I'm a beginner in coin collecting and if someone disagrees with my advice, these are just my opinions. Also, if you have any more tips, please share. Enjoy!
1. - Unsearched coins
I've bought a lot of coins off of ebay and you can get some really great deals if you're patient and use common sense. If you buy "unsearched" wheat pennies, just buy them for the fun of looking through the coins and expect not to get any key dates. Here's 1 example of a scammer:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=11944
This person claims that she got coins from her father's safe box and she doesn't know much about coins, but if you look at her feedback, she frequently buys huge quantites of coins, probably picks out the key dates if there are any, then resells them as unsearched.
This goes for all "unsearched" coins.
2. - Error dollar bills
Another type of scam is "Rare bill errors" Here's an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3415
These type of people buy sheets of uncut bills, and cut it themselves making it look like a natural error. Not to mention this person is also selling sheets of uncut bills.....talk about caught red handed.
3. - Replica coins
ALWAYS read every single word in the description. Some people try to trick you thinking you're getting a real 1909 S VDB or an 1877 Indian Cent. Watch for "Not real, Replica, repro, reproduction"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=39465 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=41085
If this was ending in 1 minute, would you hurry through and bid? This is slightly tricky but there are some others who write a ton and slip "repro" in there.
4. - Reselling crap
A lot of people say that they don't know if the coin they're selling is real or not. If the book value of the coin is say...$150, the unknown real or not coin will go for $60 or so to some gambler in Heehaw, Alabama. ALWAYS check the seller's items that he or she has bought before. Some people buy realistic replicas and resell them as actual coins or "I don't know" coins.
5 - Common Sense
Check out the seller's feedback. See what he's been selling and buying lately. Compare it with others. Don't buy from "Grandpa's treasure", "Dead Father's Estate", "Unsearched Granny's treasure chest" or anything of the sort. 100 unknown coins in a mystery box doesn't sound promising either. Common sense is the most important thing. I see a lot of people selling coins and they say "I don't know much about coins" and their name is "Ilovecoins" and they have 34,503 feedback. I'll say it again...check out what they've been buying and selling!
6 - Last tips
Always remember F.I.S.H.E.D
Check the:
Feedback
Insurance price
Shipping price
History of the person (What they've bought and sold)
End date
Description! ALWAYS read every word.
I just made up that fished thing...pretty clever eh?
People jack up the Shipping price to get more money...always be careful
7 - Last words....
Now...after all of this....if you REALLY want to get that great deal on ebay...This is my only advice.....Watch ebay a LOT. Browse in coins and go to going going gone. But read everything. Get on at 3am if you want less competition. Wait until the last minute to bid! And if you REALLY REALLY want a great deal, get on at 11:45 pm on New Year's Eve. NO competition! No one will outbid you! You know where I spend my NYE's now!
Good luck and if it seems too good to be true....well....you know the rest....
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