A lot of indian head & Lincoln offerings the next few days. Many look cleaned to me, but I'm new at this and am not sure. What are your thoughts? Are they cleaned and, if so, how badly does this affect their value?
Welcome, but when you talk about material (already) on eBay, give us a link, greatly speeds up the process and the reply.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_udlo=&_udhi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=94618&_sargn=-1&saslc=1&_salic=1&_fss=1&_fsradio=&LH_SpecificSeller=1&_saslop=1&_sasl=vette1986&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=200 I refer to this guy as "red background guy." I wouldn't touch anything of his that isn't certified.
I've bought a few coins with them and was eased with what I got. Good people to deal with in my experience. Just take the same precautions that you would always take with raw coins.
Sorry, not sure how to do links, etc.(talk about NEW). Next response from PaulM seems to have it.I looked under "see all" for lincolns and Indians.
YES! The "red background guy"! I know who you're talking about. He/She's had some very key-date S. Korean coins (in decent, raw condition) in front of that red, but I don't think I've purchased. I've always decided against bidding on his auctions for some reason...
He always uses some red, cranberry-colored "crushed velvet"(?) material (probably a swatch cut out from a pair of groovy 70s bellbottom flairs he used to wear), and takes photos of ALL of his coins in front of that background. The name vette1986 and the red background are very distinctive.
I realized it was a dumb question when I looked again. Anyway, why wouldn't you buy from this person? Again, I'm new and a bit apprehensive of getting beat.
SO, do you guys think they look cleaned. I know it's hard to tell just by looking at pictures, but I'd like to get your opinions as I'm sure you have more experience at this than I do.
I bought a few coins from him a few years ago. But when I got them I thought they had been cleaned or dipped in some soln. I still look at some of his listings, but have not seen anything I feel like buying.
I've bought a few gold coins from him, and the coins always looked better in person than in his pictures. I have been pleased.
Lotsa, lotsa dreck... If you're concerned with "getting beat" and are new, buying raw on eBay is a questionable move. Unless buying very, very low dollar material, your best bet to help avoid getting "beat" is to learn first and buy later unless you've someone both knowledgeable and experienced willing to screen and/or walk you through.
The photos are nowhere near good enough for me to justify bidding what people are bidding on his/her stuff. Descriptions are very thin, once you cut out all the standard terms and conditions boilerplate. Also, this seller is not a PNG member. If I ran into this person at a coin show, I'd probably look at their stuff. If I had the chance to look at the coins in hand before buying, I'd have no problem with it. But, based on a 3 word description that usually amounts to not much more than "nice coin," and a bad picture: no way.
I have bought from him before and can vouch for his service. Agreed, his photography may not be the best. Perhaps he just deals with too many coins. I guess the best advice is start low and then see what he is like.
I have bought from him. Submitted them for grading. Some graded and some came back Details (Cleaned). They weren't harshly cleaned, so it was difficult to see it in the pictures. I was also new to the hobby at the time. I'd always be very cautious buying raw coins on eBay.
I've bid on some items mostly just filler coins for my two girls albums but was outbid by others way beyond what I considered a reasonably price. But that's Ebay in a nutshell most days.