List Of Authentic Ebay Sellers Of Coins I Found

Not necessarily so, Demarco. A while back there was a run of modern repros of shillings of Charles I on ebay and other sites. They weren't rare and sold for between £15 and £60, mostly to people who weren't experts on the series.

Not that they weren't good copies. I was even fooled a couple of times. But I keep good records and when you see what appears to be the identical hammered coin appear again and again .. you get suspicious.

I dare say they were made for more than pennies. But a steady income of £40s every now and then (there were five different coins replicated, possibly by a company in the US) gradually builds up.

The point being, people want to check out a £250-£500 coin. Whereas a hammered coin (which all have their own quirks, so are more difficult to compare) selling for under £50 is much less likely to raise suspicion. To the extent at least one major auction house had one listed as part of a lot. And once that happens, well, who's going to question if it comes up on ebay as ex ...&Co, with a pic of the catalogue listing?

I sell stuff on ebay from time to time, and my name is not on your list--for shame!!

You gotta give ebay their due credit: a (relatively) cheap system for anyone to list items in a simple straightforward format, and to get potential buyers from the world over to look at your item, is a brilliant and a runaway-successful idea. In other words, how else might I sell a rare French coin to a Japanese collector, than via what is--for better or for worse--the easiest way to do so online today? I'm all for competitors (traditionally strong, coin-dedicated institutions like Heritage Auctions or other) but as a private individual buying and selling relatively modest-dollar items I'm not going to consign with the "big boys" am I?

As for avoiding fakes, that's up to each buyer to be educated, select wisely, buy only from sellers who accept returns, scrutinize photos as best you can and/or ask for more, and to--in a pinch--back away if there's a doubt. Just because something has been made easier to do from your couch in your jammies, doesn't mean you should switch off the gray matter! It should also be acknowledged that the online-coin situation is very different from that encountered at shows; if collectors don't stay abreast of values and prices at shows in addition to the hysteric-prone online buying communities then those collectors are probably spending too much.

lol Ben, yeeah should have been smiles and rain

As much as we have become enamored with our technology, nothing available through the magic of the internet can replace buying a coin from another person. It's much more difficult to scam someone face-to-face -- well, unless the buyer has his face stuck in his smart phone.

I'm hurt also. I've been selling on ebay on and off for 12 years now and I didn't make your list even though I have a 100% good feedback. I have also bought from 100's of dealers on ebay and only got whacked once and that was for a microscope from Hong Kong. I don't recognize many names on your list. How do you justify these dealers? I will agree with some members and that ebay commands a lower dollar limit on my purchases. I study the seller very closely especially his feedback. Tells you a lot and it cant be falsified either. I took a poll at the last 2 coins shows I went to and over 80% of the dealers there said they also sell on ebay one way or another. Forget trying to bash ebay and their sellers. Take a look at our Forum members who sell on ebay. A lot of them aren't on your list either.

Just my opinions

edgman

If you found the list on Google that should tell you its not worth even looking at. This Forum has a list also. I would tend to believe this Forum more than Google. If you want to get some info on any dealer just ask the members. Most of these members can give you info on most coin dealers on ebay or elsewhere. But, most of all, don't stop asking questions here. Remember "The only dumb question was the one that was never asked". Keep posting.

edgman

Then why are there so many fake British pound coins in circulation? If they weren't making money they wouldn't be doing it, and if they have the ability to produce those fakes they should be able to produce much better quality coins at not a great increase in cost that will sell for much more the a pound apiece. If you take your time to make avery good fake and you can then produce it for 5 pounds each, it cost you the same whether you make a 20 pound coin of a 100 pound coin, but people will identify that 100 pound fake a lot sooner than the 20 pound one so you can sell a lot less of them.