The Inevitable Question...

[AdDicted2Ag]

I am sure everyone here has had multiple types of experiences at banks. Especially when you are ordering a fair amount of boxes from the same branches each week. I have developed some phenomenal relationships with my tellers and some are even at the point where I genuinely consider them to be friends. The one thing I have noticed is that after a few months, primarily at new branches you may be ordering from, the inevitable statement always comes up. "So you have been doing this for quite some time now. Obviously you have to be finding some thing since you don't stop ordering. How much money are you making off of this?" I have even had a teller ask me to bring in some of my finds so she can see what all the fuss is about. Personally I am not the type of hunter to spill my beans, because other hunters with loose lips have led to a huge rise in sniping tellers in my area, but I do feel in this instance it is necessary to speak a little to maintain a good and honest relationship with the bank. I try to withhold as much information as I can, but at the same time not lie. I will normally talk about errors and collectable dates, but will never mention the word silver. Since I know I will certainly face this question again, I thought I would ask how others handle the situation.This is a tough subject and I know people will be very opinionated on it, but what do you say to the tellers when the inevitable question arises? Particularly tellers you have a good relationship with but don't want to enlighten.

 

[fistfulladirt]

It's simple. Tell them you aren't making money, (which in most cases is the truth). If they don't believe you, let them try it and find out for themselves.

 

[waseeker]

I give them lots of information. When I find buffalo and V nickels and IHC I take them in for show and tell. I've shown them the various types of half dollars and also silver dollars so they know what I am looking for. More than once I've had tellers call me and say they have goodies for me. This includes both a 1924S peace $ and a 1921 Morgan $. If they happen to see a customer dropping in silver quarters, they alert me to buy the quarter bags that week since I don't normally do quarters. Yes, some have told me about the stuff they have kept because of the information I gave them, but most don't really care and are happy to provide stuff to me at face. plus when I tell them all the same I don't have to remember which story I've told which tellers

 

[AdDicted2Ag]

It's simple. Tell them you aren't making money, (which in most cases is the truth). If they don't believe you, let them try it and find out for themselves.

You are right, I am normally not making much money, but I am pulling in a steady $50-$100 every week and if they wish to do some hunting, it would be much easier for them to pickup and dump, assuming their manager is ok with it.. I guess I am just a little hesitant.. I can certainly tell the tellers who are asking just to spark up some conversation and the ones who are interested in maybe trying it themselves..

 

[OnARoll]

I feel like you handled the situation good as far as not spilling the beans thats rule UNO..First rule of coin roll hunting, DO NOT SPEAK ABOUT COIN ROLL HUNTING...That seems to be the problem with getting too close to the tellers, you need to maintain yourself, you in no way have or should become friends with them nor do you have to tell them what your finding or even why your doing it....It's like You have a great product that is making you some extra money then a curious customer (in which you owe nothing to) asks you for the secret ingredient to your business (how you find silver), you then give it out with a smile, every time you tell your secret ingredient you loose money, they go out and make the product there-self (go coin roll hunting)..furthering the competition and ruining the business/hobby (no silver in your area left)..Would Coca-Cola give out there secret ingredients? NOOOOOOOO...Just don't do it... In fact you should only go telling people if you enjoy getting skunked and would rather do coin roll hunting as a means of exercise, lifting clad half boxes all the way home then all the way back..My advice is if a teller every asks you something like that, then have a group of pre selected answers ready to give them that makes you look more eccentric than anything..Tell them your looking for your birth year, you have a metal detecting club and you bury them for people to find, just get creative..

 

[AdDicted2Ag]

I feel like you handled the situation good as far as not spilling the beans thats rule UNO..First rule of coin roll hunting, DO NOT SPEAK ABOUT COIN ROLL HUNTING...That seems to be the problem with getting too close to the tellers, you need to maintain yourself, you in no way have or should become friends with them nor do you have to tell them what your finding or even why your doing it....It's like You have a great product that is making you some extra money then a curious customer (in which you owe nothing to) asks you for the secret ingredient to your business (how you find silver), you then give it out with a smile, every time you tell your secret ingredient you loose money, they go out and make the product there-self (go coin roll hunting)..furthering the competition and ruining the business/hobby (no silver in your area left)..Would Coca-Cola give out there secret ingredients? NOOOOOOOO...Just don't do it... In fact you should only go telling people if you enjoy getting skunked and would rather do coin roll hunting as a means of exercise, lifting clad half boxes all the way home then all the way back..My advice is if a teller every asks you something like that, then have a group of pre selected answers ready to give them that makes you look more eccentric than anything..Tell them your looking for your birth year, you have a metal detecting club and you bury them for people to find, just get creative..

I definitely take the "eccentric" route often.. I would bet that most of tellers think I am one "special" individual. I think probably the most hilarious moments have been when I run into someone from high school and they look at me like I have fallen off the insanity cliff..

 

[Mr. Silver Stash]

I collect coins. Most of them are for my personal collection. I sell some lower quality one from time to time. This is just a hobby for me. I collect all sorts of different coins. (all true) Another good line: I actually spend money on this, because I don't get the money back for the coins I keep.

 

[rpg25]

I feel like you handled the situation good as far as not spilling the beans thats rule UNO..First rule of coin roll hunting, DO NOT SPEAK ABOUT COIN ROLL HUNTING...That seems to be the problem with getting too close to the tellers, you need to maintain yourself, you in no way have or should become friends with them nor do you have to tell them what your finding or even why your doing it....It's like You have a great product that is making you some extra money then a curious customer (in which you owe nothing to) asks you for the secret ingredient to your business (how you find silver), you then give it out with a smile, every time you tell your secret ingredient you loose money, they go out and make the product there-self (go coin roll hunting)..furthering the competition and ruining the business/hobby (no silver in your area left)..Would Coca-Cola give out there secret ingredients? NOOOOOOOO...Just don't do it... In fact you should only go telling people if you enjoy getting skunked and would rather do coin roll hunting as a means of exercise, lifting clad half boxes all the way home then all the way back..My advice is if a teller every asks you something like that, then have a group of pre selected answers ready to give them that makes you look more eccentric than anything..Tell them your looking for your birth year, you have a metal detecting club and you bury them for people to find, just get creative..

I couldn't agree more. I've had other hunters say they are always honest. Their argument is that they don't see them as a threat because it takes a certain person to stick with it and keep up the effort through the skunks. While this is true, it's an odds game just like hunting. If over the course of the hunt in your area you tell 5 people, only 1 of that 5 has to stick with it to cause you problems in your hunt. I had a teller that got into the hunt like me and started calling the other branches of the bank and started sniping whole boxes from me. Again, it's an odds game. The less people that know, the better. Think about it on a small scale... My gf and my sister know about silver coinage now and have their own small stacks just from going through their change.

 

[bigscores]

My dump bank is also where I keep my SDB, they're very well versed on exactly what I do and are always interested in how I'm doing.

My pickup banks, I don't tell them much, if anything. I just say I'm a collector who has found a cheap way to build a decent collection, which is quite true.

 

[SilverForBrains]

I tell them the truth, I'm a collector, and sometimes I find neat stuff. some stuff is rare, so you have to look through TONS of coins to find it! easily explained! sometimes I show 'em something if they ask, it makes them feel like it's worth their time. I highly doubt any of my tellers are going to start doing this, they are all normal people with families, where I'm just a freak who spends all my time doing weird stuff

 

[boristhespider88]

I do the same as most everyone else has said on here; I collect coins. I just tell them that I try to piece together sets and try to find some that are harder to get (which is true, I'm working on a Kennedy Intercept Shield Album at the moment). 1964-2001 with proof coins.

 

[AdDicted2Ag]

I do the same as most everyone else has said on here; I collect coins. I just tell them that I try to piece together sets and try to find some that are harder to get.

I like the idea of "trying to piece together sets." it makes it look like a more strenuous process. Which it obviously is..

 

[50cent]

I tell them I collect bicentennials. I'm getting sick of telling banks this, and I intend to tell them I like to stock up on change--'It gives me something to hold onto, unlike real money'. Let them think that you got a big giant pile o'clad, just collecting dust in your basement.

 

[SilverForBrains]

I would build a lot more sets if I could afford to have the money tied up. When I'm out of student loan debt and have a nice savings, I'll probably end up keeping 25% of the coins I come across haha

 

[AdDicted2Ag]

I would build a lot more sets if I could afford to have the money tied up. When I'm out of student loan debt and have a nice savings, I'll probably end up keeping 25% of the coins I come across haha

Regardless of my student loans and debt, I still keep all of my finds besides the 40% halves and even then I normally sell them just to put the money into bullion.. I know this is completely off topic, but SilverForBrains, I can honestly tell you the best thing I have found for paying off student loans and debt is a restaurant job at any shore town for a summer.. Or just try to find upscale places around you if you aren't by the beach.. If you are charismatic and kind enough to get tellers to order you bundles of heavy coins every week, you are friendly enough to get people to give you massive tips at an expensive restaurant.. I can't even imagine what my debt would be like if I didn't work at restaurants..

 

[FormerTeller]

I tell them the truth, that I collect coins as a hobby. I also tell them, again truthfully, that I could make more working at McDonald's than what I "make" looking through coins. At your claim of $50 - $100 a week, I guess you could easily say the same. Best not to go into specifics, though - I mean, you don't really want them to try it for themselves.

As others here have said, I take in non-silver coins that I have found - buffalo nickels, proofs, etc. If I really want to discourage them from asking questions, I'll go into a long-winded explanation of how proofs are made; I've had a few tellers and one manager hastily excuse themselves after a few minutes, and never ask me another question for fear of getting sucked into another boring conversation about coin collecting.


Bottom line, you want to make them think you're a boring, nerdy coin collector.

 

[maverick]

I tell them I am a collector and I fill coin books with my kids for family time, and to not have the tv or video games on certain nights of the week. Maverick.

 

[CherryPickinTeller]

Listen, i am a teller. This is what you do. If a female teller, tell them you own a vending machine company. If a male, talk to them if they ask you. I have 7 people who "dump" at my branch. I talk to every single one of them..... And they love it. I tell them my finds while working, they tell me theirs. Dont give them any info about coins. If they know, its awesome to comverse with them

 

[boristhespider88]

Bottom line, you want to make them think you're a boring, nerdy coin collector.

My banks KNOW that I'm a boring, nerdy-coin-collecting-kind-of-guy. I bring up that I collect coins and they ask me if I find anything, and then after that, they usually don't ask any more.

 

[maverick]

Listen, i am a teller. This is what you do. If a female teller, tell them you own a vending machine company. If a male, talk to them if they ask you. I have 7 people who "dump" at my branch. I talk to every single one of them..... And they love it. I tell them my finds while working, they tell me theirs. Dont give them any info about coins. If they know, its awesome to comverse with them

Hey CPT, I think you are one of the exceptions out there, most women tellers I have delt with definetly do not like dealing with half dollar boxes, not all of them, but a good majority, I don't blame them, the boxes are heavy and awkward to handle. The male tellers are somewhat cooler to a point. I have told the customers in line asking me questions about my coin that I am a vender but, would think if I told the bank that, I would have to set up a business account if that got around. HH, maverick.