GREAT SOUTHERN???

[copper toning]

I am wonting to know if any one has had any transactions with great southern which is a large ebay dealer.

 

Good or bad your experience is important.

 

Thanks Jim

[coinman_23885]

Buy certified only. I would NOT trust a raw coin from them.

 

Just to clarify, we are talking about these guys, right? http://stores.ebay.com/Great-Southern-Coin

[MarkFeld]

I wouldn't buy an uncertified or a certified coin from them.

 

I believe that the former cannot be accurately judged or graded from (flattering) images. And that they generally sell for prices which would not be justified, if graded by a respected third party.

 

Additionally, while the latter are less risky, many of their images appear to be juiced in terms of color and/or contrast. These opinions are based on having viewed many of their listings and the prices realized.

[brg5658]

Run fast, and far far away.

 

There are a LOT of good sellers on eBay, I don't include GSC among them.

[Raisethis2]

They have a seemingly unlimited supply of coins and have several hundred up at any time. Their prices realized ALWAYS seem to exceed the lowball prices most EBay bidders are willing to support. While I've never actually won an auction from them I've tried. I truly think they are either blessed with a massive following OR they use shill bidders.

 

 

Here's an example:

 

Notice the 92% activity with this seller to the exclusion of all others.....

 

 

 

Bidder Information

Bidder: a***r( 3920)

Feedback: 100%Positive

Item description: 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar NEAR GEM BU++/GEM BU

Bids on this item: 1

 

30-Day Summary

Total bids: 7954

Items bid on: 1365

Bid activity (%) with this seller: 92%

Bid retractions: 0

Bid retractions (6 months): 5

 

 

 

[Crohnos01]

Well... here's the proof of the pudding... There was recently a Pilgrim Commemorative coin listed on their site... The price seemed ridiculously low ($48 with free shipping), so I snapped it up. I had seen them not looked too kindly on around the net, but figured for $48, it was a cheap experiement, and the coin did look lovely (see below) in their Ebay Ad. I have the coin in hand now, and I just shot a photo of it. Now I will grant you that I am not the best photographer out there.. many of you can hand me my backside in that department and many others as far as that goes... However: That being said, my photo (also shown below) is a much better representation of the coin in hand than the photo on the website... I will let you'all be the judge(s)....

 

All in all I guess, I am fairly happy with the coin...for the price... If I had paid much more than I did, my happiness would continue to decrease exponentially...Yeah, it doesn't have quite the sexy depth that their web photo shows... I think Mark called it "juiced" and perhaps that's a good term...It definitely looks better in their photo than in hand.... but it's still a darned nice add to my fledgling little collection. I guess my take on it is, just don't get too hyped up and excited about that really cool, sweet looking, raw coin on their site, because it exists only in the camera lens....

 

GSC Photo

 

My Photo

[Mark T]

Ok dont get me going here - Do I even need to comment about GSC !!!

 

 

[KeeNoooo]

I bought one coin from them.

It was a CH AU 1886-S morgan dollar. Looked awesome in picture.

When i got it, surfaces covered in hairlines!

I returned it.

I gotta say though, heck of a return policy! No prolems at all!

 

 

[coinman_23885]

Given the misleading images, did you get your money bank for return shipping?

[James_OldeTowne]

I am wonting to know if any one has had any transactions with great southern which is a large ebay dealer.

 

Good or bad your experience is important.

 

Thanks Jim

Let me just put it this way: I advise EVERYONE who asks about this outfit to avoid avoid avoid.

[Walkerfan]

Great Southern Con....I mean coin....was the WORST experience that I ever had on Ebay in my early collecting days.

 

It was a learning experiemce that cost me a BUNDLE.

 

I believe that ALL of their raw stuff has problems. Avoid them like the plague.

[James_OldeTowne]

Great Southern Con....I mean coin....was the WORST experience that I ever had on Ebay in my early collecting days.

 

It was a learning experiemce that cost me a BUNDLE.

 

I believe that ALL of their raw stuff has problems. Avoid them like the plague.

Sadly, I think their certified coins tend to be the bottom of the barrel, as well.

 

The point is, even if they have a certified coin you need that looks decent after "interpreting" their image, why support an outfit with terrible ethics and/or reputation?

 

Run away.

[Walkerfan]

Great Southern Con....I mean coin....was the WORST experience that I ever had on Ebay in my early collecting days.

 

It was a learning experiemce that cost me a BUNDLE.

 

I believe that ALL of their raw stuff has problems. Avoid them like the plague.

Sadly, I think their certified coins tend to be the bottom of the barrel, as well.

 

The point is, even if they have a certified coin you need that looks decent after "interpreting" their image, why support an outfit with terrible ethics and/or reputation?

 

Run away.

 

Well said and I agree completely.

[Coincurious7]

Wish I had read this 20 minutes ago. Just placed a bid on a raw commemorative half. Auction ends in 2 hours. Sure hope I get outbid. I have never wished that before.

[Crohnos01]

Well, I hope you didn't bid too high... I am as I said fairly happy with what I got for the money I paid. But as you can see from the two photos, reality and ad copy were not very close to each other. The old saying of "keep your expectations low and you won't be disappointed" comes to mind....

[copper toning]

Interesting respones. A while back ( 2 years ago) I had purchased two coins from them. One was cleaned and the other I doubt was even the coin pictured. I did return and got all my money back.

 

I just recently tried them again and had a similar experience and returned.I am sure this is common for all there buyers. I just thought I would see what some of the high ranking collectors here thought.

 

GSC SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mtnstyne]

Well... here's the proof of the pudding... There was recently a Pilgrim Commemorative coin listed on their site... The price seemed ridiculously low ($48 with free shipping), so I snapped it up. I had seen them not looked too kindly on around the net, but figured for $48, it was a cheap experiement, and the coin did look lovely (see below) in their Ebay Ad. I have the coin in hand now, and I just shot a photo of it. Now I will grant you that I am not the best photographer out there.. many of you can hand me my backside in that department and many others as far as that goes... However: That being said, my photo (also shown below) is a much better representation of the coin in hand than the photo on the website... I will let you'all be the judge(s)....

 

All in all I guess, I am fairly happy with the coin...for the price... If I had paid much more than I did, my happiness would continue to decrease exponentially...Yeah, it doesn't have quite the sexy depth that their web photo shows... I think Mark called it "juiced" and perhaps that's a good term...It definitely looks better in their photo than in hand.... but it's still a darned nice add to my fledgling little collection. I guess my take on it is, just don't get too hyped up and excited about that really cool, sweet looking, raw coin on their site, because it exists only in the camera lens....

 

GSC Photo

 

My Photo

 

I would look for markers on that coin, but from your pictures to their original pictures I would question if it is the same coin.

 

No experiencw ith GSC, I have avoided as they seem like they have too stong of customer following to inflate their prices (or shill bidders) and photos are juiced.

[Crohnos01]

I am pretty sure that I got the coin pictured, but I believe they used some sort of photo enhancement to get the photo they used in the ad. Just for fun I decided to play with my photo editing software and lighting, shooting a couple of new photos trying to get the coin to look like what they displayed. By tweaking the "midtones" on MS Picture manager, I got the below.... still not exact, but closer and close enough that I think they are using some similar technique to make buyers salivate over the coins...

 

What do you think? Could I start my own Great Scam Coin Company with a little more practice?

 

My "juiced" photo

 

Their ad photo

[PerryHall]

Well... here's the proof of the pudding... There was recently a Pilgrim Commemorative coin listed on their site... The price seemed ridiculously low ($48 with free shipping), so I snapped it up. I had seen them not looked too kindly on around the net, but figured for $48, it was a cheap experiement, and the coin did look lovely (see below) in their Ebay Ad. I have the coin in hand now, and I just shot a photo of it. Now I will grant you that I am not the best photographer out there.. many of you can hand me my backside in that department and many others as far as that goes... However: That being said, my photo (also shown below) is a much better representation of the coin in hand than the photo on the website... I will let you'all be the judge(s)....

 

All in all I guess, I am fairly happy with the coin...for the price... If I had paid much more than I did, my happiness would continue to decrease exponentially...Yeah, it doesn't have quite the sexy depth that their web photo shows... I think Mark called it "juiced" and perhaps that's a good term...It definitely looks better in their photo than in hand.... but it's still a darned nice add to my fledgling little collection. I guess my take on it is, just don't get too hyped up and excited about that really cool, sweet looking, raw coin on their site, because it exists only in the camera lens....

 

GSC Photo

 

My Photo

 

Those aren't the same coins. Either they are using stock pics or they are pulling a bait and switch on you. I'd return that coin if you still can.

 

 

[Crohnos01]

I have been wondering about the "bait and switch" aspect of the coin also.... But I can't tell for sure... It seems like there are a number of contact marks that coincide in both photos.... Are you sure they are two different coins?

[lehigh96]

I think you guys are being a little hard on GSC. Let's celebrate them for what they do well. Nobody, I mean nobody can photograph an absolute POS and make it look like a gem the way GSC does. I give them the highest possible score in deceptive photography.

 

Way to go GSC, you suck, but you suck really, really well.

[James_OldeTowne]

Those aren't the same coins. Either they are using stock pics or they are pulling a bait and switch on you. I'd return that coin if you still can.

They appear to be the same coin, and were certainly struck during the same die-state, as is shown by die crack(s) and identical relief. Also, that stain on the left is clearly present in the GSC image, and still noticeable in the new, better images.

[brg5658]

I think you guys are being a little hard on GSC. Let's celebrate them for what they do well. Nobody, I mean nobody can photograph an absolute POS and make it look like a gem the way GSC does. I give them the highest possible score in deceptive photography.

 

Way to go GSC, you suck, but you suck really, really well.

 

 

[Crohnos01]

I think you guys are being a little hard on GSC. Let's celebrate them for what they do well. Nobody, I mean nobody can photograph an absolute POS and make it look like a gem the way GSC does. I give them the highest possible score in deceptive photography.

 

Way to go GSC, you suck, but you suck really, really well.

 

I am actually have a grudging admiration of them... Who else do you know that can take a lump of coal, clean it up, polish it just right, set up the lighting just so and then take a photo of it. Tweak the photo a bit and sell it on line as a diamond, and since both are carbon, not technically be wrong, yet the value of one vs the other be so dramatically different. And to top it off, have the buyers say "thank you for selling me a lump of coal".

[Mark T]

I think you guys are being a little hard on GSC. Let's celebrate them for what they do well. Nobody, I mean nobody can photograph an absolute POS and make it look like a gem the way GSC does. I give them the highest possible score in deceptive photography.

 

Way to go GSC, you suck, but you suck really, really well.

 

+1

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5552805&fpart=1

 

I guess I pissed off the guy who started this thread with my honest assessment of GSC

[jesbroken]

While I in no way would buy from these folks, I do believe these two photos to be the same coin, just the picture is juiced. Look at the rim to the left of the ER at about 10 o'clock. Then notice the toning streak across the

lower sails. IMHO it is the same.

Jim

[Crohnos01]

While I in no way would buy from these folks, I do believe these two photos to be the same coin, just the picture is juiced. Look at the rim to the left of the ER at about 10 o'clock. Then notice the toning streak across the

lower sails. IMHO it is the same.

Jim

 

Thanks Jim, I kind of came to the same conclusion. I think the two photos are of the same coin, but they must have some bodacious photo shop software to get the image they posted... Like I said, I bought it with the idea that I couldn't get hurt on the price and thought it an interesting experiment on what to expect from this dealer. The only bad part is that since buying the bleeping thing, now they think I am a sucker and keep sending me "undervalued coin alerts" directing to their website....

[Hard Times]

Their juiced images are easy to do in say, Photoshop - just amp up the contrast and saturation is all you need........

 

Best, HT

[Coincurious7]

Wish I had read this 20 minutes ago. Just placed a bid on a raw commemorative half. Auction ends in 2 hours. Sure hope I get outbid. I have never wished that before.

 

Well I won the coin. I received it today. Its a 1920 commemorative half. The coin was listed as "1920 Pilgrim Commemorative Half Dollar GEM BU ** NICE!!!". It cost me $75. I decided I would have a little fun with this. I am sending the coin to NGC to be certified. Once I receive the coin back I will post the grade.

[MarkFeld]

Wish I had read this 20 minutes ago. Just placed a bid on a raw commemorative half. Auction ends in 2 hours. Sure hope I get outbid. I have never wished that before.

 

Well I won the coin. I received it today. Its a 1920 commemorative half. The coin was listed as "1920 Pilgrim Commemorative Half Dollar GEM BU ** NICE!!!". It cost me $75. I decided I would have a little fun with this. I am sending the coin to NGC to be certified. Once I receive the coin back I will post the grade.

 

Why spend money to get it graded? Sight-unseen, my bet is that its quality/value does not justify the grading/postage expense. And if you want objective grading opinions, why not just show it to one or more qualified parties who wont charge you?