I don't think I am going to purchase coins on ebay ever again.

CopperWire · December 21, 2008 10:22AM

The coins from the photos never look like the coin in hand. I think I'm going to only buy coins when I see them in my hand from now on. I'm still learning.

CopperWire

derryb · December 21, 2008 10:24AM

Great place to buy NGC/PCGS graded coins. Stay away from the raw. They tend to get sold over and over until someone finally throws them away.

FatMan · December 21, 2008 10:27AM

<< The coins from the photos never look like the coin in hand. I think I'm going to only buy coins when I see them in my hand from now on. I'm still learning.

CopperWire >>

You have just taken a major step in greatly improving the quality of your collection.

LotsoLuck · December 21, 2008 10:35AM

I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO.

pennyannie · December 21, 2008 10:43AM

I love ebay, my collection would be mighty small if ebay did not exist.

coinsarefun · December 21, 2008 10:45AM

I stay away from small blurry images and poor feedback sellers.

But there are plenty of good sellers on Ebay

I also agree that my collection would be very small without Ebay.
At very good prices.

Its like everything in life......there's good and bad

Stefanie

oldwestgold · December 21, 2008 10:46AM

I prefer to buy coins that I inspect in hand too. Just make sure the seller on Ebay has a good return policy and you'll be ok

derryb · December 21, 2008 10:51AM

We all complain about ebay, but if you think about it, ebay has done more to expand the hobby than any single thing in my collecting years. Think about what the coin market would be without something like ebay as a trading medium. Ebay has greatly increased the number of collectors and because it is a true marketplace it pretty much sets coin prices throughout the hobby.

adamlaneus · December 21, 2008 10:54AM

eBay is worth watching; it does occasionally contain the:

Promise Of Righteous Numismatics.

Not that i'm into that sort of thing.

silvergoldnut · December 21, 2008 10:55AM

I agree, i would not have ever finished my morgan dollar set or quarter indian eagle set without e-bay.

do you reseach, if it sounds to good to be true ,than it is.

i will get some deals from time to time, but for the most part you get what you pay for.

Type2 · December 21, 2008 10:55AM

just stay sharp you will be OK, give your self some time to look at coins that have 2 to 5 days so you can look and study that coin so you can make a good buy if your not sure just pass it will be A OK.

Trust me we all do it.

LotsoLuck · December 21, 2008 11:05AM

<< We all complain about ebay, but if you think about it, ebay has done more to expand the hobby than any single thing in my collecting years. Think about what the coin market would be without something like ebay as a trading medium. Ebay has greatly increased the number of collectors and because it is a true marketplace it pretty much sets coin prices throughout the hobby. >>

golfer72 · December 21, 2008 11:15AM

I only use Ebay for the few dealers that post good pix and that is only for buy it now. NFC coins in Fla is very good especially for Lincolns. Nothign is black and white. Lots of danger on Ebay but you can find good coins if you are careful. I dont have the patience though to track auctions over long time frames. That is why I like Teletrade. Better pictures also.

Mesquite · December 21, 2008 11:17AM

Ebay seller's pic - bought it for cheap on the basis of what I thought I saw in his pic.

I was right!

I'll buy raw on ebay - but carefully.

tmcsr69 · December 21, 2008 11:18AM

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO. >>

I agree,

coinsarefun · December 21, 2008 11:22AM

<< eBay is worth watching; it does occasionally contain the:

Promise Of Righteous Numismatics.

Not that i'm into that sort of thing. >>

Hmmmm just can't get past that auction

Stefanie

tombr · December 21, 2008 11:23AM

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO. >>

I agree too. I've gotten some great buys on Ebay, and yes, a few bad ones. I think picture "reading" is a skill too

DwaineO · December 21, 2008 11:25AM

You can find good deals on Ebay but you do have to search around. Look for good feedback and clear pictures.

19Lyds · December 21, 2008 12:12PM

For me, I often find that I "see" the coin differently on eBay in that my "mind" wants to see something nice and has a tendency to NOT look as closely as I should.

This is not limited to eBay either as Heritage, Teletrade and literally any other online venue presents the same types of one dimensional photos and the same problems. Without being able to rotate the coin under good lighting conditions, you'll simply never "see" everything that you "should see" when purchasing a coin.

erroid · December 21, 2008 12:32PM

I agree with those that said to stick with TPG's, good pics and a return policy; there are some very good buys on the Bay.

DUIGUY · December 21, 2008 12:44PM

Not often but every now and then;
Sellers pics

Actual piece;

rld14 · December 21, 2008 2:02PM

I don't buy anything of serious value on there, but I have gotten some real steals. I also bought a couple of those Chinese fakes to play tricks on people with, I bought a double eagle fake that has been a source of tremendous amusement for me

(I e-mailed the seller and got about 10 of them, I have done things like drop one on the ground at an auto auction, etc.. haha)

But I have gotten some fantastic deals on raw coins as well, here's a good example, item 300271901888 The 29-D was cleaned with Brasso, the 30 and the 30-D were F coins and straight, the 25 and 26 were worn but honest, the 28 is a STRONG VF coin that most anyone could easily call XF. For an average of $2.05 per coin shipped, I did quite well I think. item 300271739557 is a strong VF as well, I'll buy every VF SLQ I can for $6.50 or so. 120345028794 weas another score, the VF T1 isn't pitted, it needs to be dipped. The G/VG coin is ok but the 28s are both easily VFs.

Would I buy a raw 1916 on there? I'd have to be smoking crack. My other account has stolen quite a few F and better 27-Ss though

Regardless, it's nothing more than gambling, I bought a bunch of old wheats that were crappy, but they were for a VERY YN (6 yrs old) and ended up costing 4 or 5c each so how can I complain?

Coxe · December 21, 2008 2:18PM

For a serious collection of high quality rare coins, seeing them in hand is the only way to go. TPGs and stickers are no replacement for personal inspection.

That said, most of us either do not collect monster rarities or at least do not exclusively. I trawl the eBay waters now and then, however rarely. Have gotten some neat coins and the occasional disappointment. I take the pessimistic stance on what I see there and bid accordingly, unless I knwo the seller well or have done business with him/her before with success.

smokincoin · December 21, 2008 2:37PM

<< 

<< eBay is worth watching; it does occasionally contain the:

Promise Of Righteous Numismatics.

Not that i'm into that sort of thing. >>

Hmmmm just can't get past that auction

Stefanie >>

Me neither! What the hell is that? I'm guessing it's not fingers.

Coxe · December 21, 2008 2:43PM

<< 

<< 

<< eBay is worth watching; it does occasionally contain the:

Promise Of Righteous Numismatics.

Not that i'm into that sort of thing. >>

Hmmmm just can't get past that auction

Stefanie >>

Me neither! What the hell is that? I'm guessing it's not fingers.

>>

Wonder if the seller can do that with a half dollar roll too.

thisnamztaken · December 21, 2008 4:59PM

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO. >>

Yep.

CertifiedGoldCoins · December 21, 2008 6:34PM

After many thousands of transactions on eBay over the past ten years, I've come to the conclusion that it has slowly become more of a flea market than a good place to do business. Many great dealers no longer sell there, driven off by changes to policy, and by the departure of serious buyers who left with them.

There are far more opportunities to get cheated than there are bargains to be found, and that is definitely the opposite of the way things used to be in 1998.

sonoranmonsoon · December 21, 2008 8:54PM

Finally a thread that did not contain a bunch of one liner posts bashing ebay outright, but rather putting it in a more realistic perspective. I agree with almost all the above posts. Never thought that would happen.

lcoopie · December 21, 2008 8:57PM

<< After many thousands of transactions on eBay over the past ten years, I've come to the conclusion that it has slowly become more of a flea market than a good place to do business. Many great dealers no longer sell there, driven off by changes to policy, and by the departure of serious buyers who left with them.

There are far more opportunities to get cheated than there are bargains to be found, and that is definitely the opposite of the way things used to be in 1998. >>

McDonis · December 21, 2008 10:34PM

Part of me would like to agree, having lost our Ebay business (was my wife's clothing business) a year ago to the multitude of issues inside Ebay I would like to go somewhere else. Fact is for a buyer you just cant avoid Ebay, they have a ton on inventory and sometimes you get great deals.

For the most part as a buyer I have had great experiences and some bad ones but the good far outshines the bad in both coins and non-coin purchases.

Having said all that however it is in my opinion that Ebay is a site that is slowly on the decline. They have driven off many a good seller and seem to only be interested in developing their site into the Amazon of auctions. If you are a large volume dealer who can snag a nifty discount from them you can probably still do business on their site. But for the small fry they are purposuly making it very difficult to make a living. Over time unless something changes they will just die off, kind of sad really.

dsessom · December 21, 2008 10:44PM

I can't afford to collect multi-thousand dollar coins. I am just your average working class guy who enjoys the hobby. 95% of my collection is presently raw, but I'm shifting to more slabbed NGC/PCGS because they of course increase the value of the collection. My rarest coin (which I just purchased from "PonyExpress8" here on the forums - Thanks Glenn!!) is a NGC 1885 Liberty nickel in G6. Now I have all the keys in my Liberty nickel collection, and I am upgrading everything that's not key to EF40 or better. If it weren't for Ebay, this would take me years to achieve. You just have to know what you are looking for, and who you are buying from. Alway do your research - both on the piece you want to buy, and the seller as well! Make contact with them, and see if they are quick to reply or ignore you. This is how I test them usually. There are MANY reputable sellers on Ebay (Like Glenn - PonyExpress8a on Ebay..) and many post here on this board as well. After a successful transaction that I feel good about, I put the seller into my Favorite Sellers list on Ebay. This list also allows you to keep notes. I currently have about 20 sellers on that list that I buy from regularly, and I tend to stick with those 20 if I can because I know and trust them. I never buy from ANYONE with less than 99% posative feedback. Nearly ALL reputable sellers have 100% or close to it.

I hope my story helps you somewhat. Ebay is just a tool for transaction. Just like any marketplace, there are crooks and honest sellers. You just have to use caution and you will be fine.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

seanq · December 21, 2008 10:55PM

Whoever said that picture reading is an art nailed it. You can stay safe and secure and only buy TPG coins with giant pictures, but as you gain confidence and experience there are some great raw coins values to be found - think of eBay as the world's largest haystack and you're a needle hunter.

<< I stay away from small blurry images..... >>

Seller's small, blurry picture:

Coin in hand:

Sean Reynolds

mrpotatoheadd · December 22, 2008 12:13AM

dsessom-

I agree with your post pretty much, but as a seller, I'm of two minds about this part:

<< Alway do your research - both on the piece you want to buy, and the seller as well! Make contact with them, and see if they are quick to reply or ignore you. This is how I test them usually. >>

I understand the logic of it, but still- I work a full-time job in addition to selling on eBay, and my days are long enough without having to answer questions from people who are just testing me to see how quickly I reply.

I already respond to the questions I get within a day of receipt, but I'd hate to think how much more work I'd have if everybody who thought about bidding on one of my coins decided to send an email to check to see if I would ignore them or not. I had about 350 page views in the group of auctions that ended last night, with about the same number for tonight- if just a third of them emailed me with a question requiring no more than a minute in order to read and reply, that's 4 more hours of work for me this week alone.

It's particularly frustrating when people do ask questions about a listing when the answer is in the listing, if they'd just read it. I still reply, but if the number of these emails ever picks up, I'll be sorely tempted to start ignoring them myself. I'd hate for things to get to that point, but there are only so many hours in a day, and I'm afraid that emailing sellers (for many of them, anyway) just to see if they write back quickly is pushing the envelope of reasonableness (if that's a word).

If you have a legitimate question, you shouldn't hesitate to write for an answer. And if the seller is a good one, you should generally expect to get a fairly prompt reply. You might want to consider, however, that emailing for no other reason than just to see how the seller responds is a good way to get yourself assigned to the "High Maintenance Buyer" category.

seanq · December 22, 2008 12:33AM

<< I stay away from small blurry images..... >>

Heck, I just bought this raw seated "quarter" from the seller's small, blurry image for under ten bucks.

Sean Reynolds

dsessom · December 22, 2008 1:07AM

Perhaps I should clarify. By "quickly" I mean within 24 hours. I definitely understand that Ebay is not a full-time occupation, and I too work a 40+ hour a week job, and coin collecting is an (obsessive) hobby for me. I think that probably applies to the vast majority of us here.

If I am serious about buying a coin worth, say, $100 or more, I email the seller just to introduce myself as a buyer and ask whatever questions I might have.
For the most part, I have never had a problem buying on Ebay and as I said, once I have a good tranaction, I become a repeat customer.

I only do the "email test" if I am planning on buying from someone who I have never done business with before AND I am hesitant for whatever reason. This is NOT something I do on a regular basis by any means. My normal mode of operation is:

1. Look for a coin I need.
2. Find coin from one of my trusted sellers.
3. Buy coin and pay immediately via Paypal - no questions asked.

YaHa · December 22, 2008 1:12AM

<< 

<< 

<< 

<< eBay is worth watching; it does occasionally contain the:

Promise Of Righteous Numismatics.

Not that i'm into that sort of thing. >>

Hmmmm just can't get past that auction

Stefanie >>

Me neither! What the hell is that? I'm guessing it's not fingers.

>>

Wonder if the seller can do that with a half dollar roll too. >>

Not to brag I could. They used to call me H/C in high school after football showers.

crazyhounddog · December 22, 2008 2:27AM

I guess that's where your grading skills come into play. The real treasures are the raw coins! I have had very good luck buying raw coins , but a return policy is a must!

Coinsponge · December 22, 2008 2:35AM

I would say at least make sure any coin bid upon has a decent return policy. Good finds can be made on ebay as well as stinkers. I once bought a 64D nickel roll that contained a NGC MS67FS. That was a good one.

VamGuy · December 22, 2008 10:13AM

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO. >>

There are still a few of us full time eBay sellers who do it right. Some of us hand pick the coins we sell rather than simply buying & flipping any overgraded or low eye appeal POS. Some of us actuallly go through the trouble of displaying large, sharp, clear images directly reflecting what the coin looks like in hand. Some of us remove all stickers and glue residue before shipping the coin to the collector. And there are even some of us sellers who have a 7 day no questions asked 100% refund policy (something your major auction houses don't have. You bid, you won, you own it, period!) And finally, there are some of us sellers who still value customer service and repeat business over a quick profit.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

coinpictures · December 22, 2008 12:06PM

As long as you're careful whom you buy from and how, eBay can be a veritable treasure trove. Sure, we tend to concentrate on the scammers and thieves around here, but for every one of those I'm willing to bet there are 50 purchases that go hunky dory.

Picture-reading is indeed a necessary art.

Some examples:

Auction:

In hand:

Auction:

In Hand:

Mar327 · December 22, 2008 12:47PM

<< 

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO. >>

There are still a few of us full time eBay sellers who do it right. Some of us hand pick the coins we sell rather than simply buying & flipping any overgraded or low eye appeal POS. Some of us actuallly go through the trouble of displaying large, sharp, clear images directly reflecting what the coin looks like in hand. Some of us remove all stickers and glue residue before shipping the coin to the collector. And there are even some of us sellers who have a 7 day no questions asked 100% refund policy (something your major auction houses don't have. You bid, you won, you own it, period!) And finally, there are some of us sellers who still value customer service and repeat business over a quick profit.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. >>

Good job, and we do all the same things. Some people take a lot more pride in their work than others.

thebeav · December 22, 2008 1:11PM

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. >>

I agree.....If you buy enough coins, you get a great feel for the photography vs true appearance of raw coins.

Boom · December 22, 2008 1:17PM

I must agree that in the vast majority of cases, MOST raw coins on ebay are huge let downs.

There ARE, however, some places where raw coins are actually better than the pix.

When you find such sellers - stick with them.

Create a list of Favorite sellers along with a Black list to remind you who to stay away from!

coinpictures · December 22, 2008 1:54PM

<< Create a list of Favorite sellers along with a Black list to remind you who to stay away from! >>

I've often thought that eBay should allow buyers to create a "Blocked Sellers List" as a counterpoint to sellers' "Blocked Buyers List". It would be great to not inadvertently buy from someone who you've had problems with before or have been warned about (let's face it, over the course of 10 years, you forget all the buyer/seller IDs you deal with, especially since they can be changed at any time).

seatedcollector · December 22, 2008 1:57PM

ebay is not the place anyone will hit a home run every time, take the bad with the good, i believe alot of people expect to buy a $1000 coin for $10 and be happy with it. just doesnt work like that. a few things to remmber is, #1 you arent the only one seeing the coin, if no one else is bidding on it, it may not be such a great deal. #2 some ebay seller dont have any idea what they are selling. #3 asking a few extra questions may save you from buying a coin that you dont want. ebay is like anything, it is what it is.

coindeuce · December 22, 2008 2:07PM

The customer that brought me a raw 1861 quarter eagle in XF today isn't quite as cynical. I congratulated him and wished him well in his future eBay purchases. He still wouldn't sell the coin to me.

He purchased it for under bid.

LotsoLuck · December 22, 2008 2:12PM

This is one of the best threads I have seen in my short time on the board. To the point, no back biting and stating the induvidual experiences as they happened. To put Ebay in a cheezy phrase "its what it is" I could slap a "I agree" on most of these posts. Were all dealing wih it, at very least keeping a eye on it.

BECOKA · December 22, 2008 2:35PM

Well put.

That is also one less bidder I have to compete with.

lkeigwin · December 22, 2008 3:40PM

<< I'm going to have to play the devils advocate here. There are good buys on Ebay. Big clear pictures, good seller feedback and a good eye will get you on the positive side of buying. Everyone has their dogs to sell, not just ebay. And shifty sellers are everywhere as well. IMO. >>

I agree! You don't have to put up with bad pictures and poor description. My auctions.

lkenefic · December 22, 2008 4:03PM

I've done OK on ebay... I picked this up for ~$32

The seller had marginal photos and I took a chance. There have been some other bright spots as well but I must say that my last three purchases have been less than spectacular... a 1907 IHC billed as AU55 that would barely make 40... and a 1841 LC that I actually ended up sending back because the photos didn't reveal the vertigris and green corrosion. Perhaps this is the good part of ebay... use the seller's return policy if you feel you're not getting a good deal. But it's incumbent on the buyer to make certain what exactly the return policy is!! Remember, as with most things (especially in a poor economy) CAVEAT EMPTOR!!

Regards, Leo

CertifiedGoldCoins · December 22, 2008 5:00PM

<< use the seller's return policy if you feel you're not getting a good deal. >>

Good advice. The coins that you have returned will reappear on eBay, but many buyers don't know any better, and they keep what they get: worn out or doctored junk, and fakes. If a lot of returns were made, you'd see many more coin relistings.

But many buyers are happy, and line up to throw money at the bad guys next time around. Eventually, some people wake up, too late, and quit collecting in disgust. But they are replaced by a constant stream of newcomers, ripe for picking. This process has been going on for years, and the result is FleaBay. Crooks love eBay.

I don't think I am going to purchase coins on ebay ever again.

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