moral question

[dryfly-migration]

How would you respond if a person that you know, but not know well comes to you with a coin of great value and asks " how much is this worth and would you be interested in buying it " ?

Would it ever enter your mind that a coin might possibly be hot ?

It's a dog eat dog, survivial of the fittest world! Right?

What if it were friend or family?

Where does your "guilt meter " kick in?

When does ambition become greed?

How much greed is acceptable?

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful if not fully honest response!!!!

peace to you and yours

Dry Fly

[reid1836]

Maybe this will help. Personally, I will tell those that I know, the value of their coins , grade (my opinion), and condition (cleaned, corroded, etc....) but tell them in advance that I will make no offers to buy. This helps avoid the potential for bad feelings. On the flip side, those that are unknown such as dealers or sellers on the internet are on their own. If I can pick up a deal by cherry-picking or by making what I would consider to be a wholesale offer that is accepted then so beit. Dealers have made a living doing the same. Except usually their offers to buy are far lower than wholesale and some have no idea what ethics are.

[cpm9ball]

How would you respond if a person that you know, but not know well comes to you with a coin of great value and asks " how much is this worth and would you be interested in buying it " ?

Would it ever enter your mind that a coin might possibly be hot ?

It's a dog eat dog, survivial of the fittest world! Right?

What if it were friend or family?

Where does your "guilt meter " kick in?

When does ambition become greed?

How much greed is acceptable?

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful if not fully honest response!!!!

peace to you and yours

Dry Fly

 

DF , if they were just a casual acquaintance, I'd be asking a lot of questions about the coin. How much was paid for it? Who did you buy it from? If you don't know anything about its value, why did you buy it? I'd want to try to get a "read" from their responses. If you have any doubts, DO NOT BUY IT! The laws regarding stolen property in most states will uphold the rights of the original owner. In all likelihood, you would just be SOL.

 

If you suspect that it is stolen, my advice would be to check with the police about theft or burglary reports that have been filed recently. Some people just can't bring themselves to do this, but if you've ever had anything stolen from you then you know exactly how the injured party is feeling right now.

 

On the other hand, if the person making the offer to you is a good friend then they should be understanding and appreciative of your candor when you urge them to take it to the police. Go along with them, if necessary. If they get irritated with you, then the friendship is one-sided and you'd be better off without it.

 

Now, a family member is a different story. Kick their butt all the way to the police station. They'll get over it.

 

Greed is acceptable when you're eating your favorite food. Any other time, it just causes problems. Just think how much better this world would be if everyone "looked out" for one another.

 

Chris

[EZ_E]

Good philosophy, Chris. I knew that there was a reason that I liked you.

 

p.s. I will never admit that again!

[cpm9ball]

Good philosophy, Chris. I knew that there was a reason that I liked you.

 

p.s. I will never admit that again!

 

Thanks, Caleb! The feeling is mutual.

 

Chris

[truthteller]

Let's put it this way. You could be honest and tell him the "real" value and that you might have an interest in it, even though you may have to actually pay market. Or, you could be a crook like most coin dealers and lie to get it cheaper, save a few bucks, and go to hell when you die?

 

 

 

TRUTH

[Oldtrader3]

I would stay away from the stolen scenario altogether. It's none of your business unless it's your child. You aren't the person's confessor. If you suspect it is stolen, walk away quickly.

 

I would try to honestly try and provide (2) pieces of information, Greysheet and retail. If you are interested in buying the coin, I would advise that the person seek a quote from a (another?) dealer before I would be interested in buying the coin. This way you are above reproach on the deal, however it ends up.

[nwcs]

I have had this situation come up. An acquaintance/friend had some coins he was looking to get rid of. Sure, I could have ripped him but it would go against everything I believe in. The local dealer quoted him a ridiculously low price. I told him what I thought it would sell for if I sold it for him. I sold several for him and didn't take anything out except actual expenses (s&h).

 

Later he had me sell about $2500 worth of stuff and let me keep 10%. I am a firm believer of doing the right thing. If my friend had a killer coin, sure I'd want it and wish I could rip it but I never would actually do it. To me, my integrity is more important than having a coin. And character is revealed in these situations.

 

Neil

[dryfly-migration]

thanks guys for the advice, of course I would never deal with a coin that had any Question of legal heritage, however the temptation to "bid low" is a reality, especially with a killer coin.

Old trader and collectosaurus rex, I think you are right on, FYI, I am not a dealer, just a collector. I am a restaurant manager that sees a lot of coin, almost all junk, however every once and a while some one brings to me some thing special out of circulation. Since all my people and many regular customers know that I collect the first question is always how much is this worth, the second is do you want to buy it. I always end up paying to much when I do buy simply because I don't want any one to stop bringing me their " valuable finds "

 

BTW. any one interested in dateless buffs or a peck basket of wheats, about two hundred two dollar bills or green 64-69 halfs. I didnt think so!