Another one bites the dust

[trout]

Great summary Markn, fully agree (I also love the feeling of walking around a physical coin shop and hope like hell they don't all disappear.)

I have never had the pleasure of being in a coin shop so it is a moot point for me :ok:

[Basil]

Ebay,rightly or wrongly and for the better or for the worse,has set the market price for Coins & Stamps,very hard for a B&M dealer to get items at a bargain price.It takes a coin/stamp illiterate 5 mins. on the Internet to value an item these days so no amount of bullsheeting from a dealer can change that.I think in Oz. we will see the same trend as in the States where Pawn shops,Book/Comic dealers etc will take over the space as dedicated Stamp/Coin B&M stores close.

[Fulvio]

I think in Oz. we will see the same trend as in the States where Pawn shops,Book/Comic dealers etc will take over the space as dedicated Stamp/Coin B&M stores close.

If the dealers had any sense, they'd go the other way and diversify into more lines. There are lots and lots of collectibles out there. You only need to watch A&E channel for a couple of hours to see the wealth of auction/picking/buying/selling/pawning going on out there. As with anything, knowledge is king, and people with a clue can make an absolute mint.

I know some shops dabble in a few sidelines, but they tend to be things of interest to the proprietor. What's needed is more of a businesslike approach. Identify what the customers are into, and stock that. And if its not your thing, do some study or find an expert you can tap for guidance.

And yeah, I know I'm dreaming. I can't even find a shop that comprehends errors.