Baldwin's of St. James's

A question from one still new to the world of non-eBay auctions.

I am interested in a coin in the Baldwin's of St. James's, Auction 28. It’s described in a listing through Sixbid, but there’s no photo. I went to the Baldwin's site and even downloaded the catalog, but it’s not pictured.

So I assume that not all auction houses photograph every coin? I suspect that’s how it was done even a few years ago, before digital photography changed everything. I just can’t imagine bidding $300 on a coin, sight unseen, but perhaps that’s a testament to my penury.

Perhaps Baldwin’s expects the real traffic to be on the floor where all lots can be viewed. I am just pig-ignorant of this world.

Am I missing something, or are online bidders just expected to roll the dice on unseen coins?

 

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Is your coin part of a larger lot? I have noticed that some auction houses do not show pictures of group lots.

 

No, it's an individual coin.

 

If you email courtney@bsjauctions.com or sam@bsjauctions.com they should send you pictures of the lot you're interested in.

 

Thanks. And now that I re-read the entry, it is for a lot of multiple coins. Maybe that's the issue.

 

While elsewhere on this board a thread rages about poor customer service from a UK auction house, I am pleased to say that I requested a photo of a low-end coin lot from Baldwin’s and received three photos today. I appreciated the attentiveness to a request that involved only fair/fine coins.