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 Replies: 39 / Views: 3,750 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4420 Posts |
Here's an interesting concept that apparently works toward significant financial gain. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...38196wt_1276The seller offers two coins, a 1912 U.S. cent and a 1912 British penny, with but a penny starting bid. He uses the Titanic disaster to promote these multiple sales. (Hmmm, I wonder how many buyers there would be for a few minor coins dated 2001, using the Trade Center horror?) I'd estimate the numismatic worth of these two coins at under $1. Yet, it just sold for almost $20, including postage!  Here's a similar offering by apparently the same seller under another ebay ID: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1912-PENNY-..._2850wt_1327This offer is for just the 1912 British penny, and the BIN price makes the other offer look appealing, eh what? If a prospective buyer happens upon one offer, the other offer will likely appear in a box below.  Now, if I decide to sell my 1892 Indian cent, I think I'll use Lizzie Borden to market the coin. That's the year she chopped up her parents with an axe ... |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2135 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
The seller is a really good salesman. His job must be in Sales & Marketing. The only thing not included is how "RARE" the two pennies are.
See how many countries he ships to below in the auction... must be a gazillion of them who probably have no clue as to their actual worth.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2077 Posts |
So these coins have nothing to do with the Titanic except the year they were minted?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4132 Posts |
It's probably the most widely known historical event from 1912. Many civil war era coins are marketed as such, and WWII era coins are marketed as such, so I don't think it's a big deal.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
Correct. His sales pitch was that the coins were minted in the same year the Titanic sank
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2077 Posts |
I don't like when a seller tells me that a coin is Civil War era, or pre Civil War, or who was president, or how old it is (which is the worst). Totally irrelevant information in almost all cases.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1659 Posts |
Looks like keyword spamming to me...especially all the fluff in the descriptions.
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Valued Member
United States
196 Posts |
The Titanic was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the Harland & Wolff shipyard so why isn't it an Irish coin? Just wondering.....
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
I don't like when a seller tells me that a coin is Civil War era, or pre Civil War, or who was president, or how old it is (which is the worst). Totally irrelevant information in almost all cases. They do that as a trick to get more attention. If you put any of those in or civil war for example whenever someone searches for that your listing comes up as well |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2077 Posts |
Quote:
Looks like keyword spamming to me...especially all the fluff in the descriptions. He actually lists them in a special White Star Lines memorabilia category. Even if we disagree with his methods, they are quite creative and effective. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
I agree. Can't argue w/ his salesmanship
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4420 Posts |
While this sales technique is no draw to me, personally, I can't help but admire how this seller markets his wares. There's no deception, no misrepresentation. He straightforwardly appeals to the customer's willingness to attach historic meaning to a certain year coin which seems to be a somewhat common phenomenon.
I've often bought tokens that were issued in a particular town or location that had some meaning for me. Then too, I've known collectors who pursued tokens of their occupation, like dentist or pharmacist.
Many a rare coin that's marketed nowadays will fetch increased bids, given the provenance of some reknowned, former owner. Personally, this has never been a draw for me, although I do enjoy owning a few plate coins and tokens. To each, his own ...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
Attaching any widely known historical event to a coin tends to increase its sell through rate and ending price. For example adding the words civil war, nazi, WWII to a coin will greatly increase its sell through rate, and items that have catalog values of a quarter will sell for 3 - 4 shipped with regularity, when without such descriptions in the title may not sell at all. The reason being is that militaria and other types of collectors will find the coins in their search results and link the items up for sale with the type of things they normally collect. Adding the words first year of issue for any types first year will also increase the sell through rate. I've had people leave in the feedback, "nice to have the first year of issue!" indicating that they wouldn't have bought it if those words weren't there. It all comes down to marketing in the end.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2077 Posts |
I can think of a few instances where this technique is truly relevant, like selling a War Nickel. Otherwise it's just marketing fluff. Now I just need to find a significant event for every year for the coins I need to sell. Hope something happened in 1851 because I have a lot of 1851 cents. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4420 Posts |
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Replies: 39 / Views: 3,750 |
Posted 08/05/2012 6:59 pm
