M & M COLLECTIBLES ALL VALLEY COIN & JEWELRY

Collector notes

Visiting a coin shop

A few notes before you walk into M & M COLLECTIBLES ALL VALLEY COIN & JEWELRY in TEMECULA, CA. These rotate daily. They are general collector etiquette from CDXList — not this shop’s house rules. When something is unclear, ask the person at the counter.

1. 01

   Ask before you touch anything in the case

   The dealer will hand you a coin or put it on a pad. Do not reach into a tray or slide a slab toward yourself. Handle coins by the edges if they are raw. If you drop something, say so immediately.

2. 02

   A real look takes more than thirty seconds

   Dates, mint marks, damage, weight, and whether something is collectible or melt all take time. Do not rush a careful dealer. Do not dump two hundred coins and ask for a number while you check email. Stay with the lot. Answer questions.

3. 03

   When metals jump, the shop gets busier

   A sharp day in gold or silver fills the parking lot. Offers take longer. Lines get real. If you can wait a quieter day, you will get a better conversation. If you cannot, bring patience and a simple list of what you have.

4. 04

   Bullion and collector coins are different conversations

   Melt moves with the market. A key date does not. Say what you think you have, then let them look. Mixing “it’s old so it must be rare” with a junk-silver bag slows everyone down. Sort in your mind: weight versus date.

5. 05

   Keep quiet about another customer’s coins

   Do not grade, joke about, or value coins that are not yours. “That’s only a VF” from behind someone who is selling grandpa’s album is not helpful. Look at the cases. Let the dealer run their counter. You will get your turn.