Coin Pictures vs. Coin Reality

Since I started buying CW tokens, I have become tired of these awesome, blazing looking coins at auction that end up look like brown poop when I get them.

I realised many sellers show a pic of the coin at a certain angle to the light that produces the most spectacular blues, purples, and reds, though in reality they are flat brown.

Do you just accept they will not look like what you will receive, or ask for a real pic???

 

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Asking for a 'real pic' would I'm sure be ignored at best.

Not sure how to describe this, but there becomes a way of 'reading' a coin photo. I don't know if it's just from having bought so many that I have a mental reference of what looks like what, or if I've just become accustomed through so much looking. But I think it's fair to say that 85% of the time, what I get is what I was expecting, not necessarily what it looked like in the photo.

 

When they get your money it looks like what they expect. By all means when you think their pictures are funny, insist on others, or just get the hell out.

 

easiest thing to see is when a seller has the contrast and brightness levels blown through the roof.

 

solution? No toners- as created, baby

 

The only thing you can do is know what one looks like through the hidden photo. I did this before and bought something. Realized what they really looked like. Never bought again. But if you see someone using angles and trickery they're only doing it to hide flaws. You're absolute best bet is to just keep scrolling.

 

I look for honest sellers who post a shot of the coin or medal at the worst angle.
Most of the time the item has better eye appeal than pictured, which is a real plus.
If the photo is adulterated or described better than shown, I would not buy again.

 

I buy from a guy that somehow comes up with a bunch of really nice toned coins. Not rainbow toning at all but patina toning. Russian copper, Italian Copper and silver ect... not sure what he does but some of his pics look amazing. Here's the thing...he provides 4 images. 2 of the images are less flattering. So I know I am probably getting something closer to that. I like everything he sends and my offers to him are based on what I think the coin really looks like. So far it's been a good partnership for both of us. I just wish he had higher grades. Most of his stuff is VF ..maybe EF.

 

As some collectors really like toners, many, many times the only way to show the extent and beauty of the colors is to shoot the coin at an angle with proper lighting, and "make it round again" in a program like Photoshop. I have a gorgeous blue-toned Conder Token, for example, that just shows a tiny bit of toning when shot straight on. I moved the camera to the ideal angle to capture the toning and did just what I said earlier - "made it round again" in Photoshop. It's shown below.

 

Ebay (or other) pictures can work both ways. The top picture shows the sellers (a metal detectorist) Ebay pictures, and as I had my camera out I photographed it when it arrived, below.

 

It's the copper/bronze coins that cause me grief...the seller accentuating the "red" by lighting and the coin is barely red-brown at best. If there's any value at all to the coin beyond nominal, I always ask either for additional photo(s) in natural, non-reflective light and/or just tell them what I'm looking for and ask it the coin fits. A few refuse to say, other than..."you be the judge"...or "the photos say it all" (no, they don't), but anyone worth dealing with will usually converse with you about it. That's why it's really helpful to have and buy from established/trusted sellers who, if you're not satisfied, will take it back no questions asked...and there are such sellers.

 

When in doubt, your mind is usually right.

 

There are some sellers, such as Great Southern, that I keep scrolling past because I suspect that their photos are enhanced. Even if slabbed, there’s no sense paying the “A” coin price for something that may be a “B” or “C” coin in normal lighting. Photos taken with a flash are usually a no go if not accompanied by other photos and angles with no flash, especially for copper or toned silver. The more coins I buy online, the fewer surprises I have had. Heritage photos are a good bet because they seldom overstate the eye appeal.

 

I think Great Southern images are scans?

 

They are photos.

There was (is) a very good and enlightening thread from @RonSanderson back in '17 about GSC's images vs reality. The thread is worth a read.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-study-of-online-marketing-by-great-southern-coins.296781/

I have bought 2 coins from GSC - 1 slabbed, 1 raw. I really had no hesitations buying the slabbed coin, but I was a bit concerned on the raw, but bought it anyway.

First image was their image, second is mine:



Unfortunately I didn't grab the larger version of theirs (or I have since deleted it).

 

Brown copper is fun to image. Brown copper with nice luster can give you many different looks. About the same with your eyes. The color is there, it just takes the right angle and lighting to get it to show.

 

Here we go. Look at this predicament I find myself in right now. I wanna make an offer....but based on the 2nd pic that toning just up and vanishes?

 

I've been burned by their deceptive photos on raw coins twice. Never again will I do business with them since the coins were clearly improperly cleaned and they did not describe them as such and took photographs to deliberately conceal it. Either that or they are totally incompetent. Neither is a good look. And the return policy is not a cover for this behavior since they shouldn't be doing it anyway and it places all the burden for correcting the problem on the buyer. I don't consider that any kind of ethical behavior.

For the purposes of libel protection, let me state that I am only accurately describing my experience with them and not saying that is what everyone can expect.