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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;NovembersDoom6, post: 3738643, member: 105392&quot;]eBay seems to have a lot of fraudsters that have been around selling the same crap for years, scamming as many people as possible. A lot of fake stuff and just way overpriced junk.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the other hand, I feel it&#039;s also given an avenue for many younger people (and some older people) to really see what&#039;s out there and pique their interest in coin collecting. I spend a lot of time looking at coins on eBay, not always with the intent to purchase, but just to see what all is out there, see what coins are selling for what prices, compare grades, etc. This has got me interested in some coins and series that I otherwise would not have been exposed to or paid much attention to.</p><p><br /></p><p>Consider also that many people don&#039;t have the option of visiting coin shops and shows. The nearest coin shop to me is a two hour drive. I&#039;ve never been even once. I&#039;m not about to drive that far just to not find anything I like and can afford. I don&#039;t even bother looking up shows in my area because the closest any would ever pop up would probably be five or six hours away. I&#039;d potentially spend more on gas than I would on coins once I got there. What if I just wanna pick up a few cool but cheap coins, not plan for months in advance to spend $1,000, for a trip like that to even really be worth it? I could spend $50 or $5 on eBay and be quite happy with what I&#039;ve got sitting in my mailbox by the end of the week. So online markets like eBay do allow a lot of people like me to get into the hobby and obtain cool coins that interest us, that otherwise we would never see or be able to buy.</p><p><br /></p><p>eBay overall probably isn&#039;t really helping the hobby, and can cause newcomers or potential newcomers to the hobby to overpay for worthless junk or get ripped off. But the same could be said of many coin shops and dealers. Sure the Internet anonymity factor makes it easier to scam customers, as well as the fact that sellers in China and the like can rip people off easier than the mom and pop store next door that relies on word of mouth and Google reviews from local customers. But I definitely don&#039;t think eBay is all bad. There are also a lot of ways I think it benefits the hobby, and I think we&#039;d be seeing even fewer young people interested in the hobby today if not for online marketplaces like eBay. Because face it, my generation practically lives on the Internet. Coins having such a large presence and market on the Internet definitely draws more young people to the hobby.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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