Henri Charriere Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 A few years ago, a gentleman from a foreign land won a MAJOR lottery here and was told he had to mail his winning ticket to the state capital which he did, placing it in an envelophe with the appropriate address and postage... but not mailing it certified, RRR, registered or insured. The fact that he had won was not newsworthy, but his cavalier attitude and absolute trust and faith in the mails was front-page news. Everyone I know thought it to be hilarious. "Who does that"? Today, I emulated his move and raised the stakes. After getting a notification from HA that items which matched my 🐓 want list were coming up for auction, I felt exactly the way any collector of top pops would feel if he eagerly sped thru 15 items only to find they were akin to "parking lot" finds. Apparently, someone who became disenchanted with his Set Registry had dismantled it and was in the process of selling it. [Tellingly, none were the harder-to-find "Originals."] I had listed my interests with specificity and I felt as though someone with a long memory smacked his head, and declared: "Send those pix to that Rooster guy up in New York." Then I re-read the topic regarding hitting the "upgrade wall". Nothing new, not in weeks or months -- but years. In another thread, uncle z made a perspicacious comment bespeaking great familiarity if not experience. In an off-beat comment, I confided I had gotten so disgusted with my forced inertia, I entertained the thought of starting a "kid brother" 10 francs gold rooster set. In so many words, z suggested it would not be easy. Today, I did something impulsively: I sent money thru the mail. Some of you would say, "So what? That's an every day thing." Allow me to elaborate. I took a greeting card, addressed it to a specific person I never saw, spoke to, or wrote to, placed twenty crisp benjamins in it, sealed it as one normal would, and handed it to a postal clerk. She threw it on a scale and listed my options on a reader. I told her No, no hazardous materials, etc. I rejected all the other options (which were prohibitively expensive and might have attracted unwanted attention, "Who registers or insures a greeting card?" and paid her $2.80 (for a letter/greeting card being flown Air Mail) that weighed all of 1.40 oz., and left. To avoid a stampede to the www, I will volunteer only the coin I "ordered" was struck as a pattern on a hexagonal planchet. It is, by the description furnished, unlisted and unpublished.... UNIQUE. I do not know if it will reach its destination. I marked it: PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL and followed it up with an email informing the recipient only that I have ordered it and, on principle, refused to use eBay, its notorious counterpart, PayPal, credit card or a bank wire transfer. The number of things that can go wrong is legion. Indeterminate. Right? I threw all caution to the wind. (If I'd've told my wife, I wonder what she'd've said) My question to you. gentle reader, is: WOULD YOU DO THE SAME? If not, WHAT'S YOUR LIMIT? Bear in mind, all of us use the mails to buy and sell coins, currency, bars and collectibles WITH SOME MEASURE OF PROTECTION. This is an experiment in progress. I will not know the outcome even if receipt of my order is confirmed. I know you could. My question is would you, and if you have, what was the outcome? (It is perfectly understandable if you have sworn to the zadokian oath of silence.) I will include one exception: a major TPGS (as indicated in another unrelated thread, makes cash remittance its first option, checking the box off as directed. Forget the money involved. Would you exercise that option? I did, but it was a sizeable fraction of the $2,000 involved here. I am going to assume the outcome here will be ideal. But if you have an interesting tale to share, feel free to do so here. Withhold sensitive details as you wish. Good nite all! zadok 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympicsos Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Nielsen sends people cash in the mail as a thank you for participating regularly. Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zadok Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 ...n now we know why there r guardians appointed by the courts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 (edited) 🐓: Quite a lackluster response, if I may say so myself. Q.A.: The truth is human beings tend to repress bad experiences. Uncle z mentioned legal guardians. I wouldn't go fhat far. Your average member would suggest inadvisable or perhaps irrational, but come what may, my 2.3 followers can count on me coming clean. I expect my ill-advised but not illegal scheme to work and will post my dated postal receipt indicating a cash only purchase as well as a good shot of the pattern (the reverse is blank) right here for all to see. You'll see. Right now, I am awaiting a reply to my order via e-mail. If the artifact was sold, no problem: First come, first served. If so, I am hoping they will issue me a credit. Who knows, maybe a top pop might make its debut. Would I advise anyone on the Forum to do likewise? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Edited May 15 by Henri Charriere Complete partial spelling of word; word substitution. zadok 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob’s Coins Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 I can’t say that I’ve willfully and trustingly sent money to a person in faith that they will send me the product. I have sent coins to NGC and optioned out of the insurance. A sizable $ package for my comfort but I hate insurance…. 😒. The things I could buy if I had all my insurance money back!! Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted May 16 Author Share Posted May 16 On 5/15/2024 at 8:15 PM, Rob’s Coins said: I can’t say that I’ve willfully and trustingly sent money to a person in faith that they will send me the product. I have sent coins to NGC and optioned out of the insurance. A sizable $ package for my comfort but I hate insurance…. 😒. The things I could buy if I had all my insurance money back!! Don't feel bad. A postal clerk once confided in me that the Tracking Number is key. My problem was devising a sensible approach to problem-solving. Why would anyone insure, or send certified with a tracking number, a plain old greeting card, and if so, for how much without drawing the very attention you are seeking to avoid? You did the right thing. I believe speed is important (First Class/Priority Mail) packing things properly for shipment is important -- and that tracking number is important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted May 17 Author Share Posted May 17 THE RUMOR YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IS TRUE! I figuratively stabbed my most ardent fan, not to mention my legion of Ignorers, squarely in the back. How so, you might ask? Easy. I sent in my membership renewal... [Upon the advice of counsel, Ricky, 🐓 I sent my remittance in, eschewing crisp currency, for the security of a money order.] There is always the possibility that NGC, having weathered my antics, for years, will refuse to accept it, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Now for those not quite satisfied with that explanation I offer you the wisdom of our good friend from the Heart of Dixie who once said: "I'd rather be RIGHT, than nice." To my knowledge, no one has challenged his fantastic assertion. With me, I'd rather be fluid and truthful, than consistent and untruthful. I announced my resignation, and save for the few that got wind of it and urged me not to, no one batted an eye. So I ask you, gentle reader, what's the point of leaving, if you're not going to be missed? As Putin, through an interpreter, said to Biden -- who, in substance, had just exclaimed, "I am looking into your eyes, Mr. President, and I do not see a soul," -- "We understand each other exactly." Readership, we understand each other. zadok 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J P M Posted May 17 Share Posted May 17 I always get my stuff within a week first class USPS from almost everyone. The last purchase from a dealer was sent economy USPS. And it has not arrived in three weeks. I fear it may be my first loss. Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted May 17 Author Share Posted May 17 I never fear the worst, but then again, international mail poses seemingly insurmountable problems. I ordered an item from Slovenia, and after fighting sharks rounding Cape Horn the freighter finally chugged in to New York harbor. I guess I lucked out. When certified, five years ago after receipt, it came in as a Top Pop: 2/0. I vaguely remember the cost was $285 for an Original rooster -- its gold melt as of today is $446.13; its numismatic value obviously twice that -- and while it was packed practically for FREE DELIVERY (a clever euphemism used for SEA MAIL; Last Class Mail in the U.S. -- I had already forgotten about it, immersed in completing my main 16-coin set quickly. Let us know how you make out. (I don't expect to hear from my seller until well into June.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J P M Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 On 5/17/2024 at 6:46 AM, J P M said: I always get my stuff within a week first class USPS from almost everyone. The last purchase from a dealer was sent economy USPS. And it has not arrived in three weeks. I fear it may be my first loss. Well, the coin is nowhere to be found in the USPS as of today. The seller has given me my refund $8.50 to my account although I really wanted the coin seeing it was valued at $85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstrauss3 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 On 5/15/2024 at 8:11 PM, Henri Charriere said: Don't feel bad. A postal clerk once confided in me that the Tracking Number is key. My problem was devising a sensible approach to problem-solving. Why would anyone insure, or send certified with a tracking number, a plain old greeting card, and if so, for how much without drawing the very attention you are seeking to avoid? You did the right thing. I believe speed is important (First Class/Priority Mail) packing things properly for shipment is important -- and that tracking number is important. Easy. Have you met my Mother? If I send her {birthday|Mother's Day|Anniversary} card two weeks ahead of the date, I get a snarky comment about being early. If I send her {birthday|Mother's Day|Anniversary} card so that it should arrive per USPS published delivery standards on the Friday or Day before said event ... it arrives late (bleep you DeJoy) and I get an endless rasher of {redacted}. Tracking allows me to show I mailed it on time. Photos prove what the card said so I can refresh my memory at how clever I am. Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 The saying goes, Buy Low, Sell High. I had bought a great deal of silver from The North West Territorial mint, without problem. Silver, then, was "stable." Years later, unbeknownst to me, I looked them up on Google and was surprised to see all the negative reviews. That answered the question as to what happened to the two twenty-dollar bills I once sent "The Metal Mint" for a pound of copper I never got. Cu was in a free-fall and those folks understandably could no longer maintain a sustainable operation. I took it in stride. The silver I ordered from the NWT mint, sent to me in canvas (duck?) bags experienced the same problem, the only difference being I got my silver, I suspect, when Peter robbed Paul until there were no new Pauls to rob, everything ground to a halt. So yes, Buy Low and Sell High, but do not do so when prices are on a steady downward trend. Silver, post Hunt bros., had already bottomed out when I placed my order. I miss that Englehard hallmark and its weight in my back pocket (about 8 lbs.) but that was 40 years ago. A lot has happened since. Lucky for me, the best things in life are free, I live well within my needs, found a special woman, an apartment at less than half the rent I was paying, gold at its lowest when I got in, is now close to the highest it's ever been -- and do not have a care in the world.ife is beautiful! CIII 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIII Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 (edited) Life really can be simple if you let it. :-) I like it like that. Edited May 24 by CIII misspell Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 @bstrauss3 : As difficult as it may seem to believe, things could have been a whole lot worse. Suppose she'd've called and said, "Where's all that money you promised me"? 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted Wednesday at 03:39 AM Author Share Posted Wednesday at 03:39 AM On 5/14/2024 at 12:05 PM, zadok said: ...n now we know why there r guardians appointed by the courts.... FWIW: If it helps matters any, I mailed "that" envelope to the founder of the firm on May 15, 2024. Your guess is as good as mine as to when to expect a response, if any. I also sent a text to the firm alerting them I desired the "coin" in question, had mailed them my "remittance" and would appreciate the courtesy of a hold on the product in question, if at all possible. The e-mail, simply addressed to: whom it may concern, was dispatched the same day, 5/15. They advise waiting up to 10 days for a reply. I regret to inform you we are past that date. For those keeping tabs on me, I will wait until the Fourth of July before conceding defeat. The next day is my wife's and my wedding anniversary. Mail matters then, won't matter. What if the "founder" is deceased. The greeting card envelope is marked: PERSONAL & CKNFIDENTIAL. What if the coin's been sold. I certainly don't want a check in €uros back. What if, in the interim, one of my T[hree]MW 🐓 becomes available. Yup, at least I will have a spot for it on my set registry. What's the very worst that can happen? TOTAL SILENCE? Nope. Loss of the merchandise between here and France. You know Murphy's Law: If it can happen, it may very well happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zadok Posted Wednesday at 02:17 PM Share Posted Wednesday at 02:17 PM On 5/28/2024 at 11:39 PM, Henri Charriere said: FWIW: If it helps matters any, I mailed "that" envelope to the founder of the firm on May 15, 2024. Your guess is as good as mine as to when to expect a response, if any. I also sent a text to the firm alerting them I desired the "coin" in question, had mailed them my "remittance" and would appreciate the courtesy of a hold on the product in question, if at all possible. The e-mail, simply addressed to: whom it may concern, was dispatched the same day, 5/15. They advise waiting up to 10 days for a reply. I regret to inform you we are past that date. For those keeping tabs on me, I will wait until the Fourth of July before conceding defeat. The next day is my wife's and my wedding anniversary. Mail matters then, won't matter. What if the "founder" is deceased. The greeting card envelope is marked: PERSONAL & CKNFIDENTIAL. What if the coin's been sold. I certainly don't want a check in €uros back. What if, in the interim, one of my T[hree]MW 🐓 becomes available. Yup, at least I will have a spot for it on my set registry. What's the very worst that can happen? TOTAL SILENCE? Nope. Loss of the merchandise between here and France. You know Murphy's Law: If it can happen, it may very well happen. ...n now we know why some court appointed guardians carry straight jackets.... Henri Charriere and bstrauss3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted Thursday at 02:49 AM Author Share Posted Thursday at 02:49 AM On 5/29/2024 at 10:17 AM, zadok said: ...n now we know why some court appointed guardians carry straight jackets.... That is "strait" jacket. I am, of course, not speaking from personal familiarity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zadok Posted Thursday at 12:27 PM Share Posted Thursday at 12:27 PM On 5/29/2024 at 10:49 PM, Henri Charriere said: That is "strait" jacket. I am, of course, not speaking from personal familiarity. ...all in time.... Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
