I think they need to change the name from member auctions to the Andre C auction house cuz he is the ONLY person who auctions coins on that website. He's got some okay coins, most are barely Fine grade, however, but I'm not a big fan of dealing with international overseas purchases...too much of a hassle. It's frustrating when you see a coin you like and it's from the same person who monopolizes the auction and of course they deal out of Germany which makes U.S. Purchases very inconvenient. Just another reason I dislike Forvm. Well that's my rant for the day...enjoy
I have attempted to sell some coins on Forvm auctions. The biggest problem there is that there is not enough traffic to make it worthwhile for a seller. This might be fine for those people who are looking to pick up a bargain but the sellers are likely to take a real bath. I will give an example. The following is a coin of Postumus that I auctioned there last month. It made the princely sum of $4.50 which is significantly less that I paid for it. I auctioned over 30 coins and made a significant loss on each and every one with many coins selling for $0.99. I don't think that you can blame a seller as being inconvenient just because you are based in the U.S. This is as inconvenient for the rest of the world that some dealers are in the U.S. To try and make the shipping from Europe less "inconvenient", since I like in the U.K., I posted the coins I sold worldwide for a combined $5 shipping cost and actually made a loss on the postage alone let alone taking into account packaging etc. As with so many of these venues unless there are buyers it is difficult to attract sellers because the prices realised remain too low. This only leaves places such as ebay. Reciprocal rant.
I try and sell stuff on here or on the PCGS boards, if either bombs, then its trade stock for some VC dealers I have good relationships with. Sometimes I do better on that alone and skip selling.
I have never truly had any difficulty buying coins from sellers located elsewhere on the globe. There have been occasion where the coins took a very long time to arrive, but I believe the problem begins and ends with US Customs in New York. I personally know some very fine Customs Agents, but my personal belief is that there are plenty of lazy (and slow) processors at the facility in New York who want to be paid but don't want to do the work. I've even had coins to arrive from the other side of the world (Japan, Australia) that have arrived faster than coins from Canada. These shipments did not process through New York. As far as Forum Auctions, I have purchased from there, but not often. I've had no problems whatsoever.
I've bought coins from the FORVM store, but I've never participated in the auctions. I'll also chime in and say I've never lost a coin in overseas shipping, whether I was buying or selling. The only time I avoid purchasing from overseas is when certain British dealers insist on charging $15 to $20 for shipping.
It is a sad fact that sellers of coins need to apply some common sense if they are to make more profit on a coin than the post office does. I rarely look at Forvm Auctions simply because most coins are not worth the effort. When someone posts a decent coin (I would have paid $4.50 + $5 post for Martin's coin but not $25) I am likely to miss it. That is why eBay succeeds. Every day I look there, I see one coin that I would have in my collection. Usually it is overpriced already but at least I saw it. I buy most of my coins from shows. When I start coming home empty handed, perhaps I will spend more time looking at Forvm. Perhaps I should just write to Martin and ask him what he is seeking to unload but since he is 'over there' I'd really rather adopt things from members on this side of the pond simply because of demon postage.
