Eef Mulder has noticed for six months that it is busier in his shop on the Lepelstraat in the center of Haarlem. More and more people come to him to exchange their gold and silver for money to be able to pay the rising bills. “It’s about thirty percent busier now, so one-third. And I think we’re going to get to two-thirds this winter.”
The gold exchange office Jelek van Eef Mulder has been located in the Lepelstraat for fifty years. Eef Mulder once took over from his father. In all those years he and his father have experienced many recessions and Mulder now foresees another winter in which he will do good business. “It is very double. I will probably get very busy later, but not in a nice way. I would rather have seen it differently.”
Text continues below the video
In addition to people who already live in poverty, Mulder now sees more and more people entering with middle incomes. And with that, he is also offered other types of jewelry and watches. “I notice that I am offered nicer pieces that normally remain in the safe.”
Pay the bill
Mulder often quickly notices whether things are being sold because the money is really needed to pay the bills. “Yes, I usually know that, you can feel it. And some people tell it too, but it’s also something that people are ashamed of. It’s not nice to say that you can’t pay the bills anymore.”
Some customers also tell Mulder the story behind the jewelery or watch and who it belonged to. These are sometimes harrowing stories, but he is used to that by now. “I do have compassion when they tell it, but when they are gone I go back to the order of the day. Otherwise I can become Doctor Phil. I can close myself well from it and you learn that too, because otherwise you won’t be comfortable here.”