Who can tell me more about e-bay sells?

Question

I have some very old coins ( 1800"s) and some very unique pieces from way back when. For instance1- 1825 quarters, several silver dimes and dollars from the same period. How reliable is e-bay. Have anyone ever sold anything through them.

Answer 1

EBay is very reliable, sometimes not all the buyers are though. But bottom line is that eBay is usually a great place to sell your collectibles but not all the time. Some people feel that because of eBay, the price (and sometimes the value) of many collectibles have decreased because of over saturization (increased availability of an item).
What you should do is first have an idea of what your coins are worth and what you want to get for them. Then search on eBay to see what the same items that you have are currently selling for. You might be suprised to find out that the exact item that you have might currently be selling for far below what it's worth. You also want to note if these similar items are even selling. If people are bidding on the items then people must want them. If no one is bidding, there may be no sence in listing yours. You may also want to locate an actual coin collector and see what they will offer you for the items. This will also give you an idea of what to do. You might want to just end up hanging on the coins for a few years if you will not be getting what they're worth.
But in answer to your question, eBay is pretty convenient (and addicting). You do have to pay to list each item (listings start at 35 cents and there are additonal charges for extra pictures and special features) When I list things I use the basic listing with a picture (always use a picture). The higher you start the bidding at, the higher the listing fee. Also, if you are successful and sell an item, eBay charges you a fee (%) of what the item sold for. You can read about all the fees and services on ebay. From experience, if you do chose to use eBay, think about listing your coins in a "lot" or in several lots. It's cheaper for you (less listing fees) and it's easier for listing purposes and less time consuming.
Good luck to you.

Answer 2

If you are afraid of being ripped and letting these coins go too cheaply then set a reserve price. The coins won't be sold unless someone meets that reserve or goes over it. Look in 'advanced search' under 'completed items' and see if you can find other coins like yours or close to yours and see what they have sold for or if they sold at all. You can also have an experienced ebayer sale for you. They get a percentage of the sale for doing this. Do not send the coins to the winner before getting payment. If you use paypal make sure the payment is complete and not just initiated. Buyers will sometimes cancel the payment and you do not want your coins already in the mail if they should do this. Ebay will let you know when payment is complete if you use paypal. Btw, paypal is the safest and easiest form of payment. Buying and selling though eBay is lots of fun. I'm basically a buyer and have done this for seven years. Don't expect every transaction to go perfectly. Communication is key. Keep the lines open to the buyer. There are forums there that will help if you have trouble with a sale. They can't always solve your problem but can give you the best course to take. Good luck!

Answer 3

I am an Ebay Education Specialist and Powerseller. You can go on line within the Ebay system and find what similar coins have sold for. You can also buy a book and look up the coins, if you cannot find them on Ebay.

When I first started on Ebay I was trying to sell a collection of coins left to my son by my Mother and Grandmother. I received invaluable help from the people on Ebay's Coin chat board.

On thing I will tell you is that condition of the coin means everything and coin dealers will not give you a fraction of the amount you can make on Ebay.

Research on your part is going to mean everything as to the monetary return you will receive for listing your coins. You will need good detailed photos and a good description also an honest evaluation as to condition.

http://chatboards.ebay.com/chat.jsp?forum=1&thread=27

If you want professional help listing the coins you can contact an Ebay trade assistant:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/know-seller-trading-assistant.html

I used to be a trade assistance but I found that people were just too optimistic about what they would get for their items. Be realistic in your evaluation of what you can make and what your coins are worth; Ebay sets the standard for pricing of items now

If you want to learn how to sell on Ebay you can contact an Ebay Education specialist in your area and ask for one on one lessons; which is what I give. I do not give mass Ebay instruction as I think people do not really learn much in big groups.

Go here to find an Education specialist in your area

http://www.poweru.net/ebay/student/searchIndex.asp

Answer 4

Hello, I sell on e-bay. I think that they are extremely reliable. There is certain fees that go along with every sale though. If you go to there website; Click on Help; Then Click on Selling Overview, You can take an Audio Tour; and it will explain everything step by step.