Has anyone got anying coins fron eBay? How good did you do? Do you have pictures? PS: THis is my 100th post.:hail:
I bought 12 buffs on ebay and the ad provided all of the dates. I got them and many were partial dates and this was never disclosed. The picture was shot but you could not begin to tell the dates on all the coins. I've got to get a magnifying glass before I post anything. I then bought one of those rolls where the tail end of an IH shows up. Supposedly to have been rolled by the bank. I got the roll and one end had been unrolled and the coins stacked. I got 3 IHs and I've got to count but assume 47 wheaties. I contacted the guy with this information and told him he really ought to change his advertisement. So far he has not and if he doesn't within the next 7-10 days I will post a negative on his site. I've purchased several coin sets and so far they were as advertised. I've also purchased a Morgan and a Peace but I have not received them yet. Some of the items I've purchased are going into a local auction - like the sets - and hopefully will go for more than I've bought them. At least I've tried buying them for less than I think they will sell for. Good luck. KC
If you look at my "guess the grade" posts, those are probably 90% from eBay. Yes, I have gotten bit more than once, but I have a lot more good and great deals than bad ones. Use extra care for raw coins and then only when you know what you are doing.
I have been buying coins from eBay since the turn of the century! There was a time where it was fun and easy, but those days are gone. You have to be MUCH more careful and discerning nowadays or you WILL get taken advantage of. It has to do with not only a bad element learning how to 'game' the eBay system, but also many of eBay's own policy changes. You can get taken advantage of just as easily at a dealer though, so it's all buyer beware.
I buy coins on eBay all the time. As long as you know what you're doing, you've got nothing to fear. Follow these rules to keep from getting burned: 1. Only buy from sellers who guarantee their coins with a full refund if you are not satisfied with the coin in hand. 2. Only bid on coins that have crisp, clear, detailed photos in the listing. Listing should state that the coin is the photo is the coin you will receive. 3. Only buy from sellers that have the highest feedback ratings (98%+) with at least 50 or more transactions. 4. Only buy from sellers who have an accurate description of the coin with an accompanying photo. Know how to accurately grade coins to help determine if the seller is overgrading. If he's overgrading, don't buy from him. Following these four rules, I've had great luck buying both certified and raw coins on eBay. You can score some bargains. Good luck!
yes as above, buying from ebay is a great easy way to get coins, especially when starting out for people, but you do have to be careful
1. That is an eBay regulation. All coins come that way. 2. That is where I get the best bargains - also a lot to be returned. 3. I have problems going below 99.8%. I would not touch a 98% unless there is a specific reason for the bad FB. 4. I only read the description to make sure I am not open to be screwed. I could care less what he grades the coin. The grade is up to me. Just goes to show you how different approaches can be.
1. Regarding #1, it is an eBay regulation, however you'd be surprised at how many sellers still list 'no returns' in their listing. It makes for a great discriminator. If you're not confident enough to stand by your product, you're not getting my business. 2. Your choice, I like to see what I'm bidding on. 3. Agreed. I'd be leery below 99%. 4. Another discriminator, if he's not honest in his grading, what else is he hiding?
A Great Place To Buy/Sell!! I generally concur with your eBay assessment. I've purchased just shy of $21000 on eBay in the last 60 days from 88 sellers, and have had problems with only 3. I intentionally select large lot auctions that others may avoid, as those are the candidates with the greatest potential, especially if they're are generated by an unenlightened seller with little understanding of their "product", and photos/descriptions are poor. It's been my experience that if you're a desirable eBay "client", having a stellar buying/selling record, knowing the eBay "system", an informed buyer can hardly go wrong. If your first and third rules are applied by a knowledgeable buyer, I believe problems are generally avoided. If one is uninformed about that upon which they bid, there's a likelihood for problems, regardless of presentation. My biggest problems are with uninformed buyers, to whom I quickly apologize, refund, and "blackball". It is virtually impossible to educate the unenlightened in a singular page dissertation/ presentation. If you know the commodities to avoid, upon having "real" problems which meet objective criteria, that can be proven readily to a layperson through data available to that person, eBay/PayPal will virtually always mediate on your behalf. You need do little other than inform the seller before promptly contacting eBay. I've found no venue to be more "client" attentive than eBay, allowing ready access to objective valued individuals. The ~2% "eBay Bucks" bonus is also a great incentive. Even with the seller fee structure that most appall, I believe that of the sites having significant consumer appreciation, I'd like to know of any that even closely generally compare to eBay in all aspects. Just my humble opinion! :bow:
LOL, I use that identical technique for my problem buyers. It's good to use the 'block bidding' function!
I don't buy off the bay too much but I have scored a couple nice deals. I bought an AU 1865 3 cent nickel about six months ago for about 20% less than what it should have gone for. And just last week I got an 1893 columbian expo half PCGS 64 for my grade set. I only need an MS 61 and a 62, has been a fun set to put together so far!
Yes Very well as I only buy from people I've done business with personally, at local coin shows. Somewhere, I'll dig them out. Congratulations.
Here's an OGH MS63 Morgan that was listed with horrible photos. Turned out to be a VAM, Alligator eye. Shame about the fingerprint on the reverse. Would probably be a 64 if not for that, and I think it would have an outside shot at upgrading today.
But remember Buyer Protection. If they've substantially misrepresented the coin, you're entitled to return it for a full refund, including original shipping. If the image is fuzzy or small, bid assuming it's the worst possible coin. If you can't see the reverse, assume it's been sanded off. If you can't make out the date, assume that "1928" Peace dollar is actually a 1923. You'll likely get your money's worth, and you may get a nice upside surprise. But don't discount a seller who's just started, and gotten stuck with a problem buyer. Remember, there's little recourse for sellers when buyers leave inappropriate negative feedback. But also look for sellers who don't know what they have. "A bunch of old coins" usually signifies trash, but sometimes conceals treasures. And breaking those four rules, I've scored some outstanding bargains (and bragged about a few of them here). But I'm in a very different space from RaceBannon. If you're looking for the best quality specimens, follow his advice. If you're looking for bargains on junk silver and lower-grade collectibles, and the occasional nice surprise, consider mine, too.
Funny - I kind of use a combination of the two. I like nice crisp clear pictures of the coins - I don't like paying return shipping. Which I think an honest buyer should do - especially for graded coins. Like RLM I only read the description to make sure there is nothing to get me in trouble. I do my best to grade the coin and set a price - most cases now a days the coins I want have BIN's to high. I find it tough to find raw coins on ebay - most are not what I would like in my albums. Oh well - you just have to be careful on ebay. Still a valid place to get coins.
