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Buying coins on Ebay = cross your fingers?
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<p>[QUOTE="mitchell, post: 14062, member: 989"]You know Ed, those are very good points to buying on Ebay.</p><p><br /></p><p>As much as people here slam Ebay sellers and Ebay, praise the local ANA dealers, and PRETEND the ANA means honesty and integrity, I had one interesting sitution with my local ANA representative just last week. I personally like the guy.</p><p><br /></p><p>I was in the area and dropped by the local ANA members shop. I had a bug for a nice Buffalo nickel, since all mine were VG\F at best. So I paid $27.50 plus 9.25% tax for an "AU+". I thought it was a fairly decent coin. </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, I did not have my Photograde book, or my Red Book, nor did I think I would need them, as the coin was already labeled and priced. I somewhat trusted and respected this "ANA" dealer, after all, the guys at Cointalk. org act like the ANA is the Holy Grail. When I started comparing the Buffalo to the Photograde book, I realized that I just got screwed. Then I realized that my circulated Buffalo's were not much worse than the one I just paid a premium for.</p><p><br /></p><p>So I start looking on Ebay. I got the same date\mm Buffalo, that was more accurately pictured and described as "AU", for $17 shipped. So it was my dealer that got the best of me. </p><p><br /></p><p>"AU+" my arse. There is no crease in the flank, and there is no definition around the neck on the reverse. Gee, isn't there supposed to be a horn there too?</p><p><br /></p><p>I could not tell by the dealers "AU+" just how much detail a Buffalo has on the reverse. When I got the one off Ebay, I was stunned, and pissed. The one I got off Ebay was truly AU, the one from the shop was weak AU if AU at all. I had been suckered into the mentality that my ANA dealer was some super honest guy that always gave the customer a decent value. NOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTT!!!</p><p><br /></p><p>All those Numismatic Association credentials on his door, including being a member of the ANA for 20+ years, meant absolutely nothing to him, nor does it to me.</p><p><br /></p><p>His silver dollars are higher than any I see advertised, or on Ebay.</p><p><br /></p><p>People here like to trash Ebay, and praise anything ANA, like that membership means anything, but my experience is that my dealer will take me for every dollar he can get out of me. He plays the "creative grading" game just as well as any Ebay seller.</p><p><br /></p><p>So now I might buy something made of an ounce of silver from him but I will take my chances on Ebay.</p><p><br /></p><p>"ANA approved dealer" or whatever it is called means absolutely nothing in the real world. All it means is the guy that is going to take advantage of a customer has a nice decal on his door, and pays money for that membership.</p><p><br /></p><p>So folks here can trash Ebay sellers all they want, but the plain fact is the guy down the street with the "ANA" membership is basically no different. Just with him, you get to see who it is that is screwing you.</p><p><br /></p><p>ANA dealers are in it for the money, just like Ebay sellers, and they do not care what they have to do to get it. On Ebay, you can see the pictures and compare them to the Photograde book and make the decision accordingly.</p><p><br /></p><p>I will take my chances with Ebay sellers anytime. Just take it slow and easy. So far, I have not had a really bad experience.</p><p><br /></p><p>The only thing I will get from my local "ANA" dealer, will be silver bullion that is not dependant on grading. My lack of grading expertise has hurt me more in my "ANA" shop, than on Ebay.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have also seen them price some Morgans, something I am comfortable with, and was not to impressed with his grading. Especially for an old man that just walked in and said "how much is this worth". He shorted the grade, AND told him "wholesale" price.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="mitchell, post: 14062, member: 989"]You know Ed, those are very good points to buying on Ebay. As much as people here slam Ebay sellers and Ebay, praise the local ANA dealers, and PRETEND the ANA means honesty and integrity, I had one interesting sitution with my local ANA representative just last week. I personally like the guy. I was in the area and dropped by the local ANA members shop. I had a bug for a nice Buffalo nickel, since all mine were VG\F at best. So I paid $27.50 plus 9.25% tax for an "AU+". I thought it was a fairly decent coin. Well, I did not have my Photograde book, or my Red Book, nor did I think I would need them, as the coin was already labeled and priced. I somewhat trusted and respected this "ANA" dealer, after all, the guys at Cointalk. org act like the ANA is the Holy Grail. When I started comparing the Buffalo to the Photograde book, I realized that I just got screwed. Then I realized that my circulated Buffalo's were not much worse than the one I just paid a premium for. So I start looking on Ebay. I got the same date\mm Buffalo, that was more accurately pictured and described as "AU", for $17 shipped. So it was my dealer that got the best of me. "AU+" my arse. There is no crease in the flank, and there is no definition around the neck on the reverse. Gee, isn't there supposed to be a horn there too? I could not tell by the dealers "AU+" just how much detail a Buffalo has on the reverse. When I got the one off Ebay, I was stunned, and pissed. The one I got off Ebay was truly AU, the one from the shop was weak AU if AU at all. I had been suckered into the mentality that my ANA dealer was some super honest guy that always gave the customer a decent value. NOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTT!!! All those Numismatic Association credentials on his door, including being a member of the ANA for 20+ years, meant absolutely nothing to him, nor does it to me. His silver dollars are higher than any I see advertised, or on Ebay. People here like to trash Ebay, and praise anything ANA, like that membership means anything, but my experience is that my dealer will take me for every dollar he can get out of me. He plays the "creative grading" game just as well as any Ebay seller. So now I might buy something made of an ounce of silver from him but I will take my chances on Ebay. "ANA approved dealer" or whatever it is called means absolutely nothing in the real world. All it means is the guy that is going to take advantage of a customer has a nice decal on his door, and pays money for that membership. So folks here can trash Ebay sellers all they want, but the plain fact is the guy down the street with the "ANA" membership is basically no different. Just with him, you get to see who it is that is screwing you. ANA dealers are in it for the money, just like Ebay sellers, and they do not care what they have to do to get it. On Ebay, you can see the pictures and compare them to the Photograde book and make the decision accordingly. I will take my chances with Ebay sellers anytime. Just take it slow and easy. So far, I have not had a really bad experience. The only thing I will get from my local "ANA" dealer, will be silver bullion that is not dependant on grading. My lack of grading expertise has hurt me more in my "ANA" shop, than on Ebay. I have also seen them price some Morgans, something I am comfortable with, and was not to impressed with his grading. Especially for an old man that just walked in and said "how much is this worth". He shorted the grade, AND told him "wholesale" price.[/QUOTE]
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Buying coins on Ebay = cross your fingers?
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