{"id":19346,"date":"2017-08-03T15:04:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T20:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sjanephotographyblog.com\/?p=19346"},"modified":"2017-08-31T13:30:24","modified_gmt":"2017-08-31T18:30:24","slug":"decatur-coin-jewelry-small-business-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sjanephotography.com\/?p=19346","title":{"rendered":"| Decatur Coin & Jewelry | Small Business Feature |"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oh boy guys it’s been BUSY around here this summer and that means it has unfortunately been quiet here on the blog. But not to worry we are back up and running and I promise there are some fun sessions headed this way, starting today with a very unique local business located right in downtown Decatur<\/a>!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Details:\u00a0<\/strong>Decatur Coin & Jewelry<\/a>\u00a0(Facebook Page<\/a>)\u00a0<\/span>| Bennie & Samantha, Co-Owner | In Business:\u00a0<\/strong>44 years (started in 1973)<\/p>\n

Hours:<\/strong>\u00a0Monday 9-4, Tuesday 9-4, Wednesday, 9-4, Thursday 9-7, Friday 9-4 (closed on weekends &\u00a0closed every day 1-1:30 for lunch)\u00a0<\/span>|\u00a0Location:\u00a0<\/strong>104 N Main St, Decatur IL<\/span><\/p>\n

This shop is full of really unique and interesting pieces both for authentic collectors and those looking for fun and interesting gifts. Who wouldn’t want a one million dollar bill this Christmas!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Tell us about your business\u2026.what do you do?<\/strong> We are coin dealers or as we like to say in our industry\u2026Numismatists. We study any and all things about money. We buy and sell money literally! We look at coin collections daily. We help determine value based on age, condition, content and quantity. Maybe try googling numismatics to help you better understand what a numismatist is. We also buy and sell any jewelry that is made of a precious metal: Gold, platinum and silver. We buy diamonds, turquoise jewelry, old vintage costume jewelry, sterling flatware, silver plated flatware, wrist watches, old pocket watches. We have even bought old test mortar rounds before. We were able to find a buyer so we bought them from the client. You just never know what we will buy. We make a living at buying stuff. So, maybe you have some neat old cool stuff laying around your house. Bring it on in and we\u2019ll take a look.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What makes your business unique\/special?<\/strong> We buy and sell actual money! We are coin and jewelry dealers. There is nobody else like us around. We explain everything in depth so you get a clear understanding of what is going on. We are qualified traders in medium to high dollar assets. <\/span>
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What item\/service on your menu or in your shop do you just love and think everyone needs?<\/strong> Sam says \u201ceveryone needs help in understanding what all their stuff is worth. Too many folks just throw stuff out thinking it\u2019s worth nothing. She thinks giving knowledge is what everyone really needs and \u201cA right hand ring of course! Bennie says \u201cinvestment quality Morgan dollars\u201d Doug says \u201ceverybody should have some artistic antique paper money\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In what way have you gone above \/beyond in the past for a customer?<\/strong> Bennie says \u201cwe pay out a lot of money. We\u2019ve gone to folk’s houses and looked at their stuff because they couldn\u2019t drive or were too ill to come in\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>Doug says \u201cwe always help carry in boxes and bags from their vehicles because the stuff is too heavy\u2026so WE GOT THE MUSCLE LOL\u201d Sam says \u201cI\u2019ve fetched someone\u2019s range rover and drove it around to the front of the shop because she was worried she couldn\u2019t get out of the original parking place due to someone parking so close to her\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What was the coolest thing you\u2019ve ever had a client do for you?<\/strong> Sam says \u201cpeople have bought my newborn son stuffed animals or clothes. I get hugs often too from some of my regulars OR even strangers\u201d. Doug says \u201cpeople have brought him in food coupons\u201d. I always call Doug a growing boy still LOL He sure can eat.\u00a0 <\/span>People will bring in chocolate for Bennie. He is patiently waiting for chocolate covered pretzels from Dells by the way. <<< Yum, me too!\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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What tool\/equipment\/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? Why?<\/strong> Our customers. They supply us with stuff to either sell into the network, online or across the counter.\u00a0 <\/span>They provide jobs for us and for the others that work with us. Everybody wins in the end. Without our customers life would be pretty boring! Couldn\u2019t imagine Coney McKanes not being down the street from us. Their pie and cookies are amazing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What other local businesses do you love? Why?<\/strong> Coney McKanes<\/a> feeds us often. Really all the local restaurants do\u263a All downtown local businesses are great.<\/span><\/p>\n

STAFF:<\/strong> Samantha is funny and loving but very serious when she needs to be. Doug is referred to as the professor. Don\u2019t call Bennie the boss he doesn\u2019t like that. He prefers to be called the Captain. All the ladies that work with us are leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell us about you? Why did you choose to do what you do?<\/strong> I am speaking for us all here when I say we all love and enjoy it because we love serving the community for the greater good. We want to give the people as much money as we can for their stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When did you know you wanted to go into the business?<\/strong> Bennie says \u201cafter I found my first Indian head penny while delivering the Grit newspaper door to door years ago when I was just a kid. That is when it all started. Back in those days the ladies at the bank would let me look through all their bags of silver dollars. I probably was a nuisance after a while. My father also used to bring home his pay for the day and put it on the kitchen table. The sound of those silver coins always sparked my interest. I have been driven since then to learn all about numismatics\u201d. Doug says he got into paper money for the art. And an added benefit was investment potential. Sam says\u201d I\u2019ve been looking at coins and jewelry since I was a kid. It was always in me through my father and now we run the business together. <\/span><\/p>\n

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What are you passionate about outside of your business?<\/strong> This is Samantha answering for her father because he is, as usual, extremely busy. He is passionate about teaching. He will give knowledge and wisdom to anyone with an open ear. He likes being physically fit eating healthy and enjoys spending time with his new grandson Jaxon. Sam likes to work in the garden and watch things grow\u263a Aside from all the duties that go along with being a happy wife and mother now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Describe your perfect day\u2026\u00a0<\/strong>Sam says the beach, a large umbrella, the ocean minus the sharks and being surrounded by the people I love. Bennie says hitting the grand slam in the stock market, making a big trade or riding on a real steam train with my grandson.<\/span><\/p>\n

See the latest news and items available from Decatur Coin and Jewelry HERE!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:<\/strong><\/p>\n