Why E-bay ?

Skipper53

I've never bought anything on E-bay though some of my friends swear by it.
Nearly every day I hear about some poor soul who's been ripped-off on E-bay.
Are there that many great deals to be had there, or would I be better just
buying my coins from established dealers I trust ?

airplanenut

There are great deals to be had... and scams. You just have to be careful not to get scammed.

Jeremy

cherrypickincoin

eBay is okay but I guarantee you won't get any top of the line coins on there. eBay is usually the place where the stuff is put when the dealer can't sell it in his shop or on the bourse. eBay is always a last resort option for me when looking for a coin.

291fifth

Ebay is good for certain types of coins, such as modern commems which few store or bourse dealers seem to stock. There is no question that some dealers use it as a dumping ground and there are plenty of scammers as well. I have used it a great deal over the past 3+ years but will be cutting back now that my want list is much shorter and specialized. Large and medium size shows are still probably the best place to buy.

eBay is probably still a good place to sell if you can put up good quality photos and have nice mid-range coins, preferably slabbed by PCGS, NGC or ANACS. In the area where I live there are a fairly large number of store and bourse dealers. Unfortunately, none of them have heard that the market is"double nuclear". They generally pay well back of bid for everything. If you have specialty material to sell in my area forget the local dealers completely. They don't pay squat.

jbsteven

I would say it depends on the Ebay dealer you deal with. I put all of my items on Ebay and they are by no means ones that would not sell on the bourse. Buy from a seller with a return policy and you will be fine.

LucyBop

<< <i>but I guarantee you won't get any top of the line coins on there. >>



and I personally guarantee that you can, as I have often and will continue to offer on Ebay some of the finest Franklins known.
And I'm not simply talking because of their technical grades, I'm talking coins that will rival and/or surpass anybodys in the country based on eye appeal, strike charateristics....

I sold a awesome brilliant 54s Frankie on Ebay that was a stunner... the person that got it is very pleased.

Placid

Ebay can be a good source for coins. I buy from dealers,auction houses and eBay.
I have never been "ripped off" on eBay just be careful who you buy from and make sure you can return it if you don't like it.
There is alot of junk on eBay and also some nice coins.

Skipper53

Thanks for the direction. I'll be careful and, I'll be sure to look for Lucy's coins.

Skipper

DanC

The more appropriate questiion is: Why NOT ebay?

Lakesammman

I've sold some nice coins via ebay and bought a few. I've had fewer neg. experiences with ebay than with dealers.

If you want to check out some average, mundane coins, check out ANACONDAS listings on ebay! I have a few listed too but don't want to get banished for saying so, so don't look at them.

ursabear

Skipper,

There are several dimensions that make eBay attractive (or unattractive, based on your experience). One is selection - for many types of coins, there is a great deal of choice. Another is the prospect of browsing (and maybe cherry) lots of coins in a short period of time.

Sometimes, deals are really good, but it takes about as much work as visiting multiple in-person places.

my3cents

E-bay is the wild west....

There are good shop keepers - --and there are theives, rustlers, and snake oil salesman

DanC

<< <i>If you want to check out some average, mundane coins, check out ANACONDAS >>



Ooooh... dude - you're messing with a LAWYER!

relayer

it's easy for the lazy folk

mercurynut

Like everything in life there is the good and the bad......but the good seems to outweigh the bad on Ebay

Bochiman

Why ebay?
For all the reasons that people mention PLUS the fact that not everyone has "a" coin shop, or maybe any "good" coin shops near them and ebay creates that access.
I would not have gotten back into coins like I have if not for ebay. Too hard to find a good coin shop near me especially with the hours I would need to visit them.

Also, there are good deals to be found....ask Lori about the 1964 proof set she got a few days ago (she outbid me ).....

Ron

beorn

i live 100 miles from the closest coin dealer,so ebay provides me with an opportunity to see a large number of coins.same goes for selling.as others have pointed out the key element is being careful who you deal with on ebay.another great place to find coins is right here on this forum...i.ve bought a few coins from forum members and never been disappointed.....also found some nice other coin sites thru this forum..there is a mountain of knowledge and guidance here......all you have to do is ask them for it

Skipper53

Yeah Ron, I recall Lori's jackpot proofset. Did she get that on E-bay ?
So far, the opinion of E-bay seems split 50-50 .
It must work great for some people and not for others.

Bochiman

The one I saw, that I also bid on and was outbid, yes...that was ebay last week or so.
If you are after highend, slabbed, items, you can do ok on ebay. If you are after common stuff, you can do ok on ebay.
I think it gets harder going for the middle ground.

Fun part is finding the sellers who seem honest and good.....i steer away from the ones that have a book written for all their rules and restrictions.
I also look at feedback received and given
and, I have asked other people's opinions when in doubt

There have been a few I haven't been too happy with, but, no sellers have been unreasonable and I try to treat them as I want to be treated....I find that works well for most on ebay. I buy and pay asap...I also contact them asap (and, that helps if it will take me a few days to get the cashier's check and get it mailed out to them)...and, I let them know when I get the item and how it arrived and what I think of it.

So, if you check out the ones you are buying from and treat them like you want to be treated, and are careful of the items you buy (if you can't tell counterfeit key dates, etc, stay away from them on ebay unless a very reputable seller), you shouldn't have many problems.

haletj

I use ebay to buy a coin I can't find anywhere else. I only buy returnable coins. Lately I've returned many, and am now only buying something that looks like a 100% chance I will like it. I don't try to find bargains or discounts (anymore) and bid strong when I do see something good. Yes there is a lot of junk that dealers can't get rid of elsewhere, but some really nice coins can be found, sometimes sold by other collectors, or by dealers who only use ebay.

Louis

<< <i>E-bay is the wild west....

There are good shop keepers - --and there are theives, rustlers, and snake oil salesman >>



Sounds kinda like the bourse floor at the coin shows.

ARCO

Coins are wherever coins are. Dealers have nice ones, Ebay gets them now and then, they are found at shows, from other collectors and from the internet dealers.

I have found many beautiful coins on Ebay. I don't buy Unc. so I can buy raw based on my own standards of grading and originality. Ebay and the internet has made collecting my series more than a pipe dream. Sure I have been burned a little, but have regretted some purchases from my dealer also.

Tyler

My Icon Barber half is a $300+ AU55 1900-S bought with a cost basis of about $69.00. No dealer I have ever met sells them at that price.

tonyhar

Ebay is a great advantage when you live on an Island that does not have Coin shops or Shows. It allows me the chance to buy and sell items worldwide and not wait until the next holiday trip.
Keep putting on nice items.
Tony

Coppernicus

I've done over 300 ebay transactions (mostly buying) and have never had a problem. Some coins I bought are strong for the grade, some weak but I only buy PCGS and NGC slabs. Raw coins are too risky sight unseen whether on ebay or catalog, etc. - at least for me.

Mike

BAJJERFAN

To paraphrase Garrett Morris from SNL "eBay has been very very good to me"

eisq222

If buying there is the GOOD - BAD & UGLY,be careful.Selling you should get a better price,if done right.

jadecoin

OK, don't take this the wrong way, but let me plug our current ebay auctions. We are offering a lot of choice material, all unreserved, and all but a very few start out at one penny. PLUS, we always offer a full 10-day return privelege and free S&H.

My point is, please don't think you can't get top-quality material on eBay. If you deal with reliable sellers, I think you can do just fine on eBay. I think the most important thing to do is check feedback. Even though that's not 100% reliable either...

And, I think there are plenty of other sellers, many of them forum members, who are very honest and have great eBay ethics.

I guess the best I can say is be careful, and good luck.

dizzlecc

Best advice is to use good common sense.

I can attest first hand that some dealers offer their best coins at their ebay stores. I went to a local show recently and the dealer had a card with his ebay store ID on it. I checked out the site and I remember many of the same coins he was offering at the show was on the site.

I have made one purchase off of ebay 1887 MS65 Morgan in NGC holder. I was pleased with the coin. I didn't make a killer deal but it was a solid coin for the money.

I wouldn't buy anything unslabbed though.

BAJJERFAN

Why wouldn't one sell nice stuff on eBay? Where else are you gonna find such a large number of buyers in one place? In my experience coins on eBay usually seem to sell for about what they are worth.

ConstellatioCollector

Over 7 million registered users (That's what I heard) on-line and ready to buy! That's why!

fcloud

Long list of great dealers including Heritage, DHRC, and More!

Shamika

In my opinion, eBay used to be great place to steal coins. Now, however, you really have to look long and hard.

The biggest problem is that the secret is out so when you do find a great coin, you can bet that there are a dozen others waiting to snipe it.