Uh-Oh, just checked out Great Collections from a thread posted herein and, I must say, a pretty impressive collection of offerings. Checked on a couple of coins I've been needing and am ready to take the plunge. However, before I do I'd like to get some input from anyone who'd care to opine. Many thanks.
I've bought from Great Collections a year or two ago, I got a decent deal but nothing super great! If you get on there to bid on coins, don't get caught up in the hoopla, you'll regret it, bid what you can afford and that's it, bid no further!
Great Collections is my go to for window shopping, bidding, and winning coins. I factor the 12.5% buyers fee into my max bid and the site has served me well. I was on Teletrade for years and followed Ian to GC. He runs a good business. The GreatPhoto add however long ago was very nice as well, and probably has increased my bidding on there.
They are generally good (I have been happy and have only read a few minor complaints from others over the years). They also have some of the best customer service among the auction houses (as in someone usually replies quickly to any questions).
Why so? I have bought and sold with them many times, never had a problem. I don't remember the last time someone had major beef with them. Good company, solid customer service, and the owner is well known and reputable.
GC is by far my #1 coin buying platform. Highly recommended. I've not sold anything with them yet, but planning to late this year. I've never had a single issue with GC. Well, other than the fact that I'm a chronic underbidder. The cats been out of the bag on GC for a few years now, lots more competition than the old days, hence me coming in 2nd most of the time.
They have sold a large number of coins for me. They make it easy and the form is really simple. They will also send your coins in for grading if needed. I also find their auction history to be helpful.
I have never heard anything bad about them. If I wanted to auction a bunch of coins they would be my go too.
I have bought quite a few coins through them, no complaints other than occasionally they can be slow to invoice (and thus ship). Buyer's fee is only 10% if you register your checking routing and account# with them, which can slow it down the first time but after that it's on file. Versus 22% ($29 minimum) at Heritage means more $ for coins. Their GreatPhoto images are the best out there, and their archive is a great resource although the interface takes getting used to. Lately, winning there is difficult. I put in a strong late bid on a 1900 MS62 25c and was immediately outbid. It ended at $647 with BP, MS64 price guide, which is crazy.
I've bought and sold coins from GC for over a decade and have never had a bad experience. If you were planning on selling a collection I'd highly recommend them. I recently sold my complete Indian Head Cent collection (Currie Lake Collection) and was pleased with the results. As a buyer I never had any issues either. As with all online auctions, you may need to bid a little more than you want if someone else wants a coin you're interested in. The 10% buyers fee (12.5% if using a CC) and shipping is very reasonable (compare that to places like Stacks-Bowers and Heritage). When completing my IHC registry set I used David Lawrence a lot in the end to upgrade some of the lesser graded coins. They charge no buyers fee but the bids usually go a little higher to reflect that.
One feature of Great Collections you might want to check out is their Archives section. If you have not done so before, this might give you an idea the ballpark you might end up paying for a coin. also, they have what is called a "hard close". What this means is that a timer will count down to the final second and then all bidding closes. There are other sites where a bid in the final seconds adds a few seconds to the clock. beyond that GC is outstanding from original posting to speed of delivery. good luck. james
Going to Great Collections makes me feel like a rookie. Yes they do have some fine offerings.... I too have bought a number of coins from them. No complaints. They are straight shooters and above board. Probably not likely to find great deals there, but the coin quality is first class.
