Ten helpful hints for budding young eBay sellers.

Russ

1. We all know what the proof set box looks like; how about a picture of the actual coins?

2. It's pretty silly to put a reserve on a $10 item.

3. Speaking of reserves, when you scream "NO RESERVE" and start your item at retail, you look foolish.

4. We know it isn't coincidence that the stock images you use happen to be DEEP CAMEO/HIGH GRADE coins.

5. Get rid of the Flash in your auctions. I doesn't impress anybody, and annoys many.

6. Ditto for animated gifs and music.

7. "I don't know anything about coins" is tired. Try something new like "I actually do know something about coins, but I'd like you to believe I don't so you think you're getting a rip when, in reality, I'm a con artist planning to take you to the cleaners."

8. If you're going to steal another seller's images, at least have the good sense to wait until his auction closes. It would be even smarter to wait until the auction is out of the eBay system, but I realize that's probably asking too much.

9. Oh, and when we eMail and ask if the image is the actual coin you're selling it's a good idea not to lie and say it is. Some of us live on eBay.

10. Finally, you look stupid when you yell "RARE!" in the title of an auction for a PR69DCAM modern with a population of several thousand coins.

Russ, NCNE

bearcave

11.

FC57Coins

Have we been screwed with lately Russ?

kieferscoins

Good points Russ!

Cameron Kiefer

21Walker

Gotta agree with you Russ on every point, I use no pomp and circumstance when I list item. I use simple description, nice pic (both sides), reasonable shipping ( $1-$2.50 depending on the item), combined shipping (usually 2nd coin free), return. I wish some of these people that sell on EBAY would get with the program (if there is one)........ie: $2 coin shipping $4.95 ( and they go on to explain gas, time, supplies, postage and on and on and on)...........Any coin in a 2X2 & padded envelope should not ask for more than 1.50 + insurance if they want it. More expensive coins ($30 & over, insurance should be required to cover your a** and theirs).................Just my 2 cents worth.......Rick

ldhair

12. May I add. A pic from 12 ft don't help much.

RGL

Sorry ... I may have antagonized Russ with thoughts of a couple of rips ... but, he makes sense, ultimately, much to our enduring consternation.

fcloud

Russ,

Do you think anyone listens?

What about those rare hoard auctions? Those sure look like they are fun.

kieferscoins

TTT.

Cameron Kiefer

nccoin

<< <i>12. May I add. A pic from 12 ft don't help much. >>



No it don't.

PhillyJoe

13. You're asking people to send money blindly based on the picture. Please learn how to use the focus feature.

Joe

dthigpen

<< <i>Gotta agree with you Russ on every point, I use no pomp and circumstance when I list item. I use simple description, nice pic (both sides), reasonable shipping ( $1-$2.50 depending on the item), combined shipping (usually 2nd coin free), return. I wish some of these people that sell on EBAY would get with the program (if there is one)........ie: $2 coin shipping $4.95 ( and they go on to explain gas, time, supplies, postage and on and on and on)...........Any coin in a 2X2 & padded envelope should not ask for more than 1.50 + insurance if they want it. More expensive coins ($30 & over, insurance should be required to cover your a** and theirs).................Just my 2 cents worth.......Rick >>



What if the seller is extremely paranoid and mails all coins in coin world carboard mailers placed inside 3M water resistant padded envelopes? Then is a $4-5 Shipping justified?

rhedden

10 tips for budding scammers on ebay

1. A $10 investment in a small can of sulfur makes a lot of rainbow toned monsters.
2. TYPE AUCTION LISTINGS IN ALL CAPS. YOU NEED TO SCREAM AT YOUR BUYERS OR THEY WILL NOT KNOW YOUR COINS ARE NICE.
3. Make a point of having no return policy. If you insist on a return policy, charge a 200% restocking fee.
4. Steal pictures from current Bowers auctions, and lie about it, contrary to what Russ suggests.
5. Open up 6 ebay user ID's that shill bid on each others' coins.
6. Make up a wild story about how your coins got toned- like how you found a bag of toned Frankies in an alien space ship out in the desert.
7. Post negative comments from this board in your auction just to shake things up. Great publicity.
8. Don't actually send any of the items your bidders won. Then they will find out that the coins are AT junk.
9. Private buyer ID and private feedback. Of course, that should go without saying if you got this far.
10. If all else fails, you can always open you own grading service and churn out PR70 DCAM moderns (with $100,000 auction value!) all day long.

kieferscoins

Cameron Kiefer

ognib

...and from a guy who recently sold his first item on Ebay and didn't do his homework...UPS can only ship air to Alaska (too many customs stops for ground) so the cheapest I could get was second day air at $20 and change.

stephunter

You left out:

Don't put in the auction that the coin "trends for $22,000", then list it with a buy it now for $49.00.

Murphy

Nice stuff indeedy, all of it.

- I especially agree with the following:
1. use a clear photo of the actual coin.
2. it's ok to embellish somewhat, but people aren't so stupid that they can't tell an overstatement when they read one, so don't over-embellish the description of your coin.
11. maintain your integrity! Your EBay positive feedback tells others whether they can do business with you or not. Kepp it 100% positive if at all posible.

paigowjohnny

<< <i>Speaking of reserves, when you scream "NO RESERVE" and start your item at retail, you look foolish. >>


Yep...love that little ploy !!

coinfool

When I first started on eBay, I used to practically write books describing the coin. Oh, I'd say what a bushel of wheat cost during the year that the coin was minted (ad nauseum). Looking back, I disgust myself. I found that I only cared about a few things as a buyer: What is the actual condition of the coin (which is very difficult to tell), and is it worth my dime. Heck, I got bored reading my own ads

the fool.

By the way, I never use the term "I know nothing about coins" in eBay ads, but I do it here because if I pretended to know alot, I would be called out on the table immediately and take a thrashing.

wjd283

<< <i>10 tips for budding scammers on ebay >>



11.Type several paragraphs concerning stuff nobody cares about to draw them offsides to the fact you're about to rip them a new one.

coinfool

That's a great image of Eta Carinae above your name!

Myqqy

This whole thread should be a must read for every potential lame ebay seller who wants to have a long career ripping people.....

wjd283

Thanx!
It was hard to get that light years wide image into a 1 1/4 inch square.

coinfool

I completely know what you mean! I tried to get the crab nebula (a blotch), sombrero galaxy (dumb idea) and others. Hats off to you. Sorry folks, no more talk about astronomy.