So I had a 1857 Seated Quarter with a DE Sizer counterstamp that I posted here that I got some information about from one of the counterstamp gurus on here. I listed it on eBay for several months with not many offers, and the ones I did get were pretty low. I listed it on eBay with a starting bid of $69.99..... got 2 bids... both from the same member but it ended at $69.99. After the auction ended I had another member offer me more money and asked me to cancel the sale. I said no, but asked why he wanted the coin so bad. I guess I missed the fact that besides the DE Sizer counterstamp, it was also a 1857 "Smoking Liberty" die variety... from what I seen after the fact is 28 of these coins are known. Win some, lose some, right?
Huh. Some days you pick the cherry, some days the cherry picks you. I guess I can see the variety, but given that its discovery was only 6 years ago, I wonder how long it's going to remain rare or in short supply...
Your 1 and only bidder, who bid twice, could have used some competition since his first bit was some value over your $69.99 starting price and his Second Bid was probably a significant padding to his First Bid. The person that emailed you should have been nice enough to at LEAST Bid what he'd offered you in the email and then your coin would have sold for a decent premium. I would reply to his series of emails and rub it in that he shot himself in the FOOT by not bidding in the first place and then I'd block him from any of my listings because he admittedly cost me money. P.S. Next time, do a little more research.
Dude we have disagreed significantly in the past but wow. Now you are talking about blocking someone because they didn't give you advice or because they didn't bid on your coins? Why don't you share your username so some of us don't offend you by not bidding on your lots or giving not giving you advice on your own coins.
Yea after the buyer got the coin I sent a message asking if he knew what he bought, he said he had over 450 counterstamps but they weren't usually as nice(details I'm guessing) as the one I listed and gave me a rundown of what he know about the coin he bought from me. I then informed him of the die variety, and he thanked me for being honest. After all, it's not always about the money right?
He did saying he was watching it but forgot about it so he wasn't able to bid. He said that's why he hates auctions.... then I told him I had it as a buy it now or best offer for 3 months before I listed it as an auction... it really is amazing how many people don't even look at Buy It Now coins.... I have a few up there now, the one with the most views is like 14. Yet if I put it up for auction, I'll have 14 views within the first few hours.
I've gotten some good deals on Buy It Now currency. Sometimes less than what a comparable note went for in an auction.
That's a shame that you couldn't maximize your profit, but you absolutely did the honorable thing. Good on you @BigTee44. Karma will reward you.
Always grumpy lately. But truth be told, if bidders would actually bid then eBay might be a better venue for sellers. As it turns out, bidding is subject to IP response time and this one particular bidder never even bothered to bid which would just piss me off as a seller. And then he has the gall to ask the seller to stick "his" neck out again, risking a negative which would cost the seller even more money, just because he, as the buyer, is looking for a "deal"? I'd block him whether I was in a grumpy mood or not.
I am actually the opposite - I look at more BIN's than auctions. I know most BIN's are high, but for the right coin I would pay the price. Too me most auctions are for coins I am not interested in. Of course I have specific searches I use. I just do not use ebay much any more - I think I had maybe 5 purchases off it last year and I know 3 of them were BIN's with best offers. In most cases a reasonable offer is accepted.
So what does this variety usually sell for (without the cleaning and counterstamp)? I never understood the appeal of counterstamps, personally. I know some people love them, but I'm not entirely sure why.
Counterstamps appeal to me, physics-fan, because of the issuer's known history, or for the fun of researching them. It's very satisfying to be able to put a "face" to a stamped name or slogan on a coin. Almost like you've brought someone back into focus who've been largely forgotten by history. BTW, the issuer of this coin was most likely a man named David E. Sizer, a merchant in Victor, NY in the 1850s and 1860s. Apparently, a man who made few waves during his life, but at least now has gotten a measure of recognition. That's good enough for me. Bruce
