This one happened in December 2014, and it still hurts. There was a raw AU/MS 1921 Half Dollar with full luster, and all of the diagnistics were there to match with one of the two known die pairs. As far as I was concerned, it was genuine. This was early in my eBay buying career, so I did not know all of the rules of sniping. I did not trust my internet, so I decided to snipe a little early, around the 20-second mark. The bid was currently at $75 or so, and it jumped up to $175 after putting in my $350 bid. Unfortunately, that gave the other guy enough time to inch up his bid. When I noticed what was happening, I tried to put in a $400 bid, but it got eaten by my internet, and the other guy outbid me at the 0.5 second mark. I was still winning when the timer reached 0 and the page refreshed to the post-auction view, but when the page loaded, I was greated by a statement saying I lost and the bid was $355. I was pissed and angry at my stupidity, as it was a $2000+ coin. The profit would have more than paid for the musical instrument I was looking to buy at the time. But oh, well. Maybe it was fake and I dodged a bullet, but I doubt it. This experience taught me a dear lesson about sniping, and I have made much more than $2000 since then, so not all is lost. Make me feel better by posting your stories.
I spotted this 1972 Type 2 IKE on ebay 9 years ago. At first, I thought it was one of the silver versions but then, it lacked a mint mark. I put in an initial bid and started watching it. About 3 days before it ended, the bid had jumped up over $150 so I stupidly placed a bit around $275. Stupid Stupid Stupid! About 2 seconds before it closed I dropped an A-Bomb bid and won it for $560 I was really hoping for a killer grade. MS65 or possibly MS66 but it came back at MS64. I resubmitted it several times and the best I could squeeze out of it was an MS64+ since it did have some objectionable marks on the obverse. I sold it for a little less than I paid for it. A bummer and a very valuable lesson.
Around the year 2000 or so I purchased my first computer. a Gateway of course. Living in woods of Tuftonboro, NH we had DIAL UP service. Ok long story short, one time I was on eBay and decided I needed a CC coin. So I find this dime really nice, dang did I bid to high and of course I won. Needless to say alcohol was involved. Note to self don't drink and bid
In 2012, I really got back into coin collecting and this was pre-marriage and kids so I had money to burn. I thought I'd play it smart and try to cash in on all these crazy unsearched rolls floating on eBay. I mean, what could go wrong, right?
I did get a 1916 D dime out of one of those rolls, but I had to cheat a little. I knew it was a 1916 D when the seller listed it because it was the same coin he had bought about a month earlier.
Ain't that the truth. Lord knows I've bought some coins that later on I can't even figure out what I thought I had saw in them.
You made a mistake but you recovered nicely at the end when you sold it. I recently purchased a roll of Franklin Dollars thinking they were halves. All toll I spent $100. What was I thinking. It was late at night, I was tired. Oh well, we learn.
Here's mine. On reciept of the coin, I actually convinced myself that the scratches were on the (Old PCI Green PR64) holder: Oops.
