Someone stole this 1858-S $10 Liberty Gold Eagle tonight on Great Collections

@RYK said:
RYK would not be caught dead with that coin.

Boosibri agrees that RYK would not be caught dead with that coin.

GC Return Policy:

On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item) and no request to delay shipment is made by Buyer. Certified coins/banknotes must be in the original sealed grading service holders. To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin or banknote via Insured Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Original and return shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege.

@Justacommeman said:
I was going to jump on this right away but I bit my tongue. I hate the coin. Some people will dismiss this or it will rub people the wrong way.

1) there is a reason this isn’t stickered

2) there is a reason why it’s in that slab

3) it’s the opposite of a CRO coin. Someone had to say it ; )

You have to remember that all auction sites are littered with problem coins sort of like landmines. The seller is trying to make their problem your problem. GC is great for a lot of things and reasons but when you are relying on buying off of those types of images Only it’s a crapshoot if you don’t dig in. It’s a discount auction site so you give up some things.

Do your due diligence

m

Irrespective of the coin, is "discount auction site" the right evaluation criteria of GC here, or is this really an issue with all auction sites?

For example, would Heritage or Stack's would reject this coin?

People have even taken issue with the following Legend Auctions headline PCGS CAC coin:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1038753/rainbow-toned-peace-dollars-pcgs-cac

@CoinJunkie said:
GC Return Policy:

On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item) and no request to delay shipment is made by Buyer. Certified coins/banknotes must be in the original sealed grading service holders. To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin or banknote via Insured Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Original and return shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege.

That sounds like a great policy, and much more than other auction sites.

@Zoins said:

@Justacommeman said:
I was going to jump on this right away but I bit my tongue. I hate the coin. Some people will dismiss this or it will rub people the wrong way.

1) there is a reason this isn’t stickered

2) there is a reason why it’s in that slab

3) it’s the opposite of a CRO coin. Someone had to say it ; )

You have to remember that all auction sites are littered with problem coins sort of like landmines. The seller is trying to make their problem your problem. GC is great for a lot of things and reasons but when you are relying on buying off of those types of images Only it’s a crapshoot if you don’t dig in. It’s a discount auction site so you give up some things.

Do your due diligence

m

Irrespective of the coin, is "discount auction site" the right evaluation criteria of GC here, or is this really an issue with all auction sites?

For example, would Heritage or Stack's would reject this coin?

People have even taken issue with the following Legend Auctions headline PCGS CAC coin:

Heritage or Stack's would not reject the coin, but they would probably describe it if there are issues. [Which we can't be sure there are.]

@jmlanzaf said:

@Zoins said:

@Justacommeman said:
I was going to jump on this right away but I bit my tongue. I hate the coin. Some people will dismiss this or it will rub people the wrong way.

1) there is a reason this isn’t stickered

2) there is a reason why it’s in that slab

3) it’s the opposite of a CRO coin. Someone had to say it ; )

You have to remember that all auction sites are littered with problem coins sort of like landmines. The seller is trying to make their problem your problem. GC is great for a lot of things and reasons but when you are relying on buying off of those types of images Only it’s a crapshoot if you don’t dig in. It’s a discount auction site so you give up some things.

Do your due diligence

m

Irrespective of the coin, is "discount auction site" the right evaluation criteria of GC here, or is this really an issue with all auction sites?

For example, would Heritage or Stack's would reject this coin?

People have even taken issue with the following Legend Auctions headline PCGS CAC coin:

Heritage or Stack's would not reject the coin, but they would probably describe it if there are issues. [Which we can't be sure there are.]

This is conjecture on my part, but if either of those auction houses were fairly certain the coin had been puttied, I believe they would likely refuse to auction it.

@CoinJunkie said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@Zoins said:

@Justacommeman said:
I was going to jump on this right away but I bit my tongue. I hate the coin. Some people will dismiss this or it will rub people the wrong way.

1) there is a reason this isn’t stickered

2) there is a reason why it’s in that slab

3) it’s the opposite of a CRO coin. Someone had to say it ; )

You have to remember that all auction sites are littered with problem coins sort of like landmines. The seller is trying to make their problem your problem. GC is great for a lot of things and reasons but when you are relying on buying off of those types of images Only it’s a crapshoot if you don’t dig in. It’s a discount auction site so you give up some things.

Do your due diligence

m

Irrespective of the coin, is "discount auction site" the right evaluation criteria of GC here, or is this really an issue with all auction sites?

For example, would Heritage or Stack's would reject this coin?

People have even taken issue with the following Legend Auctions headline PCGS CAC coin:

Heritage or Stack's would not reject the coin, but they would probably describe it if there are issues. [Which we can't be sure there are.]

This is conjecture on my part, but if either of those auction houses were fairly certain the coin had been puttied, I believe they would likely refuse to auction it.

I don't know about Heritage. But I've seen some gold at Stack's that looked puttied to me. They do sell the occasional problem coin at both places. But they usually mention it.

@Realone said:

@Zoins said:

@CoinJunkie said:
GC Return Policy:

On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item) and no request to delay shipment is made by Buyer. Certified coins/banknotes must be in the original sealed grading service holders. To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin or banknote via Insured Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Original and return shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege.

That sounds like a great policy, and much more than other auction sites.

Not true, they did not allow me to return a coin I won.

Strange, that policy seems to indicate returns are allowed.

Maybe @ianrussell can comment?

@CoinJunkie said:

@Zoins said:

@Realone said:

@Zoins said:

@CoinJunkie said:
GC Return Policy:

On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item) and no request to delay shipment is made by Buyer. Certified coins/banknotes must be in the original sealed grading service holders. To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin or banknote via Insured Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Original and return shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege.

That sounds like a great policy, and much more than other auction sites.

Not true, they did not allow me to return a coin I won.

Strange, that policy seems to indicate returns are allowed.

Maybe @ianrussell can comment?

Well, there is a clause in the verbiage about "clients found to be abusing our return policy [...]"

There are other exceptions noted in the policy that don't require you to accuse someone of abusing the policy.

Bullion is not returnable. Auction lots that expressly do not include returns.

@ianrussell said:

@Zoins said:

@Realone said:

@Zoins said:

@CoinJunkie said:
GC Return Policy:

On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item) and no request to delay shipment is made by Buyer. Certified coins/banknotes must be in the original sealed grading service holders. To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin or banknote via Insured Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Original and return shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege.

That sounds like a great policy, and much more than other auction sites.

Not true, they did not allow me to return a coin I won.

Strange, that policy seems to indicate returns are allowed.

Maybe @ianrussell can comment?

Yes, we do have a return policy. If we do not allow a return, it's because it did not qualify for the return (as noted in our policy) - ie. paid within a set time, notified us within 24 hours of receipt etc.

We've probably banned 10 people over the past 10 years for abusing our return policy - I don't believe anyone on these forums.

The reason why we have a return policy (it's rare in the auction business), is that we stand behind what we do - and we have always focused on accurately imaging the coins. If the image doesn't look like the coin, buyers would not be happy - it's why so many people stop buying on eBay.

I've been meaning to post about the 1858-S, but had a serious (for me) tooth issue that put me out of action for 4-5 days. There is a massive difference between PCGS and NGC for this coin, and CAC (for either PCGS/NGC) would be a whole other level of pricing. It exceeded my pre-auction estimate by $400, but it's the kind of coin that could certainly have brought more. I see a PCGS example in the same grade sold for $8500 hammer ($10,200 with their 20%) in January. Our particular NGC coin was sold by a dealer in the midwest for $7500 earlier this year (February/March).

• Ian

In your opinion was the coin puttied?

@Realone said:

@OriginalDan said:

@Realone said:
I won a coin while on vacation
I contacted them that I will pay in a few days upon returning
I picked up coin when returned and saw it had obvious cleaning even though holder didn't say so
I called to return it and said that I am not allowed to because it waited too long, even though I contacted them a moment after winning it to inform that I was out of town and will return within a week
I have never bought from them again, prior to that I liked them and never returned anything or even wanted to return anything
Truly disappointed with their inconsistent policy, since they never warned me that my delay would void any return policy /:

So you expected an exception to the return policy. Did you explicitly ask them for this, and did they explicitly grant the exception, only to later go back on their word?

Seems this is what you are insinuating, but I doubt that’s what happened.

Absolutely, I called after I won it for the exception of paying it within 7 days, since I was traveling. I spoke to a lady, I did not speak with Ian. I didn't think twice that I would have a problem since I called to confirm.

Calling them to give a heads up about payment timeframe is not the same as being explicitly granted an exception to return policy. You're smart enough to know that.

Either way, the classy thing to to do here is to take it up offline with GC instead of dragging their name through the mud in a public forum. I'm going to take a wild guess that based on what you've said here, they aren't missing your business.

Based on a ton of feedback on this forum, Ian and GC have been nothing but consistently helpful, often going out of their way to provide the best customer service in the business. Maybe the issue isn't with them?

@Walkerfan said:

Looks like a CRO kind of coin.

Wasn't me.

Well, it is a rare R-5 coin. Can someone post a nicer 1858-S $10 from their collection?