Ebay Item Specifics for Coins

As I'm sure most of you know, eBay is implementing Item Specifics for coin auctions at the end of this month. As a seller, I am very curious to know how sellers and collectors feel about it. I can see an upside in that the scammers will have a choice to either fill in the Item Specifics and be held accountable or to not use them and have their auctions not get the exposure that they used to. I would like to know everyone's feelings on this. If you buy on eBay, would you even use the IS for searches? Obviously, the more input, the better.

 

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Not only did I not know about the upcoming implementation, I don't even know what "Item Specifics" are.

 

Susan - I just finished reading the thread you started on another forum, in which someone posted information about Item Specifics.

From my standpoint it doesn't seem to be at all helpful. If I'm reading the information correctly, it is focused on slabbed U.S. coins, and as a world coin collector it will add nothing useful to the listings I peruse.

 

In a nutshell, item specifics are broken down within a category to provide additional information that can be searched. These are the proposed specifics:

US Coins

1. Method of Manufacture (business strike, proof, other)
2. Condition (circulated, uncirculated)
3. Certification (certified, uncertified)
4. Material (copper, gold, nickel, platinum, silver, other)
5. Mint (Carson City, Charlotte, Dahlonega, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Francisco, West Point)

6. Denomination - high-level (e.g. small cents)
7. Denomination - low-level (e.g. Indian Head)
8. Year of Issue (e.g. 1999)
9. Type (collection/lot, mixed lot, set, error, roll, commemorative)

World Coins

1. Region/Country (e.g. Canada, Germany)
2. Denomination (e.g. Pound, Pre-Decimal)
3. Type (collection/lot, mixed lot, set, error, roll, commemorative)
4. Year of Issue (e.g. 1999)
5. Certification (certified, uncertified)
6. Material (copper, gold, nickel, platinum, silver, other)

US Coins specifics will be implemented first, after that the World Coins specifics will be added, dependent upon the reaction to the US Coins.

I thought people would already be aware of it because of the eBay forum boards. I just found out about it today because I don't participate on the eBay boards. I thought that some of the people here might. Apparently, eBay asked the people on their Collector's forum for input into which Item Specifics to offer. I sent an email to Drew Marich (Collectibles Manager) today to request a Copy/Replica Specific. I thought this might help the fraud problem (Yes, everything comes back to that for me).

Additionally, NGC slabbed coins will have the option of prefilled information based on the serial number and will tie in directly to the NGC pop report.

 

My dear departed Mother always told me that if I couldn't say something nice, I shouldn't say anything.

That means I can't discuss Item Specifics without disobeying Mom.

 

Even if I say, pleeeeease

I really do want to know what your thoughts are on this.

 

I don't see the benefit of this. Maybe I am missing something here. How will the "item specific" assist collectors?

 

I am not sure why eBay sees a benefit in it. I am thinking that it might be a benefit in as much as the scammers either won't be able to claim no knowledge and still use item specifics, so there may be a better accountability factor and that may scare some of them off; the other option is that if they don't use the item specifics and the buyers are using the specifics to search, the scammers auctions won't come up in those searches, thereby reducing the visibility of these auctions. Lack of sales would have to be at least a slight deterrant. What does eBay have in mind? I have no idea at all. On the surface, I think it's a bad idea. I'm trying to find some good that can come out of it. Quite frankly, it's a pain for the sellers and many more clicks for the buyers. If my suggestion for a Copy/Replica specific is used, I think it could improve the fraud factor. But I haven't heard back from Drew yet.

 

well i think what you write in must be correct

i think it will help fight the frausters they wont be able to use subtle selling techniques as the do now like my grandfather left me this coin ect ect.basically blatent lies will be proved.


good idea i think not the cure but a partial remedy


well done to ebay on this one

 

Would you consider the majority of buyers using Ebay to be knowledgeable enough to use the item specific tool?

 

The regular buyers, yes. The new buyers are an unknown. Some of the regular buyers are getting burned, though. So they would be more protected. Recognizing that the new buyers are the ones that are really at risk, I don't know that this would help them when it's first put into practice, but I think eventually they'll catch on.

 

I buy many coins from ebay and do not see how this will help.

People can fill in any info they want and still sell fakes. As in the real world "laws" and rules don't stop the "criminals" from doing wrong. They (ebay) have a tough job policing everything now.

 

Spending a good amount of time on eBay myself, I welcome better way to search for what I want and if it sniiffs out some of the growing amount of scammers as a side benefit, I am all for it. The question still remains ... how cumbersome it will be for buyers and sellers? We'll see!

 

Now I can understand how this extra type of search function can help the advanced collector, but wouldn't this also lead to bad sellers adding better keywords to their junk to pass along to unsuspecting collector? We all know that there are plenty of BU descriptions that now fall under BUFFED UP, or BORDERLINE UNC., or BANGED UNRECOGNIZABLE.

 

I have now read the entire thread on eBay along with all of the responses from Andrew and I am nowhere near as hopeful as I was. Suggestions were already made to add an Authenticity specific and it appears that the suggestion was summarily dismissed with the reasoning that sellers are supposed to put that in the description anyway. Also, a condition specific is only available for NGC graded coins. I think what may have happened is that NGC contacted eBay and said that they would like to work with them in an effort to pull ahead of PCGS in the grading war (this is just my opinion). Supposedly, there are expectations of adding other grading companies specifics. Although I am not positive, I think that the pre-filled information option is linked to the Item Specifics section of eBay's program which would mean that, in order to have prefilled info for NGC, they would have to add item specifics to the category. Without having a condition and authenticity Item Specific, I do not believe that this option is going to work in favor of the sellers or the buyers. I must say that I am very disappointed that eBay would be concerned with implementing something new that does not address the existing problems on the site. To me, correction of the existing problems should be the #1 priority - not adding superfluous features.

 

As I have already stated above.

Consumers / collectors are the ones that have to educate themselves to protect themselves. It is a process and sometimes even when you think you know it all, you don't.

It is forums like this that really help, people helping others get educated. Keep up the good work everybody !!

 

I buy and sell on ebay, I do not see any benefit to any one.
The new buyer or the seasoned, The grading of a coin will remain subjectional at best,which is evident even from the posts in "whats it worth on this site" a photo is the absolute worst way to determine quality from and that will remain the method of advertiseing on ebay ,
The best advice I can give for buyers is to set aside money that you can afford to lose and gamble!!

Rick
New Mexico

 

Certification should be expanded to include:

1. Uncertified
2. Top tier (Big 4) certification
3. Third world certification
4. POS captive certification

That would be VERY helpful.

 

I think the big four cetification item specific will materialize after they have the other grading companies in pre-filled information. Right now, only NGC is allowing the access to their pop reports. Although I agree with you that the above would be great, how many of the Third World Certification companies are going to put themselves there. Some of the sellers are slabbing coins in their own basement and putting grades on them. I just can't see them checking off "Third World" and admitting that the slab/grade is worthless.