Monday, April 30, 2012

A Sucker Born Every Minute: The Franklin Mint Ripoff


Ever watch one of those ridiculous Franklin Mint commercials and wonder how a company peddling such a blatant ripoff could ever possibly stay in business? I mean, just how dense, for instance, does a person have to be to believe a "one ounce silver collectable coin" contains much if any silver when it is selling for half or less of the current spot price of the precious metal? Well, now we know the answer as shown by this letter sent to Financial Advisor Malcom Berko and published in the Herald-News:
Dear Mr. Berko: During the past 25 years, I purchased more than $47,000 in collectible silver coins and beautiful non-silver coins from the Franklin Mint for my retirement because I thought the scarcity and limited-edition minting of these coins would drive up their value over the years and because I believed the silver content in the silver coins would also increase in value. Now I’m 64 and decided to sell these coins to a coin dealer who offered me $2,500 for the whole lot. He told me most of the coins were worthless, and the only coins that had any value were those with silver in them. I was devastated because when I was buying all those coins, the people at the Franklin Mint told me these coins were minted in limited production and would be more valuable to collectors in the future. I called two coin dealers in Detroit (these coins are too bulky to carry around) and both said they had no interest in Franklin Mint coins and said they don’t know any dealers who would buy them from me. My son told me to write you because he said you might know of buyers for them, and at this point I’d be very happy to get at least half of what I paid for them if possible. Please help me if you can. And if you cannot help me, do you think I can sue the Franklin Mint and recover my cost? And could you recommend a lawyer for me to sue them?

DA

Troy, Mich.
Okay, I dabble a little bit in precious metals myself as I am sure many of you do who are part of the reality based community, so it was probably very cruel of me to be literally laughing my ass off when I read this. Sorry to be such a bastard. I just couldn't help myself. And how perfect is it that the letter writer is from TROY, Michigan. I tell you, the Gods these days are gleefully mocking us dopey chimps.

Actually buying a couple of Franklin Mint pieces of crap is one thing (I think the wife and I have a phone ordered "collectable" or two lying around somewhere). Blowing $47,000 over a quarter of a century without ever ONCE checking with someone who doesn't work for the company to find out the real value of the merchandise places this guy (or gal?) very high on the list of the world's all time biggest suckers.

Being a much better man than I am, Malcom Berko was far more diplomatic in his response to this inquiry than I would have been:
Dear DA: Certainly, you can sue the Franklin Mint. Frankly, it’s their fault you purchased those coins, it’s their fault you overpaid for the coins, it’s their fault the coins did not increase in value and it’s their fault the coin dealer in Troy won’t give you $47,000 for your collection or the dealer in Detroit doesn’t know a soul who would pay you at least $23,500 for your collection. And because it’s the Franklin Mint’s fault, I can’t help you recover your costs. But some lawyers will do their best to get you a settlement, demanding an advance fee before they pick up a pen. However, that settlement will probably be a 20 percent discount on your next Franklin Mint purchase and no shipping charges. But any attorney I know will tell you that you don’t have a chance in China for recovery.

In 1984, I purchased a die-cast, 1935 Mercedes Benz 500K Roadster from the Franklin Mint and sent them a check for $150. Although it was “to scale, “ it was made in China, poorly and cheaply constructed; parts and pieces would fall off, and when the Mint wouldn’t return my money, I tossed the Benz in the garbage. They also make limited edition plates, knives for collectors, figurines, Star Trek plaques and other ridiculous collectibles. One of the Mint’s biggest coups a dozen years ago was the sale of millions of dollars of collectible plates, jewelry and dolls with the image and likeness of Diana, Princess of Wales. Today, that stuff isn’t worth a penny, shilling or pound. You gotta be careful out there.

You overpaid for those coins by orders of magnitude. And you probably paid five or six times the value of the silver content for the silver coins you purchased. So while sliver has tripled in price since 1984, the silver value of those coins is still way less than your cost. I don’t know of a single item produced by the Franklin Mint that can be sold today for its original cost. The Franklin Mint, like the Danbury Mint, the Washington Mint and others with grand-sounding names are selling organizations that place full-page, impressive and official-looking advertisements in local papers with high-sounding words that give the impression of U.S. government affiliation. (It’s disappointing that some newspapers accept those advertisements because the acceptance gives instant credibility to those claims.) The advertisements always are carefully prepared with clever buzzwords designed to infer great value and urgency but grossly misleading to most readers who lack the knowledge to make an intelligent buying decision.

DA, you’ve been snookered, and there’s no chance for recovery. However, I suggest that you separate the silver content coins from the hundreds of medallions and other junk coins and visit the coin dealers once again. But be mindful that most of those dealers will try to swindle you. They recognize you’ve been swindled before (they know this is Franklin Mint stuff) so they figure you are an easy mark. You may have to wear out a lot of shoe leather till you find a dealer who is willing to give you a fair shake. Then try to sell the worthless coins on eBay, and you might get 100 bucks.
Okay, I've composed myself and am going to stop being so mean to the letter writer. After all, he or she really isn't any different than people who bought houses at the peak of the housing bubble because they believed the shysters who told them that home prices only go up, or people who have been furiously pumping their money into their 401(k) accounts and continue to do so even though they have seen little in the way of real returns these past 12 years and have actually lost a huge amount of their nest eggs due to inflation, or really anyone who falls for any of the countless scams being perpetrated by corporate America these days--fleecing their customers in pursuit of ever larger profit margins. Our whole "free market" economy has become one big swindle. The letter writer in this case just got taken a little easier than most people do.


Bonus: The letter writer would have been far better off investing in the New Pornographers' most recent CD

33 comments:

  1. This whole damn civilization these last 8000 years is like the Franklin Mint: a confidence game that makes a few rich at the expense of the rest of the world.

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  2. Diplomatic is right - my answer would have contained a lot of words in all caps...

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  3. Dear DA. You could wrap up your affairs, grab your shot gun and go pay a visit to Franklin Mint. After taking care of business there, suicide. Anything else will only cost you more money and get zero satisfaction for you. The lawyers on the other hand will be laughing their guts out behind your back as they suck you dry too.

    Some days I think Marvin Heemeyer had the right idea. Driving a bulldozer through the business that screwed you over is a nifty idea.

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  4. Aw, Bill, I think you are being unfair to Mr. Berko. Put his gullibility into context. For just one example out of countless possibilities, consider this:

    What do you suppose the aggregate waste of money spent in the US, never mind the world, on cosmetics, nail and hair salon visits, cosmetic surgery, and clothing and accessories bought purely as fashion statements amounts to?

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  5. The entire economy is one big swindle. Works for me. I agree with Gail. We waste a ton of money on worthless junk every day, every year.

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  6. One thing that should be considered is that the ORIGINAL Franklin mint produced some of the highest quality "collector" coin sets in the late 1960s to mid 1970s. These sets frequently contained a large amount of silver (for example, the Bahamas proof sets with silver 50 cent, dollar, two dollar and five dollar coins - over 4 ounces if memory serves). At the time, a set like this was less than $50 so these particul sets are worh a lot more thani ssue price now just for their silver. That is not to say that they were a "good deal" at the time of their issue but turned out to be over time. I agree with the sentiment in the article and comments regarding the newer material.

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  7. In 1984, I purchased a die-cast, 1935 Mercedes Benz 500K Roadster from the Franklin Mint and sent them a check for $150. Although it was “to scale“ it was made in China, poorly and cheaply constructed mecedes

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  8. I would not be so sure that you don't have a cause of action if you could find the original ad that induced you to buy; sellers were less cautious in the past and courts are more liberal in awarding damages, today. A successful plaintiff might send a message to deceptive sellers; more specifically, the aggrieved buyer above may get a settlement offer to quiet them.

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  9. Today, I sold 50 Franklin Mint coins to a coin dealer for $26/- Canadian each. They were from 1977 and belonged to my elder brother who is no more. I also sold 100 car ingots for $26/- each. I don't know whether I got a fair shake for both. Comments, good or bad, welcome.

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    1. Take whatever the weight is, multiply by the silver price available on kitco.com, then figure you will do well to get 80% of that, given it has to be melted, repurified and then restamped as a standard bar by sunshine or equivalent standard silver mfr, and you can figure it up for yourself. Given what silver was selling for at that time, personally, I think you did very well. More than I'd have given you, but maybe the dealer knows someone who was making an aftermarket collection of such.

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  10. I have a bridge for sale.

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  11. I've picked up quite a few Franklin Mint issued coins, badges, etc. over the last little while, none from the "mint" itself. Second, third-hand silver coins, if bought right, can be turned for real profit. To continue buying blindly for a protracted period at full retail from professional salesmen, D.A. sadly gets his just desserts. But then, without the likes of D.A., these pro shysters wouldn't be in business to begin with, or televangelists either, among other opportunists.

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  12. I had a great uncle who passed recently. He didn't have much family left and the poor guy spent most of his time alone. When he passed we had to clean out his house in order for it to be sold. You would not believe the amount of stuff he had purchased and the amount of money he simply GAVE to these criminals. It broke my heart to see how they had been taking advantage of him. Had we known, we would have put a stop to it. While we were at his home the phone would not stop ringing because they would call continually knowing he would buy more of their worthless garbage.

    He was a veteran who served his country during the invasion of Normandy. I am writing this in his honor and to hopefully help spread the word to others about how the Franklin Mint takes advantage of the elderly. Help put an end to businesses like this by spreading the truth. Thanks.

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  13. You should of invested in American Eagles you be a quarter away from a Million!

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  14. I'd give him a few bucks for the copper coins as casting stock. That's about all that stuff is worth I'm afraid. Kind of sad, really, that much thrown away, and don't forget, counting inflation he's probably got more than 100K in his "valuable" collection.

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  15. I inherited two sets of these from my late Uncle. I always suspected they weren't worth much. I'll just keep them in his memory.

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  16. This is why I only bought sterling silver .925 and pure silver .999 you have to do your homework. If an ounce of silver is going for $20.00 your silver coin is only worth what the market is paying $20.00 it may be worth a little bit more because of the neat design on it, but not double the price

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  17. I will tell you from experience, having bought plates, jewelry, coins, gold plated stamps, dolls, figurines, and die cast models from tfm, Danbury, Bradford exchange: they are all worthless. The only value is to the collector. Frankly it is now a bunch of overpriced crap made in china (except coins, stamps). Don't be fooled that you are sitting on a payload...never happens. They make soooo many of these, they are not as rare as they lead the customer to believe. You're better off upping your 401K at work than buy this stuff. Also, whether you pay $20 or $20,000 for a doll, they all break the same way...and once they chip or crack or scratch they are even more worworthless.

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  18. I bought a Dale Earnhardt "sterling silver" ring some years ago. Any idea what its worth?

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  19. I had the misfortune of working at the Franklin Mint although thankfully only for a brief moment. I hated the work and hated calling mom and pop to try to tell them about this "limited time offer" or what ever it was. There is nothing left of the company and they are now down to maybe five people. Most of their business is from the internet. It is a far cry from the time when they had a sales force of 175 people. I am sorry you got stuck. I hope you can manage to recoup some of your lost money. It like most of the other companies selling collectibles have few scruples.

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  20. Coin dealers are not going to give the true value of the coins. That's who they make the money. Go on "eBay". Set a price, and let people bid on it. Worked for me.

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  21. Never mind Franklin Mint good or bad, look at the fools that voted for Obama and his ilk. Not once TWICE! At least the Franklin Mint items are pleasing to the eye. The complaining bought into this with greed in mind. I am so glad that FM
    made such a wide variety items. I get to buy some pretty nice items for todays prices. Talk about deflation, WOW! Except ebay people, most ask you to take it away, sometimes for free. All this could not have been possible without greed, consumer pie in the sky greed. The mass's are the ass's.

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  22. How long is the bridge and does it come with free p+p
    Many thanks
    Steve

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  23. It's a shame that he did not go to a reputable coin dealer and invest in gold or silver coins over the years instead. With gold values over the past few years he probably would have made a large profit. Having said that we all at times get drawn in by fancy words and pictures and false promises. I feel for the writer but unless he tries something like e-bay where he may recoup some of his loses that money is gone.

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  24. If you still have the Franklin Mint items, I can help you liquidate the collection and while it is unlikely that you will recover anywhere near your original investment, depending on what you have and whether the items remain in the original boxes, there might be some collectability to clients that I have.
    Unfortunately, like any collectible an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. There are many Franklin Mint Sets that have gone up in value especially coins minted for Foreign Governments, coins and collectible medallions that are minted in Sterling Silver, and specific items that are attractive to a particular group, i.e. Harley Davidson items, Civil War related items, Swords and Knives. It is important to understand that unless Franklin Mint represented the items as investments and not collectibles or stated specifically in their advertisements that there was a likelihood that these items would increase in value, you would have no recourse through legal means. I sympathize with you as I know many people, especially the elderly that purchase collectible plates, figurines, and other items that are advertised in TV Guide, the Sunday Magazine, etc. that advertise that the item will only be produced for 45 firing days. Other companies that are known for their practices include the Danbury Mint, the Bradford Exchange, and other companies that take out the advertorials that create the illusion of the ad being a newspaper story and in the fine print, it states that the story is in fact an advertisement. Please feel free to contact me if you still have the items and I can at least work with you after understanding your inventory. We do this with many of our customers and depending on the company and the way the items were sold, we have had success, but the Franklin and Danbury Mints and their like companies have protected themselves by creative advertising without representing the items as investments. Eric Pepper craigslistgmc@gmail.com

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  25. Should have purchased gold coins. A $50 Gold Eagle could be purchased for about $200 dollars. Worth about $1200 dollars today!

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  26. I just purchased an 1878 Trade Dollar. Really nice For $340.00. Looks like AU. Very remarkable clear markings. After looking at auctions and buy it now's. The prices were about the same , only this coin was in much better shape. I don't think I got ripped off on this purchase, but after reviewing some comments here. I will refrain from this mint in the future. Thanks all.

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  27. I have paid ahead of time for the gold covered president dollars, do you know if it is real gold and will they be worth anything once I have the set? Thanks

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  28. I have prepaid for the Franklin golden president coins, do you know if they are covered in real gold? Are they going to be worth anything?
    Thanks

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    1. You may or may not receive your "gold covered" coins or "platinum" covered Kennedy coin. After three inquiries of The Mint and a BBB
      complaint I finally filed an e-mail complaint to the Sequential Brands
      Financial Group which is the BBB indicated was the apparent owner of The Franklin Mint. Am awaiting a response from that AGENCY since I too am a prepaid subscriber since Nov 2011. Littleton Coins at least
      seemed to send the real thing.

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  29. I have been a subscriber to Playboy Magazine for years. I find it humorous that Franklin mint always packages a full page loose insert with the magazine. I didn't put it together until now. With all of the blood leaving our heads we are more prone to making bad decisions! Very clever!

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  30. Just came across this orginal post ( Hicks 2012) and the subsequent responses. I'm not defending The Franklin Mint but Mr. Hicks seems a bit uncharitable toward the person whose example he cites. Many (or I'd say, MOST) get hoodwinked by the constructed (advertizing) promise of 'valuable' 'special' or 'precious.' I would ask Mr. Hicks, or anyone else feeling 'superior' to the disillusioned soul who invested in the FM coins, if he has ever bought a loved one a diamond. If so, then he should consult the article written by Edward Jay Epstein entitled "Have You Ever Tried To Sell A Diamond?" --First published in The Atlantic (Monthly) Feb. 1982. Epstein's expose' carefully details how the DeBeers family/company used every possible type of advertising, from clever slogans like "A Diamond is Forever" to outfitting/draping the biggest celebrities of every era with show pieces. Diamonds were only 'rare' until the 1870's. But after the discovery of the huge diamond resevers in South Africa and the subsequent mining by the tons, the leading diamond merchant, DeBeers' recognized the need for linking the now semi-precious stone with sentiments like expressions of love and 'Keepsake.' I won't go on and on--the article can be googled. In any event, I did want to remind Mr. Hicks, et. al., that most if not all of us have been drawn in by something or other with slick advertising. It seems unnecessary to ridicule someone ("A Sucker Born Every Minute") to supposedly 'warn' others to beware.

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