Why don't these people bid on my auctions?

TopographicOceans

I need one of these so I placed a bid on this 1800 Drapped Bust half dime.
Granted it was for $35, but this went beyond stupid money for this damaged coin.
It sure pays to have a following

oih82w8

greatsouthern blocked me from bidding on their ebay "stuff" a couple of years ago when I was trying to provide information correcting their erroneous listings...apparently one too many times.



Most of their images of their items are vamped up to enhance the positive attributes. Prior to be "banned" from their auctions/sales I did purchase a few of their items only to be returned due to inaccuracies of their depictions. That may be another contributor to my prohibition from participation.



As far as the above 1800 Draped Bust Half Dime goes...

VanHalen

Seventeen hundred dollars is a sweet take on that one. Did a buyer win it or a shill?

rhedden

Interesting that it's a Draped Bust half dime. I sold two of these on eBay in 2008 in ANACS details holders (1797 16 stars, 1800 LIBEKTY), and they had far more problems than the coin pictured. The 1797 had heavy cuts, and the 1800 LIBEKTY was bleach white due to a cleaning, with some black spots. I wrote long descriptions with every little nick and scratch described in detail-not your typical dishonest eBay description. I did not want them to get returned. In the end, I got VERY strong money for them- around $1,500 each, and these were worse coins than the one pictured. I was really shocked. I think these are just a tough type coin, and even damaged pieces bring healthy money.

savoyspecial

rhedden is correct!



Tough type coin....Topographic, wow all of $35....Keep bottomfeeding, you'll win something eventually

BillJones

I'm sorry, but $35 is an insulting, ultra low ball bid for this coin. If I were a dealer I'd reject it too. I would certainly hope that I had a customer base that would be good enough to leave that offer in the dust.

All early half dimes range in rarity from very scarce to rare. Even the 1800, which is the second most common date (1795 is the most common.) in the 1792 to 1805 series and most common Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle half dime, is not easy to find. Despite its problems with surfaces and cleaning, this coin is probably worth at least $1,000 to $1,200. If you have ever seen what one looks like in the Good grade (They look like hell but have an $850 bid.), you will realize that for what it is, this coin is not that bad.

On a personal I was sophomore in college before I saw my first early half dime, an 1800, in 1969. By that time I'd been a collector for eight or nine years. The price was $300, which may as well have been $3,000,000 given my finances at the time, but I still thought about scarping the money together to buy it. When I got my first job out of college I began to work on a set of these coins. Today I have "Red Book variety set" minus the 1802, which will always be beyond my means.

Here's a link if you would like to look at my set.



Bill Jones' Early Half Dime Set

rhedden

Bill's early half dimes are insanely nice. These coins would all be worth $10k or more in G-4 if they were large coins like halves. There are only a handful of collectors who pursue this tiny and extremely difficult coin by date, so it keeps prices down. As far as rarity goes, collecting the Draped Bust H10c is like completing an entire series made of 1796 and 1797 half dollars, except that most of the available coins are bent and straightened. Besides the 1802, the 1796/5, the 1797 13 stars, and the 1803 small 8 are massively difficult coins to locate "nice".

grip

Bill; thanks for sharing a great collection.

jmski52

Bill, that's a stunning collection! Very Nice!

Wabbit2313

35 bucks!

Unknown

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AMRC

Even a shill process does not make $35 coins sell for $1,500.

asheland

I'd take one for $35

Unknown

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TwoSides2aCoin

I like catfish. Meow.

BillJones

The trouble with placing embarrassing low bids like this or making offers that similarly way, way below the market for the piece is that it hurts your credibility. There is a difference between offering prices that reflect upon you as smart, informed buyer and a bottom feeding cheapskate who is looking for a rip. If you get a reputation as the cheapskate, you will be passed over when the really good deals come along.

Maybe miracles do happen, and you end buying something for a small fraction of its value from a legitimate dealer, but those deals have to be as scarce hen's teeth. Usually it's the other way around, and you end up getting blocked from bidding or not be taken seriously when you really do want something.

DeepCoin

Many times I will make a low bid on a coin when it first is offered at auction in order to be kept in the loop as to the bidding. It is more of a communication thing than a low ball bid. Clearly, not a serious bid.

rhedden

I guess my question would be whether the OP was throwing a placeholder bid on the coin or not. What do forum members here think that a butt-ugly, bent, scratched AG03 1800 H10c would retail for? Around $400-600 is the answer.

BillJones

Originally posted by: DeepCoin
Many times I will make a low bid on a coin when it first is offered at auction in order to be kept in the loop as to the bidding. It is more of a communication thing than a low ball bid. Clearly, not a serious bid.

I do that too in Heritage sales so that I can keep track of things. But my bids are something like a $1 or $2 at the very opening of a sale. Heritage knows people do this.

The difference is when you are actually serious about a pennies on the dollar bid and get indignant when it is rejected. With the advent of computer run bidding is that this stuff slides under the radar for the auction house. In the old days when dealer had to handle bids manually, farcical bids were a real nuisance and a waste of time.

TopographicOceans

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win it for $35, but it was early and I wanted to mark it in case it was around $800 near the end.
I was out when I saw it reached $1,120.
Later a 2 FB bidder got it to $1,550

I have bought and returned from this seller once years ago, so I wouldn't pay strong money on a raw coin based on their pictures.

ShadyDave

Great Southern Coin = "Guaranteed *****ty Coin"

hchcoin

Great set Bill Jones!