Sticker SHOCK - sold my first coin in a looooong time on eBay - Now how should I move my material?

Prethen

I dipped my toe into the water and I sold an 1888 3CN for $90 on eBay just last week. Including shipping (I offered fee shipping which may or not be a good thing to get the sale) - $5, PayPal fees - $3, and eBay fees - $8, I paid frigging $16 to sell a $90 coin!?!?! Forget about shipping, between PayPal and eBay, that was $11.

I know, I know, I know...I could hear some of your voices already... "Sell it on the BST." I already tried that. I tried selling it for less money and it never got noticed here (for whatever reason). I actually tried different listings (over a couple of weeks) of multiple coins and I think I might have had one question about one coin.

I'm curious to know what other avenues you guys use to sell your coins, other than the BST (since that may or may not get noticed). There are other auction houses, but for coins under a couple hundred dollars, is that really worth it? I'm not even sure if it's worth it for my coins that are in the $500-$1000 range. Often times the coins go for around wholesale and the seller gets handed back slim returns.

I could walk the stuff around a coin show and just get beaten up by wholesale (or less) offers. I could also set up a table at a local show I suppose, but I've done that in the past and just had table fees erode my sales.

I have some very serious plans to consolidate a large part of my collection that I've accumulated over the years. I want to refocus. I don't really have any generic material; a lot of raw; a lot of PCGS/NGC stuff; a lot of 19th century Proofs. I would love to hear some ideas as how I can move this material effectively.

Sorry...I had to vent. Ebay was never this expensive years ago.

Baley

Coins are easy to buy and difficult to sell for what they're "worth". Ebay gets you a big audience and you did move the coin, the transaction costs are part of the deal.

I'm in the same situation you are: lots of coins I'd like to sell, but don't want to "give them away" nor get eaten alive by fees. Once I have some time to do some listing, going to just face reality and ebay them

steveben

well, i tried selling at shows...but the offers are too low, plus you have to hear all the bad things about the coins you're selling. even though ebay and paypal gouge you, it seems like you get more money in the end. for example, i walked a 13-S $10 in NGC plastic with a green bean on it around the long beach show. i heard things like, "sorry, we only buy stuff with good eye appeal" and the best offer i got was $1400. i ended up selling it for $2100 as an auction on ebay. so, even with the fees and shipping...it was worth it.

stealer

It's quite tough to sell to dealers and still make a profit. I do it all the time but in retrospect I don't really know why when I could probably get more selling on the BST.

BAJJERFAN

You post highlights one of my biggest pet peeves and that is a paucity of suitable venues for the collector to sell his/her coins to other collectors. I too have listed lots of stuff on the BST here and ATS with nary an inquiry or response. Whoever bought your coin off of eBay will have to sell it for about $110 just to break even. BUMMER.

spy88

Teletrade is a viable alternative to eBay. With almost 200,000 customer base who's interest is strictly numismatics, it is worth a shot. Right now, they have a special offer.

You can always call and find out the particulars.

coinbuf

As you can see your not alone in your dilemia. I used to see alot of activity on the BST both ways but in recent yrs it seems that the shift in participants to this board has made it a much less viable option. The only other options are to use one of the ebay sellers here that have a following, that might help boost your sales but you also have to keep in mind that the item you sold is not a high priority/hot part of the coin market. I too have items that I've thought about selling so I am considering sending some things to great collections and try that venue.

nags

From my researching of prices, it seems to me that the net prices are generally higher on ebay opposed to Heritage or the true auctions on teletrade. I suspected (with absolutely no support) that a much higher percent of coins sold on Heritage and Teletrade are purchased by dealers and destined to be resold. Hence they need to leave some meat on the bone. I further suspect that nearly everyone who uses Heritage and Teletrade also use ebay, but a small percent of coin buyers on ebay also use Heritage and Teletrade.

TomB

You may want to contact a dealer you know, or who has a good reputation, about shipping coins on consignment. It does not always work, but it provides another option to those already listed. Good luck.

ctf_error_coins

Bottom line, you sold the coin on ebay to a huge audience, and the fees allowed you to SELL the coin.

This is a no brainer, use ebay .....

Coinsponge

The way I see it is that most everyone sees a collector who wants to sell as a fat turkey ready to pluck. I had a coin dealer that I had been working with quote me a buy price and I sent it in. A couple weeks later I get a check and it is hundreds less than we agreed on. I called the dealer and he said they make a mistake on the quote. Sorry.

ambro51

Gasp

lkeigwin

ebay fees seem excessive at times. But often the better sales price more than makes up for it.

When I sell an eye appealing, or an in-demand coin, it always goes on BST first. Usually it sells fast. When it doesn't I turn to ebay. And oddly enough it usually sells at auction for more than my BST price.

"Lesser" coins -- those with issues, I don't usually post on BST. ebay is the way to go.
Lance.

19Lyds

<< <i>Bottom line, you sold the coin on ebay to a huge audience, and the fees allowed you to SELL the coin.

This is a no brainer, use ebay ..... >>



Actually,


It's not a "no-brainer" for coins which have a thin profit margin. Unless you're looking for income tax deductions, it makes little sense to sell at a loss.

19Lyds

<< <i>I dipped my toe into the water and I sold an 1888 3CN for $90 on eBay just last week. Including shipping (I offered fee shipping which may or not be a good thing to get the sale) - $5, PayPal fees - $3, and eBay fees - $8, I paid frigging $16 to sell a $90 coin!?!?! Forget about shipping, between PayPal and eBay, that was $11.

I know, I know, I know...I could hear some of your voices already... "Sell it on the BST." I already tried that. I tried selling it for less money and it never got noticed here (for whatever reason). I actually tried different listings (over a couple of weeks) of multiple coins and I think I might have had one question about one coin.

I'm curious to know what other avenues you guys use to sell your coins, other than the BST (since that may or may not get noticed). There are other auction houses, but for coins under a couple hundred dollars, is that really worth it? I'm not even sure if it's worth it for my coins that are in the $500-$1000 range. Often times the coins go for around wholesale and the seller gets handed back slim returns.

I could walk the stuff around a coin show and just get beaten up by wholesale (or less) offers. I could also set up a table at a local show I suppose, but I've done that in the past and just had table fees erode my sales.

I have some very serious plans to consolidate a large part of my collection that I've accumulated over the years. I want to refocus. I don't really have any generic material; a lot of raw; a lot of PCGS/NGC stuff; a lot of 19th century Proofs. I would love to hear some ideas as how I can move this material effectively.

Sorry...I had to vent. Ebay was never this expensive years ago. >>

Was that "fee" shipping or was it supposed to be "free" shipping?

TwoSides2aCoin

Did $40K worth of work for a guy who sued me for $80K and won. Then he sued his lawyers for taking so long. I suppose a sympathetic judge ruled in his favor , again.

Try paying a few thousand for a table at a coin show, or a home show,... Then pay $10 per day to park while you work. Hoping someone comes along to BUY, instead of SELL. Then get out to your vehicle to see someone broke in and stole the tools of your trade.

Ebay makes life simpler, not less costly... Just simpler.

Sorry, I like complaining to this place for guys who are much too gracious to ever present the other side.

GritsMan

I have to add I think this issue has shaped the hobby dramatically. I rarely buy anything these days that I don't think I can sell easily. This boils down to coins that have a solid bullion value supporting them. I regret that situation, but it's just how it is. Even if gold plummets, gold prices will mean that I don't take a total bath on something. Unfortunately, I think this has hurt the value and collectability of many, many series.

LindeDad

Yes eBay costs to sell but for the cheaper items it is where the market is at if you want to get anywhere near retail for them.
BTW taking a wholesale offer costs more, and as you mentioned the BST is just too small of an audience most of the time.

If you are planning to sell most of the time open a eBay store in a couple of months you will get 150 free listings auction or fixed price per month and the FVF are going down on coins to a set 7% this makes items under $250.00 cheaper than it is now but higher on the higher end up to the cap fee.

rhedden

There is no one answer.

1) eBay: - works for rare dates with problems (scratch, rim bump, corrosion etc.). Get strong money every time.
- works for coins that will generate a tremendous amount of competition (PCGS AU58 CAC pretty toning).

Doesn't work for: common dates and coins with low demand

2) BST: works for the PCGS/CAC items that also d well on eBay. No so good for non-PCGS material.

3) Consigning to a dealer: often the best option if someone will take less than 10%

RedTiger

There isn't much choice. $11 on $90 is still a reasonably good deal considering everything and the alternatives. The cost of doing business is up (postage, fees, gas) for everyone. There is no magical way to get around it and go back to a time where it was cheaper to do business, or perhaps the market was stronger for given material. If a person wants out, there are only so many exits. The op and the responses already outlined most of the reasonable choices and each has pluses and minuses. Another choice is to ship big lots to one of the many forum Ebay consignment dealers. Established sellers with material every month, tend to attract higher bids, tend to be better at photography, and pay a bit less in fees because of their volume. The trade off is paying the consignment fee.

Almost all collectors are going to take a hit when they sell. How much depends on how much time they want to put in selling their material, and how well they bought . Those that choose to become part-time dealers take less of a hit, and may even turn a small profit, but the trade off is time and energy.

Papi

<< <i>Sorry...I had to vent. Ebay was never this expensive years ago. >>



Before they went public?

Frankly, I could do without the Ebay bucks and pay less in fees.

mrpotatoheadd

Everybody would love to be provided with a place where they could sell their stuff for top dollar at little (or no) cost but I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting to find someone willing to invest the time and money to create such a place.

PTVETTER

Good B&M shop are looking better and better.

Atleast the good ones are. (just remember they have to make a profit not a killing)

291fifth

While many complain, eBay is till the way to go for lower value coins if you actually want to sell and get your money quickly.

The true value of many lower value coins is usually less than what you might think, or hope. There is a reason why bourse dealers offer so little for such coins ... they don't want more dead merchandise in their displays. (Most of their display cases look like little graveyards as it is. Every Sunday you can go visit the same coins you have been looking at for years.)

TwoSides2aCoin

^
Facts are sometimes painful to process and truth is always beneficial.

robkool

I feel that I'm also in the same situation trying to move stuff out in order to purchase new material. I do my homework before I sell anything. I also check completed/sold listing on the bay to get a better idea of value. If you don't feel confident with an auction style listing, you may want to do a BIN if you don't have much wiggle room, but it may take lots of time, and patience to sell that item. I also found that GreatCollections is also a great place to sell, with their very low seller/listing fees for that higher end stuff. I had a lot of success there.

Amigo

There isn't much choice. $11 on $90 is still a reasonably good deal considering everything and the alternatives. The cost of doing business is up (postage, fees, gas) for everyone. There is no magical way to get around it and go back to a time where it was cheaper to do business, or perhaps the market was stronger for given material. If a person wants out, there are only so many exits. The op and the responses already outlined most of the reasonable choices and each has pluses and minuses. Another choice is to ship big lots to one of the many forum Ebay consignment dealers. Established sellers with material every month, tend to attract higher bids, tend to be better at photography, and pay a bit less in fees because of their volume. The trade off is paying the consignment fee.

I think you're leaving out a very large factor is consigning.

The Power Sellers you consign to will get hit with a 1099. To my knowledge, the only way they can show it isn't all their profit is to send the consignor a 1099. That means you don't have to hit the ebay threashold of 20k and 200 items. Which equates a minimum of 20% combined fed/state income tax to be paid no matter how little you sell. Paying your fair tax is fine, lots of people don't have reciepts from yrs ago to back up their deductions of cost. Esp when most people loose money (pretty well established fact) on the coins anyway, they don't want to be bothered with a 1099 and take a triple loss. Loss on sales price, loss on ebay fees, loss on income taxes. If you buy coins retail, you're pretty much sunk.

I predict the wholesale prices will take a hit now because any Dealer buying common material will know it's now more expensive to dump them on ebay.

shorecoll

I saw that coin and almost pulled the trigger, the problem is I'm also trying to focus. I would say specialty things need to go to specialty dealers or you need to wait longer. I would try BST with a catalog list like some people do and leave it up with some updates for a longer time and move things to other venues on some type of schedule. I moved a lot of dups through a specialty dealer on a split cash/trade deal and allowed him plenty of time to work his own deals. It worked a lot better than some direct dealer deals I've done in the past. If it was high dollar specialty items, I'd consign to a non-eBay auction venue. I did this with my Washingtonia collection a few years back.

originalisbest

<< <i>well, i tried selling at shows...but the offers are too low, plus you have to hear all the bad things about the coins you're selling. even though ebay and paypal gouge you, it seems like you get more money in the end. for example, i walked a 13-S $10 in NGC plastic with a green bean on it around the long beach show. i heard things like, "sorry, we only buy stuff with good eye appeal" and the best offer i got was $1400. i ended up selling it for $2100 as an auction on ebay. so, even with the fees and shipping...it was worth it. >>



This. The eBay fees are what they are. Sometimes you'll do better and sometimes worse, but in beats a poke in the eye with a stick from lowballers.

Prethen

First of all, let me say, THANK YOU, for the wide variety and fantastic responses I got on this thread this far. I sort of thought I would have been flamed on this board for being ignorant on the subject (which I don't think I am).

Let me respond to some of the things on this thread already brought up:

The coin I sold for $90 was a BIN and it went very fast, within 2 days. I originally paid about $110 for it back in 2005(!), but then again what I paid is irrelevant. I put it up for what I thought was fair for the coin and grade. In retrospect, I should not have offered free shipping and I should have added a few dollars to cover some of the sticker shock of the fees. Of course, it might not have found a buyer in a reasonable time or ever.

The B&M's around here are sadistic, plain and simple. Maybe the dealers aren't bad guys, but they definitely know how to pay the bills of their shops via they're buying. That's a definite no-go for me here.

This might sound silly, but it heartens me to hear from many of you that have gone through the same crap when trying to sell your material at shows, etc. It gets lowballed, almost no matter how decent the coin is. I realize that super rare, super high-end stuff is a different ballgame and you can play with different players. Generally speaking, my material does not fall into that realm. My material is largely very decent type material and the "Sheets" have not been kind to that type of material over the years, largely flatlined.

I agree that eBay is fantastic for moving problem material with standard auction-style format. I'm an honest guy and if I material like that I have to move, I would try not to hide anything and I try to take very good pictures so there's no question of what the buyer would receive.

I have thought of outlets like GreatCollections and Teletrade. My hesitance comes from their fees and how they pay out. I might have to give them a call to get some real hard facts on how they would work with my and the material I have and what the bottom line would realistically work for me.

I try to always buy my coins now with the thought of how buried I'm in it for when I go to resell in the future. Yes, I'm a collector, but I'm also a realist and I don't have huge resources to get stuff where I'm totally buried in. I occasionally buy stuff where I don't think it through or I'm not as careful...and I take it in the rear when I go to sell. I just sold back a 1912-S 5¢ F15 (raw) back to the original dealer for $225 when I bought it for $275 from them in 2006. I have to say, I was pleased with the their payment as I know I could get no more than $200 (and probably less) in the market if I tried to sell it on my own. I have no idea what I was thinking when I overpaid for that coin back in 2006.

Thanks again for the amazing responses so far!

originalisbest

<< <i>First of all, let me say, THANK YOU, for the wide variety and fantastic responses I got on this thread this far. I sort of thought I would have been flamed on this board for being ignorant on the subject (which I don't think I am).

Let me respond to some of the things on this thread already brought up:

The coin I sold for $90 was a BIN and it went very fast, within 2 days. I originally paid about $110 for it back in 2005(!), but then again what I paid is irrelevant. I put it up for what I thought was fair for the coin and grade. In retrospect, I should not have offered free shipping and I should have added a few dollars to cover some of the sticker shock of the fees. Of course, it might not have found a buyer in a reasonable time or ever.

The B&M's around here are sadistic, plain and simple. Maybe the dealers aren't bad guys, but they definitely know how to pay the bills of their shops via they're buying. That's a definite no-go for me here.

This might sound silly, but it heartens me to hear from many of you that have gone through the same crap when trying to sell your material at shows, etc. It gets lowballed, almost no matter how decent the coin is. I realize that super rare, super high-end stuff is a different ballgame and you can play with different players. Generally speaking, my material does not fall into that realm. My material is largely very decent type material and the "Sheets" have not been kind to that type of material over the years, largely flatlined.

I agree that eBay is fantastic for moving problem material with standard auction-style format. I'm an honest guy and if I material like that I have to move, I would try not to hide anything and I try to take very good pictures so there's no question of what the buyer would receive.

I have thought of outlets like GreatCollections and Teletrade. My hesitance comes from their fees and how they pay out. I might have to give them a call to get some real hard facts on how they would work with my and the material I have and what the bottom line would realistically work for me.

I try to always buy my coins now with the thought of how buried I'm in it for when I go to resell in the future. Yes, I'm a collector, but I'm also a realist and I don't have huge resources to get stuff where I'm totally buried in. I occasionally buy stuff where I don't think it through or I'm not as careful...and I take it in the rear when I go to sell. I just sold back a 1912-S 5¢ F15 (raw) back to the original dealer for $225 when I bought it for $275 from them in 2006. I have to say, I was pleased with the their payment as I know I could get no more than $200 (and probably less) in the market if I tried to sell it on my own. I have no idea what I was thinking when I overpaid for that coin back in 2006.

Thanks again for the amazing responses so far! >>



I think all good, and you have a great attitude about it. While I agree it's not fun to be out $50 (never is) it does beat being out $275 (having a coin be fake, get stolen, etc.) Wishing you lots of luck in selling things as you want to!

originalisbest

Also, not to pick too hard on your example, but a PCGS F-15 '12-s just sold recently for about $250 on ebay -- of course after fees, etc. I'd say you did fine getting $225 for your raw one. Stuff happens, but I hope (relatively) minor losses don't put you off from coin collecting.

Honestly, my tally of home runs and incredible flubs have averaged out, over time. Overall though, I'm not giving up my day job to try and earn a living via coins!

Prethen

<< <i>Also, not to pick too hard on your example, but a PCGS F-15 '12-s just sold recently for about $250 on ebay -- of course after fees, etc. I'd say you did fine getting $225 for your raw one. Stuff happens, but I hope (relatively) minor losses don't put you off from coin collecting.

Honestly, my tally of home runs and incredible flubs have averaged out, over time. Overall though, I'm not giving up my day job to try and earn a living via coins! >>


I think I saw that coin. My coin would likely not get treated as nicely, mainly because it was raw. And, to be perfectly honest, it looked closer to a F-12 than a Choice Fine. But, I sold it back to the dealer regardless and they called it a F-15, so it's theirs to sell as they wish again.

CoinZip

to me ebay is kinda like walmart.......great traffic in terms of numbers, which is great for general or generic items.


Some items do better in front of a target specific audience, or niche site.


I would like to extend the OP or anyone else the invitation to list your items on CoinZip.....its FREE, and a targeted audience.

davewesen

How good is your material and how soon do you want / need the money?
It costs money to sell anywhere.... even if they claim "no seller fees" , as the buyers usually adjust and bid less with their higher fees

selling at a show, dealer costs you to get there (but money fastest if anyone interested in what you are selling)

robkool

<< <i>to me ebay is kinda like walmart.......great traffic in terms of numbers, which is great for general or generic items.


Some items do better in front of a target specific audience, or niche site.


I would like to extend the OP or anyone else the invitation to list your items on CoinZip.....its FREE, and a targeted audience. >>



I would like to know how I can get a coin club listed in there ??? I'm the president of my current coin club. Thanks !!!

Elcontador

<< <i>I dipped my toe into the water and I sold an 1888 3CN for $90 on eBay just last week. Including shipping (I offered fee shipping which may or not be a good thing to get the sale) - $5, PayPal fees - $3, and eBay fees - $8, I paid frigging $16 to sell a $90 coin!?!?! Forget about shipping, between PayPal and eBay, that was $11.

I know, I know, I know...I could hear some of your voices already... "Sell it on the BST." I already tried that. I tried selling it for less money and it never got noticed here (for whatever reason). I actually tried different listings (over a couple of weeks) of multiple coins and I think I might have had one question about one coin.

I'm curious to know what other avenues you guys use to sell your coins, other than the BST (since that may or may not get noticed). There are other auction houses, but for coins under a couple hundred dollars, is that really worth it? I'm not even sure if it's worth it for my coins that are in the $500-$1000 range. Often times the coins go for around wholesale and the seller gets handed back slim returns.

I could walk the stuff around a coin show and just get beaten up by wholesale (or less) offers. I could also set up a table at a local show I suppose, but I've done that in the past and just had table fees erode my sales.

I have some very serious plans to consolidate a large part of my collection that I've accumulated over the years. I want to refocus. I don't really have any generic material; a lot of raw; a lot of PCGS/NGC stuff; a lot of 19th century Proofs. I would love to hear some ideas as how I can move this material effectively.

Sorry...I had to vent. Ebay was never this expensive years ago.

>>

Did you get 'lube' with that?

BST might work. If you belong to a local coin club, that might work as well. Last May, I sold some high grade Barber coinage which was nice for the grade, in PC holders. I kept the coins on average ten years, and barely broke even. I also did my homework before selling the coins.

Dealers don't want your coins unless they're nice for the grade and they can flip them. The more reputable dealers will pay you fairly for them. If your coins aren't nice for the grade, or are esoteric items, no one wants them.

Best of luck. For the last three years or so, it has been far more difficult to sell coins without getting a serious haircut than to buy them.

BAJJERFAN

Always a dilemma. Fast nickel or slow dime?

VanHalen

If you don't need immediate funds, could consider consigning them to a dealer you know.

ambro51

The fees paid by the OP seem fair considering it's an oddball coin and no doubt the subject of frequent eBay searches by those who collect that particular series.

ElmerFusterpuck

I can relate to what you are saying. Last fall I put up various coins on the BST, all graded, some ANACS, some PCGS and some NGC. I did fairly well there, though a few coins did not get any bites. I then posted those along with some others on Ebay and even after fees I came out ahead on the whole bunch. 3 of the coins I got more than double of what I paid for them several years back. One of them was an 1813 ANACS XF capped bust half I posted on the BST for $200 (less than what I paid) and with questionable blue toning. After getting just nibbles I posted the same half on Ebay with decent pictures and a description that mentioned that I wasn't sure about the toning. It ended up going for around $550, go figure.

I think it all depend on the coin itself and how popular the given series is. Professionally graded sure doesn't hurt either, if it's from PCGS, NGC or ANACS.

Good luck to everyone out there!

originalisbest

<< <i>Always a dilemma. Fast nickel or slow dime? >>



I like this quote, it's rife with truth. Gonna have to remember to use it and credit the source!

originalisbest

<< <i>I can relate to what you are saying. Last fall I put up various coins on the BST, all graded, some ANACS, some PCGS and some NGC. I did fairly well there, though a few coins did not get any bites. I then posted those along with some others on Ebay and even after fees I came out ahead on the whole bunch. 3 of the coins I got more than double of what I paid for them several years back. One of them was an 1813 ANACS XF capped bust half I posted on the BST for $200 (less than what I paid) and with questionable blue toning. After getting just nibbles I posted the same half on Ebay with decent pictures and a description that mentioned that I wasn't sure about the toning. It ended up going for around $550, go figure.

I think it all depend on the coin itself and how popular the given series is. Professionally graded sure doesn't hurt either, if it's from PCGS, NGC or ANACS.

Good luck to everyone out there! >>



I've made mistakes with my purchases and gotten serious haircuts; then, I've also happened on coins (in the last 7 years or so of collecting) which seemed "too cheap" at the time ($20 gold pieces) and, thanks to luck and the rising gold market, made out well on those. All in all, breaking about even, slight profit but nothing you'd wanna try and live on. Most coins just aren't rare, and even if they have qualities quite desirable to a wide group of collectors, can be hard to move and make any kind of profit, 'specially if you paid retail. It helps to know this going in, and be able to spend money that you shouldn't sweat over getting back -- as you may never get it all back! So long as you have fun doing it (akin to blowing money on videogames, golf, movies, fill in the blank.)

Still feels better to turn a profit than stomach a loss, tho.

OPA

Why did you pay $5 for shipping an inexpensive item? First class, 3 oz bubble mailer with DC would have cost $1.69? with the label generated through eBay.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>Why did you pay $5 for shipping an inexpensive item? First class, 3 oz bubble mailer with DC would have cost $1.69? with the label generated through eBay. >>



In shoe rance?

Tiny

Great Collections works for me. Putting together another
submission for them this week of about 120 coins. They are
a quick list and quick pay compared to others.

rec78

At least on an ebay bin you could have started higher say $125, and if no nibbles, just simply, slowly, lower the price or put it on sale until it sells. I am not a big fan of ebay fees, however, they are a venue to get of (junk and low value) stuff for at least a reasonable price or whatever the market will bear. The simply bullion stuff just take to your local B&M shop. They may pay less then you can get on ebay but the fees will put you under what they pay, most likely.

Bob

jmski52

A few years ago, I inquired as to whether the Collectors Corner would allow PCGS Members to offer their coins, and I was told "maybe some day we might consider it". For premium coins that are already in 1st tier or 2nd tier certified graded slabs, or coins in OGP packaging, I would think that allowing Members to sell in such a venue would attract more members to PCGS.

When PCGS was first created, my understanding was that it would allow for a larger and more liquid market in collector coins by promoting the value-added benefit of selling "sight unseen graded coins". Wasn't that the whole idea behind a grading service?

I know that PCGS probably doesn't want the headache of arbitrating any disputes over transactions that might occur, but they already have that issue with any dealer to member transactions already. With a clear protocol on buying & selling, it seems to me that the value of inclusion would be a strong incentive to follow the rules.

I would continue to urge PCGS in the direction of allowing PCGS members to offer graded coins on Collectors Corner. I think it's a good idea, and it might actually push the other venues in a more competitive pricing direction.