuable coin, the alumium and extreme temps would cause a lot of damage to it anyway.

[jom]

I had to tell my friend that his bicentennial dollar wasn't worth much more than a dollar, and was not worth keeping wrapped in aluminum foil in the freezer.

 

At least if times get tough they have some cash on hand.

 

I have never heard of anyone keeping a coin wrapped in foil in the freezer before. Why would someone do that?

 

 

To have cold, hard, cash?

 

 

jom

[mkman123]

At a swap meet today, a vendor wanted $3 per buffalo nickel. He said they are rare and old so they are worth that and more. I said ok and walked away. Sometimes you can't reason with some people

[Ducksoup]

One thing you could do is to have her look up the ebay prices or other auction sites and look at realized prices there for each of her coins.

[dimefreak]

I told her the adress of the B&M here in town......... I know him quite well. im sure it will go like this $1.25 per dime, $.03 for the penny, and $.35 for the nickel. In the future ill just let people know that I dont give values.

 

While this would keep you out of it you need to think about the other side of it also. You would not want someone you know to be "taken" by someone just because they did not know how much they were worth would you?

 

Thats about what I would offer as well.

[braddick]

I agree with Mark outside of the fact most non-collectors are lazy and just want to know what something is worth.

Being educated along the way usually is met with a glazed, warmed over vacant stare and a tapping of a toe suggesting their patience is wearing thin.

[MarkFeld]

.....

Being educated along the way usually is met with a glazed, warmed over vacant stare and a tapping of a toe suggesting their patience is wearing thin.

 

Yep.

 

[Oldtrader3]

It is not considered cool to act like a caring human being any more. Just like the guy who said that he did not care about his kids not getting any money for his coins when he dies, because he is dead (DUH!). So cool to be cruel and say stupid things! He will be old someday also, if he has enough sand to make it!

 

I lived in a retirement home during a long recouperation from a deadly disease. The people there were like my parents and many were good friends as well as most of the men being war "heroes" literally! They were bomber and fighter pilots and crews who put their lives on the line for their children and country everyday.

 

If there was any way I could have helped repay their service and their lives of working and struggle by making their old coins valuable, I would have walked ten miles to do it! So smoke that annointed ones!

[dimefreak]

It is not considered cool to act like a caring human being any more. Just like the guy who said that he did not care about his kids not getting any money for his coins when he dies, because he is dead (DUH!). So cool to be cruel and say stupid things! He will be old someday also, if he has enough sand to make it!

 

I lived in a retirement home during a long recouperation from a deadly disease. The people there were like my parents and many were good friends as well as most of the men being war "heroes" literally! They were bomber and fighter pilets and crews who put their lives on the line for their children and country everyday.

 

If there was any way I could have helped repay their service and their lives of working and struggle by making their old coins valuable, I would have walked ten miles to do it! So smoke that annointed ones!