| Author |
 Replies: 28 / Views: 4,816 |
|
Valued Member
Canada
411 Posts |
In the future I will probably be purchasing coins on ebay to fill in the slots of my empty boxes. Not being an expert I'm wondering what kind of trouble I can get into and what questions I should be asking about the coins I would like to buy. I don't really understand the grading of coins as I haven't had time to dig into it yet. I noticed one coin I was looking at said they don't grade coins as it's too subjective so here's the scan do it yourself. This turned me off a little as I don't have the experience to know if the coin was a counterfeit or there were any other flaws. Another thing I wondered about is should I be bidding on coins from a seller that is in Europe,Asia etc ? Some of the coins are rather expensive and I don't want to make a rookie mistake ! Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated....Regards, Dave *** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. *** |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
849 Posts |
I am no pro at ebay buying but have been doing it for almost a year and have probably bought 80 coins. I only buy from Canada or U.S. I was hesitant too because of my grading lack of confidence. What helped me was that I bought a few coins graded by ICCS and NGC. They can be wrong but I figure are way better than my estimating. Once I had a few of those it enabled me to look at other coins I had bought and grade them. Most ebay vendors allow returns if you are not happy. Of my 80 coins I have probably only returned four. I figure I am saving 25% over dealer prices so if I grade wrong the odd time and pay a level too high, I am still money ahead. I am not sure if this is the area you want to post your question under (non circulating coinage). If you are buying non circulating commemoratives coins on ebay they should all be in brand new mint condition (excuse the pun) and grading would not be as big a factor here. Edited by punman
04/03/2014 10:26 am
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2824 Posts |
I made a rookie mistake..lucky I got my money back on counterfeit. People lie on grade and write almost uncirculated or uncirculated blah, blah. they write $50 on a $20 coin 2x2 etc. to make you thing it just bad photo. dont go by listing unless it slabbed in 3rd party grading cointainers and some of those are fakes too. You can get photo grading software or books to use as reference that worked for me. Also you can see ebay members from ccf at bottom. I found a few trusted people I buy from. It would be cool if the CCF as a whole had list of who not to buy from. I have posted the images here and asks users if it is legit with good success although you might have some bids against you if it good find.. lol |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
6768 Posts |
I buy 50% coins via ebay and other 50% - RCM/dealers (at least previously did this). In general - no issues with it. Try to avoid the following:*Buying coins from China/Hong Kong *Buying coin for surprisingly low price *Blurred picture - do not buy or ask for clear picture *Rendered picture for the coin that already in distribution - ask for real picture prior buying. *No issues at all with German, Poland and Slovenian (familiar with great one) dealers. Their shipping charge lower, than in Canada. *Avoid UPS as carrier - I do not know their policy, but know that they charge "brokerage fee" *If the item isn't new (let's say 2010 coin) verify with seller, that it doesn't have imperfections (twice I bought very nice looking coin, but with tarnish on the edge) *Do the research prior bidding - sometimes due to the action the buyer will pay more, than other seller selling the same item as "Buy It Now". And here, I can propose the following, for every one:
Let's post our "Want to buy" list - I sure, that we all might have coins to sell (or thinking to sell), that others looking to buy. Why not? |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
2366 Posts |
Best to stick with TPG'd coins wherever possible for circulation coins. Be careful with low grade PCGS (F-XF/EF grades); particularly the older holders as they are more frequently over-graded. ICCS and CCCS are comparable. ANACS, NGC etc be careful at the higher grades as they seem to use more of the scale than ICCS does. Price lists are normally based on ICCS grading so an NGC MS67 may be an ICCS MS65 and you should only pay the price. Don't pay full price unless it's a VERY rare and difficult to find variety. Be patient and walk away if it gets over your pre-set price threshold; another will come along eventually. Remember, buyer protection is there for you when you pay through Paypal so make sure you understand the fine print and use it as necessary. On the other hand, if you ever decide to sell, seller protection is a joke and don't expect it to be any use to you. Take feedback with a large grain of salt. It can be indicative but is in no way definitive of good service. Check the return policy details so you know what to expect if there is a problem. Remember, the details of the contract are in the listing so don't click until you read and ASK QUESTIONS if necessary. Also, sign up for Aeroplan and always access ebay through the Aeroplan portal so you can earn additional miles for your purchases. |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
4227 Posts |
Really try to work on learning how to grade because raw coins on ebay are rarely graded accurately. Get ICCS and CCCS if possible and learn from those. ebay is a great source, when you learn how to recognize potential problems - which goes for almost anything. Don't be scared, but bid with an educated caution. |
|
Valued Member
 Canada
411 Posts |
Quote:
And here, I can propose the following, for every one:
Let's post our "Want to buy" list - I sure, that we all might have coins to sell (or thinking to sell), that others looking to buy. Why not?  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1351 Posts |
Get a feel for it and don't buy the slab.
I have bought a lot of blurred pictures(and even no pictures)always look at feedback.
It isn't difficult.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
6768 Posts |
Quote:
I have bought a lot of blurred pictures Yes, you can buy from the seller "asyn", while his pictures are not high quality. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3789 Posts |
some quick thoughts- Stick to the dealers that are known, many times they use ebay to auction coins and you can get a better deal from their ebay site rather than their web site... Colonial Coins does ebay auctions that go for less than their asking as an example and they are a great dealer... When looking at a coin, decide how old is it. Even if its a year old, ask these things about the coin- * IF you know the coin came/comes with a box, package from mint and COA, ask the seller if it comes with all those items. Many times a seller shows a picture of a coin with COA or coin with box..... if your heart is set on all those things make sure you bid that they have that by asking. * this may sound silly and picky but ask this- what is the condition of the clam shell or box that is used to display the coin. I have in the past gotten a coin with box but the box is beat to heck. Also ask them what condition the capsule is in. Again, sounds picky but who wants a coin in a capsule thats all beat to death, scratched, broken on the rim, etc. * ask the seller- does this coin have toning, nicks, scratches, dings, milk spots, blems. Photos can be deceiving. * is this coin coming from a smoke free environment. on some new coins, that are up for auctions as pre-orders, before going in on the auction, ask them if they are OK with you buying/paying when they have the coin in stock or some sort of down payment at least hold it. You do not want to have anything open ended with a dealer when says its a pre-order, the time comes for the coin and it stills not here because they expect another 2-3 months. Several dealers on ebay will accommodate you this way. Make sure to buy coins from sellers that allow you to return the coin for X amount of days. If they dont allow returns, DO NOT even waste your time with them. hope that helps I Am sure I missed some other stuff |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
Looking at a seller's other items for sale often reveals a pattern of good or a pattern of bad. Communication prior to purchase will reassure you and most all ebay sellers are willing to discuss. Also, buying coins without at least a rudimentary knowledge of grading is a recipe for disaster. Be patient, learn as much as you can, and have fun hunting. Send us a link to a coin if you want our opinions. None of us want to see you get burned. Good luck. Each of us collectors has an individual set of standards. Try to establish these for yourself as well. That is, beyond filling "in the slots of my empty boxes." |
|
Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Quote:
It would be cool if the CCF as a whole had list of who not to buy from.
When I first joined I believe there was such a list. Never found it again. I could see why it was eliminated because of the possible legal problems. Maybe Bobby could concur. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
602 Posts |
Don't buy willy-nilly; do your research on the coins first. That way, you can sort through all of the "good stuff" from all of the "bad stuff". Knowing prices/price trends works too, that way, you can get a good idea if they are overcharging (to avoid them) or undercharging (that way, you can go for it for a good deal).
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1192 Posts |
Buying from sellers with high amounts (500 or even 1,000+) and percentage (99.5%+) feedback and listings with clear pictures will reduce your disappointing purchases considerably.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1804 Posts |
Sherwooddavid..... Quote:
Another thing I wondered about is should I be bidding on coins from a seller that is in Europe,Asia etc ? Personally I would avoid like the plague. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3789 Posts |
there are some GREAT reputable dealers in Germany that sell German mint coins that are not available here or are priced too high, so dont ignore the good guys.
I AVOID any sellers in asian countries such as China, HK, Vietnam to name a few. YES, there are good guys there but its hard work to find the good ones. I do know of some good dealers in China, as I learned a bit of this while reading the china panda forums but its tough AND some dealers went rouge also.... so its very scary and I just said, forget it, not worth it.
So dont skip on the European dealers, theres many good well known names from Germany that are at coin shows here in the USA and they are legit and sell some nice stuff that no one else sells.
|
| |
Replies: 28 / Views: 4,816 |
Posted 04/03/2014 10:21 am
