Selling Advice!

OK, I'll bite. This is purely my own opinion; others will advise doing things differently, and they'll probably be just as right as I am.



1. Have a set and consistent format. I adopted a free template from Robs Help:

http://www.robshelp.com/

That, or something like it, will allow you to present your stuff in a professional format, rather than just typing words into a typical ebay text paragraph. It makes you look more professional, more serious, and more experienced. Not to mention, it makes things a lot easier to list multiple coins.

2. Provide the very best pictures you're capable of. If you can't provide a pic, or a scan, which you can grade from, learn how. Yes, I know, it's not very common on ebay to provide truly nice shots. However, good pictures still attract the less-knowledgeable collectors, while they also attract the experts who simply pass by poorer photography. Don't forget, more experienced and financially-capable collectors can be found collecting lower-grade stuff just like higher grades. Host your photos off of ebay - there are many places to host them for free.

3. Be clear and concise with your descriptions. Use adjectives sparingly - state the good features of your coin in plain language, let the bad things speak for themselves (remember, you're posting good pictures), and make exceptions to that last if your coin appears cleaned, and doesn't show it in the pics. People still buy cleaned coins. I have one on ebay right now which I think might have been cleaned, I mentioned that fact and it looks like the buyers don't care anyways. When you're done talking, shut up. As a buyer, I cannot stand having to scroll down the screen of my 20" LCD for half an hour to reach the pictures.

4. Settle on what it will cost to ship your item, and don't add to that amount. Cover your costs, and no more. That doesn't mean pay yourself for the trip to the Post Office and the cost of the saliva to seal the envelope; charge actual postage cost plus a few cents for the envelope. Figure out what one coin/envelope weighs (somewhere between 2-4oz.), and charge based on that. Personally, I use Calculated Shipping costs (having ebay calculate cost based on what I provide for weight and extra charges), because I want to have the buyer feel like the cost will be based on the specific mileage from my house to theirs, but others just use one fixed rate and that's just as sensible.

5. Sell only in the U.S. unless you're completely comfortable with international shipping. Selling internationally introduces a lot of chances for things to get messed up up - insurance is impossible and Delivery Confirmation is iffy depending on destination.

6. Regardless of whether they're the Devil or not, don't fail to accept Paypal. The overwhelming majority of buyers want to use it. It's that simple. If you accept personal checks, make sure there's language about waiting for the check to clear before you ship.

7. Set a strong return policy. Never sell a coin without a return policy. That sends a very clear signal to the buyer - you don't trust your own stuff.

8. Stagger the ending times of your auctions. Not all buyers use sniping software, and you'll never know what widely-different coins might be on the radar of the same potential buyer. Don;t make that guy try to bid on two things that end in the exact same moment.

9. Do not use either a Reserve or a high Starting Bid. That's extra cost for you, and turns potential sellers away. Yes, I know, it feels risky (and it is - I'm not telling you that you're going to win every time this way). But, the key is to make your auction attractive to the most-possible customers, and many (including myself) usually pass buy Reserve auctions.

10. Know your coin. It only takes away from your potential profit if you're selling a rare error without mentioning the fact, talking about a grade that's clearly wrong for the coin, or calling it silver when it's nickel.

11. Use every space available in the title. Use the terms copper, silver or nickel; many buyers search by those and you'll attract more viewers.

Establish your Paypal account and make it Premier, so you can accept credit card transactions. Yes, I know, that costs more, but many buyers (like myself) always use a credit card to purchase for the extra layer of protection. You'll be lucky if you can cover 12 items sold with one trip to the Post Office - not everybody pays on the same schedule, and it's bad form to make an earlybird wait for a slowpoke. I personally don't like those sellers who talk about only doing one shipping run per week, although if they're selling hundreds of items at once I can understand it.

Don't expect great results immediately. Your newbie-seller status will work against you, although a nicely-written auction with clear pictures will offset that to an extent. So, save your better stuff for down the road, when you've established your reputation as a good seller.

Well, that's a start. Don't plan on it all being very easy to begin with, but the more you set up before you begin selling, like a consistent format and shipping terms, the easier it will be down the road.

G'day, I've never sold on ebay, but I've bought plenty.

I'd emphasize Dave's No.2 - photography. Bad pics make me wonder what is being hid, and I steer clear of them. I always find that sellers with bad pics never send better pics when I ask; and never give clear answers to questions. So I don't bother asking any more, nor do I bid. As far as I can tell, the only sellers who put up bad pics are idiots or frauds.
AND, remember to include good pics of BOTH sides of the coin.

No.4 - very important. The buyer factors in the shipping/postage every time. Some sellers attempt to adjust the shipping after an auction has ended. I always refuse to pay, and report them. Some sellers, particularly in Asia, charge highly inflated shipping, but it is counterproductive.

No. 5 - this is the only point where I disagree with Dave. If you eliminate all non-U.S. buyers, you curtail the demand - significantly - with the result that the price falls. Two examples:
Twice in December just gone, I asked U.S. sellers how much for postage to Oz. The reply was "sorry, I don't send outside the U.S.".
One coin was an 1814 gold Napoleon - melt value $150. But this is a VERY hard to get year - and it sold for $144. I would have bid $225, and would not have been at all confident of getting it.
The other was a double-Napoleon of An XI (1804) - the first year that Bonaparte appears on any coin, melt value $300: sold for $290. I would have gone at least to $360.
I don't see the point of listing on ebay if you want to exclude most of your potential customers.

No.6 - very important. For all its faults, paypal offers a very real service to buyers. Especially to buyers outside the seller's country. Some sellers obsess on the fees, but they're overlooking the fact that paypal expands your marketplace, and thus increases effective demand and the final price. Bank fees on an international transfer are $22 for me. Paypal charges me nothing: that's a big difference for a buyer, expecially for items under $200 (10%).

No.7: I don't understand Dave's point, sorry.

No. 8: very good advice. Three minutes is enough. Put the most popular items first. If you only charge realistic postage, then the next few coins, after the first, will be post-free, or nearly so. That is a big incentive to bid, and to bid higher - but only if that first coin is "in the bag".

9. I agree with Dave: there is a risk. But that is an essential feature of the auction process. You minimize that risk by accepting bids from all potential buyers (ie, international); by charging realistic postage; and by have inexpensive, quick, and efficient options for payment.


best wishes for your sales.
I'm looking for -
threepence of 1820;
any coins of 1887 with Queen Victoria on them.

Peter in Oz

So is it actually illegal for our US members to mail coins over to Australia?

Oh Oh, what happens if I recently posted payment to USA and theres like three coins in them which jiggles, would they take it out of mail if they felt the coins?

Usually how long does this deliver back to you take? Mine has gone out for a few days now...

Ceaton, looks like Dave got about everything you will need in one reply. Very nice Dave The only thing I will add is that to me, #11 is the keystone of the entire process. You have a certain amount of characters you can use in the title, and my suggestion is to use every single one. Look at other auctions in the same category and try to understand/inlcude all of the keywords in your title. You wouldn't believe how important this is. I see so many listing with really basic titles and 3 bids, and the exact same item with 20 bids that has all of the keywords. I will try to find an example for you.

If it's a coin listing, you can always post a link to your auction here after you submit it and get our critique. If it's not a coin, you can post it in the "general discussion" area for advice also.