Okay, first, I've been to 2 out of 3 of the coin dealers in my town. In both cases, when I explained why I was there, the attitude of the owner changed immediately. It was as if they didn't want to waste time with me because I'm not a collector. Anyone else experience this?

Second question. I was told by the second dealer that collectable coins should never be cleaned and many should never even be removed from the plastic. Do most magicians avoid the use of these coins so as not to ruin them or do they use them anyway? If a magicain ruins a coin's value as a collectible, I suppose that just makes the good coins out there more valuable. Of course I'm talking about coins such as silver dollars, or kennedy halves, and the like - coins that are worth more than face value, but are not extremely valuable.

Just curious. Any thoughts?

Never ever tell a coin dealer that you are a magician and what you're going to use the coins for. You have to remember that coins are their babies.

Secondly, buy what you want and use it as you like. Heck, it's your money! Clean 'em and use 'em. If you want what are called "Soft Coins" that don't "talk" as much, ask the dealer what they have in "Junk Silver". These will be the really worn coins that have very little relief to them. They will feel almost flat.

Hope some of this helps?

Cheers!

Thanks, that does help. I'll keep that in mind when I go to the next coin dealer.

Thanks again.

I must admit to having made the mistake of telling my local coin store owner why I wanted to purchase kennedy halves, english pennies, etc. His demeanor changed immediately into one of disdain. He even went so far as to try to dissuade me from purchasing them, informing me to " buy coins from a magic shop". I turned on my heels and left immediately, never to return. I now buy my coins online so that I don't have to deal with such attitudes.

Thanks for sharing that, vilewarner. I won't make that mistake again.

I don't think it's such an unreasonable attitude. We all have our passions, and I can understand someone who is not very interested in our art being uncomfortable in selling us their valuable collectibles when they feel we would merely use them in 'magic tricks'. It's the same way a collector of fine china might be leary of selling a set of their finest and rarest to a juggler for use in their act. Their hobbies encompass their lives the same way our passion for magic encompasses our's. Therefore, we have to respect that.

Either that or just don't freakin' tell em you're a magician.

I understand and respect your opinion marko. If I went into the shop and asked for an ultra rare, uncirculated gold coin that was valued in the thousands, and then proceeded to tell him/her what I was using it for, I would definitely expect some apprehension. However, purchasing 64 Kennedy halves and english pennies, I believe isn't as much of an issue. And as general business practice, I find it off putting. For what if I was a coin collector in addition to being a magician, with very deep pockets(neither is true).
In the end, the coin shop owner is entitled to his opinion, and I am entitled not to do business there.

no WE don't.

Its not like I am using the mona lisa for a torn and restored effect, we are talking about coins -- and if nothing else these dealers should be thanking us for bringing down the number floating around in circulation among collectors, thereby increasing the value.

Besides, coins are made by design to last a lifetime after years of rugged treatment, so I don't see the need for coin dealers to be nasty about selling to someone who actually wants to buy and USE them which was the intention of them in the first place.

Of course, you could just buy your coins on Ebay and eliminate the dealers' contemptuous, anti-magicians' evil glare altogether...

When are we going to move away from using coins that don't fit in every day life? Hey guys what we are doing here is magic not history class or the story of the mystical coins from no where land ( use ever day coins) only when you must should you use wierd coins that spark questions. Just my .50

Funny, I never had this problem with the coin and stamp shop I go to.

In fact when I asked to see his 'junk silver' he openly said: "You must be a magician, and proceeded to find all his junk silver he could muster.

I bought four silver morgans and five walking liberties.


In fact this guy makes his money off the junk silver with mostly magicians in the area.

I'm surprised that they would cop an attitude about buying slick coins.

They are pretty much worthless to them anyways, I mean they aren't going to sell them any other way except to guys who will melt them down and make jewelry out of the silver.

I figure they would enjoy that the coins are being appreciated as coins, as opposed to guys just wanting them for melting them down.


Maybe its just me.

Most coin dealer's I've been to and NOT mentioned I'm a magician are upity to begin with. I realize my stereotype, but in my area at least if you ask for "some Kennedy halves" instead of "some 1964 fine-to-medium grade silver Kennedy Half Dollars" then you'll get treated like crap.

I was looking for some oriental coins for a visual change and when I asked my local dealer if he had any Asian coins, he stared blankly at me and told me that "Asia is not a country, for your information." I replied with "Yes, I know, but I was looking for some coins from the continent of Asia, be they Chinese, Japanese, Korean, whatever. I'm just looking for something exotic." He told me I didn't know what I was talking about and didn't need to shop there, so I didn't.

I will add that men are usually more "weird" about coins than women. I was in Greenville, SC, recently and went to a dealer there who was a woman and she was more than happy to show me whatever I needed, surmised that I was into magic, and asked me to perform a trick for her. I did and she gave me a couple Chinese replicas (which are all I really needed anyway).

Bottom line, don't deal with people who won't respect you for your personal hobby. They get their money if you buy from them, and if they don't want to sell them, then they shouldn't own a store in the first place. It's preposterous to refuse to sell some coins based on their intended use. Deal with eBay and avoid the hassle.

While I agree that you should be able to buy whatever coins you want for whatever purpose, I find it ironic, because that is probably the same phrase that they think when we walk into their stores

I knew someone would say that, and probably should have headed it off in my post. I don't see how performing magic with coins shows any disrespect for their personal hobby. The purpose for their stores (or at least their supposed purpose) is to sell coins. Most coin shops don't say "Such And Such Coin Gallery/Exibit." They open stores with intent to sell coins to collectors. I don't see how magicians aren't considered collectors...we do buy and keep these coins, not only because we perform with them, but because most magi love the coins for their asthetic appeal also. Coin dealers are unfairly biased towards magicians. End of story.

Think of it this way. Someone comes into your magic store and says, "I saw the linking rings last night, do you have a pair to buy so I can figure it out?" What would you say? What happens if someone walks in with no skill but saw Roth last night and he wants to learn his secrets. I wouldn't sell to him. You just have to think of it in his level.

Lee

You could liken it to Comic books. Collecters don't collect just to read the stories and be entertained, they do it because they love them and they collect them. The same for coin guys. They don't collect coins so they have change at McDonalds or to give change to people, they do it because they love the coins and collect them.

It would be akin to someone buying #1 of X-men and then reading it with their oily fingers and letting it sit out in the sun. Coins have value beyond their dollar value to collectors and they don't want to see them "destroyed" by handling them... =)

-MacGyver, Devil's Advocate

This might seem weird but, I have looked in the Yellow Pages and can't find any coin shops.

What do I look under to find a coin shop.

What are they called.

Thanks

Brad

Brad:
You might try to look under numismatic.
Mago Mai