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 Replies: 19 / Views: 3,989 |
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Valued Member
Canada
154 Posts |
I have bought most of my coins over the past several years, other than than a few from local dealers, on-line from ebay. When buying locally I can rely on my personal inspection of the coin. When buying on ebay I rely heavily on high quality photos of the coin. For the most part I have been very satisfied with my ebay purchases. Some coins on my wanted list have just not been offered on ebay so I have been perusing major dealer websites. What frustrates me is the lack of photos on the websites of these dealers. Just as important to me as the grade is the eye appeal of the coin. I would not buy a coin on ebay without clear photos. Why do dealers expect me to buy from them, on the web, without any photos? Even ICCS graded coins can fall short of my expectations on visual appeal. What is the expectation of the dealer when I purchase one of these coins? If the grade is technically correct but eye appeal is not up to my expectations, can I expect a refund from the dealer? What is a reasonable standard practice for buyer and seller?  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
I agree w/ you. Grade is one thing, but appearance is another. I personally would never buy a coin sight-unseen. Could you possibly request a picture of the coin from the dealer?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2366 Posts |
If I don't see a good picture, I don't buy. If there is something offered that you haven't been able to find elsewhere, try contacting the dealer and asking for pictures of the coin you will receive.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7840 Posts |
I have encountered a few that "cannot provide images", and when I send a direct message to them asking for at least a "cell phone image", they got rude with me and started touting that they have been in business X-number of years and that I could return the coin if I was not satisfied.
No images...no sale.
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Valued Member
 Canada
154 Posts |
Certainly seems to be a common opinion here. I am going to try the approach of phoning and asking for photos of the coin I am interested in. Later on I will post the responses I get. Thanks to all for your feedback.
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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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Replies: 19 / Views: 3,989 |
Posted 04/20/2014 10:29 pm
