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 Replies: 19 / Views: 3,996 |
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Valued Member
Canada
108 Posts |
Don't see good pictures? Don't buy. It's as simple as that. It's good customer service.
A seller isn't willing to provide even the most simple snapshot? Move on. Unless the coin is rare, there are likely other sellers with better service and possibly better deals.
A seller who provides blurry and/or improperly exposed pictures, possibly (unintentionally) hiding problems? Ask for more realistic pictures. Otherwise it's a gamble; with shady sellers they're banking on buyers not going through the trouble/expense of filing returns.
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Valued Member
United States
467 Posts |
When buying online photos are everything! So, I know where the OP is coming from on this.
I won't hesitate to ask some of the major sellers, like J & M for example, and most of them will provide photos on request. It would be a lot easier if photos were already present on the listings though. I can't help but think that dealers who do not have photo listings are costing themselves a lot of potential business....
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1949 Posts |
There are a few dealers who I would be completely comfortable purchasing from based simply on their description, and I have numerous times and been satisfied
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5417 Posts |
If it's a stick Item like junk silver or they have a large quantity of say ICCS MS-64 1965 Dollars or MS-70 ASE's then I don't care but for collector coins, especially over $50, no picture no purchase. Ofcourse, there are exception, there are two dealers who I am a regular at and I don't mind buying without photo's because they have high-quality products give me 3-Month returns on all collector coins and haven't ever been dissatisfied before. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
856 Posts |
All the coins I collect are individual, so I'd never be happy about buying unseen. I had one seller suggest I could list coins that interest me and then he'd bring them so I could see them at a show. Er .. no thanks. I'm not going to put myself out travelling on the off chance one of his coins might interest me. So if he can't be bothered to take photos .. no sale.
Another dealer had a website but when asked said he only sells through postal lists. Uh? So why bother with the website?
Seriously. I just don't understand some people.
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Valued Member
Canada
386 Posts |
I would insist on photos for any purchase over $50.
I have seen ICCS MS-60 graded coins that completely lack eye appeal (i.e. have a dull grey finish). Remember, ICCS coin grades are based on coin details, not eye appeal.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2301 Posts |
I have bought and sold coins in 4 figures sight unseen on numerous occasions. If you trust who you are dealing with go ahead. If you do not trust your dealer.......get a new dealer.........
Edited by nickelsguy
04/22/2014 10:44 am
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Valued Member
 Canada
154 Posts |
As "justanothercoinaddict" stated, I have been in marketing all my life and I came to realize early that many potential customers are reluctant to contact a seller to ask for photos or more information. Also, many sales are impulsive - buyers want it at that moment. Having to wait for photos puts them off and they look elsewhere. Pretty difficult to sell any product on-line without good photos.
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Valued Member
Canada
154 Posts |
Oh, and also its not so much that I don't trust the Seller. If I felt that way I would not buy at all from him or her. What I might think as a coin that lacks eye appeal might not be so to the Seller. I want to avoid having to return a coin that technically is a certain grade but I could not see the coin's luster and fields when I make the purchase.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1700 Posts |
It really depends on the value of the coin: the higher, the more likely a dealr like J&M would be willing to show the coin.
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Valued Member
Canada
147 Posts |
Supplying photos makes listing products about 3x as long as it would otherwise. When you're talking about binders full of coins, that's really really time consuming and its a problem I deal with constantly when trying to get people to my online store. The idea that most coin purchases are impulse is an interesting one. I currently make it a policy of posting pictures of higher value coins and graded coins. I should focus on doing photos of all coins above a minimum value. This is the hardest part about online sales. Trying to reconcile the involved in-person coin buying experience with online shopping, two experiences that are diametric opposites, is proving to be the largest hurdle for non-auction style sites like ebay. |
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Valued Member
United States
406 Posts |
Many dealers -- and I struggle with this myself -- have difficulty providing good photos. This presents both opportunity and challenges to buyers. Sometimes you can pick up coins with lousy photos, and the coins look much nicer in-hand. (I am sure some of my coins fit into this category.) But I too would not buy from MOST dealers without photos. When you have looked at as many coins, as many slabs, and as many coin photos as I have in my life (55 years now as a collector and dealer), you seldom get any huge surprises. But I always make sure there is a clear return privilege -- both on my coins and on any I buy. I do not hesitate to return coins where there is something I do not like that was not obvious in the photos. On the other hand, I also have a network of a few dealers from whom I do not even require photos. These folks are people I have done business with time and again, they know what I like, and if they say a coin is nice, it is. That's my favorite kind of dealer. (But I can still return anything with no problem.) Our business motto is, "Life is too short to buy ugly coins." The sweet price of any coin can sour rapidly if there is something you dislike about it, every time you look. Best Regards,  George |
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Valued Member
Canada
154 Posts |
How would you handle this example? A few months back I bought an ICCS AU55 George V nickel off a seller on ebay with a 100% satisfaction rating (for whatever comfort that is). The obverse and reverse photos were pretty good and there was no comment on the listing. This seller has a no return privilege for professionally graded coins. When I got the coin, there was a thumbprint on the King's head. With a flat on photo you could not see it but turning the flip even slightly it was clearly evident. Not to my taste and I would not have bought it if I had known. However, I understood the terms of sale and kept but it did annoy me. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
A good dealer would take it back...
I'm not a dealer... but I would like to say if I was.. I would want my customers to be very happy... This isn't exactly a "booming" hobby so credibility can go a long way...
Perhaps with "RAW" coins no returns ... but if it's slabbed I don't see any problems
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Valued Member
United States
406 Posts |
Personally, I think a dealer with a no return policy on graded coins is trying to hide something. Happy customers are return customers, and return customers are worth more than all the rest put together. Now, if a customer has a habit of returning coins, that's another story. Tire-kickers get weeded out pretty quick. But that's one of the benefits of having your own site and being your own boss. You get to set the rules, not all that crazy ebay petty bureaucracy stuff. Best Regards, George |
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Replies: 19 / Views: 3,996 |
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Posted 04/21/2014 2:05 pm
