Questions On Success With Sites Like Ebay

Some other thoughts for you on bidding on e-Bay:

Pictures. Sounds obvious, but keep this in mind, some sellers have great photographic skills, others not so much. The pictures only suggest what is really there, there have been times that mediocre pictures yielded a pleasant surprise, so developing a gut feeling on a coin can pay off big time. Mediocre pictures attract low or no bids, unless the coin is sufficiently rare.  

Know your series(es). That means everything from strike characteristics, grading, wear patterns. Lots of sellers don't really know all that much about the coins they are selling. You ought to know just a bit more so you can score that split second deal. Grading is probably the most important of all these things particularly for raw coins. 

Return policy. Be wary of buying from sellers with a no returns accepted policy. They could have counterfeits, stolen coins or worse. The proof of the pudding is actually bidding, winning, and receiving a coin in the mail. It might not have been pictured or described accurately, you need to see it in person and see if the coin will fit in with the rest of your set. Being able to return it to the seller is essential. I've had sellers bait and switch to lesser coins after the listing is closed, so if it's not expressly stated that the pictured coin is one you'll be receiving, ask.

Having a sense of humor about it all. Collecting is essentially an anti-social activity I find, and buying on e-Bay is no different. I've bought some misgraded klunkers in the beginning, but as frustrating as it was to buy a bad coin, it was a valuable learning opportunity. Losing an auction is not the end of the world, another coin just like it will come up again and it might even be cheaper.  

The Washington silver series is a great beginners series, and it is still not impossible to complete a high grade set. I've worked on mine for the last five years, only missing the 32D & the 34D, all of the other coins were acquired one at a time on e-Bay. Right now I have in hand a 36D on "approval" that looks BU with original uncleaned luster and a bit of rim toning. There are no major hits in the focal areas, and under 20x/40x magnification on the high wear areas, there is the mildest of abrasions from being stacked in a roll, the area around the mintmark looks clean and the D itself looks right for the year. If it is fake it is a very convincing one, but my gut tells me that this is the real thing, and the sellers picture was just so-so, but I felt confident in bidding a reasonable amount for it and sticking to it. This was not a coin I sniped. 

Good luck, phankins11, let us know how you do on your first few wins. I believe you will find it to be a memorable, challenging, frustrating, but ultimately a rewarding road. There is a storehouse of treasure waiting for you to be mined along the way, but you must have knowledge of the map of the territory and its signposts.

P.S. I have bought several versions of the 32, it's a good date that has good luster and decent strikes. Opt for the best one you can afford, most of the 'BU' coins that sell for $20-30 look lusterless because they have been cleaned or dipped. Insist on original surfaces, once upon a time, collectors wanted bright white coins, so that is what dealers did, dip. The coin you have considered has that flat luster of an old cleaning in addition to the scratch on the reverse, the picture is poorly lit, but it shows enough to make me pass on it, if I were considering it.

 

I only buy PCGS or NGC coins. Pay attention to feedback-read the negatives. And read and understand the return policy. Also, don't be afraid to email questions.

I think that ebay can be a great source. But you need to be careful. Everything I get on ebay I weigh and make sure the weights add up.but like someone else said, read their negative feedback. Their negative feedback is much more informative then their positive feedback.

I bid on things often, but usually keep it less then wut its wirth, sometimes ill get lucky, usually not.

Usually, when I go ti ebay, though, it is to check prices.

I suggest you spend some time reviewing this website before you start buying any expensive coins on ebay.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coinfo.../5277369124/
I personally have bought off ebay in the past but now only on very rare occasions when I am positive of what I am buying and have knowledge of who the seller is (many very trustworthy dealers now have an ebay presence) But I have also been burned a few times and had to fight to get my money back. No place for newbies unless you are buying coins in a price range where if you take a hit you can shrug it off.

Cali
"Oh the other thing I hate is someone bidding 7 days in advance! Cmon, why would you bid seven days in advance? Its got to be a friend of the seller just getting the bid up."

I bid when I see a coin I want. Doesn't matter if it one hour, one day or ten days out.I don't search theer daily

Several people have mentioned feedback, but it is often hard to use if you don't have a way to filter for just negative or neutral. Even bad sellers can have 95% positive reviews. I believe there are several sites that provide such a filter. I use the one at Toolhaus.org