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Heritage auctions vs ebay auctions

coolestcoolest Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭
Why do you think when collectors are buying from Heritage auctions they have no problem paying many times the Grey Sheet price, plus 20%, and when buying from an eBay auction are rarely willing to pay Gray sheet, plus 0%? Or am I just imagining this phenomenon?

Comments

  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,742 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Many of the Heritage bidders have actually seen what they are bidding on. That is not the case with ebay.
    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
  • fcfc Posts: 12,793 ✭✭✭
    one reason is that people have more confidence that heritage will
    actually deliver the goods versus joe blow who has a 109 feedback
    rating.

    do you really want to stretch for a 3000 dollar coin on an ebay auction
    where you are not guaranteed to get the coin and are at the mercy
    of joe blow?
  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 5,930 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Plus, the large majority of Heritage
    bidders are much more educated,
    and are willing to stretch their bids.

    As just mentioned above, the risk/reward
    ratio over at Ebay is different.
    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
  • <Why do you think when collectors are buying from Heritage auctions

    Maybe because they have yet to realize that it might take Heritage months to ship their coin to them, or better yet, might not let you know that it's your responsibility to arrange 3rd party shipping?
  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭
    Many dealers use e-bay for a dumping ground. Usually to get rid of ugly for the grade stuff.
  • mcheathmcheath Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭
    >>>>>>>>Maybe because they have yet to realize that it might take Heritage months to ship their coin to them, or better yet, might not let you know that it's your responsibility to arrange 3rd party shipping? >>>>>>>>>>



    Thats probably itimage
  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭


    << <i>>>>>>>>>Maybe because they have yet to realize that it might take Heritage months to ship their coin to them, or better yet, might not let you know that it's your responsibility to arrange 3rd party shipping? >>>>>>>>>>



    Thats probably itimage >>



    To be fair Heritage has a better track record shipping items than e-bay. You only hear about the handful of stuff that gets delayed for one reason or another.
  • RussRuss Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
    It isn't always true that realized prices on Heritage are higher than eBay. I sold a Gobrecht on ebay - for $2000 more than it brought on Heritage a few months before. On a smaller scale, I sold an MS66CAM Jefferson on eBay for double what I paid on Heritage. Or, there was the group of seven proof and SMS Kennedys I picked off on Heritage for less than $360 and flipped on eBay for over $900. Or the 1964 PR67DCAM Accented Hair that brought $1100 on Heritage that I sold on eBay for over $3500. Etc, etc.

    Russ, NCNE


  • << <i>Why do you think when collectors are buying from Heritage auctions they have no problem paying many times the Grey Sheet price, plus 20%, and when buying from an eBay auction are rarely willing to pay Gray sheet, plus 0%? Or am I just imagining this phenomenon? >>



    Are you talking about certified coins?

    Please show me an example of where a coin went for many times greysheet on Heritage. I'll show you examples where the same is true form ebay.
  • mcheathmcheath Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭
    I know that, thus the crazy iconimage
  • nurmalernurmaler Posts: 1,158 ✭✭✭
    I think the eBay buyers are more competitive and looking for bargains.
    Also, live auctions can really excite people and their wallets.
  • sweetwillietsweetwilliet Posts: 2,315 ✭✭✭
    "Many dealers use e-bay for a dumping ground. Usually to get rid of ugly for the grade stuff. "

    I agree. The quality of coins is, in general, superior on Heritage versus ebay, in my opinion. Also, Heritage inspires more confidence that you will get your coin. Ebay still has its great pickups and some quality coins, and if you stick to your trusted sellers you should do well.
    Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
    Will’sProoflikes
  • fcfc Posts: 12,793 ✭✭✭
    Many dealers use e-bay for a dumping ground. Usually to get rid of ugly for the grade stuff.

    wow i could not disagree more. i look at half eagles a lot and heritage
    is just chock full of cleaned ugly coins, net holdered by anacs, and
    pcgs/ngc coins that should have never been holdered in the first place!!!

    who are you trying to kid?

    yes they get the true rarities, more so then ebay, but the joe blow
    priced coins are allll over the place on heritage. some are truly embarrassing.

    ebay has a wider selection of joe blow coins, good, bad, and ugly.

    sorry about the large pic but i think a wake up call is in order!
    this is called fishing on heritage for a SUCKER who wants the insert grade!
    image
    image
  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Many dealers use e-bay for a dumping ground. Usually to get rid of ugly for the grade stuff.

    wow i could not disagree more. i look at half eagles a lot and heritage
    is just chock full of cleaned ugly coins, net holdered by anacs, and
    pcgs/ngc coins that should have never been holdered in the first place!!!

    who are you trying to kid?

    yes they get the true rarities, more so then ebay, but the joe blow
    priced coins are allll over the place on heritage. some are truly embarrassing.

    ebay has a wider selection of joe blow coins, good, bad, and ugly.

    sorry about the large pic but i think a wake up call is in order!
    this is called fishing on heritage for a SUCKER who wants the insert grade!
    >>



    Maybe true but on heritage they have pics that are easy to tell and you can by pass them. On e-bay most pics are horrible. Not that Heritage pics are good but they are at least better than most on e-bay.

    On Heritage most stuff will be slabbed, on e-bay there is a lot of raw junk.
  • fcfc Posts: 12,793 ✭✭✭
    Maybe true but on heritage they have pics that are easy to tell and you can by pass them. On e-bay most pics are horrible. Not that Heritage pics are good but they are at least better than most on e-bay.

    any ebay auction with bad pics i simply pass by. there is always more
    around the corner. i am just pointing out, that heritage is currently
    the dumping ground to me. ebay might have some dogs but they
    also have jewels in the rough.

    i did a search on heritage for "cleaned". out of 219 lots 43 are
    cleaned. dumping say what? and that is just the ones properly labeled.

    now add in the ngc/pcgs mistakes, rim filed, bent, etc.. you could prob
    work that right up to 75 lots.


  • << <i>Maybe true but on heritage they have pics that are easy to tell and you can by pass them. On e-bay most pics are horrible. Not that Heritage pics are good but they are at least better than most on e-bay.

    any ebay auction with bad pics i simply pass by. there is always more
    around the corner. i am just pointing out, that heritage is currently
    the dumping ground to me. ebay might have some dogs but they
    also have jewels in the rough.

    i did a search on heritage for "cleaned". out of 219 lots 43 are
    cleaned. dumping say what? and that is just the ones properly labeled.

    now add in the ngc/pcgs mistakes, rim filed, bent, etc.. you could prob
    work that right up to 75 lots. >>



    So essentially, you are saying that about 33% of the coins on Heritage are not original.

    That seems to be pretty much the same rate as on ebay.
  • fcfc Posts: 12,793 ✭✭✭
    So essentially, you are saying that about 33% of the coins on Heritage are not original. That seems to be pretty much the same rate as on ebay.

    fair enough. i can agree with that. so they are both dumping grounds ;-)
  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭


    << <i>So essentially, you are saying that about 33% of the coins on Heritage are not original. That seems to be pretty much the same rate as on ebay.

    fair enough. i can agree with that. so they are both dumping grounds ;-) >>



    I guess I am just saying that I find it harder to find what I am looking for on e-bay. Heritage usually gets a couple a year that fit what I need.
  • sinin1sinin1 Posts: 7,500
    Heritage has a higher average dollar items


    and less crap to wade through to find the good stuff



    the coins are usually already in slabs, so they have been seen by a TPG, and rendered an opinion


    so many collectors/investors would rather purchase from Heritage than mess with eBay
    especially if they are averaging a few thousand a month


  • << <i>"Many dealers use e-bay for a dumping ground. Usually to get rid of ugly for the grade stuff. "

    I agree. The quality of coins is, in general, superior on Heritage versus ebay, in my opinion. Also, Heritage inspires more confidence that you will get your coin. Ebay still has its great pickups and some quality coins, and if you stick to your trusted sellers you should do well. >>



    The quality of my coins are exactly the same as Heritage and other major auction firms offer in their auctions. This is where I obtain 95% of the coins I offer on ebay.
    I have a 100% positive feedback rating on ebay and offer an unconditional money back return policy.
    In spite of this many of my coins languish on ebay or in my ebay store.
    I sell many more from my website and have 2 or three returns a year ---tops.
    When for whatever reason coins don't sell for 6 months or so I consign them to auction where inevitably they realize more--- sometimes much more, than whatever I was asking on ebay.
    With a sizeable consignment, most auction firms offer 105% of hammer and and the 10% remaining buyers fee you have to overcome is comparable to ebay plus paypal.
    I place a reasonable reserve on all my consigned coins which bidders seem to have no problem meeting and exceeding.
    Ebay bidders have informed me both by email and on forum postings that they under no circumstances will bid on a ebay reserve auction.
    My best guess is that ebay bidders have turned this selling venue into a combination flea market and garage sale by rejecting any coin that can't be sniped, ripped, flipped and shipped. They have all mutated into vest pocket dealers.
    The real collectors have abandoned ebay in favor of the major auctions where the astute sellers are consigning all their really nice coins.
    Whoever described ebay as a dumping ground for low quality coins that sellers are willing to take a loss on just to make them go away is very close to an accurate assessment.
    I used to sell northward of $500,000 per year on ebay and now offering the same quality coins with the same markup, sell around 10% of that number.
    I have found it very profitable in the last year or so to buy high quality coins with the auction route in mind if they don't sell from my ebay store or website.
    Even other knowledgable dealers will pay more for quality coins than most of the bottom feeding bidders on ebay.
    I have consigned and sold several million dollars in quality coins last year and am well satisfied with the results. All of these coins were offered on ebay for less money.
    These are just the facts as relate to my experience selling on ebay over the last 2 years so don't shoot the messenger. Dave W


    dalias13@hotmail.com

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