In a shopping center on East National Road in Vandalia, near the I-75 intersection, sits an ordinary-looking storefront business that has been a community fixture for 46 years. If you want to add to your coin collection or sell your scrap gold, you don’t have to look any further than Crossroads Coins. The family-owned business has been serving this niche market since 1978, with no signs of slowing down.

Crossroads Coins boasts an experienced third-generation team with over 75 years of combined experience in the precious metals and coin industry. They have the reputation of providing sound advice to customers, whether they’re an avid rare coin collector or investing in gold and silver for the first time. The Gazette recently spoke with Bart Reames, one of the original founders, who is still on the job.

“I started going to coin shows with my dad back in 1965, and we kind of kept doing the collector-based thing,” he said. “Then we moved to northern Indiana, where we worked for a coin dealer. Eventually, we decided to come back home and open our own store. Not all the employees are family, but my son has been buying into the business.”

A big part of Crossroads’ business is providing professional numismatic appraisal services. Their goal is to help customers make informed decisions regarding the value of their coins, with no pressure or obligation to sell what they bring in.  

“All day, every day, people come in with this type of situation, where they’ve inherited a collection, aren’t sure what to do with it, and just want to know what it’s worth,” Reames said. “If it’s a formal appraisal, like for an estate, we charge for it, but we don’t for something casual.” One of their obstacles is the lack of accurate quality information that’s available online. “The internet may say something is worth millions, which brings people in. Most of the time that isn’t the case.”

The store has long been a leader in purchasing used, broken, and unwanted gold, silver, platinum, and palladium jewelry. They also purchase premium-quality diamonds. It is quite a feat for a business that deals in precious metals to survive constant economic changes for so many years.  

“Any time you have a bullion-based business, the markets can be volatile,” Reames said. “You just have to roll with the punches—sometimes you make some, sometimes you lose some. You just try not to lose too much!”

He recalled how this type of market fluctuation has impacted their business. “During the first boom, in ‘78 and ‘79,” he said, “we had people lined up outside every day waiting to sell scrap gold and coins. It lasted a good three or four months. We were so busy we didn’t have time to sit down and eat. We just kept working at the counter. Today there isn’t the market instability out there to create that kind of hysteria.”

For those who may wonder what happens to the gold after Crossroads takes it off your hands, Reames provided an answer. “We send it to a refinery where it’s melted. It winds up looking like BBs. Then they’ll ship it to jewelry manufacturers, or dentists, basically anyone who uses that type of gold content. A lot of times, they’ll sell it to big banks.”

After being a staple of the Vandalia business community for 46 years, there are no plans to scale back.

“I don’t see any reason for things to change,” Reames said. “We’ve got a great staff working here, currently 14 on staff now. We do a great retail business. I don’t know if you’ve been in lately, but the whole front of the store is now retail. We also do a lot of business with other retailers and dealers. It makes it a little easier when you’ve been doing this for a long time like we have. Reputation is a real boost in this business.”

Crossroads Coins is located at 330 E. National Rd., Vandalia, Ohio. For store hours or to make an appointment for an appraisal, contact them by phone at 937-898-5374, email at crossroads.coins@gmail.com, or via their website, crossroadscoins.net.