Why do dealers not post images...

earlyAurum

for some coins but not for others? Are they trying to hide something or is it a selling/marketing technique?

earlyAurum

Sorry that should read "Why do dealers not post images for some coins but do so for others?".

Constantine

It takes some time to take and post pictures. Could be lack of time, or laziness, especially if the item is not a "big ticket".

Tonelover

It is a well orchestrated conspiracy to keep the collector down. And there have been secret, back alley dealer meetings in which it was determined that not having pictures greatly increases sales because the torture of not knowing what something looks like drives many people to order blindly. So yes, it is a marketing technique as well. You hit the nail on the head with your suppositions.

MidLifeCrisis

Connecticoin

It's because the dealers have not figured out how to clone Mark Goodman yet.

robkool

They probably don't want to invest the extra $$$ for photo equipment, & time for those close-up shots...

johnny9434

i know a dealer on the bay who post pics, some you can size up and others do not. i do not buy from they dealer after getting burnt. his loss and dealer wonders why i do not buy from them.

zeebob

I'm sure it depends on the dealler. I've asked several dealers that very same question. I have received several answers. The common ones are here:

"Just haven't gotten to it yet. If you are interested I'll locate the coin and email you some snap shots."

"Our web guy only comes in once a week, the photo will be up next week."

"I don't do my own photos, and my photographer hasn't gotten to the coin yet." (or I haven't sent it to the photographer, or the photographer costs money and this is a low dollar coin so there is no
margin for photographs)

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>for some coins but not for others? Are they trying to hide something or is it a selling/marketing technique? >>

1. Get yourself a website and post a listing and pictures of all the coins in your collection.
2. Buy new coins for your collection as fast as the typical dealer adds coins to his inventory.
3. Update the website with a listing of your new purchases.
4. Post pictures of your new purchases.

5. Pictures of all your coins aren't posted yet? Are you trying to hide something?

gecko109

<< <i>

<< <i>for some coins but not for others? Are they trying to hide something or is it a selling/marketing technique? >>

1. Get yourself a website and post a listing and pictures of all the coins in your collection.
2. Buy new coins for your collection as fast as the typical dealer adds coins to his inventory.
3. Update the website with a listing of your new purchases.
4. Post pictures of your new purchases.

5. Pictures of all your coins aren't posted yet? Are you trying to hide something? >>





And dont forget the almighty, important #6...

6. Occasionally try to sell a coin that you do not physically own.

earlyAurum

mrpotatoheadd, I should have been more precise. I am asking about some coins that remain without images even while there is significant turnover of the inventory over a long period of time (months). During this time period, new coins will come online and are sold but some still persist without images. I am not trying to belittle the difficult job that dealer have of buying, marketing and selling their coins.

Thanks

ctf_error_coins

Every coin on My Website has images of that coin, and yes it is a lot of work to keep on top of it.

ColonialCoinUnion

<< <i>mrpotatoheadd, I should have been more precise. I am asking about some coins that remain without images even while there is significant turnover of the inventory over a long period of time (months). During this time period, new coins will come online and are sold but some still persist without images. I am not trying to belittle the difficult job that dealer have of buying, marketing and selling their coins.

Thanks >>



If a dealer has a coin listed for months with no image, I would conclude that either he thinks it is not of sufficient value to bother with an image, or, in the case of a more expensive item, that the dealer doesn't actually own the coin or have it in his physical possession to photograph (as Gecko109 said).

earlyAurum

Thanks for the replies. I am just a newbie trying to learn the nuances of the market .

mrpotatoheadd

<< <i>I am not trying to belittle the difficult job that dealer have of buying, marketing and selling their coins. >>

No offense intended- it was more of a joke. Sorry.

Sometimes, it seems there are no end to the threads here criticizing how people run their businesses, as though they are itentionally trying to piss customers off. As a general rule, that's just not true. I've always tried to go with the idea that if I don't understand why somebody does something, it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't know what they're doing. Oddly enough, lots of business people do know what's in their own best interest, and they act accordingly.

Bochiman

Ummm...because it's hard to hold a camera when your hands are full of greasy burgers and a beer?

(some coins are harder to image than others, some dealers are on the road a lot so they don't get to it much (they want to have a life too), some dealers don't like their own images and figure that it would hurt the sale of the coin since it is "better in hand", etc etc etc)

UtahCoin

<< <i>It takes some time to take and post pictures. Could be lack of time, or laziness, especially if the item is not a "big ticket". >>



My thoughts exactly...

LindeDad

Some coins that are dogs flat out just don't deserve images and or consideration by collectors. And we all have a dog or two around.

melvin289

It's their job. They can do it however they wish.

There are only a couple of dealers in the world I will buy a coin from sight unseen.

Example: I will not even go onto a car dealers lot that doesn't post the prices in their ads. Some will post monthly payments though. Kind of like the old Cheech and Chong thing about the "54 Chevy man, $50 down and $50 a week for 50 years man.

Ron

Lakesammman

6-8 years ago there were more dealers.

After several mob attacks and lynchings, there were fewer left.

Those posting currently are either newbies unaware of the dangers or hard core survivors.

Blackhawk

I'm not a dealer, but sometimes find myself not posting photos on the coins that I've got for sale here on the BST. I just don't have enough time to photograph/edit every coin that I turn out of my collection, especially when a lot of the coins are lower cost pieces. It might be different for a dealer, as you can keep items on your website for quite some time, but I've found that photographing everything for the BST before anyone expresses interest is many times a futile endeavor. I do however photograph any coin if requested, try to describe what I'm selling to the best of my ability, and offer a refund. I realize that this turns off some prospective customers.

EagleEye

Lakes, those are the Mexican dealers.