Artificially Toned Coins on Ebay

appreciate the advice, but my father was a collector and I started off slow. I went to a local shop and picked their brains till they were sick of me. I'm pretty good at grading. I can spot AT (sometimes cert. coins look AT to me). I just hate that ebay sellers can rip people off. like the afformentioned silver eagle I bought. did he really think I wouldn't notice hair and dirt inside the capsule?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

So this is a little off topic, but look at the last three avatars of the posts in this thread. Leadfoot's Liberty, Breakdown's Buffalo, and Lehigh's Jefferson. That is a spectacular nickel type set right there for everyone to enjoy!

 

AT coins never make it into PCGS slabs:too-funny:
http://cgi.ebay.com/INSANE-TOP-CLAS..._Individual&hash=item2c55ef5a3e#ht_2665wt_754

 

How is that market acceptable?!

I think a degree of common sense along with buying only slabs that have a return policy is the way to go on ebay.

 

It is fairly easy to AT a coin within a slab.

 

In fairness to PCGS, that photo is severely enhanced and the coin will look nothing like that in hand. Both the colors and color intensity have been changed via photoshop.

 

Oh god here goes the toning/photo guru

 

I've got to agree. If you don't like the coin he sold you, return it. He's got a 30 day return policy. That's a lot better than most you'll find on EBay.

 

I wish I had a trusted dealer that I could work with more, but I simply don't. Ebay is going to be something I use to buy coins. I think it's up to me to be informed and to know what I'm doing when I bid on a coin. There's also the issue of cost. That's why people go to Ebay, ultimately. If I can buy a slabbed 8tf Morgan at MS 60 something for half the cost of a dealer or other online source, then I've got to consider it.

With all that said, I'm trying to develop more local sources for coins. I know it shouldn't be the only source a collector has. I certainly respect the opinions of more knowledgeable collectors regarding Ebay.

 

Race's Rules for buying coins on EBay:

1. Educate yourself about the coins you are seeking. Know how to grade the coin that is being offered. Know how to spot a cleaned coin. Know the retail (red book) and wholesale (greysheet) prices for the coins you are considering.
2. Study the photos to determine the grade and hence the value of the coin. If the photos are blurry or lighting is bad, stay away. You can probably eliminate 30-40% of the coins out there using this simple rule. You can usually tell a cleaned coin if the photo is decent.
3. Educate yourself about the seller. Check his feedback rating. Use Toolhaus, that is a great site that has been recommended to me by others in this forum. It gives you more insight into real feedback. Feedback is there to protect the buyer from unscrupulous sellers. If I see more than one or two negative feedbacks in the last year, I stay away.
4. Ensure you buy from only sellers who have a return policy. This is your out. Coins will often look different in hand than they do even in the best photos. If you get one you don't like, send it back. Often you have to pay return shipping, but that's pennies on the dollar and well worth protecting yourself from getting ripped off.

If you follow these rules you can have a pleasureable experience on EBay, and even come out ahead. I like the challenge of it, the roll searcher analogy is a good one, there are lots of dirtbag sellers out there, your challenge is to wade through them and find the good deals. There really are some great deals and a lot of good, low priced coins out there on the Bay. By following the rules above you can stack the deck in your favor.

 

Not for nothing, I mistakenly forgot to empty my pockets before putting the clothes in the washer. The Tide detergent has nicely, and articially, toned a half dozen pennies.

Any takers?

 

Nice toning should never come cheap!

 

Does that mean you disagree? Have you ever purchased a coin from John? I have and the juicing comment is based on personal experience with this seller. You would be better off listening to the guru rather than trying to prove to everyone on this forum that you know more than the guru.

 

That is a tricky way to say 2001. I know that 9 years to you is a drop in the proverbial bucket to you but it is a long time to me.

 

Most toned coins were driving significant premiums by 2002 Doug. If they weren't I would have bought a lot more of them than I did. I have showed examples before. Should I show them again.

 

Where did you find them you lucky dog?