Donny is a man in his late 40s who owns Don's Resale Shop. He functions as a mentor figure to his young employee, Bobby, offering him guidance on street smarts and the nature of business. He views himself as an expert in free enterprise and plans to steal back a buffalo nickel from a recent customer. He attempts to balance his desire for financial gain with his loyalty to his friends.

Teach is an older, highly insecure man who masks his fear of irrelevance with aggressive posturing and paranoia. Frustrated by a recent loss at the poker table, he defines his masculinity through his perceived economic potential and views the world with deep suspicion. He aggressively inserts himself into Donny's planned heist, insisting on his own superiority to justify replacing Bobby in the job.

Bobby is a teenager who works as Donny's gopher at the resale shop. Eager for Donny's approval, he absorbs his boss's lessons on business and tries to prove his own worth. He struggles with a drug habit and operates on the margins of the community, quietly observing the older men and seeking an opportunity to turn a profit on a buffalo nickel.

Fletcher is a skilled poker player and associate of the men at Don's Resale Shop. He commands respect from Donny, who views him as a paragon of street smarts and instinct. His reputation varies depending on who is speaking, as Teach fiercely questions his integrity and accuses him of cheating at cards.

Ruthie is a gay woman and a successful participant in the community's local poker games. She frequently wins money, which triggers intense resentment from insecure players like Teach. Though she does not appear on stage, her presence in the neighborhood and her interactions with the men significantly impact the shop's social dynamics.

Grace is a patron at the Riverside Diner and a companion of Ruthie. Her brief interaction with Teach over a breakfast plate fuels his ongoing outrage and sense of victimization.

Earl is a mutual poker-playing friend of the men at the junk shop. He possesses connections in the wider economic system, specifically providing Donny with contact information for a coin collector.