cool ebay article

[busthalf123]

http://www.ehow.com/how_4750462_buying-right-rare-coin-ebay.html

 

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[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

busthalf123,
welcome to the board.

Interesting site.

have a good un..............
SHERMANVILLE

 

[Iron Patch]

I'll give you a good tip.

Learn how to take kicka$$ pictures! You can make a grade on a coin simply by buying a bad pic and selling a good one. The trick is to being able to judge it's just a bad pic and not a bad coin.

 

[snake35]

I agree with Iron Patch. I buy quite a few higher grade coins from E-bay.

 

[hyperion]

Knowledge is the key. You need to be able to recognize a nice coin shown in a bad picture. Buying a bad coin from a bad picture won't pay the rent. Even if you post a nicer picture in your offering ... that will only highlight the flaws. My EBay treasure hunting is for rare varieties. I've picked up several $1K plus coins for the price of a common (less than $50). Morgan and Peace dollar "VAMs" are my specialty. I could spend some time talking about the ones that got away, but no sense making people cry here.

For those interested ... VAM is the term for a particular marriage of coining dies. No two dies are identical. Mr Leroy VanAllen (still with us and the Godfather) and George Mallis (unfortunately gone) pioneered the study of Morgan and Peace dollar die combinations ... ergo the term VAM (VanAllen-Mallis). Every Morgan and Peace dollar is a VAM (catalogue number of the die combination) ... knowing this can help you chuckle through the EBay listings from sellers who are clueless ... "1900 Morgan dollar with nice VAMs". Sounds like an add for lingerie. The vast majority of catalogued VAMs don't carry a premium in price ... but there are a few (still available from EBay, coin shows, coin dealers and not attributed) that bring "moon money".

A comprehensive listing with pictures can be found at VAMWorld
http://www.vamworld.com/Morgan+VAMs+By+Date
And a retail price guide is here
http://vamsandmore.com/VAMPriceGuide1.html

But be warned! Once you start down this road there's no turning back ... it's like a trout with the hook firmly set!

 

[Iron Patch]

Knowledge is the key. :

I think that goes without saying. Anyone buying coins who doesn't have any, I hope they're at least having fun!