PPH and I are just back from a 4 day trip to Melbourne and surrounds. Of course we picked the city up by it's ankles and gave it a good shake to see what coins fell out. Some of the shops were terrific with amazing staff and fabulous customer service. Some of them were just average. And one was horrendous. Stay tuned for a detailed post on our blog from PPH and her experiences with what may be the rudest coin shop staff in the country.
enworb I believe you know exactly what we're talking about....more soon.
Quote from: 'markn' pid='12588' dateline='1366543263'PPH and I are just back from a 4 day trip to Melbourne and surrounds. Of course we picked the city up by it's ankles and gave it a good shake to see what coins fell out. Some of the shops were terrific with amazing staff and fabulous customer service. Some of them were just average. And one was horrendous. Stay tuned for a detailed post on our blog from PPH and her experiences with what may be the rudest coin shop staff in the country.
I only deal with a few B and M coin shops and I have had great experiences with all of them , All are "On Line" and The Purple Penny is right there on top of the list Mate :good:
name and shame Mate so that we can all avoid unpleasant dealings :yahoo:
We wont be naming, no desire to be sued. It's just an interesting article on how bad some shops can be.
Quote from: 'markn' pid='12595' dateline='1366544174'We wont be naming, no desire to be sued. It's just an interesting article on how bad some shops can be.
You can always PM me with the dealers name and ebay username :angel:
Ah yes i believe we may know the same person. Unbelievable!
Interesting. The coin dealers that I have been too in Melbourne have been quite good. Be interesting who someone is talking about..........
You could post some hints maybe... make it a treasure hunt sort of thing, without naming names.
I can think of a bad one from a few years ago which may or may not still be there. Used to be in a multistorey shopping centre in the eastern 'burbs...
haha I used to have a favourite coin shop in Melbourne but my last visit was no that impressive and probably wont be going back, I remember my first time I picked up the florin error coin, my first and only florin error and I love it, picked it up cheap so I was happy, so went back a few moths ago and asked about a die crack threepence and what's the best price ya can do, as I always do, and got the reply "I am not a charity" WTF yeah let just say I am not going back, yep that coin can sit in there shop for years if they don't want to sell it.
I have a good dealer up here in qld , he is at rainbow beach
and his name is peter Wallace , same name as the bronco,s football player , but not the same guy ..there is another one in bundaberg , I think he is ok ,too .. ,, kel ,,
I think sometimes people start a hobby based business -not just coin collecting- thinking "Great. I can make a living from my hobby and have lots of time for it too.".
After a few years they either lose interest in the hobby or realise it is actually hard work to make a living with a small business (possibly both).
Enthusiasm wanes and the negative attitude becomes evident to customers. If any paid staff then, their attitude will reflect the owner's.
All downhill from there unless business is sold to a new, enthusiastic and hard working owner.
Jeff
And, good article too "Ten Things to Do Before and While You Visit a Coin Shop". Make sure you mention to be polite and make the best possible impression on the person behind the counter!
Now we need a T"en Things..." for coin shop owners.
Isnt peter wallace the ebay seller that consistently has cleaned coins as well as proofs that arent actually proofs???
Quote from: 'enworb' pid='12644' dateline='1366593255'Isnt peter wallace the ebay seller that consistently has cleaned coins as well as proofs that arent actually proofs???
I have received a polished coin from this particular seller, Was the first and LAST time I did business with him:dodgy:
His nickname should be "Buffy" :laugh2:
Yeh i would be careful kel. He has been the centre of many scary threads on CCF.
You mean this guy?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221193544404?nma=true&si=XDurMovn7OVRFVWS69IiavMu69o%3D&rt=nc&_trksid=p4340.l2557&orig_cvip=true
Quote from: 'wwwww' pid='12656' dateline='1366597062'You mean this guy?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221193544404?nma=true&si=XDurMovn7OVRFVWS69IiavMu69o%3D&rt=nc&_trksid=p4340.l2557&orig_cvip=true
Yes that's "buffy" :dodgy:
some dealers move their junk through ebay and keep the good stuff in the display cabinets at the shop
and I have heard that said by dealers
I can relate to your experience with a Sydney dealer. The original guy was a wonderful fellow, it didn't matter if you were buying a $2 coin or a $2000 coin, he'd be ready to help with his wealth of knowledge, but I haven't seen him in years. The new staff have ensured that I won't be entering their shop any time soon. They're extremely hesitant to bring out 'the good stuff' especially if you haven't got a specific coin you're after (I too was after anything of quality) which makes me wonder how they ever get a sale. Their 'these coins are probably too good for you' attitude wasn't reflected in the quality of their coins. Judging by the PVC build up on their 'good coins' they don't seem to have moved much stock in the last 5 years.
Quote from: 'wwwww' pid='12656' dateline='1366597062'You mean this guy?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/221193544404?nma=true&si=XDurMovn7OVRFVWS69IiavMu69o%3D&rt=nc&_trksid=p4340.l2557&orig_cvip=true
yes walter , that's him , how can it be a proof coin when advance Australia can not be read ?? what dreadful pictures of a proof coin that he wants big money for , and it looks like the word Australia is very worn from his picture , but still 21 bids and $ 73.50 ,plus
$ 10.00 postage ... 20 bidders safe for now and one , who will be very disappointed .. ,, kel ,,
I confess
I bought the scalloped 20 c the very day before .........
true ...
would I lie to you?????
ha ha
what a tosser that 'sales person' is
has two of Australia's biggest error collectors in his store and you guys walk out empty handed
thumbs up to the good guys at Southern cross coins - I will make a point of going there next time we are in Melbourne
Were is Southeren Cross coins located please\?
don't worry PP, I'll get me rat tail file out and scallop you out a 20 cent coin in no time :diablo: :dance2::laugh2:
Click the link in the blog article Goldy.
I wore the brunt of that expedition, Mark saw it coming and kept his distance. At first glance it's a lovely looking shop, shame about the service. It was just the icing on the cake when he sarcastically told me of the scalloped 20c. To think how many $$$$ in sales they missed out on.......
Quote from: 'Goldseeker' pid='12683' dateline='1366605473'Were is Southeren Cross coins located please\?
Got this off the contact us section on the webpage, Goldie
We always find it hard to locate coin shops in Melbourne as well - esp. when on foot!
http://www.southerncrosscoins.com.au/
Adam Lovegrove
Owner
Address:
4 Station St
Nunawading
Melbourne
Victoria
3113
Australia
E-mail: southerncrosscoins@bigpond.com
Telephone: 03 9878 1711
Mobile Phone Number: 0400 880 180 After Hours
Information: Open Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Saturday 9.30 am to 1.00 pm
Conveniently located next to Nunawading train station and bus stop.
alt
View Larger Map
Postal Address
Southern Cross Coins
po box 204
nunawading
Melbourne, Victoria, 3131, Australia
Just read the blog and it sounds too similar to the experience i had. A real shame! It still makes me angry when i think about it.
I read the blog earlier and was impressed by the way Mark and PP handled the situation.
I would have reacted with far less diplomacy and I am sure I would have lost my temper at some stage of the meeting :diablo:
Read the blog, very interesting.
Something tells me the store that you walked out of might be in an Arcade that runs at right angles to Flinders St Station.......?
If it is, I know precisely who you are talking about.
Its not that one. Its in a suburban shopping centre quite a way from the city.
PP,
Interesting blog read about the shopping centre shop you are talking about.
I thought it must have been me that was the problem, as every time I go into that shop now, I get the feeling that as soon as I indicate that I might actually know something about coins and banknotes, their history, current auction values and relative rarities, they clam up.
In other words, they are really interested in the mug retail trade, especially those who don't know the real values.
It wasn't always like that however, and it seems that reluctance to engage with knowledgeable customers has fallen in line with the spread of the Internet, auction sites like Ebay and the increasing number of other dealers with a web presence and the competition that generates.
I guess it takes all types!
Cheers
Peter (notcb)
I'm guessing there's a BigW and a JB upstairs in that shopping centre? In which case, same one I was talking about too.
There's also another one in a little arcade in a major outer suburban hub that lost my custom through gross indifference some years ago. Letting customers choose which specific coins they wanted was too much effort to them.
Well, after the rave review, I just had to head over to see Adam this morning. And he confirmed my suspicions as to the bad/ugly shop. ;)
However, even after being comprehensively pillaged the other day, it seems a few things were left behind for us locals. I walked out a bit poorer (or a bit richer, depending on your viewpoint) than I walked in. Here's what I bought, and the marked prices. Lets see how close the guesses are to what I actually paid. :)
Penny Blank Planchet ($35)
1978 10¢ Split Planchet - Obverse Half ($25)
1963 6d Clip ($6)
1966 2¢ Clip ($6)
1940 1/- VF (probably cleaned) ($39)
1986 $1 Unc - Massive Rev Strikethrough + Obv Die Crack ($49)
2003 $1 Korean War Unc - Folded metal on part of Rim ($4)
2007 $1 Unc Roo - Ex-PNC ($20)
for a total $184. Slightly overpriced in my opinion. What do you think? I'm very happy with this lot, even the 1940 Shilling which looks too clean, but I can't say conclusively if its been tampered with at this stage. I certainly would have no qualms about recommending him to people, and I'm going to email him links to both the blog post and this forum. :)
(http://goo.gl/RB0yi)
I think you paid about the going rate for everything except for the 10c which has split. I would have paid a bit more than that.
After reading of everyones misfortunes I have headed off on another tack.!!
First job- leave several coded messages (or a cross on a nondescript window).
Head to a secret location known only to yourself and your dealer at a prearranged time.! Feign interest in the postal supplies until contact is made (practice slipping in unnoticed) to avoid detection.! (still got it.!)
Confirm transaction, trade for cash and exit 'Stage Left.'
Way more fun than your everyday deal.:wavemulticolor:
Don't forget the Aston-Martin with the ejector seat and machine guns. :)
Quote from: 'Robster' pid='12806' dateline='1366700474'After reading of everyones misfortunes I have headed off on another tack.!!
First job- leave several coded messages (or a cross on a nondescript window).
Head to a secret location known only to yourself and your dealer at a prearranged time.! Feign interest in the postal supplies until contact is made (practice slipping in unnoticed) to avoid detection.! (still got it.!)
Confirm transaction, trade for cash and exit 'Stage Left.'
Way more fun than your everyday deal.:wavemulticolor:
Ahh a secret rendezvous Robster.
I'm glad Adam received your custom Fulvio. He was very accommodating and friendly. We may not have alerted him to our coin media status though :angel:
Its OK, I did.. next time you rock up, you'll get the red carpet and complimentary champagne that goes with the rock star status. :)