Harlan J Berk

I plan on going back again to give them another shot. It did take a while for someone to acknowedge me but once they did they were very friendly. Maybe the sudden drop in silver spot prices wasn’t accounted for but they wanted $ 23+ for US Mint 1oz silver eages while Silver spot was under $ 15. Another silver bullion item was the same price you can get them on Ebay so I went ahead and picked it up.

I have been a customer for more than 15 years. I currently live in NYC, but prefer to deal with these guys in Chicago when I travel through on business because they are straight to the point no nonsense. I always feel like I am treated fairly with no fluff. You get the occasional attempt at an upcharge to choose coins when buying gold, but ask nicely and they usually accomodate. They still charge bullion rates on coins many others would try to up charge claiming numismatic value. I have had the opportunity to purchase some very nice bullion coins over the years and will trade here for many years to come. Just imagine what a diverse bunch these guys deal with daily. When I was in this month a homeless guy was selling coins and these guys were treating the guy with dignity. Imagine all the arrogant «rich» people they have to tolerate. Give them a smile and get to business. Your there to trade. They have always answered my questions directly, honestly, and correctly. What more can you ask for in the trade. If you need a friend sell a coin and buy a puppy.

David is a good guy. Honest forthright and knowledgeable! These folks have a Giant inventory and Great website enjoyable to browse… filled with a zillion really clear photos! Buy with confidence from these folks… I have!~.

Creepy unfriendly staff, and as another poster indicated, if you are a regular customer, be prepared to be treated like a suspected criminal. Go elsewhere for your precious metals.

I have been a customer for about 12 years. The variety and quality off their ancient coins is fantastic. The prices are slightly higher than their competitors, but the are based out of Chicago so what do you expect.
My last couple of visits to the store were less than stellar. Certain members of the staff can be a bit grumpy and short at times. I recently was contacted by an employee about my poor experience and were genuinely were sorry. That is a sign of a good business.
I still recommend shopping the website, which is wonderful.

I previously left an unfavorable review, but I feel Harlan J Berk Ltd. has since redeemed itself. The employees seem to have done a 360 and have been friendly and willing to help. I will be investing here more often.

Review by Becky:
This is where I go when I need a currency fix.
As my Unilocal friends know from my other reviews I’m obsessed with WWII and history. This includes coin collecting (mostly German and British currency)…I’ve been collecting coins since I was 10 years old when my grandfather gave me my first Nazi (Reichsmark) and Sixpence coins.
This is seriously the best place to get foreign currency in Chicago.
The staff is very informative and knowledgeable about their products and provide outstanding customer service. They have a very wide range of currency and other rare finds and the prices are outstanding! My last visit I walked out with 5 Nazi coins and a Half Crown for about $ 10! (WTF!)
Staff is also very laid back! They let me make a huge mess while I dig through hundreds of coins looking for that perfect Sixpence, Crown, Half crown or Reichsmark coin.

I sold most of a coin collectiton dating back to 1964, some gold, mostly silver bullion from 2000 on along wiith special editions in quarters, silver dollars, and various other coins from special nickels to slabbed and graded FDOI or Early Releases coins. I had previously sold gold bullion on eBay and had started to list my entire coin collection to avoid having to move heavy items overseas in an upcoming move. Despite a 14+ year history with both eBay and PayPal and 100% positive feedback as a seller and buyer on eBay, four coins sold as I was listing them on eBay. To my total surprise, eBay refused to release the money that buyers thought they were payinng directly to me through PayPal for 10 or more days, despite a long feedback history and glowing reports in the past, including gold bullion in much higher dollar value. When I telephoned PayPal, their customer service representative (I believe in India) stated that, although they are owned by eBay, and although they wanted to release the funds to me immediately, it was eBay and not PayPal that was withholding the money buyers thought they were paying directly to me. At their suggestion, I telephoned eBay for an explanation and was told by a eBay representative, that this was a «new policy» that eBay had initiated and that all sellers would have to have a minimum of 25 successful sales before funds would be released to the seller’s PayPal account – even their high volume sellers (seriously, right at the height of the Holiday season in early December???). One of the buyers of two items was not PayPal «verified,» so neither PayPal nor eBay could not guarantee that the funds being «held» by eBay would ever appear in my PayPal account, but I was told by the eBay representative that I must immediately ship the items out to the buyer (s) and they buyer (s) would have to have left feedback bef the money that buyer thought he/​she had paid to me would be released into my PayPal account by eBay, if at all. One can only imagine what eBay is doing during this 10+ day interval with the funds they are «withholding,» but I would hazard a guess that the money is not just sitting in cyberspace, but is likely earning eBay thousands of dollars (Christmas Time volume – ?? $Millions) while the seller has neither product nor the money the buyer thought they were paying to the seller – all BEFORE eBay and PayPal take their generous 11 – 14 percent off the top of te sale. eBay purportedly came up with this new «policy change» to thwart fraud. One can only wonder about the smell of fraud innvolved with the «withholding» of money on the part of eBay. I cancelled the sales, requesting that each buyer agree to a mutual voiding of same, and deleted all listings, and asked eBay to close my account, letting both the buyers and eBay know why I was doing so and informing them that I would let earstwhile buyers know where my coins wound up. The eBay representative «threatened» me with the liklihood that buyers would leave negative feedback! I looked up coin shops in my neighborhood and found Harlan J Berk, Ltd., nearby. I called them first to decide which coins to take with me (all of them) and they were immediately available to view the coins, itemize my various coins and collections, and offer me a dollar amount. The younger of the two gentlemen handled this portion of our transaction, and he was pleasant, had a great sense of humor, and was exceptionally helpful, forthright, and, most importantly, honest. The amout that Harlan J Berk, Ltd., offered me for my coin collection was much more than I would have listed them as items on eBay, and they did not take 14% off the top, and they gave me a check immediately that, to my surprise and delight, had cleared my checking account by the next morning. The elder of the two gentlemen at this coin shop was exceptionally helpful in giving me information on where I might find an honest buyer for jewelry, gemstones, and scrap gold. He even telephoned the company he referred me to ahead of my scheduling an appointment so that the other company knew to expect my call. And that company was equally as honest, thorough, and business-​like in my transactions with them. I had a totally different experience than some of the reviewers have posted here. This company is professional, honest, knowledgeable, and both gentlemen could not have treated me better as a customer. I observed buyers enter the shop and they treated others in the same skilled and professional manner. I was equally impressed by the person to whom I had been referred for the other items I had to sell that were not coins. Both saved me untold hours of listing items, both gave me more than I expected to given, and both paid me immediately with checks that cleared my bank in less than 24-​hours. I could not be more pleased. I would give this company 10 stars if i could!

I’ve been passing by this business for a decade, so it was the first place I thought of when I needed to sell some coins. I had a few mint proof sets from the 80s and 90s that I wanted to sell. Not sure if it’s the nature of the business or just the employees, but everyone here is so serious and… BLAH! Come on guys, a smile or hello won’t hurt! Despite this, an employee promptly helped me upon walking in. My sisters and I did some research beforehand, and the prices he quoted were in that ballpark. He also answered a few questions I had… in a serious, monotone voice.
I’ve got some more coins and bullion to sort through before selling, but I may come back. I imagine a lot of coin collectors frequent this place so maybe it’s better for buying than selling.

A great selection of rare & unique items and very knowledgeable staff. Their prices are spot-​on with the market. Not sure why other posters were surprised that the staff at Harlan Berk are business focused. If you are looking for chatty staff, please visit the bartenders at The Berghoff down the street.

No thanks. 15% off mkt for silver coins.

Great window display and collection.

Don’t spend any money here, if you don’t want to end up on some criminal background check list.
I work just a block away from this place. So I’ve stopped in many, many times over the last 10 years, generally to buy gold and silver coins by the ounce. They are always a bit expensive, but the convenience seemed worth it. The staff is generally polite but curt. I don’t have the time to talk about the weather so this has never bothered me. This year I started buying more silver and stopped in several times over a three month period and bought a little at a time as my finances permitted. When my tax return arrived I stopped into the store and bought more than usual. The manager was helping me and as I was paying he asked for my name. I told him my first name, then he asked for my last name and confirmed the spelling of both names. I don’t have anything to hide so I gave it to him. Then I said, «I’ve bought here dozens of times and nobody ever asked for my name. I’m paying cash, why did you need my name» He replied that he was going to do a background check and look for money laundering or other criminal activity. I left the store irritated, flustered and wondering if I’d just sparked an IRS audit.
Seriously, I must have spent $ 20,000 at this store over the last 10 years. In my industry that gets my customers a ‘Happy Holidays’ card every year… not a criminal investigation. This place isn’t just curt, they’re creepy. Perhaps they do so much business that they don’t care how the customer feels. My recommendation: Find another place where they are friendly and thankful that you frequent their store.
Prices: C–
Staff: C–
Manager: F–

They have a great selection for sure… some rare and unique items.
BUT — don’t look for them to yell Welcome or Hello when you walk in the front door.
They are not there to give you a warm fuzzy greeting.
If you approach them with this in mind, you’ll have a much better experience.
Will I go back? Sure…
They are strictly business… they won’t be chatting about the weather or Chicago hot spots with you… so get over that idea.

Nice selection, but very unfriendly staff. I felt like I was bothering them by asking to look through their unslabbed coins. One guy even had the nerve to say in response to me starting up a conversation about sometimes buying on Ebay, «Ebay is for bottom-​feeders.» Sorry, not everyone has bookoo extra money to buy overpriced coins in your shop. Bottom line, nice selection, but why deal with the feeling that you are annoying them. I felt no love of coin collecting in this place. Avoid if possible.

Nice location. Nice selection. Not so friendly staff, low prices if you try to sell to them.

In addition to the coins, they have a spectacular collection of old military medals. Always polite to deal with (even when I would come in looking like a grubby artist). Would absolutely shop here again (and regularly, if I had the money).

Definitely a great place to sell any old gold or coins that you may have. They were fast, friendly, and honest.

If you have gold jewelry or silver coins that you want to sell to a reputable dealer, this is the place. I had some silver coins that my mom collected when she worked in a little 7 – 11 type store so I brought them in along w/​some gold jewelry from a guy I’d like to forget. I was blown away by how much all this was worth. They were honest about some of the coins that weren’t worth more than face value, and there was no pressure to even sell what I brought in. I was paid on the spot.

I’ve never seen such a big selection of rare and old coins! This is the perfect place to buy a gift for the coin collector in your life or to find that one missing from your collection!