(Update) Ever have a coin show up and it’s exceptionally better than the photos?
Flackthat
Posts: 412 ✭✭✭✭
I was looking for a coin to buy as I had a few eBay Bucks left to spend the other day and to be honest, I don’t know why I bought this coin from these photos. 
Well here is what showed up, it has fantastic colorful toning! It’s a real beauty in hand. Not expensive but a cool find in my book. It’s at CAC currently. 
Feel free to post any similar experiences.
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Comments
Most of the time the coin is better than the photo.
Yes.
+1 - especially when I am the one taking the pictures.....
Yes.
And although I consider myself good at interpreting color from poor photos, kudos to the OP for snagging that one.
I wouldn't have seen that coming.
Maybe a bit of color on the reverse...but the obverse....
That's amazing! You rolled the bones and it worked.
Dave
This one was nearly solid black in the photo, but I took the seller's word that the colors were there, and saw just enough of a pattern to think it could be true.
I would also have to say almost every time.
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Especially on ebay.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
You were brave and it paid off.
Looks like the OP coin was won courtesy of a lazy seller with a flatbed scanner.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
Both of the following images were taken by Mark Goodman after I won the coin on eBay (maybe 15 years ago). The seller's photo of the obverse was similar to the full slab shot but about 30% as bright. I believe he did state the coin had color in the listing, so I took a flyer.
Not very often. Maybe I end up self selecting coins that are presented well? I’ve taken a risk now and then but nothing blew me away when I got it.
TurtleCat Gold Dollars
All the time. I don't save the seller photos so I don't have much to share.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
You lucked out! Great looking merc.
Many many years ago, long before people took pictures of coins I bought a 1913-D buffalo from Jack Beymer priced as a F. The coin showed up as a nice high end and very attractive VF. Most of what I was buying back in the '50's was overgraded so I thought it was an XF at the time. Most of the F's I bought were high end G's.
I'm rarely pleasantly surprised and tend to make offers only when I see them in hand or they are mere "widgets".
A number of times. Looks like you hit the color jackpot on that one, Flackthat. What a pretty coin!
Here is an 1890 Liberty Seated Dime I purchased off Ebay 12 years ago for my birthday. The coin was so sharply struck that I bought it anyway for $35. I was utilizing NGC a lot at that time and I sent it to them for conserving because I had a suspicion it was a proof. Sure enough it came back as a PF61 . I then sold it to HJBerk for several hundred dollars(actually traded for coins and cash).
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
Nice score, Jim! One of my best scores was this one, purchased as a MS65 in a SEGS slab for $100 that is now housed in a PCGS PR65 slab. It was much better than the photos.
Just now opened up a package
The certified coin is about 100 times better than the photos
Awesome man!!!! Great score!!!
https://www.ebay.com/mys/active
Wow, Ron, now that was a fantastic pick. Did you send it in as a business strike or did you assume it was a proof upon submission?
The latter most likely.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
Yes, Jim-the latter. I wasn't 100% sure but thought it had a good shot.
I wanted to bid on a silver Israeli medal once and although the pics looked decent I was skeptical since these medals tended to pick up some tarnish, which is a problem since the medals are patinated/antiqued.
I communicated with the seller in advance, questioning every shadow in the pictures. I asked a few too many questions, I guess, since he politely suggested I might not want to buy it. I bought it anyway and it was in spectacular condition.
Right after Stack's took over for Teletrade years ago, quite a few of their toned coin photos came out flat with no luster. You could pick up the color ok, but every one of them look blah. I was very happy with the below coin, you can really see the colors and luster pop in my photo vs. their photo. Stack's has gotten much better now, they've come a long way.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
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I don’t have a better picture, but I got this guy on GC and it looks pretty good here, but I’m-hand it’s my best toned coin and the pinks and purples are awesome. Especially on the reverse. I liked it in their photos and I love it in person.
My photo first and then the seller's photo.
Photography arbitrage is a great way to make money on coins ....
Many of my coins turn out better than the photos, especially toners and proofs.
All the time, especially when the photo is a scan. Scans are so dinosaur.
This year I ordered a MS-64 Seated Lib dime from a dialer. His photo was angled so as to enhance the toned look of the coin. But when I got it in hand, it was not nearly as toned-looking as the photo. But since I'm not a toner lover, I liked the coin even more because of that. A win-win situation.
Don't have the eBay picture, but this one showed a little color in the eBay picture, but that was about it. The color looked dark brown. Finding halfway decent toned 1950-D's is very difficult, so I took a shot.
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