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Buying graded coins from APMEX? Is it always a stock photo?
Aspie_Rocco
Posts: 3,872 ✭✭✭✭✭
For buying pcgs graded coins from APMEX the descriptions all say “may or may not be a stock photo”
Has anyone tried them before?
Did you receive the graded coin from the photo or just the same grade/year/mint?
1
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If the item for sale has the following designation, one will receive the coin pictured. Otherwise, it is a crap shoot:
Tim
You can also call them and they will verify
I won't buy from them as they offer "no returns"
Move along, nothing to see here
Mike
My Indians
Dansco Set
I picked up an 1877-CC T$ from them that was the exact coin pictured. It actually looked a lot better in hand than their lousy photo.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
They accept returns
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
If you are looking to Cherrypick them you most likely will be disappointed. They have several varieties pictured on there website, unattributed, that have been there for years!! I quit ordering from them years ago because when I called to ask them if I'd get the coin pictured they would not confirm it.
Stock photos bum me out. Today I found a top pop variety in an unlabeled holder only to find it’s an old stock photo.
There are at least 3 sellers I know of that use various stock photos of hard to find varieties as their regular offering.
I always get that “missed opportunity” feeling when I find these, haha.
https://www.autismforums.com/media/albums/acrylic-colors-by-rocco.291/
Amex is ok for bullion but a tad pricey. For collector coins I would look elsewhere.
I tried to buy from them in pre-33 gold without luck.
They had two of the same year / grade
Couldn’t send photos
I asked “can I buy both and send one back?” and was told yes, but 25% restocking.
My guess is they are just too busy to photograph all the coins.
Bought bullion from them and very good experience.
All photos thus far for me have been stock photos.
they sell bullion and consider a PCGS MS64 similar to a silver eagle
I purchased a coin from them, several years ago, pictured with the warning 'may not be the actual coin you receive', just to check it out (low price Morgan). Sure enough, the coin I received was not the one pictured.
The coin was OK and not a loss overall. Cheers, RickO
With APMEX I always assume they are using a stock photo unless the listing says otherwise.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Prices I've seen from them tend to be high retail; I'd much rather do business with smaller sellers who have better products, pricing and service.
I purchased the Type 1 and Type 2 2021 Silver Eagles (bullion) from them in MS70 condition to see what the MS70 fuss was all about (NGC graded). I had no issues and the coins are very nice, at least to my sixty some year old eyes.
It's usually safe to buy an MS70 coin from stock photos.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
apmex is a good seller, they almost always send me upper end coins for the grade, but they have really got expensive the past few years, usually if the quanity is one available, you get the coin pictured
I ordered an initial offering of the palladium eagle (superb pricing) from them in an ‘MS 70’ years ago and it had the typical rim dings and they replaced it quickly for me. No problem and it’s a much better version.
I was watching two 1794 LCs from them a couple of years ago. They were the coins being offered in the pictures but both seemed a bit over (~20%) Price Guide values at the time. I passed... fast-forward a few months and one of them was being offered through JJ Teaparty at the Baltimore Whitman coin show for a bit less... and I got it for less than that...
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If it is a fairly unique coin where there's not a ton of them, you're probably getting what's in the picture. I think I bought a coin from them once and got the coin pictured. Especially if they're showing a coin in a rattler.
Thanks for sharing info on how tell if it coin pictured.