A very common practice, and something people who do what I do need to get acquainted with. That is... looking for lots on eBay that have good potential. This can be either highly profitable or a huge money pit depending on how you go about it. Here is an example of what to avoid: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-Unse...6714362?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item5b0938637a A "troll lot" is something that the seller is well aware is worth very little, but presents it in a way to entice people to take a gamble with a much higher bid than what they would if it were presented honestly. Please note this seller has plenty of other items with good, clear photos. This is the only one conveniently blurry. There is on picture in particular that is extra blurry, and shows what can easily be seen as a strong possibility for a large, toned silver coin. It is a pile of junk that the seller will maximize their profits on by playing the fool and letting the gullible people play the lottery. Don't be the fool.
I guess the positive side is the Swiss 10 franc note is still worth 10 US dollars at this point of time.
Photos are blurry but clear enough to see there is nothing valuable, collectibles-wise. Seller already making profit with that $20-something it reached so far. Not much of a troll lot, just common biddiots activity.
But that is what a troll lot is... just subtle enough to where people with experience know better, but attracts "biddiots". Experienced people get caught up in these also sometimes.
The 'silver' coin appears to be a 1950's or 60's Mexico 1 Peso. 10% silver. He knows exactly what's in there. The peso and the 10 Fr. note are there just to 'bait' the lot.
Agreed - that seller knows exactly what's in that lot and has seeded it with a couple "better" coins to entice bids. Just like all the "unsearched" cent rolls with IHC on the ends. However, I think every once in a while these can be worth bidding on...you end up getting a coin like this for almost nothing: The key is figuring out who's just honestly bad at taking pictures and who's intentionally bad at taking pictures...
Exactly, it takes a mixture of numismatics, psychology and detective work, but pays of very nicely when exercising due diligence. You wouldn't believe some of the coins I got this way. There are also a handful of eBay dealers that I know of who make a good living doing this.
Question... Why is it ok for you to troll the waters of Ebay looking for unknowing sellers that you can rip off and score "high profits", but if a seller "trolls" for an unknowing customer then he's scum?
Because as the bidder I am the one taking a risk. But when sellers put together these troll lots, they are not taking a risk, they are straight up looking to rip people off. Being a buyer in this case is really no different than investing in stocks or silver bullion. You have a hunch based on what you view as evidence, and you gamble money on it. Please also note that eBay has its own market correction. If people can see what is there, it usually sells for a fair amount. If they can't, it either sells for too little or too high most of the time. When you can't clearly make out what is there, it becomes a matter of knowledge and skill on the buyer side, and a matter of skill with manipulating the presentation on the seller side (when it's a troll thing). Now, I have heard of people that do this and abuse eBay's lenient return policies and return lots or coins that they took a risk on and lost. This practice is highly unethical... if you want to play the game and do it fairly, you will kindly take your losses in stride and look forward to better days. The old saying holds true, "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen". Needless to say I got stuck with quite a few fakes and problem coins early on in my numismatic life. But you know what? What I have learned as a result is worth so much more than the physical money I have lost on whatever troll lots and other bad bidding decisions I made back then. I guess you just have to pay to play
