How good are Ampex's toner pics?
lsica
Posts: 1,623 ✭✭✭✭
Hello group
I'm looking to pull the trigger on an Ampex toner on eBay, and I was wondering how true-to-life their pics of toned coins tend to be....
Philately will get you nowhere....
0
Comments
They use lots of stock images so first and foremost I would confirm with them that what you are buying matches the photo.
Aercus Numismatics - Certified coins for sale
Don't be surprised if you received a different coin than the one imaged. I almost purchased a very nicely toned CBH, PCGS certified with a CAC sticker. I emailed APMEX and they verified the coin imaged may not be the coin sent, but represents the quality of the coin I would receive. In other words, I would get the same commodity, but not the same coin.
At least APMEX was open and responded quickly. Too bad as I really like the coin imaged!
Good luck and I hope you get the coin you want.
Edited for spelling ...
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Maybe if it's stickered, they figure you don't need anything else.
Can't speak for toned coins but I did buy one from them that was not a stock photo (I checked first) and the image was VERY nice I was impressed it was a perfect representation of the coin.
As noted above...They use "stock photos".
BTW...There was no warning of "stock photos" when it happened to me.
Nothing in the description either. I believe they only recently added something to that effect.
My Saint Set
Photos are fine, but as others have said they have been known to use stock photos. Call and get assurance that the coin you’re seeing is the one you will receive and you should be fine. I haven’t bought a collector coin from them though, so I cannot say for sure.
Here is the language APMEX uses:
"Photos in this listing may or may not be stock photos. The photos are meant to be an indication of the product you will receive."
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Why don’t you send a message asking this question?
Yep... I bought a couple of items from Apmex...Items were nice, but not the item pictured....I did keep the items. Cheers, RickO
@Bigbuck1975 said:
I guess I didnt consider that they might actually be using the image of a DIFFERENT coin, so my original question was about the accuracy of AMPEX's images. Well I did ask AMPEX if the pic was of the coin that would be sent, and got this back:
Thank you for contacting APMEX. We confirmed the images shown are of a coin that was previously available for this listing. The coin you receive will match the quality and specifications of the coin shown. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Thank you and have a great day!
APMEX Customer Service
Hmmmmm....._
They're a bullion company with a numismatic side gig. Bullion people tend to view silver coins only in terms of ounces and purity. As others have said, call them and verify. They do have some nice stuff sometimes.
Sounds familiar ...
Here's the response to my question:
"Thank you for contacting APMEX. We confirmed that the images shown in this listing are images taken of a previous coin available, and are not the exact coin you would receive. The coin you would receive will match the quality and specifications stated. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Thank you and have a great day!
APMEX Customer Service"
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
No, "stock photos" is the normal term used for items which the seller is offering that they consider interchangeable and generic. It's okay to not like them, but rather silly (and perhaps borderline libelous) to call the usage "bait-n-switch". Considering that their listings clearly state...
"Photos in this listing may or may not be stock photos. The photos are meant to be an indication of the product you will receive."
one might reasonably question the comprehension ability of anyone who is surprised that they didn't get the item pictured.
JMO, YMMV.
I have in the past purchased Capped Bust Half Dollars from them in PCGS holders. One example had a different variety pictured which was a good deal and a hole filler for my set. I received a different variety in the same year and grade. They covered the return shipping but it was a let down.
It wasn't in the description I read and the coin was a 1910-S saint MS65 selling for $5000.00
It's industry standard practice to sell the coin in the picture that matches the PCGS# advertised.
My Saint Set
.> @MasonG said:
If a seller’s going to use stock photos, I think they’re looking for trouble, when the photos are of beautifully toned and/or CAC’d coins, different varieties, etc.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
They used a Hansen coin
My Saint Set
This was a more common date pre-war bit higher grade proof that they were selling for 25% above even the PCGS listed price for the grade. Maybe I was being naive to expect a nice toner for that price, but it seems a lot for a generic example of that date/type/grade
I know you're all curious ;-)
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/123926618618
Well at least it's the right color/money color... green.
The odds are very good if you do some searching it might be another sellers coin they have added their profit margin to!
Check this out....
https://www.apmex.com/product/186081/1926-20-saint-gaudens-gold-double-eagle-ms-66-pcgs
In little writing at the bottom it says...
"Your purchase will match the quality of the product shown"
This is recent...In the past, this warning was absent.
My Saint Set
About as good as the Taco Bell napkins they were once wrapped in. Congrats!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
Well, of course that's likely to happen. A lot of buyers won't accept their responsibility for not reading the description and attempt to blame somebody else when they get what they paid for, not what they imagined they were buying.
Is that an eBay purchase from APMEX?
If > @MasonG said:
Why do you say “Well, of course that’s likely to happen”? If so, wouldn’t it be due, either to intentional or very lazy behavior? If not, what’s the explanation? And If so, unless the ask prices are conspicuously low for the pictured items, why would you blame the potential buyer?
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Because I sell on eBay and have experience dealing with buyers who don't read item descriptions. APMEX sells far more than me so I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear they encounter far more buyers like that.
Like not reading item descriptions?
It appears that I’d put a greater relative burden on a seller than you would. If so, that’s OK - we can’t agree on everything.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
they are a bullion dealer - to them a MS65 is a MS65 is a MS65....
Appears so. I don't see anything wrong with APMEX using stock photos as long as that fact is disclosed. I think a seller's responsibility is delivering what they describe in their listing and if that description indicates that the item for sale is comparable to the one pictured, it's the buyer's responsibility to not bid/buy if they won't be satisfied unless they get the item pictured.
As you stated it, I can agree. That said, it can get dicey when it comes to the meaning of “comparable” or “will match the quality”.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
I miss my old Ampex tape deck.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
Those always looked like such a pain in the derrier to me to use!
Based on APMEX's listings, “comparable” or “will match the quality” would appear to mean "the same TPG grade". If I was interested in one of their items and wanted to know more than that, I'd ask. But then, that's just me.
Yep, lots of tape handling, but the best technology.
Keep this a secret , BUT I USED A STOCK PHOTO!
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
FYI I found a better coin at a local dealer. PF67 instead of PF66, more color, and less money
Photos in this listing may or may not be stock photos.
The photos are meant to be an indication of the product you will receive.
Taken from the ebay auction above. Should be apparent you are not going to receive toned Mercury in picture.
It should also be apparent that a seller using stock photos should not include ones which show positive attributes such as attractive toning, CAC stickers, etc. It’s not exactly difficult to avoid using such pictures. But if they do choose to use them, a more accurate disclaimer would be “Photos in this listing are stock photos and you will not receive the actual coin pictured.”
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
They had a monster 1915 buffalo nickel gem ms65 and I asked them if I bought this coin would the one in the picture be the one I get and they say no we use stock pix and you will get one which is graded ms65. Hey, they are all the same says they.
Bull Feathers!! I would not buy anything from them withe an attitude like that
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
Keep in mind not all coins that APMEX lists on eBay are from their own inventory. They list coins from other dealers' inventories (that they have been given permission to list) and in those cases the images were shot by the dealer who owns the coin.
Apmex is strictly a bullion dealer in my opinion. Now I will certainly buy a coin site unseen from a dealer I trust such as David Kahn, Brian Greer, and several others. But that trust doesn’t extend to “stock photos” from Apmex. To each his own but with so many reputable dealers available why bother with
Apmex?