World coin catalogue price variations

Well, now that I think of it, I'm not so sure if I really want people to be interested in S. Korean coins anymore!

What I like about them is that they are cool (my opinion), the number of extant examples of the high-grade, key-date coins is quite low, and because they have "thin" demand, they are affordable (for me). If the rest of you start liking them, that will not be good for any of my future acquisitions. So don't you all go liking them!

Yes, it would be good to stimulate their popularity, but I will not be holding my breath, that's for sure... The popularity of anything is based on some pretty vague factors that I certainly won't be controlling anytime soon.

About the Asian market: I mostly meant that the East Asian market is already having an effect on some coins that those of us in North America are currently selling. Many Chinese and Korean buyers are sourcing their coins from North America (they pick up Chinese coins, Korean coins, other Asian coins, but also other World Coins, in general). Sometimes, what this means is that they are cherrypicking us(!), which is at least good for the buyer (right?), especially if we could care less about that coin that we don't understand, or like, in the first place. But I would imagine that many sellers/business owners DO actually care about such things, so I just thought that it would behoove North American sellers to have a complete picture of the numismatic market for the coins that they sell.

Like you said, Asia is starting to become part of that market.

 

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What we need to expand markets globally is improved global shipping for collectible coins. EBay's global shipping program excludes shipping of coins and even though the USPS has international shipping you cannot print international shipping labels through eBay, necessitating a trip to the post office to calculate postage costs before you send the invoice. Then there are customs and insurance issues - all a hassle for the small collector/seller. Looking through some old postcards I saw this: "Domestic, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Hawaii, Philippines, Porto Rico - 1 Cent. Foreign - 2 Cents". Why is it now that we supposedly have a global economy that international mail is so complex?

 

I sell coins internationally and I haven't noticed any of these problems. I can print labels from eBay for global shipping. You don't know exactly how much it will cost beforehand but you can find a list of shipping prices on USPS.com and figure eBay adds a modest discount to that. Most of the coins I just send in a regular envelope with the minimum international stamp - $1.20. I buy several at a time from those automatic postage machines at the post office and then don't need to go for awhile. The biggest problem with international shipping is things getting lost in the mail. Most Western nations are fine but mail often disappears on the way to places like Russia and India.

 

Thanks for the great advice. I have two questions. If you use international stamps and regular envelopes how does eBay provide a discount, or did you mean eBay's fee to the seller includes a percentage charge on your listed shipping charge? Second, I'm assuming that there is no tracking with a regular envelope, am I wrong? I've checked with our local post office and for me to ship internationally the 6x9 tyvek envelopes with bubble wrapped coins inside and with tracking, would cost between $7-12 for under 3 ounces using first class package shipping. I don't see an option for printing labels for international USPS shipping through eBay, but I know USPS provides online label printing for international shipping. Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

It's two separate things. The $1.20 stamp doesn't have a discount and no tracking. It's good for single lower value items. But you can also buy labels through eBay like you do for domestic shipping. They include a discount. First class international package should be an option. This would be for bigger lots or high value items. It includes tracking where available. As you said it costs $6 to $9 or so.

 

Hiddendragon,
Thanks again. I haven't seen "First class international package" as an option, but I haven't listed to sell outside of the U.S. yet, so I'll try that with my German coins and see how it goes.

 

You won't see the option until you sell to someone internationally. When I list I phrase my shipping description something like this: "Coins shipped internationally will be $1.60 for the first item (I charge a little more to cover fees) and additional items will depend on weight." If you do like I do, you can get up to 4 smaller coins in one envelope and there are a few different prices for that. If it's less than an ounce but stiff then you get the nonmachineable postage which is about 20 cents more. If it's over an ounce but under two it costs somewhere around $2.35. After that I use the bubble envelope and then prices start around $7. You should at least ship to Canada. It's practically like shipping it to the U.S. and I've never had a problem. They also cost less for many items than other countries.
Here's a handy link for estimating prices: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm#1118064

 

Hiddendragon,
Thanks again. Great assistance. I'll stick with the tracking option. I have shipped to Canada already with no problems.