Does anyone use Numisbid for bidding on European auctions?

Stork

There are two lots I wouldn't mind dropping a bid on if only I could read Italian, or felt I could understand the bidding/paying/shipping process better.



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This coin looks like it would be a serious upgrade for the one I've got.



Any advice for doing it myself (or not), or if someone has a positive experience and would like to be my 'agent' would be appreciated! Or, if this would be A Bad Idea, let me know that too!



fixed link ?

Iosephus

I haven't placed bids through Numisbid, but I have purchased recently from Varesi. I can relate to you my experience, though I recommend you contact them to answer your questions directly. I have found them to be very responsive (and in English!). Also of note, this is some joint auction with Aurora Numismatica, so I don't know if things will be slightly different from their normal auctions.

You can view the auction, bid, and see the current bids on their website: http://www.varesi.it/aste_prossime.php

Click on the "Cerca/Offri" button, then make a selection on the next page (or just hit "invia" since your lots will be on the first page). For example, Lot 12 that you linked already has a bid of 80 EUR.

I paid for my purchases via PayPal (with a 3% surcharge), but I would verify if this method is still accepted for this auction.

One thing to be aware of is that if you win, you might be waiting some time to receive the coins. I won several lots in their auction that ended on Nov. 18 (2015), and finally received the medals less than two weeks ago. Yes, four months to receive the items! Most of this wait was due to Italy's requirement that an export license be acquired for any items more than 50 years old. Added to that were some shipping and customs issues with the firm they used to ship and FedEx, which was who actually delivered the package. For a lower value, the normal Italian post would probably be used.

Another issue I had is that after unpacking the medals, I noticed a fresh staple scratch on one of them! This was a large and heavy medal which had busted out of its flip. To be fair, I might have done the actual damage myself in the course of unpacking, and I was told they would "recognize a discount" on my next order. I'll see how that works out next time I bid with them. I am mentioning this only for completeness, and for a normal coin, I would not expect any issue. I do fully intend on bidding again in the future if items of interest are offered.

I hope this is somewhat helpful. Best of luck if you decide to bid!

Stork

Very helpful! I did a better job zooming in and now I'm not so sure it would be such an upgrade after all, but it's still tempting. It's nice to know that, with patience, things worked out.

pruebas

Your issue won't be getting your bids to them, but rather getting payment to them and getting the coins to you.



Many European houses now accept either PayPal or VISA or both, generally with a fee of 1-3%. Sometimes it's actually cheaper to pay by PayPal or card if the house adds an "inbound wire" fee of €20-30. If you pay via card, obviously you'll have to call them with your card number (in a mutually understood language). Also consider any "foreign transaction fees" and any notification that your bank requires before a foreign purchase.



Some houses do not have a shipping department, so you'll have to arrange shipping through a third-party shipper. Usually the house has a list of known "good" shippers that you can choose from, but it's something else to deal with and another payment to make.



Others are notoriously poor in the packing department. I once bought a lot of 3 UNC coins which were shipped all in one plastic flip (with two of them rubbing together all the way from Germany) because they were too cheap or stupid to pack them properly. On another occasion, a different house shipped my item in a "bubble bag." While that may be ok for a domestic shipment, it doesn't work for international where itchy fingers may rifle through improperly packed shipments (especially at places like JFK Airport Inbound Customs).



Bidding at international auctions is a fun way to get great material, but can also try one's patience if not undertaken with some sense of adventure.



Another thing to note is that some countries don't have the concept of a State or Province as we do. So they'll ship to CITY USA (i.e. Portland USA) and the only thing that will get it to you is the post code. So be sure that is correct! Or do like I do and put the city and state in the city field.

EVillageProwler

For international bids, I generally commission a trusted dealer to be my agent. For example, for Anglo-Saxon/British lots, I ask my guy to be my agent. He charges a fee that I can accept and will review the lots, offer his opinion on quality and probable bid to win, get any winning lots, ship, and invoice me later. I also have a trusted Italian dealer too, but I only used him for informal opinion not as a formal agent. (The Italian dealer hasn't charged me for his informal services, but I'd pay him if him to formally be my agent on special situations.)

Stork

Thanks!