Many times the phrase is said "their is no free lunch in numismatics". However I label the phrase as partially true. This is just my idea. Silver coins almost ALWAYS bring their melt price. Maybe unless it's a huge auction of $20,000 worth of silver coins. Then maybe money can be an issue. However it's usually better to buy on volume. So you can hardly ever find silver for less than melt, maybe unless: 1. It's a world coin that is rarely seen, and not too many people know about it. However with millions of bidders on eBay, your chance of finding silver coins in auction for less than melt is very rare. 2. It's a newly listed buy it now. The seller has no idea what it's worth. However they would be a fool to not know what it's worth, because if it's a common item such as a Morgan dollar, they can simply look it up. However sometimes you can find newly listed buy it nows for less than melt. But don't hold your breath, again it's a very rare shot. Indian head cents, Large cents, 20 cent pieces, etc. They usually bring their full value. Sometimes you can get a deal. I have once or twice in the past few months. However sometimes it can be a problem coin, which can be hard to spot for the untrained eye. So with all of the above, you have a very low chance of snagging a deal, but wait... there's more. The true cherry pickers are going to be looking in depth on the coin. Looking for die breaks, varieties, and such. If a cherry picker finds a large cent that is a scarce Sheldon variety, and no one else has spotted it, then maybe the can get a good deal on it. Where am I going with this? The more you know, the better chance of getting a valuable coin you have. If you know something that a lot of other people don't it's going to increase your chances even further. While I don't know a lot about coins, I have not yet learned how to truly cherry pick for things. So all this presents a question. Do you personally think that there are good deals on eBay for those who know their coin like the back of their hand, or are there just too many cherry pickers to try and find something everyone else missed?
Of course there are good deals to be had. I buy some good pieces there nearly every week. Some are fairly priced, but I get some screaming deals from time to time. The one point you make is most important, its all about knowledge. No two ways around that. Chris
Who cares? You act like you are a know it all demanding to impart your pearls of wisdom on all of us obviously unknowledgable people on here. Yet you lack basic knowledge and have never demonstrated any ability to gather facts on your own. As John Stossel says. "GIVE US A BREAK".
Lol isn't that the truth. My biggest score was a group with horrible photos and zero feedback. They wanted $200 for 68 pieces, I talked to them and believed their story so bought them, (no other bidders). First coin from the group was a $300 Tet. Luck and your ability to spot phonies definitely plays a part.
Again i don't see the point of this thread. Of course there are good deals on Ebay, but they are to be found.
Truer words were never spoken, for every "good" deal I have passed up and regretted, there are probably 3-4 that upon reflection I was glad to have passed up. I keep looking, but have resigned myself to waiting for the good "good" ones (hopefully).
I've gotten a few good deals. If the pictures are good enough, I often look for Indian Head cent overdates and Snow attributions that the seller doesn't realize he has. I've gotten some nice ones for just a few dollars. Other than that it's tough to get a good deal, but it's possible.
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There are still some tremendous deals on eBay and so many variables that, even if the cherrypickers are out in force, they can still be had very cheaply. You can also lose your shorts at the last second as well! "Knowing" about a particular coin and acting on that knowledge also involves "knowing" what to expect and when to quit.
