I've been collecting for about 15 years, but am just getting back into it after a long time. That means I'm discovering technology's (Ebay's) usefulness as well. In the past few days, I've bought three coins at very competitive prices. My impression is that Ebay has a large share of shiesters, and rampant overgrading. I've also been surprised at how competitive bidding is. I've lost many more auctions than I've won. But overall, I'm quite happy with Ebay as a tool...although I've yet to receive anything. Sentiment on this board toward Ebay seems uniformly negative. I stipulate there are risks, and I'll probably never buy anything for more than a couple hundred. Yet I'm surprised by how down people are. Am I missing something?
welcome First, welcome to coin talk. Second, once you get your coins let us know how you like them. Ebay is like anything else. There's a good side and a bad side. Some coins I have bought are ok. Others I wish I never bid on. Sellers can doctor up the pictures to make a coin look great.
Mr. Coin: Welcome, and there are the negative sellers, and also some very good ones, some are even members of this forum.
Welcome Mr Coin Ebay is just like anything else, beware. Any deals that seem to good to be true... Pay attention to seller feedback, and always ask questions before you bid. Many times a seller will send better pictures, or have information they forgot to list that you may want to know. Do not bid on any coins with poor pictures, or coins where only 1 side is pictured...the 2 biggest mistakes. There are some great honest sellers, and some real crooks. It is up to you to seperate the good from the bad. Always ask here if not sure, and you can even post a particular auction, just be sure to allow time to get answers, don't wait untill there is just a cpl hours left. Aj
Welcome aboard Mr. Coin, The other guys hit it on the head. Good deals can be found on ebay but, unfortunately in my opinion, it has gone downhill. Research is a key without a doubt and as stated earlier NEVER be afraid to ask for opinions and/or guidance. clembo
i use Ebay almost exclusively for by addictions. I win alot less then i lose as well. I have never really been screwed as some have on this forum, but that doesnt mean it will never happen, nor does it mean i can be any less weary. It also says that those on this forum who have seen the darker side of ebay, just plain know more about the coins they bought then i do, so they can see it and i cant. Either way, I will continue to use Ebay, with as much vigalence as possible.
I tried ebay only once and it was a failure. Don't even know why I tried it but thought, maybe. I can see ebay for people that are limited in resources, shows, stores, etc. But if in the average large city area, ebay is a huge waste. For example there is practically nothing on ebay not available in the Chicago area and for lots, lots less plus no postage, insurances, not sure if what you see is what you get. For coins we have a minimum of 3 coin shows a month within 15 miles of my house. We have knife, gun, car, boat, camera, coputer, etc. shows all the time where you can see what you are buying. We also have flea markets, garage/yard/estate sales, auction houses and on and on and on. I can't imagine buying anything on ebay. The only thing I attempted to purchase was a scale to weigh coins and then found several scietific supply houses, jewlery supply houses where these are available buch cheaper, work, not made in China. I know many people that sell on ebay and what they sell I would think came from our garbage cans. Sorry for the negative attidude but I guess there are many that do come out ahead. Never met any, but must be lots or there wouldn't be an ebay.
Could not disagree more. Ebay is a great place and a great thing, however, I do undersyand it can be quite intimidating at first, even overwhelming to a newcomer. Ebay ( and not just coins ) has things you'll never find anywhere else, and it is right at your fingertips. I also collect postcards, and have filled holes from Ebay that would have taken years ( I know ) of shows to find. If you are careful, search and watch with diligence, and " learn the ropes " Ebay can be a great place to get some neat stuff.
It also depends what you want. I do a lot of "junk" silver coins. E-Bay is a GREAT place for that. I've bought a lot of the mercury dime, washington quarter silver rolls on e-bay. All you should expect is the silver content. Occasionally you'll get a cool guy or lady who throws in a semi-rare coin or one in really great condition. But don't expect anything and you won't be deceived. I'm not sure I'd want to buy a 18xx bust dollar in AU condition on E-Bay for $3400............
Welcome to cointalk! I think my soccer team played a team from McLean a few times! Anyway, about eBay. I really like eBay to fulfill as someone said above, addictions. I have gotten many coins off of eBay, the majority that I have bought in the last year are from eBay as a matter of fact. Only a few are from a dealer near my vacation home. The only problems I have with eBay are the shipping prices. I know it is needed, but I don't like paying so much for it.
shipping cost I dont think shipping costs matter at all, its the total end cost of the coin that counts.
I have purchased most of my coins from ebay also. Initially I did make mistakes and learned from them. It is like anything you need to research before you to commit to buy and agree on a price beforehand and if it goes past that it may not be a good of deal as initally thought.
I actually have bought some of my better pieces from ebay but I ask A LOT of questions before bidding. Also not like it used to be. As ebay grew so did the amount of scammers. I rarely bid (or sell) now.
You must realize that as I stated if your in an area like Chicago, there is basically no limit to anything. Ebay may be great for those that do not have access as we do here. And there are many here that do not know how to utilize what is available here. However, there is in reality NO LIMIT to what is available here. And if you know the right people, even the prices are below anything ever over the internet.
yup. If you think about it, say there are 3 scammers out of every 1,000 people. if there are 1,000 people on ebay, in theory there should only be 3 scammers. however, if Ebay grows, say to 10,000,000 people, then in theory there should be 30,000 scammers.
I live in an area and my schedule is such that I deal on e-bay quite often. I buy and sell, but mostly in modern coins. I'm fortunate that I've taken over my dads collection and most of the older coins and sets I would have an interest in are already in the collection. When I buy, I first look at the feedback of the seller. Not just the percentage rating but also look at what the individual has been selling. I go over the list and see if the item up for sale is the same or similar to items he or she has sold in the past to get a feeling. I then look at the shipping costs and factor that into my bid price. I also look at the description fairly closely. Is the wording clear and does it match the photos. I won't bid unless the item is photographed. If the photo is blurry I won't bid or if I'm really interested I'll request a better photo. Is there a return policy and what are the terms????...If you have any questions regarding the item you're looking at make sure there's enough time left to be able to ask the individual and get an answer before the end of the bid, otherwise DON'T BID. I know from the sellers point of view, that a lot of the questions have already been answered somewhere in the description and most of the time, when I do have to respond to a question, that the person never puts in a bid on the item, but that's just part of the deal. If you don't get a response in a reasonable length of time WRITE HIM OFF. Overall, I've had good luck. That's not to say bad things won't happen someday. Bid with your mind, not your "coin hormones".
