Do you ever buy coins sight unseen?

coinpictures

Just curious. Given that so much of the photography one sees on Ebay is dismal, it sometimes is effectively buying sight unseen. Obviously slabbed is better than raw in this case, and a return privilege would be a must.

When I bought my first batch of coins from Ron Guth they were obviously sight unseen, but he has a stellar reputation in the community, and offers a no-questions-asked return policy.

I gambled on this one sight unseen since there was a clearly stated return privilege. Krause only lists as high as XF ($25), so I figured $86 net for a PCGS MS66 couldn't be too out of line (how many can be floating around in that state of preservation?).

coinrookie

I buy atleast half my coins sight unseen. They do come from well respected dealers and forum members.


Steve

3Mark

Yes, when you buy from Karl Stephens, he has no pics and some are not slabbed. Has has been around for a long time and good return policy. You also get them on memo. I also buy from several other dealers in Germany and have never seen the coins and they are not slabbed, but I know I can return them. They are also on memo. BTW, two of the coins that you got from Ron Guth were mine and you got a good deal-3Mark

ccrdragon

If it's from a reputable seller and/or one (like some ebay wannabes) that I have done business with in the past, I have no problem buying coins sight-unseen.

If it's someone that I have never done business with, but comes with good recomendations from the folks here, I will have no problem doing business sight-unseen.

The ones that scare me are the ones that pop up on ebay and other places on the web that don't have a rep and don't post pix - those I will not do business with.

Fairlaneman

In the coin Hot Bed where I live maybe 2 or 3 coins can be found a year. This translates to a 98% unseen purchase rate for me. Both Liteside and Darkside.

Ken

wybrit

Most of my coins have been obtained sight unseen. I have better luck in that arena than I have had on ebay.

SYRACUSIAN

Mine too are basically sight unseen. But in case they're slabbed, I try to be careful with the grades, for instance MS62, or AU50 are grades I will probably avoid.

Conder101

Not one of the transactions described here has been a sight-unseen transaction. "offers a no-questions-asked return policy", "has been around for a long time and good return policy. You also get them on memo. " These are sight SEEN transactions. The deal isn't done until after you have SEEN the coins and approved of them. In a sight unseen transaction, you don't see the coins, you buy the coins, and they are YOURS no returns. If there is a return policy then it is not sight unseen (Except for returns due to non-authentic pieces or "ordered a PCGS 65 received a PCGS 63". If you order a particular slabbed grade the slab does have to have that grade on it. The coin doesn't have to BE that grade. It can be any piece of junk. But the label on the slab has to be the same grade as what you ordered.)

No I don't buy sight unseen.

Sylvestius

Extremely rarely these days.

When i bought coins off of mail lists i used to buy them sight unseen all the time. I rarely do this now. Sometimes i do buy of mail lists but i generally send the dealer and email requesting a photo first, to see if the look of the coin fits with what i already have.