By Jesse Robitaille
Numismatic dealers across Canada are feeling the impact of the ongoing postal strike, which began on Nov. 15 and is expected to cost small- and medium-sized businesses over $1 billion.
The strike has caused significant disruption for many in the numismatic community, according to long-time dealer Michael Findlay, who also serves as president of the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers (CAND). While CAND has yet to issue an official statement, Findlay noted the organization is considering communications with its dealer members regarding the strike.
“All our members are dealers, so we all know what we’re going through. Anyone who does anything online is having a relatively tough time because nothing is moving. It seems that collectors are really backing off in their spending because they don’t know when they’re going to get it unless it’s a more expensive item,” said Findlay. He added that dealers can still use alternative services like FedEx to deliver packages to street addresses but not post office boxes.
The strike has also affected the attendance of “casual dealers” at shows, particularly those who buy inventory to sell online. “They can’t ship anything, so they aren’t buying. Overall, it’s been a great inconvenience, and it’s really starting to bite—not only in our industry but others, too. And if and when the strike ends, it will take weeks to move the mail they already have,” Findlay explained.
Online dealers, especially those selling on platforms like eBay, have reported significant sales declines to Canadian Coin News. They attribute this to the high costs of using courier services for items that would typically be shipped by first-class mail.
Impact on Businesses
In late November, Canada Post announced it had been unable to deliver an estimated 10 million parcels ahead of Black Friday, about two weeks after the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) declared a nationwide shutdown as a “last resort.”
By Dec. 2—nearly three weeks into the strike—Canada Post presented CUPW with “a comprehensive framework for reaching negotiated agreements.” A week earlier, the Crown corporation had acknowledged “limited progress” in the negotiations, which had subsequently stalled.
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