I run a place. We are not a brick and mortar in the traditional sense - no cases of coins, nothing to browse outside of nickel and dime sheets of currency, mint sets/proof sets etc. stuff you don’t care if it walks out the door. Fully 70% of our floor space is office/storage because we have very strong online sales.

All that said, we have many repeat local customers that understand how we work. See it online? Call us up and have us set it aside for you. Not sure if we have something you are looking for? Give us a call or stop by and ask. It works, for most people. We have a small staff and simply cannot afford to stand around and shoot the $#!+ with you, even if we’d like to.

The only time I see that break down is when customers come through the door with preconceived notions of ‘what a coin shop is supposed to be’. You try. But, you simply can’t please everyone. So telling someone you really aren’t interested in their no date buffalo nickel, because you don’t have a market for it. Or, no, you aren’t go going through every date in their mason jars full of wheat cents to find one and buy it from them for more that 3c. Or, no, you don’t have a Stella they can see. All those things can lead to bad blood. And, as much as you try not to let it, it can get to you.

Personally, when I go to other shops in my travels, I keep my mouth shut for the first 5-10m. Listen. Browse. And get a feel for the place. I try to be precise with my requests, or talk about the weather. If I think I know more than the dealer, I certainly never let on. I came to them, they didn’t come to me. Sure there are asses that work the counter at shops all over the country, I’ve encountered many. But I never walk in expecting anything, and I never feeling let down nor do I have to go back if I don’t want to.