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Which dealer(s) would you buy form based only on a description?

Started by AnkurJ,

68 posts in this topic

AnkurJ

AnkurJ

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Andy Skrabalak (Angel Dee's). I don't buy sight unseen...everything is on approval. But if he says I'll love it I'm ready to write a check. Never been disappointed.

Lance.

 

I like Andy also. He's so easy to get along with and everything you buy from him he'll refund ya if your not happy. Just wish he would list with images it would really help his business....Joe

 

Getting good images is tough and very time consuming as many of you know. For the vast inventory they have, I can't imagine how they would photograph everything.

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JStull

JStull

Posted
Posted
Andy Skrabalak (Angel Dee's). I don't buy sight unseen...everything is on approval. But if he says I'll love it I'm ready to write a check. Never been disappointed.

Lance.

 

I like Andy also. He's so easy to get along with and everything you buy from him he'll refund ya if your not happy. Just wish he would list with images it would really help his business....Joe

 

Getting good images is tough and very time consuming as many of you know. For the vast inventory they have, I can't imagine how they would photograph everything.

One dealer I buy from scans his highlight coins, coins he markets on his website.

 

Anything he has valued over $750, he doesn't image.

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Elbesaar

Elbesaar

Posted
Posted
Andy Skrabalak (Angel Dee's). I don't buy sight unseen...everything is on approval. But if he says I'll love it I'm ready to write a check. Never been disappointed.

Lance.

 

I like Andy also. He's so easy to get along with and everything you buy from him he'll refund ya if your not happy. Just wish he would list with images it would really help his business....Joe

 

Coulndn't agree with you more. Regardless of Angel Dee's reputation, their business

has got to be suffering by not showing images. I have bought coins from them, but only

in person, because they'll have more than one of the same date and mint - all at different

prices - what Andy thinks is a drop dead coin has a drop dead price, but an equally nice

coin in the same grade and TPG will carry a smaller price tag. It's just easier to see a rep-

resentation on line before committing.

 

 

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BROADSTRUCK

BROADSTRUCK

Posted
Posted
For me the closest dealer who make this cut would be Steve Hayden, the token and medal dealer. His grading is as conservative or more conservative than mine, and you can pretty well bank on his descriptions.

 

But having said that, my tastes are in perfect harmony with everyone else's tastes, so I really like to see things in person before I buy them with returns.

 

I bid and won this raw non imaged / non returnable 1841 Daniel Webster HT-16 / Low-58 out of one Steve Hayden's auctions. His description mentioned that it was from the Litman Collection. This token was also not plated in the Charles Litman PCAC sale and just offered a second description. Now had it been plated it would have most likely cost me at least three times my bid to acquire it.

 

muzac9.jpg

 

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Keigwin

Keigwin

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Dealers like Andy Skrabalak, who don't have pictures, are at a disadvantage, I agree. But they've made their decisions after weighing cost and effort.

 

It's not just that shooting good pictures is onerous. Or even the constant effort to maintain the website. There's the email overhead of collectors wanting explanations of flaws they see, or wanting more images with different lighting, or buying based on images and returning because the images left different impressions.

 

Then there's the effort, expense, and risk of mailing coins to professional photographers, for those who can't shoot their own.

 

All of this adds to the dealer's cost and has to be built into their pricing, another downside.

 

No one likes nice images more than I, but I certainly understand why many dealers don't have them.

Lance.

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mintcollector

mintcollector

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Let me ask you guys this; if you ever had to describe what kind of coins you like to a dealer who will be looking for them for you (via auction representation or otherwise); aren't you already trusting that dealer's judgment and buying based on his confidence and trust (without seeing a coin in question)?

 

Personally, it is a well known fact that I do not like 'toned' coins. I also do not like 'black areas' or 'dark spots' on my coins. I am VERY picky. That being said, when I explain this to a dealer most will only ensure that they can send a scan or image of the coin in question; or ensure they have the item in stock. Most would NEVER do business with me sight unseen. Therefore, I think it would be fair to get some dealer's point of view on a question like this.

 

Heck, when some see 'mintcollector' coming; then run for cover...I am VERY picky. I admit it.

 

Just my opinion.

 

Respectfully yours,

 

'mint'

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tenacious

tenacious

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Even though a dealer may be 110% honest in their description, what they like to see in a coin isn't necessarily what I like to see in a coin.

 

I also want a picture.

 

I'm not into buying a coin just to look at it. And then if I don't like it have to go to all of the trouble to go to the post office to return it.

 

Although I will say that with dealers like Mark Feld, when buying by description alone, it would be rare that I return any.

 

But how many dealers are like Mark Feld?

 

 

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RWB

RWB

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Maybe your question is really: "Which dealers would I trust to be my representative at an auction?"

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MJ

MJ

Posted
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Sorry its everyone should be, or 30 day

 

Why would a buyer want or need a 30 day return period?

 

No doubt.

 

Anyways there are a handful of dealers and a handful of collectors that I would let ship me blind with a 24 hour return privilege that know when I collect.

 

I did once buy this without even knowing what the coin was. I mean I didn't know the denomination, year, country, nada prior to committing to it........ It was from John and Dave from CRO. They mentioned it over dinner. They wouldn't tell me what the coin was and that it was just going to be a coin they would run in a ad and put in an Early Bird e-mail. They said they just bought raw at auction the most amazing toned coin either had ever saw, Strong statement, That was enough for me and I was in, I said I would take it if it graded. Again, I didn't know what it even was. Well it did and it's mine. They thought in might 67. It only 65. Not bad for a coin from 1594. I could have resold this coin for double I paid for it ten times already.Going back to the original point, if push came to shove I'm sure they would have let me of the hook for any reason. I would never do that. When someone you respect tells you something as outlandish as that you take them up on it in my opinion. Roll them loaded dice. I probably would have missed this coin if I didn't commit to it on the spot. The sweetest part I have a vested personal interest with the subject of this Polish coin

 

25585088_large.jpg

 

If Mark Feld called me and said he had the best toned wagon side Oregon he ever saw but I had to commit on the spot, I would. Without hesitation. He knows what I like and don't like. I've worked with him. Again, rolling loaded dice his it's rewards.

 

MJ

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BROADSTRUCK

BROADSTRUCK

Posted
Posted
Sorry its everyone should be, or 30 day

 

Why would a buyer want or need a 30 day return period?

 

landshark1, If you need 30 days your courting coins not collecting coins! ;):D

 

A 30 day return period is insane since it shouldn't take even a minute to know if you like a coin or not once received.

 

A 3 day return period is fine, yet sometimes 7 days is more convenient to get back to the post office.

 

 

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EXOJUNKIE

EXOJUNKIE

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Posted
Again, rolling loaded dice his it's rewards.

 

MJ

 

AMEN! Being the first to pull the trigger on a coin is an adrenaline rush unlike any other! :headbang:

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CyberspaceVoid

CyberspaceVoid

Posted
Posted
Sorry its everyone should be, or 30 day

 

Why would a buyer want or need a 30 day return period?

 

The only reason I could think of is to shop the coin around :boo:

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TomB

TomB

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Sorry its everyone should be, or 30 day

 

Why would a buyer want or need a 30 day return period?

 

The only reason I could think of is to shop the coin around :boo:

 

Exactly.

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EVillageProwler

EVillageProwler

Posted
Posted
Sorry its everyone should be, or 30 day

 

Why would a buyer want or need a 30 day return period?

 

The only reason I could think of is to shop the coin around :boo:

 

Exactly.

 

The buyer is either clueless (I'm being charitable) or up to no good. Regardless, this doesn't reflect well on landshark1.

 

Edited to add: I don't mean to get personal with landshark1, but his comments are so far afield of commonly accepted practice that I felt compelled to highlight.

 

EVP

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EVillageProwler

EVillageProwler

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Again, rolling loaded dice his it's rewards.

 

MJ

 

AMEN! Being the first to pull the trigger on a coin is an adrenaline rush unlike any other! :headbang:

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a smart phone, and get newp notifications via email from select dealers. I don't care how busy I am with work, but nothing gets in the way of my addic... hobby.

 

:)

 

EVP

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AnkurJ

AnkurJ

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Again, rolling loaded dice his it's rewards.

 

MJ

 

AMEN! Being the first to pull the trigger on a coin is an adrenaline rush unlike any other! :headbang:

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a smart phone, and get newp notifications via email from select dealers. I don't care how busy I am with work, but nothing gets in the way of my addic... hobby.

 

:)

 

EVP

 

lol I though I was the only one!

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