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Am I the only one who didn't know APMEX uses stock photos on their PCGS holdered numismatic items?
bolivarshagnasty
Posts: 7,352 ✭✭✭✭✭
Placed an order with them one afternoon, noticed later in the evening that they had listed another like item with the same photos and slab cert #. Contacted them the following morning and confirmed that they use stock photos. Salesman on the other in tried to convince me that a 64 is a 64 and that the coin would have similar characteristics. Was able to cancel sale after a brief heated discussion with the Salesman.
BTW- I could not find any reference to a stock photo in the ebay auction.
Now I know........
BTW- I could not find any reference to a stock photo in the ebay auction.
Now I know........
2
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A collector, on the other hand.....
However, they should state it each and every time (ie....be part of the template).
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
Bulk sales are generic sales.
I have seen a wonderful colorful IKE for $1K advertised
Let's be clear. Say you bought this numismatic item: 1798 Bust Dollar PCGS VF30 Are you saying the sale could be for any 1798 Bust Dollar in PCGS VF30??
how sloppy can you be. and they should have said stock photo right next to the actual photo.
still, they are a decent outfit.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
they are not making it clear in the ad, they are deceiving the public they are intending to
do business with and should be admonished for this action.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Many of the gold listings say "random year" or "6881 already sold". I assumed they didn't have a clerk changing the photo 6881 times.
If the listing is for 1 item, then it should be that item in the photo.
If the listing has a quantity more than 1, but 1 item is pictures, then it is luck of the draw.
I went on their website, to the PCGS certified coins, specifically Morgan Dollars, and below each coin date grade combo, there was a QTY field, meaning you can order more than 1 of them. Now, some of them, when I entered 15, came back and stated there was only 1 available, but even at that, I doubt it is the one pictured. It is probably a holding cell, as more come in, the QTY available changes, not the picture.
Will never do business with them again!
I didn't know this either.
this
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
You would need to go into the "Collectibles and Rare Coins" section (denomination specific - Certified) to get specific coins through APMEX.
How much more specific can a Gettysburg Commemorative half in PCGS MS64, be? The one pictured was not the one they were going to send to me after I had sent them the money. It's nothing more than bait and switch. They are trying to blur the line between bullion sales and numismatic material.
Am I the only one who didn't know APMEX uses stock photos on their PCGS
Let's be clear. Say you bought this numismatic item: 1798 Bust Dollar PCGS VF30 Are you saying the sale could be for any 1798 Bust Dollar in PCGS VF30??
Yes, with no mention of stock photos being used in the ebay auction. (BIN)
You would need to go into the "Collectibles and Rare Coins" section (denomination specific - Certified) to get specific coins through APMEX.
How much more specific can a Gettysburg Commemorative half in PCGS MS64, be? The one pictured was not the one they were going to send to me after I had sent them the money. It's nothing more than bait and switch. They are trying to blur the line between bullion sales and numismatic material.
Apparently, they had more than one if you did not receive the one imaged. (shrug)
Is the link still active?
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
This is the photo of the “good” 1913-d type two buffalo nickel that you can get from AMPMEX The photos listed below would grade vg10 and you know you are not going to get this quality for a good-04 price.
This pair of pictures replaced a set where the date for their so-called 13-d type two was illegible! By their pictures I would have graded the coin fair-02!! So they corrected their original error and posted this new stock
photo of their good 13d type 2. BEWARE!!
[URL=http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/buffnixx/media/16512_Obv_zpsqfln9kfm.jpg.html]
[URL=http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/buffnixx/media/16512_Rev_zpsn8p40q8e.jpg.html]
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
My dealings are not with them. And I would suspect supply outpaces demand. So, if this is the case , his ( the reps) points are semi-valid. The return policy should cover you, but maybe not. Caveat. if the supply is too great, there is little alternative but a stock photo. So, am not defending nor condoning. It's a matter of taste.
So would you be willing to purchase a PCGS holdered anything sight unseen?
"Matter of taste" That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Am I the only one who didn't know APMEX uses stock photos on their PCGS
Let's be clear. Say you bought this numismatic item: 1798 Bust Dollar PCGS VF30 Are you saying the sale could be for any 1798 Bust Dollar in PCGS VF30??
Yes, with no mention of stock photos being used in the ebay auction. (BIN)
If that's the case they needed to be called out. I always understood their bulk listings were stock photos but the example here has a magnifier on a $3k coin!
P.S. and their webpage ad states: "Add this 1798 Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle dollar to your cart today!" Not "a" 1798 Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle dollar, it states "this" 1798 Draped Bust Heraldic Eagle dollar!
Indian Head $10 Gold Date Set Album
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
My dealings are not with them. And I would suspect supply outpaces demand. So, if this is the case , his ( the reps) points are semi-valid. The return policy should cover you, but maybe not. Caveat. if the supply is too great, there is little alternative but a stock photo. So, am not defending nor condoning. It's a matter of taste.
So would you be willing to purchase a PCGS holdered anything sight unseen?
"Matter of taste" That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Buying from Apmex is a matter of taste. You desire good coins that meet your criteria ? Buy from me.
I don't sell what I don't show and I don't show what I don't have, if I'm selling it. Ridiculous in what sense ?
Oh, and yes, I buy sight unseen all the time. And this is why a Blue Sheet is published. Sometimes (those sight unseen buys), they're in rolls. I cannot condone or condemn what APMEX is doing on a large scale. It all depends. You're dealing with ONE coin. I deal with thousands. They deal with millions.
I suggest , if not happy, then simply use the "RETURN" option. Pay Pal and Ebay typically have you covered.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
BTW- I could not find any reference to a stock photo in the ebay auction.
Now I know........
there have been a few threads, of the rant kind, re: apmex stock pix. i stopped looking at their stuff for that reason. i wasnt a big loss to them. lol
it was possible
.
My dealings are not with them. And I would suspect supply outpaces demand. So, if this is the case , his ( the reps) points are semi-valid. The return policy should cover you, but maybe not. Caveat. if the supply is too great, there is little alternative but a stock photo. So, am not defending nor condoning. It's a matter of taste.
So would you be willing to purchase a PCGS holdered anything sight unseen?
"Matter of taste" That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
Buying from Apmex is a matter of taste. You desire good coins that meet your criteria ? Buy from me.
I don't sell what I don't show and I don't show what I don't have, if I'm selling it. Ridiculous in what sense ?
Oh, and yes, I buy sight unseen all the time. And this is why a Blue Sheet is published. Sometimes (those sight unseen buys), they're in rolls. I cannot condone or condemn what APMEX is doing on a large scale. It all depends. You're dealing with ONE coin. I deal with thousands. They deal with millions.
I suggest , if not happy, then simply use the "RETURN" option. Pay Pal and Ebay typically have you covered.
My question was," So would you be willing to purchase a PCGS holdered anything sight unseen?". I can't imagine you would by a 1907 Wire Edge Saint in MS65 without looking at it. Sounds like a bad business model if you do.
I did cancel my order the following morning before it was shipped.(in the first post) There SHOULD be a reference to stock photos in the auctions. Otherwise it's bait and switch pure and simple.
JMHO
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Anyway, you're not the only person who doesn't notice this. While I am inclined to believe it borders on Bait & Switch, I think it's more like FILL THE VENDING MACHINE with same graded generic coins in MS 63. Each coin stands on it's own merit. I agree with you there. In the case of EYE APPEAL and buying what we are seeing, the truth is often not known until the coin is in hand. That said, have a nice day. And in my first post , I did mention I did not deal with them. I have a nice relationship with Elemetal (formerly North Texas Refineries)
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
It does work both ways with them. A few years back during the annual "Inventory reduction sale" (IRS) they had a listing for random date 8 reales coins and on a whim I ordered a handful of them. On the order where there was a place to leave a note. I wrote something to the effect that Santa said I had been a good boy over the past year I deserved all chop marked coins. When the order came in most of them were chopped and the ones that weren't were uncs (Mo am restrikes)
And I would be careful with their raw coins too, as I ordered a better date $20 that looked like an xf from their pictures but once I imaged it and ran it by some experts, the consensus was cleaned vf. I don't know who their numismatist is, but maybe they need some more expert training. I heard mac beavers was back, a nice guy.
What a joke ..Apmex .. couple yrs ago wanted to sell some PCGS 64,65 Morgans ..called apmex.. they would not quote a buy price until they saw coins in hand ..LOL them selling coins from stock photos
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
I'll bring up this slightly older thread because the same thing just happened to me. I eBay BIN'd a PCGS MS63 Panama Pacific Expo half dollar from Apmex because it was a white, tone-free coin.
I have the same complaint-- the auction included the phrase: "Add this certified 1915-S Panama-Pacific Half Dollar to your cart today!"
White, tone-free Pan Pac halves aren't too easy to come by. So I did.
And today I received a PCGS graded MS63 Panama Pacific Half dollar with a completely different certificate # than the one I ordered and the same grey, dull, lifeless toning found on most Pan Pac halves.
I emailed them and will probably call tomorrow. I hope I don't get the line about stock photos. I don't want the coin they sent at all. I can find lifeless grey Pan Pacs in MS64 for just $100 above what I paid for the 63. I don't even want my $$$ back, I want the coin I ordered.
On their return policy it reads: "You have no right to cancel or return any eBay Order." but sending a different coin for what I'd consider a numismatic product is shoddy to the point of bad faith. No where in the auction does it state I'm bidding on a stock photo.
Shown Below: The coin I won.
I'll update this after I speak to a customer rep tomorrow.
Annnd there's the incredible show-stopping beauty they sent.
Ouch! But aren't all MS63s considered equal...
Mintmark is not in the far left position either...
Good luck!
Well if all ms63s are equal then all 1918/7d buffalo nickels in vf 20 should be equal. Here is one that APMEX is trying to sell to some “lucky” buffalo nickel collector. This coin is encapsulated as very fine 20 across the street. Hard to believe as far as I am concerned. This was covered in another thread but is a good answer to Batman23’s question. This one is available from APMEX for over 4700 smackers......
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
On the other hand APMEX has another very fine 1918/7-d buffalo nickel in “ATS” VF-20 as pictured here. It is in my estimation a very fine coin, not a very good plus coin like the first one is. I really freaked out when I saw the first 8/7 above
but the second one does meet the minimums for a very fine specimen. Not the best, but OK for the 20 grade.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
One final coin from APMEX this 1918/7d in ATS good-04. I really like this one.....
You have to know how to grade yourself, else you may get ripped like someone here who buys the first 1918/7d pictured.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
But I would caution a potential buyer of a good-04 1918/7d buff, I would call them first and make sure the one I got is the one as pictured above, else you may wind up getting some ag-03 slider from them
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
I was being facetious...
Ugh... sure enough, I got the same line about "sometimes we use stock photography, but sometimes we forget to mention that in the auction." I was told a request was put in to the refund department and I should hear back in 1 to 2 business days.
I recently figured it out. To add, it also appears that many of their photos appear to be enhanced. I don't like buying that way. I want to see the actual coin first.
I noticed that as well but I think they are trying to avoid anyone hijacking the numbers and creating fakes. It is getting crazy out there
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
Standard operating procedure for big sellers on ebay. MS 69 is MS 69 I don't worry about it. On gold simply buy these from bullion dealer at show get them cheaper and sight seen. This guy had pribably 50 pieces in his case to pick from NGC gold pandas. Dealer set up next to me had prolly 39 gold slabbed AGB.
Unless seller has slab no in Descr or statement u will get exactly item shown probably stock photo.
Apmex has sent me decent stuff on mods or like 1 / 10 oz AGE. I bought 6 1921 slabbed MS 63 dollars from them to stack in my case at show for retail from them - nice coins.
I do believe as seller stock photo items SB disclosed in description. MS63 is MS63 - Ch Unc; MS 70 is perfect. If y picky buy sight seen.
They are selling the metal, not the coin.
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