When do cruddy seller pics help - and when do GREAT pics help?
Bikergeek
Posts: 469 ✭✭✭✭✭
I was looking hard at a (too-small, too-dark) set of images for an MS65 capped bust half dime in a TPG's holder (not our host, and no high-res TPG photos a la True Views). The primary objective (to circumvent those who would say "you can't judge a coin from a picture!") was to attribute it correctly.
On the other hand, when I see a coin that is maybe a rare marriage, and the pictures are too good, I am skeptical. But if they're horrid - and the seller has a good return policy - then I'm on that thing like stink on a skunk! Looking for that "you suck" award!
Whatcha think?
New website: Groovycoins.com Capped Bust Half Dime registry set: Bikergeek CBHD LM Set
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Comments
Cruddy pics never help
Substandard images can help the buyer in an ebay style listing if the buyer can interpret the images properly (based upon experience with the seller or general photographic experience). This advantage is magnified if others who are also looking at the coin cannot interpret the images so well or do not feel confident in their abilities.
The above scenario has helped me multiple times on ebay.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Amen brother!
I’d much rather have a cruddy original photo than a juiced photo that over embellishes a coin and makes it look much better than it really is….JMHO.
Better to resell than return if a cherrypick doesn't turn out in your favor. You'll be glad you did in the long run.
If I’m cherrypicking, the crappier the pics the better.
To be honest, I kind of love crappy pics. There are steals out there, and they always seem to have crappy pics.
Coin Photographer.
They have helped me many times as a buyer.
Successful BST transactions- Bfjohnson, Collectorcoins, 1peter223, Shrub68, Byers, Greencopper
Absolutely, a lot of sellers block after one return.
Return privileges should be saved for grossly misrepresented purchases.
Successful BST transactions- Bfjohnson, Collectorcoins, 1peter223, Shrub68, Byers, Greencopper
Sean - agree with @IkesT & @Torey. If you see enough to think you have a shot at a rare die marriage & you’re right, you have a nice win. Plus, you can take better pics after you have it in hand. And, if it’s not, your better pics will help when you resell it. I wouldn’t return it to the eBay seller.
Ken
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Nickelodeon
Agreed lol. Gambling on bad pics is a favorite past-time of mine on eBay
Collector of Capped Bust Halves, SLQ's, Commems, and random cool stuff! @davidv_numismatics on Instagram
When viewing coin sales/auctions for attribution, it can never be "good" to have poor photos, in fact, I see no reasonable positive with poor photos, neither for the seller or for the buyer. If I see a poor photo of a coin I'm researching, I immediately look on their other listed items and if the same, this seller goes on my ignore list forever. Unfortunately, auction houses do not offer auto ignore lists, but do offer block lists, yet a buyer still must see the sellers auction. I guess they wish to prevent a buyer from autoignoring a seller. What a great software app.
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.....Mark Twain
That's not really helping anyone. It ended up benefiting you. But if it had been ugly instead?
All the bad photos do is make it harder for EVERYONE to know what they are getting.
You should buy VaultBox. You never knew what you're getting, but sometimes you win.
Yes, that is the point of a cherry pick, it did benefit me. Quite different from VB. Anyone could have bid on the morgan as it was on bids- sold for $70. I thought I could see through the bad picture to some nice color and was correct. If I was wrong, would have moved on as I strictly do not return coins unless they are fake or grossly misrepresented (like I said above).
Successful BST transactions- Bfjohnson, Collectorcoins, 1peter223, Shrub68, Byers, Greencopper
The point here is that we want to "make it harder for EVERYONE to know what they are getting".
Why? Because then you don't buy it. Tom from across the street doesn't buy it. Jerry the crackout artist doesn't even look at it. And the people who know what they're looking at get a nice little score.
And FWIW, I know what I'm getting almost every single time I end up buying a cherry. Nothing like VB.
Coin Photographer.
Knowing how to read poor photos can benefit the buyer, if they follow a consistent pattern that you can figure out.
Here there is enough detail to guess that the surface might be free from scratches or corrosion, with good detail. The vendor was only able to get under $90 with these pics.
Vendor photo
Actual appearance
I never would've guessed that that cent would end up looking like that with those pics, and I consider myself well versed in awful ebay photography! That's cool. Your photos make the coin look a lot more original, the vendor's photos would have had me questioning the surfaces.
Collector of Capped Bust Halves, SLQ's, Commems, and random cool stuff! @davidv_numismatics on Instagram
I collect type only and only those slabbed by the major services and usually stickered by CAC. I pass if I see a crappy picture as my guess is that the seller is trying to hide something. I don’t have the time to wade through a bunch of crappy pictures and try to parse out the hidden gems, the coins that meet my criteria, not just qualify for the plastic or sticker. Nor do I want to spend my time on returns and chase refunds. Kudos to those who make the effort to take accurate pictures and try to replicate the “in hand” experience. To anyone skilled enough to “read” a crappy picture, my hat’s off to you, but in general I think both the seller and buyer are best served by accurate pictures, or what I would call “great” pictures.
No offense, but my grandma could have spotted the color on that Morgan from across the yard, and she's 94, deaf in one eye and blind in the other.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
Successful BST transactions- Bfjohnson, Collectorcoins, 1peter223, Shrub68, Byers, Greencopper
I'm a big toning guy, and it helps a lot to know what great toning looks like at a not-so-great angle.
I believe this coin went for a lot less than it would have if the trueview had been used instead.
Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
Life is roadblocks. Don't let nothing stop you, 'cause we ain't stopping. - DJ Khaled
For me, cruddy pictures helped when buying raw circulated lower $ items on EBAY many years ago when auctions weren't predominately Dealers. As an example, I was looking for a nice original Morgan 96-O for my Dansco for <$50. Saw 1 that was listed as XF that didn't look overdipped or too baggy, but the pics were crappy. Very few bidders probably because of sellers listed grade since common in lower grades and the crappy photos. Won coin at $35 and felt worse case would be a loss of $10 and resell. Well coin turned out to be an AU55 and price jumps when it hits that AU range.
When buying higher $ items, for me over $250, I want great pics even if slabbed, esp when there are large price increases in 1 grade difference.
What elevated my picking game with crappy photos is two things. First – I collect as many pictures of the varieties I am searching for and put them in my “photo library” which is a photographic reference I use to see the markers in different light, wear, etc. The second benefit to me was learning how to photograph coins. This has helped me to “read” a sellers images better and determine if what I think I am seeing – is really it – or just an anomaly caused from bad lighting, focus, etc.
WS
I know what you're saying, but i disagree. Early posters talked about what to do when they get a loser (sell or return). Bad photos turn it into a lottery - which is what VB is, not that i need cling to the metaphor.
Yes, you can benefit if you're not handicapped AS MUCH as other buyers. But you would be better served, other than price perhaps, if you could see exactly what you were buying.
Yeah, I tend to agree with all you folks. I think of the return policy as a safety net... in my risk mitigation mindset. In the example from my original post, it was a dealer's website, not an eBayer. You can have a conversation with them if need be - and they value buyers as much as we buyers value them, bringing product to the market--so common ground can be found.
But it's a lot easier to buy a $110 coin with a "what's the worst that can happen?" attitude, than it is to buy a $3k coin.
New website: Groovycoins.com Capped Bust Half Dime registry set: Bikergeek CBHD LM Set
I recently dropped out of the bidding for a 5 coin 1936 proof set due to bad images. It ended up going for about $1k or so above my max, ~$4300 hammer price. With the images provided I just could not justify the risk, but apparently someone could.
Why would anyone, particularly a dealer, think that a single image of each side of a set is anywhere near adequate pictures for a proof set of this era? I see it all the time.
Collector, occasional seller
I never buy a coin sight unseen.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
I know you and you suck even if you haven’t bought anything!
Does that count?
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I disagree with your disagreement.
Coin Photographer.
True, but they can if one finds an effective way to attribute the coin even with cruddy pics. For example: Everybody looks for the crossbar on the 4 on 1855/54 halves to spot the overdate. The problem is the 4-crossbar is very hard to see in most fuzzy eBay photos. Where does one look in those situations? Some know those things and others don't.