I've listed half-a-dozen or so coins here on the forum, for less than what they sell for on e-Bay (OK - I was corrected on the 5 Won). My most recent attempt to sell was the 5 Won with a revised price of $95 with no takers. It sold on e-Bay for $127.50. Not even a PM on the 5 Won. edited Are people here more educated, or just, uh, cheaper?
Strange question. I doubt there are more than a couple of hundred really active members here, versus millions looking to buy on ebay. I myself only look at the for sale section once every couple of months. It could be another 46 days before I even see your offers, maybe more.
Your "5 Won coin"? It's a North Korean coin. That's why it didn't sell! Sorry. If it was a South Korean coin (ie, a real coin), then I would probably have jumped all over that.
I'd guess that it's just nobody here was interested in it. Put it in this context, CoinTalk is like a small town, eBay is like New York City. People go to eBay ONLY to buy and sell, people come to CoinTalk to share their love of the hobby with other like-minded people. Hope that makes sense.
eBay fees are high for a reason, they have a lot of customers. World coins do well on there, if you choose to ship world wide.
The other thing nobody mentioned is on Flea bay, there is a larger uneducated segment of people that, believe the BS that has been on the tube and written about auction sights snipping, buy it with a bid so you get it, plus all the other stuff true and not about it. Just google books about buying and selling on ebay. All most 15,000,000 hits in .35 seconds. Plus as others have said most importantly you have to have somebody wanting the the item, and willing to pay your asking price! Since I am not a coin collector, but tokens and exo collector I wouldn't know if the price were good or not.
All that said I would much prefer to buy in our small little New England Norman Rockwell town than eBay's New York City.
The only purpose of eBay is to buy and sell. The main purpose of CoinTalk is to share knowledge, opinions and have conversations about the world of currency. I don't see buying and selling, as a principle reason, to being here at all.
What everyone else said. Ebay has 100x the traffic and a lot more buyer friendly features, like photo requirements, highly customized searches, simple checkout and feedback systems, etc. Still, I buy here, and on the NGC and PCGS forums when I find a coin I like. But mostly, the stuff on the forum marketplaces are coins I cant afford, or coins I don't collect.
I was a little surprised that despite a clear title and 98 views I didn't get one reply to a wanted ad. Maybe the wording didn't feel right or the fact that I'm in UK put folk off. To buy or sell it needs to be the right time in the right place.
I bet if the you would have been selling a US coin results would have been different. Most of the collectors on this forum collect US coinage and don't have much to do with foreign coins.
I've bought quite a few coins here. I look at the for sale almost every day. But there's not a lot here I really want. As to sleaze bay you guys know how I feel. I buy a ton at ha and stacks tho there's where I see the most coins of the quality I want even if it costs a bit more sometimes when something's really good. At least it's available there and real unlike flea bay
Hmmm, guilty => I never check the CT-Coins-For-Sale section (ummmm, is there one?) ... Yah, my bad => ummm, I will try and start to check 'er out from time to time ... NOTE => I only buy coins from dudes that'll guarantee a lifetime return policy, if the coin is found to be "sketchy" ... I'm just sayin' Happy Bird-day, coin friends!! Cheers