With more than 28 years in this hobby, today was the most unusual day.
I was in a downtown area. It's an older neighborhood with some homes going back to the 1890s, and most from the1910s and 1920s. I was going over some curb strips by an old sidewalk.
Nothing much there, mostly modern coins (but did come up with two Wheat cents, 1939 and 1946, always welcome).
I always see homeless people walking around, by the dozens. I've gotten some looks in the past. I'd be concerned if they approached in twos or threes, but usually they keep a distance and keep moving on.
Today was different. A guy walked up, and asked the usual questions. Find anything? What kind of stuff can you find? How much does one of those things cost?
Now comes the unusual part. He took a small pouch out from his pocket. He emptied coins from it and handed them to me. He said he got them from his "brother" who lives in a city about 200 miles from here. (I don't know if that's true or not.)
He asked me if I wanted to buy them. I could have said No, and the story would end there.
But I said OK.
He asked for five bucks. I had seven on me. I gave him seven bucks for them.
That's barely a break even, but I wasn't looking to make a buck.
He had a smile on his face, and so did I. We both went away happy.
You never know what's going to happen, in this hobby.
I was in a downtown area. It's an older neighborhood with some homes going back to the 1890s, and most from the1910s and 1920s. I was going over some curb strips by an old sidewalk.
Nothing much there, mostly modern coins (but did come up with two Wheat cents, 1939 and 1946, always welcome).
I always see homeless people walking around, by the dozens. I've gotten some looks in the past. I'd be concerned if they approached in twos or threes, but usually they keep a distance and keep moving on.
Today was different. A guy walked up, and asked the usual questions. Find anything? What kind of stuff can you find? How much does one of those things cost?
Now comes the unusual part. He took a small pouch out from his pocket. He emptied coins from it and handed them to me. He said he got them from his "brother" who lives in a city about 200 miles from here. (I don't know if that's true or not.)
He asked me if I wanted to buy them. I could have said No, and the story would end there.
But I said OK.
He asked for five bucks. I had seven on me. I gave him seven bucks for them.
That's barely a break even, but I wasn't looking to make a buck.
He had a smile on his face, and so did I. We both went away happy.
You never know what's going to happen, in this hobby.
