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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robinjojo, post: 7805374, member: 110226&quot;]When it comes to prices, and whether better values are more available on eBay versus the auction houses, there are nuances and factors, including buyer&#039;s fees, currency conversions (where applicable), expertise, guarantee of authenticity and return privileges, and the level of the buyer&#039;s own knowledge and &quot;comfort zone&quot; that come into play.</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve been buying coins on eBay since around 2001, and I have purchased coins from dealers and auction houses since 1979.&nbsp; I have found that reputable dealers and auction houses do offer a level of assurance for buyers, albeit with a premium, sometimes on the high side, sometimes not, in terms of buyer&#039;s fees.&nbsp; These fees, along with seller&#039;s fees, provide the revenues for the auction house&#039;s operations and staff.&nbsp; The same is true for dealers.&nbsp; They too need their margins to pay for their operations, however large or small, plus their time cataloging coins and posting lists on MA, Vcoins or their own websites. </p><p><br /></p><p>I have found that, with patience and research (knowledge base), good buys are available through the auction houses and individual dealers to buyer&#039;s based on his or her areas of interest.&nbsp; Having said that, the psychological dynamics of auctions can often breech one&#039;s sensibilities in the heat of the moment, often resulting in a much higher hammer price for one&#039;s winnings than originally planned.&nbsp; Another way to find coins at good prices is through the &quot;remainders&quot; sales of auction houses and coins at reduced prices on dealer&#039;s lists.</p><p><br /></p><p>Being a much more open, unregulated venue eBay needs to be approached with more caution.&nbsp; The key factors with eBay, as I see it, is the buyer&#039;s own knowledge on the areas of interest, and buyer&#039;s knowledge of the seller.&nbsp; Many reputable dealers use eBay, but so do many grifters and other sellers who really don&#039;t know what they are selling, which can work to the buyer&#039;s advantage, if genuine, or to the buyer&#039;s detriment if fake.&nbsp; There opportunities to buy nice coins at reasonable prices on eBay if the buyer has these two qualifications.&nbsp; Lacking in one or both would indicate that the buyer should patronize reputable dealers or auction houses before seriously plunging into eBay, especially with unknown sellers, who could be legitimate, or coins posted that could be of a dubious nature. </p><p><br /></p><p>I have sold on eBay only once, many years ago.&nbsp; I know that the fees pile up quickly when listing, but it seems to me that the determinants of the final price are the type of coin being listed, the buyers that patronize the seller&#039;s listing, market conditions, and, again, the bidding in the final minutes of the listing, which can often significantly drive up the price, much as can happen with an auction house&#039;s e-bid or live floor auctions.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for slabbed coins, I buy them, but not for the slab, only for the coin.&nbsp; Given the big run-up in coin prices lately, even for more common types, I have seen not that much of a &quot;slab premium&quot;, at least for the coins I am interested in.&nbsp; However, I have seen slabbed coins on venues such as Amazon listed at very high prices. Personally, I do not like slabs and almost all of the slabs that I receive are cracked open.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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