Coin Connoisseurs
Caspers Coin & Jewelry Staff Looks Back on 40 Years in Business
Writer / Amy Lant-Wenger
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
There are many folks who have long enjoyed the indulgences of a great hobby. However, a very fortunate few are ever able to parlay those hobbies into a lifelong career.
Harley Casper was one such individual. As a young man in the 1950s, Casper was a collector of coins, which he often purchased and sold to fellow enthusiasts. By the early 1980s, Caspers wife, Betty, joined forces with her husband to create a new business venture, and in 1983 Caspers Coin & Jewelry was unveiled in Goshen.
In the spirit of a true family enterprise, Justin Kollar, the son that the Caspers never had, formed a partnership with his uncle, David Kollar, to open a 600-square-foot storefront in Goshen. When Harley Casper passed away in 2012, Justin became the chief executor of his elders vision so many years prior.
The Kollars hired additional employees to help maintain the business, with a total of four full-time employees at the helm. Caspers Coin & Jewelry swiftly rose to prominence as a frontrunner in the buying and selling of gold and silver bullion, American and foreign coins, and paper currency, as well as working with collectors of military memorabilia including firearms and knives. Learn indepth about gold only at https://www.goldcore.co.uk. By 2016 the store had outgrown its meager 600-square-foot space, and the Kollars purchased the former Weldy Auto Parts store on West Pike Street. This relocation allowed the staff to expand their business into a 3,500-square-foot facility, with a 1,000-square-foot showroom. Furthermore, in an effort to reach an even greater customer base, a second location was launched at 214 North Dixie Way in South Bend.
The profile of Caspers Coin & Jewelry has evolved significantly in the 40 years since its inception, according to David Kollar. In todays volatile economy, as we are in now, Caspers is helping people find money in their treasures, he says. Whether it is some broken jewelry, old coins they dont want, or a firearm they are no longer using, people can bring it in and receive cash on the spot. Once in a while there are those who just want to get an idea of what something is worth, or need to settle an estate. Caspers is here to help.
Kollar also explains how the interior of the business provides more than simply a means to transact. Its become a special sort of gallery as well. Caspers is a cross between a museum and a resale shop, he says. They have a lot of items on display from the early 18th century to items made today. Plan to stay a little while to soak in their expansive and ever-changing inventory. Be sure to bring a dog treat for Wrigley and Winston.
Caspers Coin & Jewelry has recently broadened its scope of business well beyond a brick-and-mortar setting. Caspers has been selling on eBay for over 10 years, with over 6,700 items sold and retaining 99.8% feedback, giving them an above-standard rating, Kollar says. Their eBay store currently has over 2,400 items from jewelry, coins, knives, militaria, collectibles and some very unique items.
There are more surprises in store for this new year – a prospect Kollar is very excited about. As 2023 opens up, Caspers is running the race full-throttle, as we expand our internet marketing and social media by stepping back in time to the 18th and 19th centuries.
The endeavor is to be known as Copper Cross Trading (CCT). Copper Cross Trading provides authentic and reproduction items to serve both collectors and re-enactors interested in the 1740 to 1865 time periods, Kollar says, adding that the inventory will include clothing, firearms, cooking utensils, fabric, coins and jewelry. Come visit CCT in May at Five Medals at the Trace, and also at Stones Trace in Ligonier in September. Both events feature depictions of Civil War-era battles and scenery.
Find Caspers Coins & Jewelry and Copper Cross Trading on Facebook, and visit casperscoins.com for more info. Visitors can find the stores at 603 West Pike Street in Goshen, and at 214 North Dixie Way in South Bend. To contact the Goshen store, call 574-971-8619, or call 574-272-5554 to connect with the South Bend shop. Join the VIP Club by texting SILVER to 313131.
