Ebay Sellers

There are many, many good sellers out there. Remember photos can be tricky and don't always show the true nature of the coin, for better or worse. Look for a good return policy and a decent feedback record...very near 100%. I wouldn't avoid sellers with feedback of under 100% though. There are a lot of unpleasant and/or fraudulent buyers out there and some sellers may take a negative comment to avoid being mistreated by a buyer. If there is negative feedback, read the details of the transaction. Be aware that shipping costs vary widely. Large corporate sellers will charge HST. Some smaller sellers are tax exempt. I have been dealing on ebay for years and, as a buyer, my experience has been almost 100% positive. As a non-dealer seller, I have had my share of fraudulent buyers.

I have been purchasing from 2 or 3 select Canadian sellers, and have never had a problem. In addition, I have bought about 5 coins from the US, and that was also good. Personally I use it mostly for hole fillers, because as Smallcentguy said, the pics can be a bit off.

I agree with the previous posters. I have done quite a bit of buying and my experiences on ebay have been 99% positive.

I collect both Canadian and American coins and currency and I am less trusting of American listings than Canadian. That probably has to do with the greater volume of U.S. listings and more opportunities for unscrupulous sellers.

I would recommend ecc36, habibani, kkg789, but you often find good deals from the casual seller as long as you look closely at their feedback, photos and descriptions. Some of my best purchases, however, have been auctions with fuzzy photos or poor descriptions. There is a higher risk with that but sometimes you can tell if that is done with an intent to deceive or just a seller that has found or inherited a few old coins or notes they don't have a use for.

Good luck!

ebay is a great experience. If you're like me, I'll gamble on a poor picture and hope for big rewards. I do get shafted now and then but that's part of the game and I expect disappointments. Unlike many here, I avoid most Canadian sellers. They likely know what they have and there's little likelihood I'll get a major bargain. I really like American sellers. Many simply don't know what they've got. Just in the last two weeks I got two great scarce coins on ebay at very low prices. Both from the US. Just enjoy the experience.

I started out with a box of pennies and a Charlton guide. Then I opened up an ebay account Sell my extras and buy what I needed. But be wary of bad pics and if its to good to be true it is. And yes I never buy anything with no return policy.

On a ocompetitive item, the whole auction is really the last 10 seconds. Being ahead before that doesn't matter. The only way to avoid being annoyed by having an item taken from you by a last minute "sniper" is to bid the most you are happy to pay. You may still lose, but at least you won't have second thoughts. After losing 10 or 20 things to snipers, I have stopped being cute about bidding low on things I really want.

The last ten seconds is the game. And often you'll be surprised at how lucky you get in pricing. Bid what you're comfortable with. My main beef with ebay sellers at the moment is packaging. Many are so determined to keep that little bundle of joy safe that they'll bury it. They'll completely tape the exterior of the envelope. Then they'll tape the contents to the inside of the envelope. They don't stop there and include one insert after another to conceal the coin. It can be a chore just to find your purchase inside. And now something that will make some forum members seethe. If you're one of those bidders who piles on bids - for some strange reason I have not discovered yet - be prepared to pay. I'll sometimes find a coin I like and check the bidding queue. Sometimes, the same bidder is there with five to ten separate bids piled up. I just can't help myself. I'll begin to eat through those bids with one incremental bid after another and then stop just below the final one. I'll likely not come back but it does bring a certain satisfaction and I'm sure has made many sellers happy.

Eventually, you'll probably get jaded like a lot of us.

I would suggest doing your mental health a favour, and (if you haven't done so already) turn off the email notification when you've been outbid.

Then just bid your maximum. If you win, you win, and if you lose, it was more than you were prepared to pay.