rare coin wholesalers is a rare-coin company that specializes in united states rare coins .

located in irvine , california , rare coin wholesalers buys , sells , appraises and trades rare coins and precious metals .

originally established as a s.l. contursi company in 1990 , the owners have bought and sold over two billion dollars ' worth of rare coins .

rare coin wholesalers sustains a rotating inventory of tens of millions of dollars ' worth of rare numismatic coins .

rcw has either owned or participate in the purchase and sale of a majority of the “ 100 greatest u.s. coins ” published by whitman publishing .

the neil/carter/contursi 1794 flowing hair silver dollar , the king of siam proof set and the unique 1787 brasher doubloon are just a few of the rarities that rcw has had in its inventory .

rare coin wholesalers

william swoger , plaintiff–appellant , v . rare coin wholesalers ; steven l . contursi ; donald kagin , defendants–appellees .
founded in 2001 , rare coin wholesalers has transacted over $ 2 billion in u . s . rare coin business and is a recognized leader in acquiring , managing , and selling u . s . rare coins positioned for wealth preservation and capital growth .
after holding executive positions and founding several prominent rare coin and precious metals companies , steve founded s . l . contursi , inc . in 1991 and 10 years later founded the rare coin wholesalers division in 2001 . combining his management skills and numismatic expertise , steve and his family have built one of the country’s most well respected rare coin firms , which serves as a resource for the industry and custodian of many of our national treasures .
while there are some wholesalers who will quote a retail price to a collector and a wholesale price for the same coin to other dealers , other coin - wholesalers will quote wholesale prices to everyone . this would not be unusual at a major coin show , though i am certainly not suggesting that collectors buy from the wholesalers , who ( like auction cataloguers ) will often not disclose many of the positive and negative aspects of coins being offered .
rare coin wholesalers is in a class of its own . very professional their staff is highly educated to answer any questions . i attended a seminar in vegas called the
money show
and had signed up to be contacted on their list . i ' m always leery about investments with any new companies . after meeting with steve contursi and his hearing / reading about his reputation made me very comfortable to do business with them . i look forward to a profitable 2014 . thank you rare coin wholesalers .
plaintiff–appellant william swoger appeals from the district court ' s grant of summary judgment in favor of defendants–appellees rare coin wholesalers , steven l . contursi , and donald kagin ( collectively , appellees ) . appellees owned a rare coin known as a “brasher doubloon . ” swoger offered to sell appellees information that would prove that their coin was the first legal - tender coin struck pursuant to an act of congress . swoger divulged the information , but appellees refused to pay him , and swoger filed suit .
i will sell in bulk to wholesalers alot becauase it is fast and easy money . i also buy from wholesalers alot too . i can call a cpl folks i deal with and order a cpl rolls of semikeys and get them right .
i do not think so . most trading at major coin shows is dealer - to - dealer . retail - dealers often buy or receive coins ' on memo ' from wholesalers .
it was an extraordinary week for rare coins and stamps , with two of the world’s most valuable specimens being sold within days of each other .
the fact that any able member of the general public can buy from some wholesalers at major coin shows does not affect the reality that a wholesale price is a wholesale price , below a level that multiple collectors somewhere would be willing to spend for the same coin .
awesome inventory , fair prices , honest dealing . this family owned and operated business is the premier rare coin dealer in the u . s . i have purchased from them for over eight years , and i recommend them without reservation !
based in laguna beach and napa , california , steven l . contursi has built rare coin wholesalers’ foundation on the values of integrity , honesty and hard work . it all started when steve was a paperboy who helped support his single mother while using the remainder of his proceeds to collect coins . this early childhood hobby fueled steve’s passion for owning a tangible piece of american history . as a teenager , steve learned how to arbitrage professional coin dealers in the bronx , where he grew up . numismatics may not be rocket science , but holding a degree in physics helps steve focus on the crucial small details that can make a huge difference in rare coins . after having been honored as the graduating college physics student with the highest academic achievement , steve then attended the university of minnesota graduate school while moonlighting at a coin shop . deciding that his future should involve numismatics rather than newton’s laws , steve borrowed $ 5 , 000 and opened his own coin shop in a minneapolis suburb in 1975 . since then he has parlayed his childhood hobby into one of the most well - respected rare coin firms in the world .
in july 2015 in baltimore . this coin had a sticker of approval from cac .
$ 7 . 85 million for u . s . coin , and extra for a stamp
if you are really going to make it in the coin business and stay in it for a long time , then your reputation means everything . if you are honest in your dealings , the word will get out and you will do much , much more business than the dishonest coin dealers . also , purchasing coins in lots such as acquiring entire accumulations such as a collector ' s collection or estate collections seem to be a large part of the money makers for many coin dealers that i know . these are sometimes the purchases that contain rare key date or rare variety / error coins that are usually just thrown into a box with a bunch of other coins and have been long overlooked . also , many of the coin dealers that i know , have collectors and / or other coin dealers already lined up to purchase these accumulations or collections even before they actually make the purchase thus preventing the long - term tieing up of funds needed for other purchases .
“usually , you do not really know why a coin sells for a price at auction , ” albanese states . “it could have been in an old [ pcgs or ngc ] holder and be bought just to upgrade . a dealer who is getting his 5 % commission may push a collector to buy a coin so the [ dealer - agent ] gets paid . a coin may also bring too low a price at auction if only wholesalers , not collectors or retailers , bid on it . i [ john ] do not rely on auction prices . auction records are number four on my list of sources to price a coin . ”
# 2 websites and coin shops cost $ $ also . website maintenance fees , coin store rent , bills , payroll for employees , time invested , shipping , ebay fees , auction house cuts ect .
i ' ve contemplated on opening a coin shop or website , but quite frankly i don ' t know how coin dealers make a living . if these are secrets of the trade then let them be .
in terms of the definitions of luster employed by coin collectors , proofs have little or zero luster . when a coin is struck , metal flows literally during the extremely short time while the dies are imparting design elements on the hot blank circular piece of metal ( planchet ) that is being transformed into a coin .
this is a really interesting thread . thanks . i often wonder how my local coin dealer makes it .
so how do you coin dealers keep your head above the water without drowning ? if you buy a $ 2000 . 00 coin from heritage and sell it $ 2100 . 00 for it you probabally lost $ $ .
each of swoger ' s claims for relief depended upon the accuracy of his assertion that he had provided to appellees proof that their coin was the first legal - tender gold coin struck pursuant to an act of congress . for example , in his claim for quantum meruit , swoger alleged that he offered to “prove that [ their ] coin was indeed the first legal tender coin to be struck pursuant to an act of congress to circulate in the united states . ”
$ 7 . 85 million for u . s . coin , and extra for a stamp - the new york times
with the headline : $ 7 . 85 million for u . s . coin , and extra for a stamp .
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daniel frank sedwick treasure , world , u . s . coin and paper money auction # 21 goes live may 3
ephraim brasher was a goldsmith in late eighteenth - century new york . he minted several coins known as brasher doubloons , which command a high price in today ' s numismatic market . all brasher doubloons display an eagle on one side of the coin , but one such coin differs from all the others in that brasher countermarked his initials on the breast of the eagle rather than on its wing . that coin , formerly owned by appellees , is the subject of this case . the parties agree that swoger is an expert concerning coins like the brasher doubloons . in the course of his research , swoger became convinced that appellees ' coin—the “punch on breast” brasher doubloon ( coin ) —was the first legal - tender coin in the united states .
# 3 continued . i understand that most coin shops have a
sell
and
buy
price . are there that many people selling coins for a lower cost than what they paid ? if i purchased a coin today from my local coin shop and sold it the next day i would lose $ $ . very few coin dealers will buy a coin back or or give you a trade in at the price you paid . i know aj does this and i ' m pretty sure rick snow and the penny lady will honor returns and or trade - in ' s but there are not many dealers like this .
westminster mint has offices in minneapolis , mn and madison , wi , but it also sells via the web at coin - rare . com . the website is not the most visually appealing , but westminster’s business record speaks for itself : it has an a + rating from the better business bureau . additionally , although it doesn’t have a great design , the urltoken website does have a lot of content , including a pictorial breakdown of how westminster mint makes its fine silver bars .
on summary judgment , appellees argued that each of swoger ' s claims required him to prove that he had provided information proving that the coin was legal tender under the act , and that he had not done so . in opposition , swoger provided an affidavit explaining once again his theory that the coin “was the first legal tender gold coin struck pursuant to an act of congress to circulate in the united states . ”
coin shows . dealer to dealer wholesale transactions are dirt cheap . look at a greysheet some time and then try to get those prices .
i am looking at a coin in the current pcgs price guide that in ms - 65 has a stated value of $ 3 , 900 . 00 the subject coin in a ms 65 pcgs holder sold at two different 2017 fun auctions for $ 2 , 585 , $ 2 , 703 , and $ 2 , 820 . those were the complete sales of ms 65 pcgs coins for this particular coin in the january 2017 fun auctions .
you to click on the results of some very low auction prices . if coin is graded
unc . details
with a problem that results in a no grade , that coin is listed in the ms - 60 column . it is misleading if you don ' t investigate the circumstances .
this phenomenon is hard to explain , and i am not completely certain that this specific coin really exhibits a ‘black & white’ glow , though it probably does . i have seen quite a few proof morgans and barber coins that are ‘black & white’ as this concept is defined by coin collectors .
with over $ 2 billion in united states rare coin transactions , steve has acquired , managed and sold the finest quality , historically significant coins . contursi made international headlines in march 2004 when he unveiled new evidence about “uncle sam’s first buck” at the american numismatic association’s headquarters . the neil / carter / contursi specimen 1794 flowing hair dollar is believed by many experts to be the very first silver dollar struck by the u . s . mint , a truly historic national treasure - a coin that represented an economic declaration of independence for the young united states . steve loaned his famous coin to the ana money museum in colorado where tens of thousands of visitors have viewed it there and on exhibits around the country until he sold it in may 2010 for a then - world record price of $ 7 . 85 million .
coin dealers are right up there with used car salesmen and ambulance chasing lawyers . all three make their living by taking advantage of the other person .
@ northcoin said : i am looking at a coin in the current pcgs price guide that in ms - 65 has a stated value of $ 3 , 900 . 00 the subject coin in a ms 65 pcgs holder sold at two different 2017 fun auctions for $ 2 , 585 , $ 2 , 703 , and $ 2 , 820 . those were the complete sales of ms 65 pcgs coins for this particular coin in the january 2017 fun auctions .
“this is a national treasure , ” said the seller , steven l . contursi , a california coin dealer who has owned it since 2003 . he has exhibited it at a museum in colorado and at collector events . the buyer , the cardinal collection educational foundation , is expected to continue publicizing the coin .
i desire to own a particular coin . i consult the price guide , enter a bid at auction and win the coin for 70 % of the guide price . i pat myself on the back for being so shrewd . a couple months later i notice the guide has been adjusted to reflect ( my ) recent auction result , the only recent auction sale price available . i now own the coin at 100 % of the ( new ) price guide level .
auction results are merely a snapshot at that moment in time with those participants that reflects their evaluation as to what they collectively were willing to pay . look at the coin that was auctioned and draw your own conclusions as to grade and quality and whether the hammer is reflective of the attributes of the coin .
it is supposedly based on average dealer asking price or as i love to call it ,
what a dealer wishes he could sell the coin for .
@ brycem said : i desire to own a particular coin . i consult the price guide , enter a bid at auction and win the coin for 70 % of the guide price . i pat myself on the back for being so shrewd . a couple months later i notice the guide has been adjusted to reflect ( my ) recent auction result , the only recent auction sale price available . i now own the coin at 100 % of the ( new ) price guide level .
on appeal , refining a theory he first advanced in response to summary judgment , swoger argues that whether the coin was legal tender is irrelevant . under this theory , because the coin was struck to conform to the weight specified in the act for spanish doubloons , using the gold from spanish doubloons , it “did not need to be weighed , and could be used in commerce as a $ 15 coin . ” the claims that swoger brought in his complaint , however , rely on the premise that he gave appellees information sufficient to prove that the coin was legal tender—not merely that it was commonly used as a store of value . that a coin was used as a medium of exchange does not make it legal tender . “ [ c ] ongress is vested with the exclusive exercise of the ․ power of coining money and regulating the value of domestic and foreign coin . ” the legal–tender cases , 110 u . s . 421 , 448 ( 1884 ) . swoger has provided no authority for the proposition that congress exercised that power with respect to appellees ' coin . therefore , appellees were entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law .
silver coins up to a dollar were authorized by congress partly to show off the young nation’s economic prowess . of the 1 , 578 dollars made that first year , all by hand presses , about 140 have survived . this coin is considered the finest of them , with crisp , lustrous details still visible on the allegorical lady liberty’s flowing hair . what appear to be heavy scratches across the coin are actually file marks , made when the coin was struck to ensure its weight in silver was precise .
if anyone doubts the enduring appeal of american currency , a sale completed thursday of a sparkling 1794 silver dollar should put that to rest . the coin , believed by some experts to be the first united states dollar ever minted , was sold to a nonprofit educational group for $ 7 . 85 million , a world record for any coin .
next scenario . collection is stolen . thief has no idea coin is worth 5k . dealer sizes him up before offering 500 bucks . thief takes the money and runs !
i ' ll tell you two things and not charge you ' all for it - most dealers know absolutely nothing about doubled dies unless the coin is in the red book .
that coin is
worth
about the average of those 3 auction prices . the average of those 3 prices is $ 2702 . . . . or . . . . 69 . 3 % of pcgs price guide . . . . . right on target . i ' d be tickled pink to get $ 3 , 900 for that coin .
i agree . my preferred coin dealer is a great guy . but according to him , you can ' t be on both sides of the aisle . you have to choose .
a couple months later the bid drops to $ 12k . i call up heritage and offer to pay $ 11k or so figuring they would be happy to take a profit on the coin . i still liked the coin as a ms67 . a deal is struck and within a month of that
transaction
the blue sheet drops to $ 10 , 500 . . . lol . so what happened to those
guys
bidding
$ 12k and $ 14k on that coin . . . . . . . . and that ' s a rhetorical question .
the average auction price for the subject coin is thus $ 2 , 702 . 00 . can i expect that to be the price shown in the pcgs price guide once it is updated ?
the other , mint and proof sets along with most bullion will never make you a fraction of the money that you could have made buying and selling truly rare key date coins and die varieties - folks putting money into mint and proof sets is a losing endeavor - i think you ' d be better off with a boat - at least you can get out a few days a year and have fun - you will , know matter what lose money eventually in mint and proof sets .
during the 1990s , leading graders from all over the nation would come to new york to view auction lots and hypothesize as to grades that would later be assigned by pcgs and ngc . those who had the skills , adequate funds and nerves of gamblers bought coins after figuring likelihoods of grading outcomes at pcgs or ngc . the competition was fierce and it was very difficult for grading - wholesalers to profit from their purchases of fresh raw coins from stack’s ( ny ) auctions . many proof morgans were then offered .
i have been covering coin auctions for more than twenty years . i have contributed hundreds of coin auction reviews to numismatic news newspaper , coinlink and coinweek . com . my auction coverage has won awards from the nlg . in the past , i wrote an entire article on the meaning of auction prices . if people disagree with my approach , then let us please discuss auction phenomena in a civil manner .
how do coin dealers make a living ?
they buy as cheaply as they can and sell at a higher price point than their cost plus expenses - - just like everyone else in collectibles and retail .
i know that i am somewhat late in getting into the fray on how coin dealers make money but here goes ! there are honest coin dealers that purchase coins mainly from the public at 10 % back of bid based on the dealer ' s grey sheets then sell the coins either to other coin dealers at bid or back to the public at ask or higher prices . then there are the dishonest coin dealers that purchase coins from the public at prices that teters on grand theft . when a person comes into their ' shop to sell coins , the first thing out of their mouth is ,
what do you want for them ?
or
what are you looking to get out of them ?
. if that gets confused responses like
well , i don ' t know !
or
i don ' t know what they are worth !
or
what are they worth ?
, then the coin dealer will usually quote a price which is at least 50 % below the actual value of the coins and most often a lot less .
swoger brought five claims against the defendants , styled respectively as claims for quantum meruit , fraud , breach of contract , constructive trust , and misappropriation of trade secrets . throughout the litigation , swoger took the position that the agreement required him to prove the coin was the first legal - tender gold coin struck pursuant to an act of congress . the viability of each of swoger ' s claims depended upon the accuracy of this premise .
it works the other way too . i spotted an ogh 1874 - s 25c pcgs ms66 coming up in a heritage sale . the coin was wonderful and i graded it 66 + + . i felt it had a decent shot to upgrade . . . . and was hoping to pay not more than 10 - 20 % over current 66 money which was around $ 6000 . paying $ 8k would have been fine for me . as it was , it sold for around $ 9500 which was just too much risk for so little upside . a few months later the same coin is back in a heritage auction , now as an ngc ms67 . that at least removed the grade risk . the coin is
bid
on blue sheet for around $ 14k . as i recall the coin doesn ' t sell at auction as ms67 after getting bid up to around $ 10 , 500 .
you really need a dealer to know what the prices mean . one coin could $ 5g and the same a month later $ 7g . lots of variables - but it auction prices show a good estimate on where the market is
ill tell you how . during the famos chicago show i saw a whole bunch of dealers who were interested in buying my gold rupees coin for $ 400 so what if happened to be a 3k coin . so thats how majority of them make it if they dont have have the big clientelle they rip some poor fellow off . there have been too many such incidents where such stories have been shared with me . i dont know why it helps them float their ego
swoger informed appellees that he had information that would prove that their coin was “the first united states coin issued for circulation , and was issued ․ under authority of [ a ] n act of congress . ” the act in question ( act ) was an act regulating foreign coins , and for other purposes , ch . 5 , 1 stat . 300 ( 1793 ) . swoger offered to sell this information to appellees for money . the complaint described the ensuing negotiation as follows :
in february of 2009 , plaintiff contacted defendant kagin . negotiations began in which plaintiff informed him that the information that plaintiff had would prove that defendants kagin and contursi ' s coin was indeed the first legal tender coin to be struck pursuant to an act of congress to circulate in the united states․ defendant kagin contacted plaintiff and advised him that they thought this information was worth $ 250 , 000 . 00 . plaintiff then advised defendant kagin that he thought the information was worth $ 500 , 000 . 00 .
a moderate auction price is around the wholesale - retail border , a little below or a little above . if a dealer thinks that it is likely he has a coin sold , he will pay a little more than a wholesale price that other dealers would pay .
luster refers to the reflection of light on metal flow lines that came about while a coin was being struck . cartwheel luster means that the metal flow lines evenly radiate in a way that is visually analogous to metal spokes of an old wheel reflecting light while turning .
bowers & merena auctioned the childs family coin collection in new york at the end of august 1999 . there were a significant number of ‘black & white , ’ late 19th - century proof silver coins sold , which were overshadowed by the 1804 dollar in the same offering .
retired dealer and avid collector of u . s . type coins , 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals . in recent years i have been working on a set of british coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible .
silver coins . some people find this gray - blue color to be attractive . the head of miss liberty on the obverse and the eagle on the reverse are frosted and bright - white . there are some hairlines , which are consistent with a grade of 63 . this coin brought
in deciding to bid and what to bid on say an auction i like to not only look at cf - pcgs mv , auction prices , in addition i consider cdn bid , cw trends , nn coin market , and dealer sell ads - where are they vs cdn bid ? but to keep it simple sometimes just the big 3 - tpg mv , auction , and cdn - ccdn spread . ultimately if one buys a truly outstanding coin ( a subjective definition could be low pop , rainbow , etc ) outside of the ranges then the equation defaults to cost + .
excluding the 1878 and 1895 dates , however , a collector can complete a set of philadelphia mint proof morgans , 1878 to 1904 , without spending more than $ 5 , 000 on any one coin . besides , it is not clear as to whether any 1921 morgans are true proofs .
coin doctors often attempt to mimic the colors that tend to form naturally , with proper storage , on 19th - century proof coins . leading experts can usually identify such artificial toning , though some pieces are particularly hard to analyze . i have viewed thousands of 19th - century proof coins .
i have paid $ 8 dollars for 1971 proofs sets with all the
big 3
lincoln ' s ddo ' s in them worth collectively more than $ 2500 for the three - i do not have to share my body of work when i am searching and digging for that doubled die . i have bought the books , i have searched the thousands of hours , i have belonged to the clubs , bought the magazines , updates , computers , phones and done the footwork and when i find one the above has already paid in advance for that coin . now not every coin , and not with every dealer , customer but the fact is i do not have to share my bought and paid for knowledge with every single person to be an honest coin dealer . i will though freely share with anyone who asks and will always help folks learn about these hidden treasures .
no , it isn ' t up to date . for many series , the guide has been notoriously high although to pcgs ' s credit , it has made tons of progress on this front . the coin you are looking at is a hold out . let me guess : $ 20 gold lib ?
you probably have one or more coin shops in your hometown , and you certainly have your choice of several within reasonable driving distance . but often , your best bet is to deal with the national retailers of gold and silver , whose big size give them economies of scale that translate into lower prices .
the mistake that we , ( many collectors & dealers ) make early on is thinking that common junk like mint and proof sets should be treated the same ( in regards to buying and selling ) as truly rare and desirable key date coins - they should not even be in the same room at the same time . they are not the same will never be the same and will be priced , bought and sold accordingly . i ' m not sure why that is a shock to folks accept that people mistakenly believe that they should always
get their money back
on coins - why would folks think that ? ? ? it ' ain ' t true in any other market , antiques , guns , paintings , cars , and especially jewelry and furniture .
there are different colors and natural toning patterns . several factors affect toning . original philadelphia mint wrappers are central factors for late 19th - century and early 20th - century proof coins . the plush interior and wooden exterior of coin cases that were often used during the same time period are pertinent . furthermore , there are particular coin albums and collecting boards that were popular during the middle of the 20th century . coins stored in a certain way will be more likely to tone particular colors . it takes a great deal of experience for an expert to distinguish natural from artificial toning on late 19th - century proof coins .
coins have a range in value . do not expect every coin graded at x is worth y because not all coins graded x are created equal so y will vary based on subjective factors that do not translate well in math formulas . you may not like this but that is how it works . . .
is a bit too strong a price for a “proof - 64” 1897 morgan . although it is not a good idea to grade a coin solely by viewing images , there is a good chance that the blue , gray , russet and green tones on the just mentioned 1894 are typical , natural and pleasing .
as a hobby , its fun but as a profession ? i would imagine it would eat away at your soul after a while . all of the honest coin dealers that i know of don ' t make much profit , if any . they do it for the love of the hobby and not financial gain .
it’s not as easy as youmight think ! this course is designed to steer you in the right direction once you decide to become a retail , wholesale , vest pocket , internet , mail - order or coin show dealer . topics include dealer ethics , choosing a location and setting up a store , educational requirements , sourcing product and services provided to dealers . learn how press releases and public relations will bring in new clients . ( note : early registration is recommended as class size is limited . ) instructors : barry stuppler , ana president and owner of barry stuppler & co . ; and a . ronald sirna , ana general counsel , coin show dealer and president of the toned coin collector’s society . i took this course a couple of years ago and learned a lot . i took the course to learn something about the business but i don ' t have any any intentions to become a dealer any time soon . you can register here .
dealer knows what they are doing . looks for premium ms - 65 coins . re - submits them multiple times until it comes back as a 66 . instant profit , sometimes major profit . if this succeeded with one , single , coin , the price difference could easily be more than a month ' s pay to me .
“the strike is so sharp , it leads me to believe it is the very fist impression of the die . it is easy to surmise that this is probably the first dollar struck in the u . s . ” said david hall , the co - founder of professional coin grading service , a firm that certifies collectible coins as genuine .
. although i did not view this coin , images suggest the possibility that it may possess the very much original ‘black & white’ proof texture that is frequently coveted by specialists in proof coins . though not literally ‘black , ’ the fields seem to be black in a way that many household mirrors project a ‘black and white’ glow when reflecting light .
in terms of the history of coin prices , proof morgans are not currently expensive . they were costlier from late 2007 to the middle of 2008 , and more expensive in early 1990 as well . also , over the last 15 years , prices for proof - 64 proof morgans have been relatively more stable than prices for most other 19th - century coins .
the district court granted summary judgment . the district court determined that the act applied only to foreign coins , and that appellees ' coin , which was struck in new york , could not have been legal tender under the act . the district court also found that all of the information swoger had provided to appellees was already known or otherwise publicly available . this appeal followed .
you do not state the data for your $ 3900 item description / date / demom / grade . for instance what is cdn bid ? what is cw trends ? nn coin market ? many times price guides can lag behind changes in cdn so one needs consider multiple sources . pcgs has a fantastic , very reliable price guide and is certainly the first source i go to .
members of the general public can attend virtually all coin shows , yet much trading at shows is dealer - to - dealer , usually at wholesale prices . frequently , wholesale trades occur while collectors are watching or standing nearby . it would be ridiculous for caddyshack to suggest that , because retail buyers are eligible or have the opportunity to buy , that prices paid cannot be at wholesale levels .
although they appear notably different from business strikes , proof morgans are among the least distinctive of proof coins from the late 19th century in terms of physical characteristics . a combination of factors indicates the proof or business strike status of a coin . no single factor is definitive . there are non - proofs with deep mirrors and there are 19th - century proof coins that have faintly reflective surfaces .
i still don ' t think a * . 92 coin should show a price in the ms60 column . yes it ' s good to have the data for reference , but put it somewhere else or mark it with an asterisk . . . . . something ! it takes a long time to look through each data point and many of the links to smaller auctions don ' t work .
the texture of the fields is hard to perceive without magnification . a chemist or a physics professor may maintain that all coins struck during the 19th - century possess luster to some degree as there must be some flow lines , even if only visible with an electron microscope . from the point of view of coin collectors , proofs typically do not have luster and uncirculated non - proofs usually exhibit notable luster .
urltoken is a subsidiary of provident metals , llc . the website was founded at the request of customers who were looking for an online destination as reliable as provident’s trade - show business . provident’s numismatists are members in good standing of the american numismatic association , as well as the texas numismatic association . provident precious metals itself is a member of the professional coin grading service , the numismatic guaranty corporation , the numismatic conservation service , and the paper money guaranty corporation .
for the vast majority of the classic slabbed coin market , pcgs price guide is a max retail guide . it ' s generally 50 % above dealer ' s buy prices . figure most larger dealers who constantly move inventory , will pay 60 - 70 % for most coins based on pcgs price guide . this doesn ' t include moderns , super high grades on very common coins , or scarce coins like key dates and popular type coins like xf / au bust dollars , etc .
in the framework of major coin auctions ( not ebay auctions ) , on average , auction prices are around the border of wholesale and retail price ranges , thus moderate prices . if the average was well in the wholesale range , there would be no point in incurring the expenses to hold the auctions . the coins could just be sold at shows , sent on memo to retail dealers , or traded by other means . much wholesale and retail trading does occur quietly behind the scenes .
@ roadrunner said : for the vast majority of the classic slabbed coin market , pcgs price guide is a max retail guide . it ' s generally 50 % above dealer ' s buy prices . figure most larger dealers who constantly move inventory , will pay 60 - 70 % for most coins based on pcgs price guide . this doesn ' t include moderns , super high grades on very common coins , or scarce coins like key dates and popular type coins like xf / au bust dollars , etc .
swoger did not satisfy the requirements of rule 56 ( d ) . he failed to identify what specific facts a deposition of contursi would have revealed that would have precluded summary judgment . indeed , he could not identify such facts , because whether appellees were entitled to summary judgment turned on a pure question of law : the legal status of appellees ' coin . accordingly , the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying swoger ' s request for a continuance . see tatum , 441 f . 3d at 1100 .
discovery originally closed on november 26 , 2010 . however , appellees sold the coin in december 2011 . accordingly , on october 18 , 2012 , the district court permitted swoger to depose persons involved in the sale , including steven contursi . on may 24 , 2013 , appellees moved for summary judgment . swoger , however , had yet to depose contursi . accordingly , on june 19 , 2013 , just four days before the scheduled date of oral argument , swoger moved for a continuance . the district court denied his motion .
provident metals has a huge selection . in addition to the coins and rounds you’d expect , one particular noteworthy product on the provident metals website is the ron paul 1 / 10 - ounce gold round . these were selling at around $ 200 over spot , per - ounce , or roughly $ 20 over the spot value of each 1 / 10 - ounce round . by contrast , apmex was selling 1 / 10 - ounce gold eagles for roughly the same price , ( actually about $ 0 . 30 more per coin ) .
consider buying locally – your local coin shop can be a great place to buy bullion and coins . just make sure you apply the same rules of analyzing the business as you would an online dealer . if you buy locally , you take delivery of the silver when you purchase it . therefore , there’s no risk of getting swindled by a non - delivery . another advantage to purchasing locally is that no reporting requirements are required . you can walk into the store , pay with cash and remain anonymous if you wish to do so .
roadrunner : pcgs price guide is just a general market guide . it ' s up to each of us to determine what
market
price is and
where
that market is . 60 - 70 % of pcgs price guide will work for the majority of desirable coin transactions in the market place . the other key is knowing the 30 - 40 % of the time where it doesn ' t work like that . and auctions are potentially one of those
wheres
( or places ) where price guide may not work as well .
proof morgans that grade from 63 to 65 are extremely popular . yes , those that grade from 60 to 62 cost much less . these , however , tend to be unattractive , heavily cleaned , full of hairlines , overdipped , or irritating for other reasons . occasionally , of course , a collector may find a very attractive proof morgan that is pcgs - or ncg - certified as proof - 61 or - 62 . a wonderfully toned coin , for example , may have some moderate to heavy scratches , perhaps across the eagle on the reverse .
every dealer i know says the way to make money is to
buy it right
. now that means different things to different people . to some that may be 45 % back of bid on some items or 10 % over bid for some items . it really depends for example as you grow in the business you start to know your product , it ' s weak points and strong points and at which time for each . if a dealers has $ 14 , 000 sitting in the basement in mint and proof sets he does not want no more and will not offer much as with the 45 % scenario - i cannot fault the man for that because he really hopes the guy will walk away , nothing wrong with that - it ' s like everything else in the market supply and demand . if the same man walks in with a 1922
no
d
lincoln in a pcgs au - 50 that same dealer may offer over bid for that coin because he knows you cannot buy them for grey - sheet money and he ' s got several people waiting for that coin .
this statement is not illuminating , and is beside the reality that , in the same major auction , some coins will sell for wholesale prices while other coins sell for retail prices . if all the bidders for one lot are dealers seeking to inventory the respective coin , then it will probably not sell for a retail price . if three or more non - dealing collectors are eagerly bidding on the next lot , then it will likely sell for a retail price . in many cases , intelligence , experience and knowledge are required to fairly interpret an auction result .
auctions that stack’s ( ny ) conducted during the 1990s proved to be an excellent training ground as raw coins came from various private sources , and the catalogue grades bore little resemblance to eventual grades assigned by pcgs or ngc . as many members of the general public purchased proof sets from 1865 to 1910 , and variety of people ‘ended up’ with them during the 20th century , quite a few of these found their way into stack’s ( ny ) auctions . before the year 2000 , stack’s was probably the best - known coin auction firm among the general public .
in multiple posts to this thread , i honestly tried to shed light on the meaning of auction prices , and the differences among auction prices in single major auctions . over time , i have been trying hard to educate people about this concept , which i believe is very important . indeed , many coin collectors read auction prices realized on pcgs coinfacts and on the web sites of auction firms . collectors care about the values of their respective coins and about the costs of collecting . it is important to discuss the meaning of auction prices and how to interpret them .
the parties agreed to meet at a trade show to conclude negotiations . at the trade show on april 3 , 2009 , kagin allegedly insisted that swoger provide the proof behind his theory . swoger informed appellees that the act provided for spanish and spanish colonial coins to pass at 27 . 4 grains per dollar . that would require a 15 dollar gold piece like the brasher doubloon to weigh 411 grains . swoger informed appellees that because their coin weighed 410 . 5 grains , it must have been struck “pursuant to the act . ” appellees refused to pay swoger for this information .
but let’s not forget the offline , brick - and - mortar coin dealer . while their prices and scruples may vary , a good , reliable dealer you can meet and establish a relationship with can be worth his weight in gold . shopping offline also lets you save on shipping charges , which can make up for the potentially higher prices on smaller buys . getting in good with a local dealer also allows you to sell your coins and rounds back at better prices – possibly because he’ll give you a better deal , but definitely because you won’t have to pay the return shipping .
the
100 greatest u . s . coins
book is currently in its fourth edition by whitman publishing . the book features 100 of the greatest coins made in america . by no means does this book include all of the great rarities but it is extremely well written with beautiful pictures and stories of the coins in the book . perhaps most significant from an investment standpoint is appendix b in the back of the book which shows a track record of u . s . coin value information from 1960 to present . click here to see which of the
100 greatest u . s . coins
are currently in our inventory .
tough coins to find and high quality original ones often bring 80 - 120 % of price guide . sometimes 2x to 3x price guide at extremes . super common dreck ( like a bu 1958 wheat cent ) might be lucky to get 20 - 30 % of price guide . but , for most coins in the $ 100 - $ 3 , 000 range , the 60 - 70 % rule works fairly well . it ' s a good start . there is no set rule on how price guide applies to any coin in question . but we ' d all love to be able to mark up our coins 50 % above wholesale when selling them .
if one is going to consider auction prices , you will need to look at the individual coins to see if there is any quality factor good or bad which may have influenced the result - rainbow toning or some ugly toned piece which brought inferior results . just doing math to get an average auction number does not really cut it and would be a methodology i fundamentally disagree with if the why of the results from individual pieces is not considered . in addition what is the cdn / ccdn spread for the coin in question . rainbow toned coins are of course a different animal with their following and folks who won ' t touch them at some of those prices .
i didn ' t link auction prices directly with pcgs price guide in any of my posts . so i ' m not sure how that conclusion was met by analyst . pcgs price guide is just a general market guide . it ' s up to each of us to determine what
market
price is and
where
that market is . 60 - 70 % of pcgs price guide will work for the majority of desirable coin transactions in the market place . the other key is knowing the 30 - 40 % of the time where it doesn ' t work like that . and auctions are potentially one of those
wheres
( or places ) where price guide may not work as well .


pancho 's mexican buffet is a chain of tex-mex restaurants ( 5 as of 2015 ) in the united states .

the bulk of the restaurants are in texas ; a few restaurants are or were previously located in arizona , new mexico , oklahoma , louisiana and mississippi .

pancho 's main offering is an all-you-can-eat buffet , though unlike many other such buffets additional food is brought by waitstaff rather than self-served , except for in the chain 's " super buffet " locations .

pancho 's also provides takeout and catering services .

in february 2012 , panchos corporate had shut down operations .

all corporate owned restaurants were closed , phone lines were disconnected and the website was removed .

the reasons behind it are unknown .

non corporate owned locations remain open .

as of september 2014 , 14 franchise locations operate in texas , oklahoma and louisiana .

pancho ' s mexican buffet

pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries consolidated statements of cash flows
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries consolidated statements of stockholders ' equity
cochran , thomas n . ,
pancho ' s mexican buffet inc . ,
i don’t know what it is about pancho’s mexican buffet , but i love it .
their restaurants are now known as old country buffet , country buffet , hometown buffet and ryan ' s buffet .
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries consolidated condensed statements of operations ( unaudited )
glassdoor gives you an inside look at what it ' s like to work at pancho ' s mexican buffet , including salaries , reviews , office photos , and more . this is the pancho ' s mexican buffet company profile . all content is posted anonymously by employees working at pancho ' s mexican buffet .
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries consolidated condensed statements of cash flows ( unaudited )
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries notes to consolidated financial statements - - ( continued )
regardless , pancho’s mexican buffet is a treat , and even though i’m not a kid anymore , pancho’s will always be about the experience and the fun .
review : pancho’s mexican buffet a celebrated tradition for many locals , pancho’s continues to be a favorite stop on nostalgia lane . check out this story on urltoken urltoken
when the pancho ' s in baton rouge closed , franz began dining at various mexican restaurants .
pancho ' s will keep serving you dinner until you say
no mas !
pancho ' s mexican buffet operates more than 20 family dining mexican restaurants that offer an all - you - care - to - eat cafeteria - style buffet . the menu . . .
we opened the first pancho ' s mexican buffet and for the first time , families could eat to their heart ' s content from a lavish spread of delicious mexican food . pancho ' s combines the delight of an all you care to eat buffet with the hospitality of a full service restaurant .
pancho ' s mexican buffet is a mexican buffet restaurant located in arlen . the restaurant made it ' s appearance on the episode hank ' s cowboy movie where they meet up to plan to make a film video about arlen to the dallas cowboys to convince them to move their training camp to arlen . pancho ' s mexican buffet is real life franchise that first opened in el paso , texas in 1958 .
many of pancho ' s former customers flocked to the grand opening with their appetites for mexican buffet food , as well as memories of pancho ' s . daniel and norma daigle of houma were among those former pancho ' s customers on hand for the grand opening .
each time the two would get together after pancho ' s closed , the conversation would inevitably turn to their days at pancho ' s , mexican food and the restaurant business .
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries notes to consolidated financial statements - - ( continued ) 2 . other current liabilities other current liabilities consist of :
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries notes to consolidated financial statements - - ( continued ) significant components of the company ' s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows :
no word yet from pancho’s corporate office about future plans in the area , but other outlets of the buffet in southeast louisiana have suffered the same fate recently . the baton rouge location of pancho’s closed in january , and a pancho’s in slidell closed last february .
bacchanal buffet ( formerly café roma , palatium buffet , café lago , café lago buffet and lago buffet ) is a buffet located at caesars palace in las vegas , nevada . the buffet consists of nine show kitchens and over 500 daily dishes . chefs have their own stations serve food at bacchanal .
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries notes to consolidated financial statements - - ( continued ) 6 . income taxes income tax expense ( benefit ) consists of :
i applied in - person . the process took 1 day . i interviewed at pancho ' s mexican buffet ( oklahoma city , ok ( us ) ) in february 2013 .
the two met each other when they worked together at pancho ' s mexican buffet in metairie ' s rosedale mall on veterans memorial boulevard . it ' s a friendship that even a massive disaster like hurricane katrina couldn ' t dissolve .
based in fort worth , pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . is the only publicly - held company offering all - you - can - eat mexican food in a buffet - style format . the company operates 48 restaurants in texas , arizona , louisiana , new mexico and oklahoma .
for many locals , pancho’s continues to be a favorite stop on nostalgia lane .
currently , bossier city is home to the only remaining pancho’s mexican buffet in existence in the entire state , but until those doors close , it will continue to be a tradition for my family .
that’s one of the main reasons pancho’s is such a treat ( we’ll get to that in a moment ) .
a dinner buffet prepared by the theatre ' s in - house chef precedes mainstage shows and concerts . every buffet includes the theatre ' s trademark hand - carved roast beef .
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries notes to consolidated financial statements - - ( continued ) 14 . summary of quarterly results ( unaudited ) ( amounts in thousands except per share data )
in the united states , buffets , inc . ( now known as ovation brands ) , is a large buffet chain corporation which owns old country buffet , country buffet , and hometown buffet . hometown buffet popularized the
scatter buffet
, which refers to the layout of separate food pavilions . other american restaurant chains well known for their buffets include golden corral , which features food products presented in pans , souplantation / sweet tomatoes ( known in particular for its soups and salads ) , gatti ' s pizza , cici ' s pizza , fresh choice ( a smaller competitor of souplantation ) , pancho ' s mexican buffet , ryan ' s and ponderosa steakhouse . sizzler is another prominent restaurant offering a buffet .
yolanda moneoya , a former server at pancho ' s , is one of those .
pancho’s mexican super buffet ( 100 n . labarre rd . , phone n . a . ) in metairie has closed permanently , at least according to the unambiguous signs posted to its chained and padlocked doors .
ovation brands ( formerly buffets , inc . ) is a corporation which owns country buffet , fire mountain , hometown buffet , old country buffet , ryan ' s steakhouse , and other smaller buffet chains . hometown buffet popularized the
scatter buffet
, which refers to the layout of separate food pavilions . other american restaurant chains well known for their buffets include america ' s incredible pizza company , chuck - a - rama , cici ' s pizza , fresh choice , furr ' s family dining , gatti ' s pizza , golden corral ( which features food products presented in pans ) , john ' s incredible pizza , pancho ' s mexican buffet , ponderosa steakhouse , shakey ' s pizza , sizzler , sweet tomatoes ( known in particular for its soups and salads ) , and western sizzlin ' .
need something extra from the buffet ? just raise the flag and pancho’s wait staff will provide you with anything and more . they’re always very accommodating .
my absolute favorite mexican restaurant . authentic , all you can eat buffet with a great atmosphere that seems to take you straight to mexico . best mexican food ever ! i ' m addicted to pancho ' s i think ! always fills me up and never let ' s me down when it comes . . .
my absolute favorite mexican restaurant . authentic , all you can eat buffet with a great atmosphere that seems to take . . .
i’m lucky that my partner is also from here and loves the mexican flair pancho’s offers . we’ve met many transplants who can’t grasp the concept and usually furrow their brow at the thought of cheap cafeteria - style mexican food .
pancho ' s a five star place . free ice cream , sopapillas , and taquitos ? come on man , doesn ' t get better than that . not gourmet mexican , but decent food and a lot of it . pancho ' s for life
jesse arrambide , jr . , opens pancho ' s first restaurant in el paso , texas .
“pancho’s food is excellent regardless of price , ” he wrote in 1973 , when the buffet cost $ 1 . 49 . “at the price it is unbelievable . ”
the daigles were such devotees of pancho ' s that when the building that housed pancho ' s on veterans memorial boulevard was torn down after katrina , they got one of the bricks as a souvenir .
arrignon has worked as a clarinet tester and developer at buffet crampon since 1985 . he helped create the tosca clarinet , released in 2003 by buffet crampon . he plays on buffet crampon tosca green - line clarinets .
as far as pancho ' s goes this is probably as good as you ' ll find anymore . i think the hayday for great mexican food at pancho ' s is long gone now , and that ' s a shame . it was great in its day . with as popular as chinese buffetts are . . .
denis buffet - auger , of the buffet family of french musical instrument makers , began making quality clarinets in paris , france in 1825 . the company expanded under jean - louis buffet and his wife zoé crampon and became known as buffet crampon . ( another family member , auguste buffet
jeune
, who worked with famous clarinetist hyacinthe klosé to develop the boehm system for clarinet , had his own business separate from buffet crampon . )
pancho ' s the legendary mexican buffet was famous for its inexpensive all - you - can eat menu that included quesadillas , fajitas , tamales , enchiladas , flautas and tacos . pancho ' s was also known for its tricolored flags - red , green and white ( very similar to the flag of mexico ) - that were located on the customers ' tables .
superior customer value is our mission at pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . we promise delicious mexican food , wonderful service , and fun family dining . we employ , empower , and support great people to serve great people . we reward our stockholders with growth based on the loyalty we earn from our customers and fellow team members .
one day , i told roger we should start our own mexican buffet ,
usner said .
we knew the business inside and out .
raise the flag for great food and great service ! superior client value is our aim at pancho ' s mexican buffet . we promise delicious mexican food , wonderful service and fun family dining . we employ , empower and support great people , to serve great people . since our 1958 introduction in el paso , pancho ' s has continued to bring value and fun to texas , arizona , oklahoma , new mexico and louisiana . click here to learn more about our flagship super buffet location in metairie , louisiana , or visit the locations
pancho ' s first began operations in el paso , texas in 1958 , and at one time there were at least 140 pancho ' s restaurants in texas , louisiana and several southwestern states . all of the pancho ' s in louisiana have closed down , and usner said there are only three left and those are in texas .
to balance the express buffet with a pricier alternative , the company also began converting some of its units into a new , pancho ' s buffet & grill concept . these upscale restaurants offered an expanded buffet menu , with more specialty grill items and a salsa bar , as well as new decor and a new logo and signage . the new express buffet and buffet & grill concepts were rolled out as part of the company ' s strategic efforts to regain the momentum it had lost in the industry over the latter part of the 1990s .
in the 1970s , pancho ' s introduced two full - service restaurant concepts that it later abandoned . the first was a seafood restaurant dubbed spanish galleon and opened as a three - unit mini chain . the other , like pancho ' s traditional restaurants , was a mexican eatery named emiliano ' s , which never grew larger than two units .
metairie ' s cindy greer worked as a server for 31 years at pancho ' s . she joined the 2 amigos waitstaff as soon as it opened .
it’s the story of a buffet that burned twice as bright , made you twice as full but burned out very fast .
doron richard jensen ( born september 1 , 1958 ) is an american restaurateur and principle founder of timber lodge steakhouse , homestyle buffet , and old country buffet .
when the diners wanted additional items from the buffet line , they would raise the flag to get the attention of a server , who would bring more food to them . most of the customers who went to pancho ' s only spoke english , and the majority of pancho ' s employees only spoke spanish .
in its glory days — and at least initially after its return — pancho’s struck a loud chord with many people .
former pancho ' s customers aren ' t the only ones who feel they have returned home when they visit 2 amigos . several former pancho ' s employees , who worked with usner and bolanos , are now working at 2 amigos .
i hope we stay the same people we were when we worked at pancho ' s ,
usner said .
my last pancho ' s experience , 2 years ago in houston , was so bad i swore off forever . so it was with trepidation that i allowed the famous pancho ' s sign to flood my mind with memories of the pancho ' s of old and lure me back in . today ' s lunch ? pretty good ! thumbs up . everything was hot and fresh and had that great taste . not the pancho ' s of the 60 ' s , or even the 80 ' s , but very tasty . i would come back to this location again if i was in the area .
by 1982 , pancho ' s had grown into a chain of 28 restaurants , some located outside of texas , although the company ' s epicenter remained there . over the next five years , the chain would increase to 45 , which included the conversion of its spanish galleon and emiliano ' s restaurants into pancho ' s .
buffet crampon began manufacturing musical instruments in 1825 exclusively in france , but has since expanded their business to include production facilities in germany and china as well . since the company ' s conception , buffet crampon has expanded to a worldwide market . jérôme perrod , buffet group ' s chief executive officer , runs the buffet crampon , besson , b & s ; , antoine courtois , hans hoyer , j . keilwerth , meinl weston , scherzer and w . schreiber brands .
i come to ponchos because i loved it when i was a kid . also there ' s not many mexican buffets atoms here .
i loved the atmosphere at pancho ' s ,
she said .
we now have the same atmosphere at 2 amigos . many of the children i used to serve at pancho ' s are now adults , and they are bringing their children to 2 amigos . that means i ' m serving the grandchildren of my former pancho ' s customers .
old country buffet operates 168 locations throughout the united states , variably known as country buffet or hometown buffet , in addition to the flagship name . old country buffet locations have a mascot named ,
o . c . bee
( or
h . t . bee
at hometown buffet ) . usually , for in - restaurant appearances , the location manager or another employee wears the costume and greets guests and children .
once pancho ' s closed , however , the daigles said it felt as if a member of their family had died .
i grew up eating at pancho ' s mexican buffet in northwest louisiana . sadly , a couple of years ago , after several years of changing management and decreasing quality of food , it closed . my husband and i stopped here on our vacation , simply to see if it was . . .
denis buffet - auger , born denis buffet , was born 28 jul 1783 in la couture , near dreux into a family of woodturners . he became known as buffet - auger after his marriage to marie - anne auger . in 1825 he set up a workshop in paris making instruments , a business that was to become the buffet crampon company , still in operation and one of the foremost manufacturers of woodwind instruments . jean - louis buffet was his son . denis buffet - auger died on 24 sep 1841 in paris .
while the zeal and luster may have faded since the restaurant’s hey - day ( pinatas are no longer hung and seating has been closed off due to customer decline ) , pancho’s remains a piece of this area’s history .
i consider myself to be a connoisseur of authentic mexican cooking this is a quaint family style restaurant that serves authentic and freshly - made mexican dishes . it also appears to… read more
not quite the insult to mexican food that taco bell is . . . but also not as good as taco bell once you accept that you aren ' t eating mexican food .
i am glad to live in phx for one reason . . . . . mexican food
pancho ' smexican buffet , inc . ( nasdaq : pamx ) reported august 11 net earnings for the third fiscal quarter and nine months ended june 30 , 2000 .
étienne buffet ( marie étienne pierre paul aimé buffet ) was born in paris on 5 june 1866 and died in paris on 3 december 1948 . he is a french painter .
jean - louis buffet , also known as jean - louis buffet - crampon , was born 18 july , 1813 in la couture , son of denis buffet - auger . by about 1830 he had begun to work at the musical instrument manufacturing firm established by his father , and at the latter ' s death in 1841 he took over the company . buffet married zoë crampon in 1836 , and by 1844 his firm was known as buffet crampon . he died in paris on 17 apr 1865 .
i ate lunch here last week and i was disappointed . i used to eat at pancho ' s a lot year ' s ago back home until the franchise closed its restaurants where i live . i was so excited to find this pancho ' s here in houston near hobby airport ! . . .
i learned to speak spanish at pancho ' s , and roger learned to speak english at pancho ' s ,
usner said .
i knew if i was going to communicate with the people i worked with i had to learn spanish .
though they couldn ' t cling to the familiarity of the pancho ' s , they turned to each other after the storm .
we bring our adult children with us ,
he said .
they grew up going to pancho ' s .
the idea grew and soon became a dream that turned into reality september 2013 when they held the grand opening of
2 amigos mexican buffet ,
3826 williams blvd . , kenner .
for many of the former pancho ' s customers , as well as the employees , memories were created that will last a lifetime .
i ' ve been going to pancho ' s for over 20 years and it use to be the best . i ' m not sure what happened , but over the years it ' s gone terribly wrong . we went to the pancho ' s in denton and as soon as you walk in the awful . . .
bolanos added :
we built relationships at pancho ' s . we want to keep building those same kind of relationships with people .
usner and bolanos designed the menu and atmosphere ( with some modifications ) to resemble that of pancho ' s . there was one notable exception .
moved away in 2000 and always like to return to pancho ' s when visiting ft . worth area . it is a buffet , all you can eat ( omg ) and the food is nice . seemed a bit pricey but it was delicious .
to its devotees , the name pancho ' s was synonymous with an exuberant excess of flautas , tacos , chili rellenos , cheese enchiladas and sopapillas , with the option to pour chili and cheese sauce over just about anything . miniature mexican flags mounted at each table were a trademark of the place , and customers would ceremoniously raise the tiny banner up a flagpole to signal pancho’s servers that they wanted more food .
until the 1980s , only professional level clarinets carried the buffet name . lower priced clarinets for the beginner and intermediate market were branded
evette
and
evette & schaeffer
, respectively . for a time the evette clarinets actually were built by other manufacturers under buffet ' s sponsorship , and these instruments are marked
evette sponsored by buffet
. by the early 1970s buffet was making the evettes in their own factory in paris , and about 1979 manufacture was moved to a buffet - owned factory in germany . evette & schaeffer clarinets were made in paris . use of the evette and evette & schaeffer brands ended about 1985 , when the company began using the buffet name on all its clarinets .
one night , while dining at a mexican restaurant in baton rouge , a waitress told him about 2 amigos .
we ' ve been going to pancho ' s for over 40 years . we have always really enjoyed the atmosphere , the food and the service . it had been a while since going so we thought we would stop in the pancho ' s on jacksboro hwy in fort worth . first thing . . .
this has been the best mexican buffet my family and i have been going to for years and love it . it ' s too bad the austin locations have all been closed for many years now but when i found the san antonio location we drove down there and loved it !
since i was a kid i’ve been going to panchos . heck , i even had birthday parties at pancho’s . i remember being 7 years old and so excited that we were dining out at pancho’s . there were ancient relics from mexico , brightly colored pinatas and fun video games that were always for after eating .
my husband and i used to go to pancho ' s when we were younger and were looking forward to visiting again so we decided to go for dinner . i ' m hoping the visit we just completed was an
off - day
for this pancho ' s and does not represent their . . .
a friend of ours who recommended this and boy are we glad he did . this was the best mexican food we ' ve had in a long time and the best service . we been looking for a great mexican… read more
this business is no longer open . closed permanently . even if they were open it is the worst buffet ever
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . , based in fort worth , texas , owns and operates 47 restaurants , principally in texas , but also in arizona , louisiana , new mexico , and oklahoma . it is the only publicly owned company offering tex - mex food served in a cafeteria - style , all - you - can - eat buffet . it offers sit - down table service for customers after they have gone through its restaurants ' service lines , and it also provides take - out service . recently , in an attempt to bolster its sales , pancho ' s started converting some of its units into a new , upscale restaurant format dubbed pancho ' s buffet & grill , featuring an expanded menu , newly refurbished and redecorated interiors , and kitchens open to public view . it also introduced a scaled - down version of its traditional restaurants named pancho ' s express buffet , offering fewer food choices and smaller portions at a quicker service pace and lower prices . costs at these were cut by replacing the labor - intensive serving lines with a self - service operation . additionally , it converted a few of its regular restaurants into self - service units and scaled - down its prices . in the spring of 2001 , the company completed plans to merge pancho ' s restaurants , inc . , into an affiliate of stephen oyster . that step did not involve any immediate changes in the company ' s operations .
the following weekend i drove to kenner ,
he said .
i felt like i was back at pancho ' s . i was home .
french toast , sandwiches , various fried rice and chinese noodles . for drinks , it offers hong kong style milk tea , coffee , ‘yuanyang’ , lemon tea and so on . the price of the buffet ranges from $ 40 to $ 80 . in one of the restaurants , consumers can choose to have either a $ 40 or $ 80 buffet . consumers who choose to have $ 40 can have breakfast , lunch or tea buffet . those who pay $ 80 can have the dinner buffet . both these two sets of buffet provide one free drink to consumers .
fantastic place to eat ! very friendly people . . . outstanding and authentic mexican food . . . great environment !
damage caused by hurricane katrina forced the metairie , louisiana location in new orleans to close . on march 30 , 2009 , panchos mexican buffet returned to metairie , with over 600 invitation - only patrons in attendance at a private opening the previous friday . as of january 2012 , the metairie and baton rouge super buffet locations have been permanently closed .
buffet crampon is a manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments , including oboes , flutes , saxophones , and bassoons ; however , the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets , as buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals .
pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries notes to consolidated financial statements - - ( continued ) the weighted - average fair value of options granted was $ 2 . 24 in 2000 , $ 2 . 47 in 1999 , and $ 3 . 12 per share in 1998 . the pro forma effects of reporting stock options using the fair value approach under sfas no . 123 are shown below .
same mediocre mexican food . however you got to love that you can get as much as you want , guacamole included .
la hacienda is located at the san mateo / montgomery intersection in the former home of pancho’s mexican buffet . garcia didn’t do much to the building’s exterior but has remodeled the inside , which can seat nearly 200 . there is now a large , adobe - brick bar at the center of the main dining area . sports photographs hang along the orange - painted walls and dot the tables . ( a boxing fan , garcia has plenty of johnny tapia images on display . )
i had heard of pancho ' s but this was my first visit . i enjoyed trying different foods that i had not tried before . and being a buffet , you could get more of the ones you liked . you did this not by going back up to the . . .
there ' s a bit of nostalgia for some people when they talk about pancho ' s mexican buffet . and , i suppose this is the best mexican buffet that i ' ve been to . the three - star rating is not a knock to the quality of the food , service , or cleanliness of the restaurant . all of that is , fine ; it ' s a buffet after all . it ' s a little different in that they serve you cafeteria style and if you
raise the flag
on the table the servers will come to refill your drinks , reload your entrees , and bring sopapillas ( with honey ! ) . if you ' re not super familiar with their offerings , make sure you take a good look on your first time through , so you know what to ask for . it ' s pretty busy and there ' s a lot of turnover so the food was all very fresh , but nothing was really excellent . the best thing is the sopapillas ; fresh squares of fried dough , drizzled with honey . they ' re really good . the food is not really authentic mexican , but it ' s a few steps closer than fast - food taco bell / del taco . bottom line , if you had a big group with kids and want to have a sit - down dinner with okay all - you - can - eat food that isn ' t too expensive , pancho ' s is pretty good .
item 6 . selected financial data the following selected financial data of the company for each of the five fiscal years ended september 30 , 1996 through 2000 has been derived from the more detailed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of the company contained elsewhere in this report or in previous reports . pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries five - year summary of selected financial data fiscal years ended september 30 ,
the friendship and trust the two built while working together bussing tables , washing dishes , serving food and eventually becoming managers , would lead to the two metairie residents forming a partnership and establishing their own restaurant -
2 amigos mexican buffet .
i have been a pancho ' s fan since i was in elementary school ( you don ' t want to know how long ago that was ! ) and in spite of obvious shortcomings , i still believe in pancho ' s ! today ( 9 / 29 / 13 ) , my wife and i visited the jacksboro highway location for . . .
many of you are saying right now ,
who the heck was pancho ' s ?
that ' s a good question . you never saw a review in this newspaper or any other of the local newspapers . you also never saw pancho ' s being reviewed on our local cable or tv stations either . it was to
low - brow
for them . the
beautiful crowd
never went there .
there ' s nothing better than spending memorial day with your family at pancho ' s all you can eat . the food was great as were the sopapillas . the restaurant was clean and very busy . not closed as listed in trip advisor .
in my family , pancho ' s is a definition of a specific style of mexican food . nope , it ' s not good , + but it ' s acceptable , cheap and overflowing food . there are times that my bride will specifically say she wants pancho ' s mexican . other times we want real mexican , other times tex - mex , and rarely del - taco / taco bell mexican . pancho ' s is steps above taco bell , a distant relative to ( bad ) tex - mex and they have almost nothing to do with real mexican . as the other reviewers stated , all you can eat , fun flag to raise for refills ( kids love it ) sopapeas are quite wonderful and fresh , like a beignet sort of . the specific food choices dont matter in a place like this much like a cafeteria , food is food . but if it ' s nearby , and you have a few kids to pay for , this is a fine way to please everyone who isn ' t expecting great food . $ 6 a person to eat out ? and you dont have to eat in a car ? expectations should be set at that level , and you will be happy . i admit that i enjoy it , but it ' s like admitting you like the mcrib . is that a real rib ? don ask , and bask in the wretchedness of awesome . it ' s a 5 star place , because it invented it ' s own definition of food , i just cant click on more stars and consider myself a trustworthy eating human . it ' s a 1 star joint , unless it ' s your poison of choice , then it ' s 4 stars of embarrassing guilty pleasure . enjoy or avoid , hope this helped in some way .
our new pancho ' s buffet and grill ( tm ) concept , which opened in mesquite , texas this past december , continues to produce sales at approximately 60 % above company average and more than 40 % above what our mesquite unit produced in sales prior to being remodeled ,
added taylor .
we plan to convert one more restaurant into the pancho ' s buffet and grill ( tm ) in 2000 , again depending on available cash flow . we are encouraged by the strong performance of this new design and brand extension and anticipate that it could be our flagship concept for the future .
this is a list of buffet restaurants . a buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves . buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events . buffets usually have some hot dishes , so the term cold buffet ( see smörgåsbord ) has been developed to describe formats lacking hot food .
there ' s no use in pretending pancho ' s is a haven for good mexican food , you know it isn ' t , it ' s a haven for the fatties and college kids . i made many a stop at pancho ' s during my college years , and on my most recent nostalgia filled trip i realized it just isn ' t the same anymore . same less than good food , same little flags you raise , same sopaipillas you want to eat until you vomit , but now i have a steady paycheck and access to whatever food i ' d like , so it ' s not all that exciting anymore . i didn ' t even eat until i thought i ' d die . . . sad day . but look , pancho ' s fills the niche it ' s shooting for perfectly , you ' re getting all you can eat mexican food for a few dollars , you can ' t expect to be served food comparable to the mission , it ' s going to be cheap and underwhelming , but tons of cheap and underwhelming . i ' ll be stopping by here every rare once in a while , just for old times sake , but if you ' re in college and lacking money , or a fatty trying to support your habit , pancho ' s is a - ok .
i know it wasn ' t exactly gourmet food , but it was fairly good inexpensive food with a fun - ish atmosphere and and as someone who loves buffet - style restaurants , i really miss the only mexican buffet i know of . anyone know why they cut their number of locations to just two , both of which are much too far away from me for casual dining .
the buffet table originates from the
brännvinsbord
( swedish schnapps , or shot of alcoholic beverage ) table from the middle of 16th century . this custom had its prime during the early 18th century , and was developed into the more modern buffet around the beginning of 19th century . the
smörgåsbord
buffet did not increase in popularity until the expansion of the railroads throughout europe .
called cielito lindo , the eatery specializes in mexican dishes like chile con carne and enchiladas , but also serves an array of seafood .
principal competitors : el chico restaurants , inc . ; luby ' s , inc . ; mexican restaurants , inc . ; prandium , inc . ; taco bell corp . ; taco cabana , inc .
cuisine and how it ' s supposed to be cooked vs . how it ' s typically served in local restaurants . they definitely know what…”
one new concept that emerged from planning strategies near the end of the century was pancho ' s express buffet . early in 2000 , pancho ' s announced plans to convert , within a year , four of its units in selected markets into new pancho ' s express buffet restaurants . its aim , based on a pressing need to increase its customer base , was to broaden its appeal by reducing meal prices and speeding up its service . the concept , featuring a new logo and signage , a modified interior decor , and a smaller kitchen , was designed to establish a price point of $ 3 . 99 per person , $ 2 below that of its traditional restaurants . pancho ' s had tested the new format late in 1998 , in fort worth , converting one of its established restaurants for the purpose . in 1999 , without using any advertising to punch up its business , the unit increased its same - store sales by a very encouraging 30 percent over the previous year and set in motion the plan to convert additional selected units into the new format . it was a new basket into which pancho ' s was clearly planning to put more and more of its financial eggs .
pancho ' s is a staple in this part of texas . fair priced buffet and unlimited amounts . this is not an upscale place . staff is very nice . if you don ' t want to spend a lot of money , then this is the place . no alcohol available . located in . . .
while usner and bolanos ' friendship grew stronger during hurricane katrina , the storm washed pancho ' s on veterans memorial boulevard away . floodwaters swamped the building in 2005 and it never reopened .
norma added :
pancho ' s became a family outing for us . we would pack up the kids on a saturday and drive to metairie and make a day of it .
i have so many good memories from pancho ' s ,
she said .
now we are creating new memories at 2 amigos , while still cherishing the old ones .
it ' s not what pancho ' s use to be . . . back in the day , or from what i remembered , but it is what it is . its faster ( not fast food ) mexican . i love the set up , and the amount of food you get , but if you are looking for quality - you won ' t find it here . just average .
pancho’s later moved to veterans memorial boulevard in metairie , and despite collin’s assessment it went on to win many new fans over the years until it was shuttered by katrina in 2005 . prior to its reopening in 2009 , thousands of people joined a facebook group to share memories of their meals there and support the restaurant’s rumored return .
best of all , prices are very affordable so thrifty families can visit often . today , decades later , pancho ' s remains true to its heritage . and the value and fun have grown as pancho ' s put restaurants all around texas , arizona , new mexico , oklahoma and louisiana . we still believe in excellent value , abundant , tasty food and total customer satisfaction .
in japan , a buffet or smorgasbord is known as a
viking
( バイキング -
baikingu
) . it is said that this originated from the restaurant
imperial viking
in the imperial hotel , tokyo , which was the first restaurant in japan to serve buffet - style meals . dessert vikings are very popular in japan , where one can eat from a buffet full of desserts .
food , so when one of my coworkers suggested that we check out la placita mexican restaurant , i was inclined to say no . …
we started with pancho ' s about 1970 when we lived in the northeast part of phoenix . we went to the one at metrocenter ( now closed ) . the one in mesa is our
go to
poncho ' s now because our daughter and son - in - law live in mesa . we raised four kids with visits to pancho ' s . and this is its genius . it ' s designed for families . get it ? the food is good , service fast , servers friendly and you can take a party of 12 without scaring them or you to death . i did so last january and we all had a ball . went in july too , when we were there for a visit . our kids always fought over who ' s gonna raise the flag . they absolutely adored the sopapillas . if you don ' t get honey on your elbow , you ' re not doin ' it right . if we want real mexican food , we go to a mom and pop somewhere near . if we want the pancho ' s experience and price tag , we go to pancho ' s !
jesse arrambide , jr . , founded the first of the company ' s restaurants in el paso , texas . arrambidie learned to make mexican specialities - tamales , enchiladas , and tacos - - from his mother , but he also learned the art of
commodity
or large - quantity cooking while serving onboard a naval troopship in world war ii . years later , he put what he learned to good use , starting first in 1958 , when he began using the commodity cooking technique in pancho ' s , his family ' s el paso bar . offering a selection of a few mexican staples served buffet style , arrambide was soon drawing a dining crowd , and in a few years his success encouraged him to start up a new restaurant chain .
i loved pancho ' s , and i spent so many years there ,
she said .
i was so sad when it closed . gene and roger were like my children .
note : if you want to dine out , pancho’s does offer food to - go . customizing your meal is quite inexpensive ( four cheese enchiladas and four flautas are $ 6 . 88 ) .
this is the pancho ' s of old . plenty of hot food and easy refills . just raise the flag . order your free sopaillas at the end of the meal to get them hot .
walking distance from a couple of local hotels near 45 . fast and good at providing family atmosphere and efficient buffet / cafeteria style dining .
we just left this place . it ' s called rancho ' s now . i give this a 2 star just to be nice , the server…
the food doesn ' t even taste like mexican food . it ' s so plain and taste like if it came straight out of a can . & they make the buffet so complicated . . . employees should really start greeting . i felt like i was bothering them when i would order . got ignored plenty of times too . never coming back again .
i have been going to panchos for about 7 years and it is about as good as i can expect from a mexican buffet . i like their chicken enchiladas with the green sauce , the green corn tamales , and the beef taquitos . there are plenty of not so great food there too . . . . but , again , it ' s a buffet , so if you get something you don ' t like , get something else . the place is cheap and the food is fine . be sure to raise the flag and get some sopapillas . . . the best part of the meal , with a little honey inside . the place is cheap and , although not authentic , it ' s decent food . i will continue going here and people should not be scared to give this place a try because they have never heard of a mexican buffet .
we drive out from time to time to eat here . i ' ve loved pancho ' s since i was a baby . it ' s the same yummy food . the manager here is always very friendly and so are the waitresses . the prices are reasonable . i love the tamales and tacos . hubby loves the enchiladas and tostadas . no , it ' s not really authentic mexican food . we used to live on the border of mexico and yes the food down there is awesome , but pancho ' s is just pancho ' s . can ' t compare . i love to get the cheese sauce over the rice ! hot , fresh sopapillas are such a good way to finish the dinner . kids love it . we ' ve never had any complaints except they need to fix the rips in the some of the booths . . . that doesn ' t feel good to sit on .
rosa ginn , 67 , and a native of mexico started working as a server at the pancho ' s on gravier street in new orleans in 1974 . she later transferred to the one in metairie .
pancho’s is a chain started in el paso , texas in 1958 . one of the early expansion sites was new orleans , where the restaurant was originally located in the central business district . the interior was built to resemble a mexican town square , complete with a fountain gradually filling with pennies tossed in by kids and faux house facades lining the walls .
the food is typical buffet food but mexican style . what made the difference was my waiter , keith , aka superman . he was very attentive . he kept my plate full and even suggested squeezing lemons over my green chile stew which i found delightful . keith , you made . . .
independent auditors ' report to the board of directors of pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . we have audited the consolidated balance sheets of pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries as of september 30 , 2000 and 1999 , and the related consolidated statements of operations , stockholders ' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended september 30 , 2000 . these financial statements are the responsibility of the company ' s management . our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits . we conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the united states of america . those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement . an audit includes examining , on a test basis , evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements . an audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management , as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation . we believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion . in our opinion , such consolidated financial statements present fairly , in all material respects , the financial position of pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . and subsidiaries at september 30 , 2000 and 1999 , and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended september 30 , 2000 , in conformity with auditing standards generally accepted in the united states of america . deloitte & touche llp fort worth , texas november 9 , 2000 f - 1
bolanos , 53 , came to new orleans from nicaragua when he was 18 . he began working at pancho ' s a few months after his arrival . at the time , bolanos spoke very limited english .
i ' ve never been to a pancho ' s and my husband told me that once upon a time they had really great food . the concept is a good one . you walk in and choose your food luby ' s style and pay for your drinks and eats at the end of the row . however , the buffet is an all you can eat . at your table you have a mexican flag that can be lifted or lowered . if you want more food off of the buffet line , you simply raise the flag and a server will come to your table . the server will take your order and return with your desired items . i thought the service here was excellent ! i gave the three star rating based on the food quality and taste . the food reminded me of typical fare that you would find at an americanized mexican restaurant . i ' d say it ' s on par with what a luby ' s would serve . not the best in the world , but it ' s edible . i probably would not go back based on the food alone , however , i did enjoy my experience .
company stock price performance the graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on $ 100 invested at market close on september 30 , 1995 , assuming the reinvestment of all dividends , on the common stock of the company for the last five years with the cumulative total return of the nasdaq stock market index ( us companies ) and the nasdaq eating and drinking places ( us companies ) . comparison of five year - cumulative total returns performance graph for pancho ' s mexican buffet , inc . [ graph appears here ]
mwahaha , sometimes you just need a lot of mexican food . this place is where you need to go ! rather decent food , good prices , buffet is nice ! you don ' t have to get up to get more food , they ' ll bring it to you . sopapillas are tastyyyy ! i know they ' re just tortillas basically , but they ' re good : d ice cream is surprisingly good and creamy . funny music . update : they changed the music ? ! last time i was there , the typical cheesy mexican music was replaced by standard radio fare . . . . what have you done pancho ' s ? ! good place , i don ' t go a ton , but i enjoy it whenever i do ! also , i realized an all you can eat at pancho ' s may just be dinner for you , but come ' morrow it ' s an all day adventure : ) will def be back : d