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Hi All! A refugee from the PSA boards..
Boopotts
Posts: 6,784 ✭✭
in Stamps Forum
Hi folks,
I'm in the process of putting together a website that will address the 'do's and don'ts' for buying and selling particular collectibles on online auctions. The idea is to make the virtual market for collectibles (coins, stamps, sportscards, comic books, you name it) safer, smoother and generally more efficient. To this end I have a couple general questions about stamps and I'm hoping you guys can help me out in any way possible. I've decided to build this website because I am sick and tired of seeing scammers make out with thousands selling sports cards on Ebay, and thought it would be great to incorporate all collectibles in the site.
1) What are some of the garden variety scams that seedy stamp dealers/collectors try to pull on online auctions? I know there are more sports card scams then there are fish in the ocean but I don't know about stamps. Or, in other words, if a far flung cousin called you and told you he wanted to get into stamps, and that he was going to be doing most of his buying via online auctions, what are the things you would tell him to watch out for?
2) If someone backdoored their way into a stamp collection and knew nothing about stamps, what advice would you give him for putting the stamps up for auction?
3) Related to question 2: What general advise would you offer to a stamp collector with 'some' knowledge of the hobby if he was going to start selling online?
Any help you guys can offer would be great!
Best to all,
Guy
I'm in the process of putting together a website that will address the 'do's and don'ts' for buying and selling particular collectibles on online auctions. The idea is to make the virtual market for collectibles (coins, stamps, sportscards, comic books, you name it) safer, smoother and generally more efficient. To this end I have a couple general questions about stamps and I'm hoping you guys can help me out in any way possible. I've decided to build this website because I am sick and tired of seeing scammers make out with thousands selling sports cards on Ebay, and thought it would be great to incorporate all collectibles in the site.
1) What are some of the garden variety scams that seedy stamp dealers/collectors try to pull on online auctions? I know there are more sports card scams then there are fish in the ocean but I don't know about stamps. Or, in other words, if a far flung cousin called you and told you he wanted to get into stamps, and that he was going to be doing most of his buying via online auctions, what are the things you would tell him to watch out for?
2) If someone backdoored their way into a stamp collection and knew nothing about stamps, what advice would you give him for putting the stamps up for auction?
3) Related to question 2: What general advise would you offer to a stamp collector with 'some' knowledge of the hobby if he was going to start selling online?
Any help you guys can offer would be great!
Best to all,
Guy
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Comments
As to your questions:
1. Altered, faulty, reperf, regum, or fake items. Of course, only experience will help a collector out in identifying problem items. I have purchased a few stamps on eBay as fault-free, but when in hand, I find a thin or some other fault. Then there's regums advertised as post office fresh and so on. Also just because cat says its worth $100, don't bid $100 until you get some knowledge of the hobby.
2. Go to a dealer and get a realistic value of your items.
3. Don't expect to get near catalog value; unless you have superb and/or rare issues. Put a clear pic of the stamp in the auction so there will be no dispute if someone trys to switch items in a return.