Ebay And Value

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Originally posted by Jodie

So are the sales on ebay a good indicator of the value of a coin?

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ebay is a source which must sometimes be taken with a grain of salt, as many ebay buyers aren't really aware of the value of what they're bidding on. Thus, sometimes a coin will sell for less than its' actual worth, but more usually the coin will attract a couple of competing bidders and end up selling for greater than it should have.

When researching values for a new coin, I consult both ebay and Heritage results, as well as the asking prices of a few dealers I like. This gives me a pretty broad range of opinions.

You also have to look at the seller.

If a seller has a 400 feedback rating with 15 negatives and lousy pictures, don't think your similar coin is worth what he sold it for.

Odds are it's worth more.

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Originally posted by Jodie

Thanks, very helpful.

The reason I was asking was concerning the Canadian $3 square coin. The mint was originally selling it for about $42CND, on ebay it is up to $126-140 (only a week ago it was under $100). Seems a little crazy to me. As much as I'd like one is it really worth it.

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Ahhh, then you are really asking a buying question, not a selling question!

Here's what a quick google search turned up for this coin...

The Royal Canadian Mint introduces a 2006 $3 square coin, 0.925 fine silver, plated with 24-karat gold. The design of a beaver was created by Cosme Saffioti. Weight is 11.72 grams, size is 27 mm across, mintage limit is 2000, price is $49.95. [893.1]

ebay sales flucuate, especially for items that are popular, recently released, and during the holidays things can get out of hand. Timing makes a lot of difference in what something sells for. You might want to wait until after the holidays, and in the mean time, find a nice dealer who has one of these coins, and see what he is selling it for. Also, watch ebay auctions for the item to see what it is selling for there. Most likely, the price will go back down, but then, 2000 of anything is not a lot! Good luck!

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Originally posted by seth

How do you search the past sales on ebay?

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If you have an account, simply check the box next to Completed Listings under Search Options. You can also specify other variables. The downside is that it only lists completed auctions during the past 2 weeks.