"Hello Middletown, I am the owner of Middletown Coin Connection and proud to be. I am 21 years old and have collected coins from the tender age of 5. I have always had a passion for collecting coins and paper money and will continue until the day I die. I gave up many things to open my business including three years of schooling at Miami towards a business degree and my position as assistant manager at Kay Jewelers in the mall. I realized through working at Kay jewelers that there was a strong demand for an exchange center for coins, paper money, and scrap gold. I learned this from my customers that called and walked in the store curious of a place other than a pawn shop to sell their coins and gold. After about two weeks or so of trying to convince myself that opening a shop would be a good day, I put my two week notice in and pursued my dream. I looked around the Middletown area and came up with a few locations. One place I chose was the Middletown mall. Once I spoke with mall management I realized the potential of great business at a low price. I know most people I told about my idea said the mall is a bad idea but they couldn't be any farther from wrong, the mall has been a very lucritive spot for my passion. Including cheap rent and two jeweler stores right next to me I couldnt have chose a better place. So far business has been anywhere from fair to excellent. The way I look at myself and my business is this: I provide a service that not many provide in this area besides local pawn shop which is what I am not by any means. Second of all when people sell their possesions to me they turn around walk right back into the mall and spend some of their money. I like to refer to it as a recycling process that a small scale effort on helping revive the mall. I can't see how any one could possibly give a thumbs down and shoot down my passion. To recap I'm a "just turned" 21 year old who has given up so much to chase my dream of owning a coin shop and also trying to help jump start a local economy by providing top dollar for all amcerican coins, paper money, and precious metals. So before anybody makes any assumptions I encourage you to come in my store and have a look around or just a conversation with me before you do make an uneducated remark towards my store and my self. Thanks so much Josh and Adam! Sincerely Brendan Carnes (Middletown Coin Connection)" - 10/25/2008 11:04:13 AM
"No thank you, nothing against the coin connection, just a little advice - get a new location, guys you might think you are making some money and you may be, but it is being spent on the rent, and then your rent is being skimmed off of by the people who process your rent checks, think about that? I am sorry but the mall is going to close, and then where will the store be?? Get out while you can, trust me" - 10/21/2008 11:40:44 AM
"Toni... I personally know the MCC owner and they are making money. The good thing about the mall is their rent is like $600/month which is less than they make in a day sometimes, so.... location might suck... but it's CHEAP." - 10/23/2008 3:15:49 PM