Honestly spoken you will met persons with a similar personality to the OP in many fields of the luxury business. This is one of the biggest challenges for the there involved personnel to recognize who really wants to buy something, is a high $$$$ paying customer or someone who just wants to troll around.

I am convinced that the OP (in that sense) is both a valuable customer and also has a unique personality. But surely will not be easy to cope with. Due to the fact that he had reached the pinnacle both in sports and in science (with a doctor's degree involving hard work).

If they have or have not that black card or the "Royal Card" of a premium department store doesn't change the person.

sw1x: It is just a higher probability that you meet "those types" like the OP if you have such cards or seraching such an environment.