This is a great place to buy coins and bullion. the only problem is parking. if you are able to use public transit, that is best. if you are disabled like me, welcome to Chicago. they do often go to coin shows, and those can be much easier to attend if you are limited in your ability to walk and stand. read more

THEY STORE ALL YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IF YOU BUY! AND SELL IT! This place does well for three reasons LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION...other than that it has absolutely nothing to offer you except apparently low ball offers and rudeness according to other yelp reviews). I walked in there a couple of years back b/c I conveniently work near there and I purchased some gold and silver. The 2nd time I walked in, one of the guys I usually see demanded to know my first and last name. I did not have an issue with this since I am not hiding and I figured he already knew my name. Before the purchase could be completed, he took out a pen and paper and demanded to know the exact spelling...this was strange. He also requested an ID to photocopy for a "money laundering" check. I told him that was ridiculous as I wasn't selling anything and I was buying retail products they were selling with cash. Eventually after threatening to walk out, we made the sale all while this guy was jotting down more on his pad. I have a colleague who is an avid coin collector (has coins from ancient Greece to modern day US Mint) and I had been meaning to ask him if he goes to this place but never got around to it as I purchased there a couple of times more times without incident and I felt I was getting the usual customer treatment. The final time I went in there, I didn't have time to go to the bank so I had to use a credit card. This chubby younger guy behind the counter asked to see me id. I gave it this time b/c I figured he just wanted to see if my name matched the credit card...fair.. no one likes credit card fraud. But then he started writing down all the information. When I asked him why he was doing this, he said "money laundering." I again told him I was not selling anything and was a retail customer buying THEIR merchandise off the shelf just as I do at Walmart and Costco but they don't accuse me of money laundering!! We got into a big argument until I finally left as he told me he needed to put my information in data base in order for me to buy there. When I finally got around to asking my colleague about that place, he went hysterical and said "DON'T GO THERE! THOSE GUYS ARE CROOKS!" He told me they trick ppl into giving their info for "money laundering" and sell it to data brokers and ppl search sites. He also said the community knows it as an IRS roach motel. Almost aanyone who buys there past a quantity and is foolish enough to give there information, gets an instant audit. Obviously with selling there are rules. Like a pawn shop, they need your info in case the items you sold are stolen. BUT DON'T BE SO SPITEFUL TOWARDS YOUR CUSTOMERS that you lie to them to make more money off of them by tricking them into giving you there personal information! Lastly, my friend told me if you are a coin collector and want to buy coins at a good price, just go to ebay. read more

I am not a Avid Coin Collector however after coming from Daley court for a trial of someone I walked and I had found this coin and antique coin and relics for Ancient Roman, Greek and Egyptian coins and artifacts. I actually went to the one location in Oak Park, IL back in 2009 but they closed down. Anyways I came in to look at all the coins and Some ancient Jewelry which intrigue me. I spoke to an associate name Zach and he was very knowledgeable about the antiquity of Roman and Greek as well as Hellenistic coins. I mentioned originally having a Buddha Jade pendant and necklace my sister bought which they also have a separate expert and sent pictures to find out it was not an antique Jade. I did come back to show my Ancient Hellenistic coin I bought in Jerusalem, Israel traveling in the shops and he gave me alot of info on how much I paid and I had made an 14k gold bezel which was what tourist or people do in Israel but I did not want to spend $$ there and hired a Jeweler in Wabash Ave downtown Chicago to redo it for less in 14k gold. He said my coin was now worth more since 2009 and funny because the person in Oak Park said appraised it and said it was worthless just to find out it is worth more and had more silver in it. Anyways he showed me a Ancient Roman coin that was sold for $145 and I bought it the week after since I liked it but did not have $. I do recommend this place for research of true coin collectors. Here are pictures of what I purchased. 5 stars for there knowledge and service of coin collecting and artifacts plus there friendliness. They are not snobby when it come to customer service. read more

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I brought in a box full of coins collected haphazardly in my childhood, and a bizarre little terra cotta object that came from an archaeologist's stash in the basement of the Field Museum via O'Gara and Wilson's front window back in the day (eccentric Hyde Park book seller, now moved to I think Michigan City). No one has ever been able to figure out what the little thing was. Everyone I showed it to had a theory, including such ideas as Renaissance pot lid, butter press, and Indian fabric stamp. It fits in my hand and is shaped sort of like an iron, and has what looks like a crabby sheep or crocodile handle on top and a beautiful swan swimming among the reeds on the bottom. The Oriental Institute looked at it and eventually decided it wasn't from the Middle East. The Harlan Berk front desk folks couldn't figure it out either, so while they were sorting out the coins--for which they ended up paying me around a hundred bucks, which seems fair, since most of them were more or less scrap metal--someone took me up to an inner sanctum in the building I hadn't known existed. It was a very cool frozen-in-aspic, but sunny and cheerful, vintage office. An expert was summoned and he looked at my thing, listened to it, and said it appeared to be a trinket from some Mediterranean market, with no commercial value. He even explained WHY he was listening to it. I left happy and really enjoyed everything about this experience. Old-school Chicago Loop joy, and the people couldn't have been nicer. read more

What a great place. And, they are very helpful and very understanding with the less informed among us.

Extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Excellent to have such a brilliant mind on numismatics. Harlan being in the business all of his life reflects on this knowledge and quality. read more

Simply put the poorest customer service on the planet. Actually wouldn't follow up on a coin that was mis-delivered. Treated me like I was a lowly customer because the coin in question was only a $60 dollar coin. I had been a long time customer but from this point on there are way to many other options for my future coin purchases. Attitudes at this place are way out of line and after this experience I will NEVER shop at Harlen J. Berk Ltd. again. I would recommend all stay away. Evidently, unless your a customer with deep pockets they don't care about you. UPDATE: Keep making excuses and telling lies Aaron. Keep justifying the poor customer service your employees show. It's easy to see where it is coming from. STAY AWAY FROM HARLEN J. BERK for your coin purchases. To many other and better options available. read more

Harlan J. Berk is the premiere high-end numismatic dealer in the Chicago area. The staff are great but the spreads are quite high. That is to say, they sell very high and buy very low -- even when compared to other bricks and motar retailers. This is easily the result of having extremely knowledgeable staff in a high rent district. If you are intending to make large investments in commodity precious metals, one of the larger online dealers is a better option. However, if you are looking to purchase a rare one-of-a-kind numismatic for yourself or as a gift on short notice, Harlan J Berk is a great option. It also goes without saying, there are very few places in the Chicago area where you can just walk in and purchase some of the rarer items Harlan Berk has in stock. read more

One of my favorite coin shops, the staff are always helpful, got my first ancient coins from there. The gallery for their ancients is truly something to behold. I would love it if they expanded their selection to include more obscure coins. read more

I've bought several modern coins from Harlan, and every time they "thumb" the coins with their bare hands. When I bought my first expensive coin (a 5oz silver coin produced by the US Mint), I thought that perhaps this was a common practice, but now I know better and I started using eBay instead. Still I have gone back sometimes for smaller denominations, like the latest presidential dollars which they offer for $2 each (not a terrible deal). However, they go out of their way to take the coins out of the mint rolls and handle them before packaging them. This always infuriates me slightly, because I know that their thumb print will be showing up over the years, unless I wipe it off (which also degrades the potential value). Even if the coin isn't very valuable, I'm still collecting it and paying 2x face value, so as a basic courtesy I'd expect them not to handle the coins. Today I asked (very nicely) why they are not careful about touching the coins (I was hoping for an answer about why it doesn't matter or advice about how to take care of fingerprints). Instead the guy berated me about how these are not nice coins, how they lose money on them, and and he went on to degrade me because of my interest in modern coins. He said that "maybe for $5 they would be more careful and sort through them" (which of course isn't at all what I asked). Ok, so maybe they're not good for modern coins, but there's more.... One day while I was in there buying one of the large silver coins (I think I bought two or three there before learning my lesson), I saw a young woman come in and ask about an old Morgan dollar. She wanted to know if it was valuable. They said nothing about the rarity or condition of the coin, they talked a lot about how they buy silver at face and how they give a fair deal for silver. Ultimately they convinced this young woman to sell the Morgan for about $2.50. From what I could see it looked like it was in great condition (and they didn't tell her anything about it being cleaned or anything). So, basically I wouldn't trust them to give me an honest opinion either. FINAL CONCLUSION: I've been there many times, and I don't trust their coin handling and I don't trust their valuations, and I don't trust them. read more

I have dealt with HJB for a decade, and I can compare them with my personal experience at other U.S. and European dealers. All of my purchases have been ancient Greek silver coins. In this area, you are paying for professional expertise. Ancient Greek coinage is almost infinite in variety, and values can vary enormously, even between similar coins. In addition, forgeries here are common, and it takes a very professional eye and an ironclad guarantee to keep customers from making unfortunate choices. Their founder Harlan J. Berk is something of a legend in the world of ancient coins, and the currently active staff are excellent. As an example, a lot of their wisdom is currently shared for free in their Ancient Coin Podcast, which I recommend. For bullion or common coins I recommend shopping around, but for ancients, the combined resources and expertise of HJB certainly make it one of the leading firms in the world. read more

Very professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Best coin shop in all of Chicagoland. A vast variety of coins, paper money and antiquities. Fair prices, despite the upscale downtown location. Children receive a free education on the coins they are buying. The buying environment is comfortable and there are not any high pressure sales tactics like most coin shops. I highly recommend! If I could give 10 stars I would. read more

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I have been buying and selling coins with them for years. Very small insignificant amounts, yet they, especially Darren, have always treated me with respect and given me pointers and insights which I find incredibly helpful being that I am an amateur collector. The prices are fair and reasonable and I would recommend them to anyone interested in buying or selling. read more

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! read more

Harlan J Berk - Hobby Shops Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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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. read more

I've been collecting ancient coins from this firm for over 20 years. They have represented me in domestic and international auctions and have sold my coins that I have decided to let go. In my opinion they are knowledgeable about their material and fair. They have always given me proper advise as to the limits I should keep in purchasing ancient coins and have never let a coin of mine sell at an incorrect price. It is a pleasure to work with this company read more

I just walked out of Harlan J. Berk and felt compelled to report on what an excellent experience it was. I know NOTHING about coins and was totally lost. They were fast, polite, and totally professional. They are offered a very very good price on coins I was looking to sell. I would be happy to return and strongly recommend you consider them. read more

I know one of the workers, Darren Hooper. He is very nice along with the store. I have been collecting coins for maybe 1 1/2 years and I'm 12. They have experts in all types of coins from US coins to dollar bills ext. I know that There more of a higher end coin shop so sometimes they say it's something where not looking for which I can get. I just brought a flying eagle cent which is one of the lower end coins in my collection. But over all really nice store. read more

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!~. read more

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. read more

I'm a realtor and I was helping a client liquidate a coin collection, so went in to check them out. The staff was extremely helpful and they were great at explaining the value of the pieces. I went in on three separate occasions and they were consistently great. My client was overjoyed at how much he was able to get. I would definitely go back. Shout out to Darren who handled most of the heavy lifting. read more

You people obviously are not collectors. Either their employee's are writing these reviews or you're all insane. Harlan J Berk is notorious for buying currency at a rate that will AT THE VERY LEAST triple their profit. With the exception of silver and gold bullions (melt value bars and coins) they will always offer almost 20% of what they will sell it for. Unless they think you're a shmuck and then they will offer even less. Always look on eBay before you buy from them. I GUARANTEE you will be able to buy and sell at a significantly superior price. I wish it were different but I've been to currency dealers all around the country and almost always disappoint waits. Live auctions such as eBay or private auctions are the only way to pay a fair price. If you are trying to sell currency or gold and silver you think might have value, try listing it on eBay or bringing it to an auction, before you let Harlan J Berk take you for a foul. read more

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. read more

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. read more

It's a nice place to look at some rare old coins. The silver bullion prices aren't marked up above spot anymore than anyone else. That's what gets the 2 stars. Staff behind the counter.......rude isn't the word----it's more of attitude. I don't expect sales staff at any store to do cartwheels when I walk in. These guys/gals are snobs of the worst sort. Do your homework prior - and if you MUST DARE to ask a fucking question - be ready for the eyes to roll and get some flippy snot bullshit answer. read more

Love this place. Walked in as a complete newbie after seeing some ancient coins in the window. The staff was very helpful and sent me to their ancient coin library on the 13th floor, where Curtis sat down with me and told me the stories behind some Roman coins available for my budget. I am hooked and I will be back :) read more

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. read more

I have been kicked out of every coin store in the Northside of Chicago for simply trying to buy wheat pennies. I wanted to complete a collection based on some coins I got from an inheritance. I really had no clue what I was doing, but where does an amatuer coin collector go to learn? No coin store cared to help me because they were too busy haggling over silver and gold. What if you want to get your kid involved? HJB was the only place that actually would let me sit for an hour and look through the coin trays. As they got to know me, they began to teach me how to collect. I went from being some goof who bought only fair graded 50 cent junk to a guy who now has a huge collection. I sometimes dump down $400 - $1,200 on a single penny. I don't know of any place that has as much stuff as these guys do. The place is small, so you only see the slabbed stuff when you walk in. But just ask and be polite, because they've got it. They have tons of modern coins that you can cherrypick through. Doubledies, RPMs, errors, missing initials, whatever. I just bought a MS63 1909 VDB D.D.O. the other day. Where else can you find that? Their prices always suprise me too. Compared to what most people pay for stuff on ebay, it's always cheaper at HJB. Mint sets & proof sets are always available for sale for way less. I found a D.D.O. JFK in a set I bought from there for $8. I don't get the unfriendly staff reviews at all. I've brought in total junk pennies to these guys and asked them to look at the coins to explain subtleties that baffle me. They always take the time to explain how the coin was struck and answer every question, even when I wasn't buying anything. Who else will do that for you? read more

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). read more

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. read more

I'm not a coin collector. I go to these guys for small bullion purchases a few times a year for gifts and personal collecting. They're always helpful and have everything I've looked for, even smaller weird fractional coins. In my experience, the pricing is in line with any other places you would buy gold and silver, but you don't have to pay for shipping (or wonder if an ebay seller is dishonest) and can see it before you buy. Commissions seem very fair, especially considering the considerable overhead of a storefront in the loop. The location is super convenient and easy to get to on public transportation. They have always answered any questions I have, and the transactions are fast and painless. I like these guys and have no reason to shop anywhere else for my metal purchases. read more

It isn't difficult to see why Harlan Berk has been in business for fifty years. My first visit to the store was back in August of last year to the ancients department. I was fortunate enough to be helped by Mr. Berk himself. Though I wasn't buying a coin that was going to allow anyone to retire early, I received his undivided attention and helpful advice. The selection of the type of coin I was purchasing was amazing, as was the range of price to suit the budget of any collector. Since this time I have purchased several ancient coins through their Buy Or Bid catalogues sent to me through the mail. I had the pleasure to deal with Shanna on this occasion, via email, and she was extremely friendly and accommodating. With fifty years experience behind them, and an outstanding reputation, there simply isn't any reason for me to buy anywhere else. read more

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. read more

I've been buying coins for over a decade from Harlan J Berk, Ltd. But lately the staff and by staff I mean the younger kids working there seem annoyed and sour for some reason. Just the other day I walked in and I didn't even get a hello or hi, no smile or can I help you. It was if I had to demand for help. The employee that serviced me seemed annoyed at fact that he had to get up from his laptop and leave his media site. Is this a place of business or refuge for spoiled brats with no sense of customer service?? Very disappointed loyal customer! read more

My husband and I went in to this rare shop and as soon as my husband through the door, the gentleman at the counter immediately ran into the vault. There were four people at the counter, and the young man at the desk had to get up to service us. They gave the impression that they were not use to serving people of color. My husband and I were extremely insulted by the way were treated. The gentleman did even take the time to look at our coins. He just gave us a price for the weight of the silver. If you are a person of color I would not go to this establishment!!!!!!! read more

I appreciate the professionalism and friendliness of the staff at Harlan J Berk. I found the service direct and effective as I purchased what I needed and found their pricing fair and competitive. I also felt comfortable with their quotes on selling coins to them. read more

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- read more

I've sold gold eagles to them. Professional staff and absolutely no issues. Recommended.

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. read more

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