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Replies: 18 / Views: 856 |
Valued Member
United States
205 Posts |
Everything about these screams "do not buy" to me, but they also sound really exciting. Am I just too jaded by eBay? Is there a way to find legit lots to go hunting through? Is there a better place to go online?
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
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Valued Member
404 Posts |
Generally, these days, steer clear of any lots marketed as 'junk drawer' or 'estate' or 'unsorted / unsearched' on Ebay. They are all searched to within an inch of their lives, and almost certainly represent the absolute dregs. This being said, back in the day, there were some genuine unsorted / estate lots - I even got my 1952 Rolex Tudor Oysterprince out of one.
With COVID restrictions, it is tough to find anywhere to buy these days, and the auction / ebay prices have gone nuts, even for junk lots. When things begin to open up again, I would recommend going to actual estate sales / LCSs / garage sales / flea markets - thats where I tend to have most luck under normal circumstances.
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Moderator

United States
32660 Posts |
Quote: but they also sound really exciting If they sound exciting, then it is most likely because the seller is mentioning things that MIGHT be included, and not what is actually included. Can you provide the listing number for one or more "exciting" estate lots?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4085 Posts |
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Gold-and-Si...121698594926 Here is a good one: 12 silver and gold items are promised for $75, but they display quite a few silver dollars and 1 gram gold ingots. Most of the items are worth quite a bit less than $6 each, silver dimes, 1 gram silver ingots and vials of gold flake. What are the odds of you getting mostly cheap items?
Edited by oriole 03/04/2021 09:24 am
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Bedrock of the Community

United States
56029 Posts |
Nay, nay, stay away. 
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Valued Member
Korea, Republic Of
453 Posts |
Stay away like its the plague. As mentioned above, these "estate" lots are 99.99% of the time not estate lots and are a trap.
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Valued Member
United States
205 Posts |
Thanks guys! I've been doing some price comparing in ebay, so of course that's all I'm seeing there now. I immediately distrust anything with big flashy letters and stars, but always think "I wish that were true..." I'm not looking for that million dollar find, but I love catching a few well preserved coins to add to my collection, specifically WWII coins (this is why searched doesn't always bother me, a lot of my joy comes from pretty low value finds).
Oriole that's one that came up! How appropriate matched!
Edited by IsThisAnything 03/04/2021 11:30 am
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Pillar of the Community

United States
4757 Posts |
Coinfrog and Lembafc couldn't have said it better. Unsearched my butt.
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Pillar of the Community

United States
1688 Posts |
If the lots are unsearched then how do they know what's in it? 
Everything can change in just one day......... Best Lincoln roll find & Nicest WOODY find"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." - Will Rogers
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Valued Member
United States
205 Posts |
 Rothery is having none of their bologna
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4678 Posts |
I agree with all that's been said. All you need to consider is that the only reason for them not to tell you exactly what you're getting is that they stand to gain from it. There's no such thing as a free lunch and there's no such thing as an unsearched lot.
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Pillar of the Community

United States
4584 Posts |
DO YOUR RESEARCH!!
The listing posted by @oriole for example, you can drill down into the seller's neutral and negative feedback, and see that almost every dissatisfied customer bought something with "estate" in the title.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20180 Posts |
As so many have already said, NO, NO, NO, NO
just carl
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Valued Member
United States
366 Posts |
It's MUCH more fun going to a coin show and looking through dealer junk boxes - and, to me, more satisfying. You can see exactly what you are getting.
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Valued Member
United States
106 Posts |
Every collector's dream is to find a giant unsearched collection in a yard sale or estate, with rare treasures at a bargain price. No such thing exists, yet eBay sellers play on these hopes to bring out the bids. Avoid like the plague.
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Pillar of the Community

United States
4587 Posts |
Need to go to larger shows to get into the junk bins, and everyone is right to steer clear away from these estate lot.
Edit: I notice all these estate lots said gold, and watching YouTube channels tells people these gold flakes in the tube aren't gold, isn't that consider fraud?
Edited by macmercury 03/15/2021 3:26 pm
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Replies: 18 / Views: 856 |
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