I just bought 4 today, all early commemoratives. That market appears soft at the moment. Doesn't take much to weed through all the overpriced stuff and get some good buys.
My take on eBay: It would be nearly impossible to argue against the fact that eBay has continuously made it more difficult for both buyers and sellers of collectible coins, to find satisfaction in using eBay as a medium for engaging in the numismatic activity we all enjoy so much. So, certainly the balance between Joy and Pain has been tipping towards the Pain side as time goes by, and is probably at an all time high in the Pain department at this moment, both for buyers and sellers alike. However, I think the wrong approach is to throw in the towel, wave the white flag, or otherwise quit on a service that has ultimately been a massive positive force in numismatics as a whole. I would instead suggest that everyone who has found this service worthwhile in the past, take some time to let eBay know what is needed and wanted by the numismatic dealers and collectors, while working together to make the best of it. I could probably go on forever discussing all of the many changes and ramifications and suggest countless potential solutions for each individual frustration. However, the bulk of it boils down to one specific important point in my opinion. Communication. Sellers need to put in the extra effort to more effectively communicate to the buyers what exactly they are selling, how the transaction will unfold and describe the coins more meticulously and take better photographs. This is extremely important in my opinion, as one of the most frustrating problems for sellers, (particularly sellers like us that try to be meticulous in our customer care), is that eBay has cut us off from being able to communicate to buyers unless they specifically communicate to us first. This is the major problem, because that was the most effective way to resolve problems for buyers before potential issues became a serious problem . This in turn places as emphasis, as stated above, on the seller needing to do everything they can in their listings, photos and descriptions, to answer any potential problems for buyers beforehand. In this respect sellers need to take more responsibility and put in more effort on their part. Buyers need to communicate more readily themselves, PRIOR to making the purchase. Moreover, they need to be more selective in determining not just the products they want, but WHO they want to sell the product to them. Establish relationships with sellers that do go the extra mile to make your experience better. Find out who those sellers are from your other contacts and communicate to those contacts when you find a trustworthy seller. In essence; sellers need to go the extra mile to help the buyers. Buyers need to understand and recognize the sellers that do that. There is currently no alternative to the traffic and exposure that eBay offers sellers . Conversely, there is currently no alternative to the selection and freedom of choice that eBay offers buyers. Additionally, how many new coin collectors have been created, or otherwise encouraged through eBay? Hundreds of thousands would be my guess. It would seem a shame and ultimately self defeating, for all of us as the wider numismatic community, to give in to this frustration, rather than apply a little extra intelligence and honest effort to rise above it.
I have bought PLENTY of coins from ebay. I have always had a good experience. You will greatly reduce your odds of getting ripped if you do the following: ALWAYS read the feedbacks on the seller. Especially negative ones. Before making a bid or purchase, be sure to check out the seller here: http://toolhaus.org/ may the schwartz be with you, greg
Spot on. I understand that some knowledgeable collectors are looking for the opposite; bad and naive sellers that they can take advantage of, which is fine. But when you go that direction and deal with those dealers, you have absolutely no right to complain about eBay when what you receive does not live up to your expectations imo. You get what you pay for.
1. Only buy from sellers who guarantee their coins with a full refund if you are not satisfied with the coin in hand. Ebay sellers do not have to accept returns if buyers are unhappy with purchases. They determine their own return policies. From ebay: "Your ability to return an item depends on the seller's return policy, which you should be able to find in the listing or by asking the seller. While we encourage sellers to be clear and specific about their return policy, it's up to them whether they accept returns." Sure, you can assert the coin is significantly not as described (SNAD) and usually, but not always, win. Lance.
One of the problems for sellers on Ebay is that they don't give insurance and tracking on items sent. This is a problem for the buyer too. If you are a seller put your insurance fee into your shipping price and tell all free insurance on your pages. Tracking is free if you get the labels online. Buyers should always check for insured items and if there are no returns. Before I got smart I was sending out items without anything. A couple of times the buyers had sent me messages stating that they got the package but the item was missing. This is bad for the sellers as they would have to give a refund. How do you prove that you sent something? If you are a seller you need to give a good description of the items and nice pictures that can oversize. Give returns on single items but not on bulk. Some buyers buy bulk, pick out certain coins, and then ask for returns. That's bad for us sellers. If you are a buyer become knowladgeable about the item you are buying. Buy some books and learn to grade coins. Read about counterfeits, fakes, and cleaned coins. This will help not getting scammed. Some sellers are honest and some sellers are not. Also some sellers tend to over grade and say Hey! It's in EXTREMELY FINE CONDITION!!!! when it's only very fine. Once you become knowladgeable you can get great deals on your coins since some people just don't know.
