Is my auction misleading? Not SSP I truly need your advice!

tlhoy · January 15, 2004 9:22PM

I have someone angry with me because of this Auction Is it misleading? Should I pull this auction, or is this guy giving me crap for no reason?
I am positive this coin came from & was circulated in Puerto Rico!

Question for seller--Item #2217519840:
I have a question. Why does the title say Puerto Rico? This is a very common Spanish coin in poor condition, and probably never saw Puerto Rico. Maybe you are new to colleting, but I'm jaded by all the thieves who repeatedly pray on naive collectors. My friend was taken for over $50 for a Spanish coin that wasn't worth $.50. Please do the right thing.
Thanks
XXXXX (Name withheld for privacy)

I responded to him & he has emailed back. I don't know if you folks want to read it all, but I'll post it if you think it would help.
Thanks for your help,
Glenn

newbiecollector · January 15, 2004 9:31PM

Glenn,
I can't comment on the coin but in my opinion I would just tell the guy, "thanks for the comments" and let it run. As far as I can determine it is a low cost coin and I can't see that you said anything "wrong".

theboz11 · January 15, 2004 9:31PM

You can ignore him as a heckler or respond that you "Know the Origin" of that particular coin, best to cite a reference if have one about the circulation of the coin. If he's not a bidder Ignore him rather than getting into a peeing contest. That's what I do

newbiecollector · January 15, 2004 9:36PM

<< <i>You can ignore him as a heckler or respond that you "Know the Origin" of that particular coin, best to cite a reference if have one about the circulation of the coin. If he's not a bidder Ignore him rather than getting into a peeing contest. That's what I do

>>

Much better advice than my comment.......

tlhoy · January 15, 2004 9:54PM

Here's my response to him:

Dear XXXX,
The title for the coin's listing says Puerto Rico because I know the
provenance of this particular coin: it was given to me as a teenager by our
neighbors from Puerto Rico, who had never been to Spain but brought the coin
with them to the United States with the rest of their money when they
emigrated decades ago. A Spanish colony for centuries, Puerto Rico did not
mint its own coins until the 1900s, but widely circulated coins and currency
from many other countries, although Spain provided its official currency
during its colonial period.. There are many such coins listed in the North
American coin category (go there and search Puerto Rico) simply because that
is where those particular coins were circulated after being minted in Spain.
Simply put, any coin "from Puerto Rico" dated from the 1500s through1899 is
almost certainly of Spanish origin, possibly other European countries as
well.

I am confused about your criticism of its condition: I believe my photos do
a better than average job of revealing true condition, which for this coin
is clearly WELL circulated. I made no assumptions, inflated or otherwise,
of condition or grade. I pay for supersize capability of my photos so
bidders can take a good hard look and make their own informed decisions
about what the coin is worth to them.

As for your friend who had a bad experience purchasing coins--I've bought
coins that turned out to be cleaned, whizzed, you name it. Nobody likes to
get burned. I figure anyone who's been collecting for any fair amount of
time has a similar story to tell, but all I can do is try my best to answer
questions honestly, offer coins with no reserve and I am cheerfully
accustomed to letting them go for their opening bids. I don't expect to get
much from this coin, but someone may need that year for their collection, or
for some other unknown sentimental reason. If you assumed that I listed
this coin to "trick" someone into paying more for it than you think they
should, then you have made a false assumption.

I have provided a link below to an official Puerto Rican site offering
information about tourism, recreation, and specifically the history of their
currency and coinage. This website verifies the provenance of early Puero
Rican coinage as being Spanish in origin. The text below is copied verbatim
from that website:

From the time of Puerto Rico was discovered in 1493, to 1899, when the US
exchanged the Puerto Rican "peso" to the dollar, the coins of many countries
circulated freely in the island. During the colonization of Puerto Rico, the
money that was used in Puerto Rico, was that of Spain.

http://welcome.topuertorico.org/reference/money.shtml

I hope I have "done the right thing" in addressing your question.
Glenn

Here's his response:
You and I both know that I have a hundred old,
worthless Spanish coins in a sock, but I'm not going
to advertise them as anything other than Spanish
because that's what they are. Spanish sock coins. I
have been to Puerto Rico myself, with the US Navy.
Maybe you would like to buy some of my rare US-Puerto
Rico nickels for the cheap price of $12.95 each.
That's the same thing you're telling me ... the coin
has been to the island and is therefore Puerto Rican
money. It's not. It's Spanish. Why not list it as
Spanish Brasil? Spain controlled that part of South
America. Oh, Brasilian coins are worthless. Puerto
Rican coins are valuable. That's why so many dealers
use the 'Spain - Puerto Rico' title. It's dishonest.
You know it is.
XXXXX

I thought Portugal ruled Brazil?
Glenn

newbiecollector · January 15, 2004 9:59PM

Glenn........ just block that bidder and move on. Don't waste anymore time with him. Just my opinion of course.

ccrdragon · January 15, 2004 10:16PM

I'd just block the dude and ignore any further emails from him. Self appointed critics and ebay-police are a dime-a-dozen....

tonyhar · January 15, 2004 10:36PM

Glenn your reply was great.
The guy needs to get a life. Block him!

Askari · January 15, 2004 10:38PM

Portugal owned Brazil. If he doesn't know that, he probably wasn't in the navy. This guy is a jaded idiot who gets his kicks insulting others. You need to block him and get on with it. You went beyond the call of duty to educate him, but unfortunately he's the type who seems to be uneducatable.

tbirde56 · January 15, 2004 11:26PM

Technically, the guy is right. The coin is not Puerto Rican, it only passed through Puerto Rico. It was made in Spain for Spanish use, including its colonies, which you stated in the auction.
But for such an obviously well identified and inexpensive Spanish coin he surely has no need to say anything more than what I just have and no one could really be misled by your auction. I wouldn't worry about his tirade.
There are currently 3 other sellers with 4 auctions that advertize their Spanish coins with the words Puerto Rico in the titles.

1jester · January 15, 2004 11:37PM

Glenn, you did an outstanding job of educating him, and you're fair, so please take his tirade with a grain of salt, block him, and don't waste any more time or effort on him.

Keep up the good work with the honest approach you engage in.

elverno · January 16, 2004 12:10AM

Geez for a 2 buck opening bid this guy really should get a life and cut you some slack. If you were advertising the way he implied, as a way to defraud or cheat some schmuck I'd be the first to arrive at your door with the tar and feathers

Since it ain't so. My dad has always said that free speech is wasted on those who speak too freely...

XpipedreamR · January 16, 2004 12:17AM

Maybe you could add a little blurb to the auction about Spanish coins being used in PR, but I tihnk this guy just has a bug up his a$$.

JxnBoy · January 16, 2004 1:13AM

That guy needs to get a life. You have it listed in Spain. From reading your email (I'm a new Darksider), it actually circulated in PR, which is where you (or your neighbor retrieved and collected it).

Your reply to him was far too nice. A buck ninety-nine!?!? Give me a break.

This guy would get a two word reply from me, and I'll let everyone fill in their own two words.

Good auction, good pictures, you just need to read and be educated when you're collecting, and you've provided ample information.

David

tlhoy · January 16, 2004 1:28AM

This guy would get a two word reply from me, and I'll let everyone fill in their own two words.

Thanks everyone!
I was thinking he was a little crazy, I just didn't want to mislead anyone with the auction.
I thought I remembered that Portugal ruled Brazil. Thanks Askari!
Glenn

satootoko · January 16, 2004 1:39AM

You should immediately pull your auction! His spelling, history and geography skills clearly demonstrates that he is all-knowing

who must be obeyed.

SYRACUSIAN · January 16, 2004 1:51AM

Please don't misunderstand me here: the guy has a point, but Glenn's answer was more than sufficient. He e-mails him back trying to validate his previous remarks and in a way he's right. On the other hand, he gets too excited about this incident, stating again and again that there's an intention of fraud , which clearly isn't the case here, taking his anger out on Glenn for a previous unfortunate event. No big deal imho, no need to block him either.

Essentially what tbirde said.

tlhoy · January 16, 2004 2:03AM

Up for bid: 1879 10 Centimos used in Spain & Puerto Rico.
That's all I put in the listing.
Maybe I should NOT have put Puerto Rico in the title? Is that what's bad about this listing?

SYRACUSIAN · January 16, 2004 2:10AM

That's what he suggests. I can't tell you what's right or wrong, I'm not even familiar with these coins . Don't forget that stating that you're not a very knowledgable collector yet, is very often used as an excuse by real frauds. It might not be to your advantage to have it in all of your auctions.

tlhoy · January 16, 2004 2:26AM

Don't forget that stating that you're not a very knowledgable collector yet, is very often used as an excuse by real frauds. It might not be to your advantage to have it in all of your auctions.

Wow, I put that in my auctions because some people that emailed me asking questions that I couldn't answer!
I guess I'll take that out of my auctions now.
Glenn

newsman · January 16, 2004 5:46AM

Glenn:

This guy is overreacting so bad he's tripping all over his tongue, saying Brazilian coins are worthless. Coins of Portuguese Brazil are rarer in ALL cases than comparable Spanish colonial issues, but sell for less. Why? Because collectors know the Spanish coins circulated in the US and seek them out. Just about everyone I've seen offering Spanish pillar 8 reales coins mentions those coins were legal tender in the US and are listed in the Redbook, because it's a perfectly legitimate factor in the coin's value.

Tell him to get a life and stop obssessing over a $2 coin.

Chuck

Is my auction misleading? Not SSP I truly need your advice!

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