In article ,
ospam (Ira Stein) writes:
| J Stone writes:
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| What scientific method would that be?
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| Many samples, test repeated with same coins over a much larger dealer sample
| size, particularly at a medium to large sized show where competition would
| force dealers to be competitive.
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| I heard these stories till I'm sick of them, always unsubstantiated and each
| re-telling increases the enormity of the ripoff.
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| If you'all want to jump on this Barnhardt character's original claim of
| deception at the ANA Convention, be my guest.
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| Buy all your stuff from pawnshops and barn auctions and flea markets. Oh yes,
| don't forget the marvelous items at the average club auction after the meeting!
| Don't buy ANYTHING on eBay because the sellers are all scam artists there as
| well, aren't they?
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| Avoid legitimate dealers like the plague. You're bound to get great prices and
| huge selections at the flea markets. Don't buy anything certified by reputable
| 3rd party companies because they're all ripoffs too as the major dealers can
| get ANY grade they want by simply asking.
|
| Excuse me, but I'm off to mix myself a Bloody Mary with an extra dose of
| Absolute.
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| Ira Stein


The dissatisfaction with dealers stems from irrefutable logic:

Rare coins are valuable.

Collectors want valuable coins.

There's not enough rare coins to provide stock for dealers, so dealers
pretend their own (common) coins are valuable, and devalue the coins
of others. This is because they live off difference between what a savvy
collector will pay and what a naive collector will pay, and maximizing
profit requires keeping the two as far apart as possible. This is not a
free market; it thrives by limiting the flow of information. If you don't
believe me take your collection to a dealer and see what is offered, then
see what it goes for on ebay.