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My Recent Experiences in Dealing with Heritage vs. Great Collections

52 posts in this topic

 

I've been a customer of GC for a few years now and a customer of Heritage going all the way back to the days when Jim Halperin had his NCI certification service which I believe later closed after the advent of PCGS/NGC.

 

Recently I won lots from both auction houses and had the very rare instance (for me) to return a single lot to each place because I didn't think the coins were quite what I was looking for after viewing them in hand. Both were inexpensive coins under $200.00 each.

 

Great Collections return process: After giving them a heads up via email that I was returning a single lot, I sent the coin back via USPS priority and they processed my refund the same day they received the coin back and credited my card within 24 hours. It was a totally painless and hassle free process with no return or restocking fee.

 

Heritage Auctions return process: This was a lot I won in one of their Sunday Auctions and I again gave them a heads up (per their terms and conditions) via email that I was returning a lot. I again sent the lot back via USPS priority and received an email from Heritage notifying me they received my package. It turns out the Heritage written terms and conditions of their auctions are not exactly accurate regarding lot returns, as I was told by someone in their auction dept. that in addition to giving them the proper notification via email and sending the lot back at your expense within the 3-day time frame for returns is not quite enough......, I'm told by their auction dept. you must also put in writing why you are returning the lot and the return must then be 'approved' by a Heritage consignment director, and then assuming they deem your reason for return is acceptable and your return is approved, it must then go through the channels of accounting and whatever else which it turns out in my case can take weeks. In addition, the terms and conditions also states you are subject to a 5% restocking fee which I have no doubt they will charge.

 

 

A few more points regarding bidding on and winning lots from both places:

 

Buyers fee:

 

Great Collections: 10%

 

Heritage: 17.5%

 

 

Shipping charges:

 

In my experiences, GC charges less than half of what Heritage charges for similarly valued packages and does a better job packing them, and the packages arrive just as fast or faster to me from the actual time of shipment.

 

Shipping times:

 

GC typically ships my coins within 24 hrs. after the auction ends on Sunday evening and I have the package in hand 2 - 3 days later after paying very promptly.

 

Heritage typically ships my coins from their Tues/Sun auctions in about 7 - 10 days and I usually get them within 2 weeks after paying very promptly.

 

Quality of coin photos:

 

GC typically has good quality pics as far as portraying luster and marks, and their toned coins usually look very similar in hand. Overall most of the lots I've won from GC have looked as good or even better than their pics and I've been pleasantly surprised more than once.

 

Heritage also typically has good quality pics although their toned coins are sometimes poorly imaged IMO and appear dark and lifeless online. Overall most of the lots I've won from Heritage have been equal or somewhat worse looking in hand, and I've been disappointed more than once and only rarely pleasantly surprised upon receiving the coins.

 

These are just some of my random experiences and opinions on doing business with both places, and I know where I am going to be spending my $$$ going forward :-)

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While I agree with everything you say, the major difference between GC and Heritage is the type of material you can purchase from each.

 

GC typically has generic widgets. Sometimes they luck into a decent collection, but their lots aren't usually very exciting. You can get some good stuff, but most of GC is what I would call "surplus inventory." Their service is undeniably better, but they are also a much smaller company.

 

Heritage, based on its name brand recognition, receives fantastic material. The quality and caliber of coins on HA is usually much higher than GC (from what I've seen and for what I collect).

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While I agree with everything you say, the major difference between GC and Heritage is the type of material you can purchase from each.

 

GC typically has generic widgets. Sometimes they luck into a decent collection, but their lots aren't usually very exciting. You can get some good stuff, but most of GC is what I would call "surplus inventory." Their service is undeniably better, but they are also a much smaller company.

 

Heritage, based on its name brand recognition, receives fantastic material. The quality and caliber of coins on HA is usually much higher than GC (from what I've seen and for what I collect).

 

Yes, and as long as Heritage is assumed to be the leader in the market they are going to get the good coins. GC is clearly the underdog here.

 

Being the established player in this market is a huge advantage regardless of the "customer service". Look no further than PCGS....

 

jom

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<<< While I agree with everything you say, the major difference between GC and Heritage is the type of material you can purchase from each. >>>

 

My remarks were primarily based on the Heritage Tues/Sun auctions vs. Great Collections, not the Heritage signature sales.

 

 

 

<<< GC typically has generic widgets >>>

 

Actually I've found just the opposite to be true in my experiences. I can look through a typical GC auction and usually find numerous lots to add to my 'watch list.' At the same time, I could browse a Heritage Tues. or Sun. sale and not find even a single coin of interest. I also think the GC sales are getting better and better as time goes on.

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While I agree with everything you say, the major difference between GC and Heritage is the type of material you can purchase from each.

 

GC typically has generic widgets. Sometimes they luck into a decent collection, but their lots aren't usually very exciting. You can get some good stuff, but most of GC is what I would call "surplus inventory." Their service is undeniably better, but they are also a much smaller company.

 

Heritage, based on its name brand recognition, receives fantastic material. The quality and caliber of coins on HA is usually much higher than GC (from what I've seen and for what I collect).

 

I assume you saw the 7/3/16 GC listing in the money marketplace.

 

While some of the points concerning Heritage may be valid...size/brand recognition, these are not reasons for that much of a difference in fees and or having escape policies that make it difficult and exasperating to return an item, and certainly excess shipping times. Keyword Amazon....to aspire to a different customer friendly and timely delivery model.

 

I personally always thought the term widgets is a little uppity, because most collectors can not afford the best of the best of the best. The coin is the coin, period.

 

Sadly, my experience was the same as the OP and I stopped spending my excess dollars there. I would add that personal attendance at an auction, before and after, was not what I would describe as welcoming to the average collector. If the person was known, the unknown collector was not treated with the same personal touch. I am not much for non-equal appreciation of a customer. My opinions, of course.

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I like Heritage but if I liked them less, I would still buy from them anyway because they are one of three sources to buy the Spanish colonial coins I want. The other series I collect, it varies.

 

I have never bought from GC.

 

As for "widgets", I don't consider the term derogatory. My interpretation of the term is that it represents a coin that is easy or not hard to buy for its quality. By my definition, both sell a lot of "widgets" but Heritage undeniably obtains the best or among the best consignments across most or even all specialties and series.

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HA is huge and comprehensive in so many areas with the smartest and the broadest knowledge base in the business. I have also sold coins to them outright for about what their auctions would have brought me. Impossible to compare a small company with a huge one; they both do what they do well with some exceptions. If you read the print on both there are many legal conditions whether selling or buying.

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Buyers fees are not complete without mentioning the 'minimum' -

 

 

 

 

 

Oh yes, I forgot that one.

 

 

GC minimum buyer's fee: $5.00

 

Heritage minimum buyer's fee: $19.00 ( Is that correct? Wasn't it just recently $14.00) hm

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Loyalty not-withstanding, this is valuable information as it provides a road map for collectors. Depending on what you're looking for, the choice is well defined.

 

I'm a stickler for businesses that fail to deliver great customer service. I think that's the number one thing that any business should provide. When you charge top dollar in your industry, there's simply no excuse for failing to provide an outstanding experience.

 

I'd hope that someone would forward this feedback to the businesses involved so that they understand better where they stand.

 

 

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I have heard a few other unhappy customers with HA, it is the few that squawk the loudest but are usually not representative of the majority. A long term dealer told me about a 1936 proof set he bought uncertified from HA that was not imaged years ago. He tried to return it but they denied that. He hit the roof going to the top venting his spleen in the process. He said he never bought from them again.

 

If you look at GC's return policy they do not want buyers to use it much:

 

"On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item). To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin via Registered Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege." http://www.greatcollections.com/kb/What-is-your-return-policy-t83-4.html

 

So every company has their policies and it is best to review those before buying. Ebay has a 30 day return policy for its top sellers, no special conditions.

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I have heard a few other unhappy customers with HA, it is the few that squawk the loudest but are usually not representative of the majority. A long term dealer told me about a 1936 proof set he bought uncertified from HA that was not imaged years ago. He tried to return it but they denied that. He hit the roof going to the top venting his spleen in the process. He said he never bought from them again.

 

If you look at GC's return policy they do not want buyers to use it much:

 

"On all non-bullion items, GreatCollections offers a generous return policy (unless otherwise marked on the item information page) as a courtesy to Buyers, providing the item is paid for within seven days of the auction date (or in the case of a Buy Now item, when you confirmed to purchase the item). To return an item, the Buyer must notify GreatCollections within 24 hours of receipt and receive a return confirmation number. Please mail the coin via Registered Mail to GreatCollections within 72 hours of receipt of coin. Shipping costs are not refunded. Returns will not be accepted without the return confirmation number. Registered bidders are allowed one free return each month. For more than one return in a calendar month, a 5% fee will apply, based on the total purchase price of the item. Clients found to be abusing our return policy will be notified in writing that they will no longer have any return policy privileges whatsoever. If you viewed the item prior to winning the auction or offered the coin for sale to any dealer, collector and/or marketplace, there is no return privilege." http://www.greatcollections.com/kb/What-is-your-return-policy-t83-4.html

 

So every company has their policies and it is best to review those before buying. Ebay has a 30 day return policy for its top sellers, no special conditions.

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned policies or disparaged same from either entity. It is more of a customer service/cost comparison/timeliness of shipping issue, to most.

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Judiciously used, I believe returns are appropriate and reasonable. I don't believe its reasonable to return a coin just because you don't like it but then, this is just how I see it.

 

I have it used it twice, once when the two coins I bought were described as proofs but NGC graded them as business strikes and a second time when I called the firm to ask for a more detailed description and the coin did not remotely resemble either the image or what I was told.

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Well I finally received a credit for the returned lot from Heritage a full 2 1/2 weeks after they received the coin back, and as expected was charged the return lot fee plus postage both ways. Somehow it doesn't seem right that it cost me around $30.00 in fees and postage for a coin that did not look like their online pic, but as others have stated, that must be the price for the privilege of doing business with Heritage I suppose.

 

This experience with the lot I won not looking very good in hand, along with the long wait to receive it, as well as the long wait to receive a refund and the ever increasing fees across the board remind me of why I pretty much stopped bidding at Heritage for the past few years in the first place. Great Collections and others auction houses have proven to be more than adequate substitutes.

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My one bad experience with HA. A couple years ago I was winning bidder on a 1909 VDB Lincoln cent in MS 67 CAC. I paid with in 24 hours of the auctions end and did so with a credit card. I then patiently awaited my coins arrival, knowing that it would be at least 2-3 weeks. When that time period passed and the 4 week mark arrived, I contacted HA and was told by customer service they would check and get back to me. With in 72 hours (a little excessive) I was contacted and was told that they had talked to shipping and my order shipped. Again I settled in to wait. 10 days passed and no coin. Again I contacted HA and was told by another customer service person that they would check and get back to me. This time I waited almost 2 weeks. Now remember I paid for my purchase with in 24 hours and we are just over a month and no coin. I called a third time and this time talked to the same employee, and was told it appears that my coin was lost, and they were checking all security videos to see what happened. Since this was almost 2 weeks since my call I inquired as to whether or not they were going to call me and tell me they had lost my coin, to which I received no answer. At this point I told HA's rep. to credit on my card for the purchase. Approx 3 weeks later I got my statement and low and behold there was no credit. I called my card company to see if I had the credit and it would just post next month, and was told that it had not been credited. I again called HA (5th time) and asked about my credit and was told that they would credit my account with in 30 days. Now this was not a major coin but it was just over $1400 and the credit card company would continue to charge me interest if I did not pay them imediately. I told the Rep. that they already had my money for over 2 months and 30 more days was not satisfactory, and if they could not take the 5 mins. that it would take to credit my account, I would contact the CC and file a claim to recover my money which I had to do when a credit was not applied 5 working days later. Boy did this open a can of worms. the lady I spoke to had no clue how to reconcile this new problem. I went through another week and multiple calls including 3 way calls with the card company trying to explain to the lady what they needed to do to settle the problem. This wound up taking over 2 1/2 more months and two more HA employees and many 3 way calls the problem was solved to HA's satisfaction. Now did I mention that during this entire period and a month after the problem was solved I was banned from bidding with HA, and even though the entire problem was started by HA it took many more calls to get me reinstated to bid. The final insult was the coin was never sent to me nor was I offered an equal coin, and a couple months later the coin I won was back in the next HA auction. In summery I think HA has some great coins to offer but their customer service stinks and they are only interested in the bottom line and will continue to raise prices which with the BP and shipping cost is bumping at least 22.5% and in some cases more. But what can we do when it is the largest show in town.

 

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That's real bad but it brings up a problem that leaves a collect the loser either way including being banned from bidding. Auction houses can get away with it because they know (or think) that there are always many other bidders who will put up with it. And usually, they are right though there is no way to know if it results in lower bids..

 

There was a third time I returned a coin which I did not mention before. It was a three coin lot which was not listed in any catalog. I sent it in for grading and it came back "artificially colored". It actually was silver plating which was correctly described in the listing but since NGC could not verify it's origin, they wouldn't grade it.

 

The auction firm agreed to accept a return but apparently, they resold it at a loss after refunding my money and paying the consignor. (I retuned it maybe six weeks later, so I don't actually know if they actually paid the consignor but assume they did.)

 

Later when I bid, I noticed I was the higher bidder but didn't win. I submitted the bids through Sixbid but these aren't always received so I contacted them. They told me that :unfortunately, I wasn't eligible to bid". Of course, they couldn't be bothered to tell me this when I submitted my bids.

 

Fortunately, one of their competitors (Aureo & Calico) gets most of the better consignments for the coins I want to buy (Spanish colonial) from these firms in Spain. If it had been Calico instead, I probably would have paid their loss to get reinstated, even though I don't think I should have to do it.

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Great Collections is not keeping up with the times in many areas.  For one their pictures are atrocious.  I could always use a nice 64 quality Indian Head gold coin but other than verifying that the coin in the slab does indeed say "PCGS or NGC 64", much of the gold at GC appears as nondescript round disks.  The grading services sometimes fall asleep and put coins with nasty bagmarks right on the cheek in 64 slabs and I want to avoid those.  

Also one cannot buy foreign coins at all thru GC.  There's no filter so if you want to look for a particular world coin: say a Napoleon 5Francs, 1815 in unc, you have to sift thru every 2018 Chinese Panada round and Nicaraguan Nickel to see if they might have one.

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1 hour ago, History&Coins said:

Also one cannot buy foreign coins at all thru GC.  There's no filter so if you want to look for a particular world coin: say a Napoleon 5Francs, 1815 in unc, you have to sift thru every 2018 Chinese Panada round and Nicaraguan Nickel to see if they might have one.

I personally have not purchased from GC mainly because they do not usually have what I am looking for, but there is a search bar that can be very helpful to filter out unnecessary results. You would only need to type in the keywords to find any potential matches with what you are looking for (e.g. 1815 France or 1815 France 5 franc).  

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On 7/5/2016 at 12:56 PM, dragon said:

 

I've been a customer of GC for a few years now and a customer of Heritage going all the way back to the days when Jim Halperin had his NCI certification service which I believe later closed after the advent of PCGS/NGC.

 

Recently I won lots from both auction houses and had the very rare instance (for me) to return a single lot to each place because I didn't think the coins were quite what I was looking for after viewing them in hand. Both were inexpensive coins under $200.00 each.

 

Great Collections return process: After giving them a heads up via email that I was returning a single lot, I sent the coin back via USPS priority and they processed my refund the same day they received the coin back and credited my card within 24 hours. It was a totally painless and hassle free process with no return or restocking fee.

 

Heritage Auctions return process: This was a lot I won in one of their Sunday Auctions and I again gave them a heads up (per their terms and conditions) via email that I was returning a lot. I again sent the lot back via USPS priority and received an email from Heritage notifying me they received my package. It turns out the Heritage written terms and conditions of their auctions are not exactly accurate regarding lot returns, as I was told by someone in their auction dept. that in addition to giving them the proper notification via email and sending the lot back at your expense within the 3-day time frame for returns is not quite enough......, I'm told by their auction dept. you must also put in writing why you are returning the lot and the return must then be 'approved' by a Heritage consignment director, and then assuming they deem your reason for return is acceptable and your return is approved, it must then go through the channels of accounting and whatever else which it turns out in my case can take weeks. In addition, the terms and conditions also states you are subject to a 5% restocking fee which I have no doubt they will charge.

 

 

A few more points regarding bidding on and winning lots from both places:

 

Buyers fee:

 

Great Collections: 10%

 

Heritage: 17.5%

 

 

Shipping charges:

 

In my experiences, GC charges less than half of what Heritage charges for similarly valued packages and does a better job packing them, and the packages arrive just as fast or faster to me from the actual time of shipment.

 

Shipping times:

 

GC typically ships my coins within 24 hrs. after the auction ends on Sunday evening and I have the package in hand 2 - 3 days later after paying very promptly.

 

Heritage typically ships my coins from their Tues/Sun auctions in about 7 - 10 days and I usually get them within 2 weeks after paying very promptly.

 

Quality of coin photos:

 

GC typically has good quality pics as far as portraying luster and marks, and their toned coins usually look very similar in hand. Overall most of the lots I've won from GC have looked as good or even better than their pics and I've been pleasantly surprised more than once.

 

Heritage also typically has good quality pics although their toned coins are sometimes poorly imaged IMO and appear dark and lifeless online. Overall most of the lots I've won from Heritage have been equal or somewhat worse looking in hand, and I've been disappointed more than once and only rarely pleasantly surprised upon receiving the coins.

 

These are just some of my random experiences and opinions on doing business with both places, and I know where I am going to be spending my $$$ going forward :-)

Heritage sells higher caliber coins, and generally sells their coins for more money. Heritage also takes their coins all over the country to market them in featured, coin show auctions. Additionally, they have an army of numismatists, consignment directors, and staff in house. Heritage makes an attempt to describe many of their lots. On those points alone, I think comparing them to GC would be apples to oranges.

On returns, GC offers 1 free return per month. The rest will be charged a 5% restocking fee.

Heritage will accept returns, with a 5% restocking fee, if there is a mistake or discrepancy in the listing. That's why you needed a reason and an approval.

GC can always ship right away because they are always in one place. Heritage lots can be delayed when they are at a destination auction. They take about a week to ship most other lots.

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On ‎7‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 1:50 PM, jom said:

Being the established player in this market is a huge advantage regardless of the "customer service". Look no further than PCGS....

^^^This ^^^

Had an interesting thing happen once at Heritage.

The page jumped on my I-Phone just as I was hitting the "buy it now button".

I received a confirmation e-mail for a coin that was more than my annual income.

Needless to say, I about soiled myself but Heritage fixed it and sent me the proper one.

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20 hours ago, coinsandmedals said:

I personally have not purchased from GC mainly because they do not usually have what I am looking for, but there is a search bar that can be very helpful to filter out unnecessary results. You would only need to type in the keywords to find any potential matches with what you are looking for (e.g. 1815 France or 1815 France 5 franc).  

I've tried all of their search methods, I've tried discussing this issue with the guy who heads up GC in detail by telling them about the search procedures.  However, I could never get it to work.  GC is clearly not interested in foreign material.  Since it's imposssible to buy on there I don't think anyone with quality foreign would consign to them.  Also just like US, world collectors are looking for a specific coin.  "France 1815" won't do it.  Suppose you were looking for a ms-64 high relief 20$ Saint Gaudins and you had to go thru every listing for a vg 1907 Indian Head cent to see if they had one?

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59 minutes ago, History&Coins said:

I've tried all of their search methods, I've tried discussing this issue with the guy who heads up GC in detail by telling them about the search procedures.  However, I could never get it to work.  GC is clearly not interested in foreign material.  Since it's imposssible to buy on there I don't think anyone with quality foreign would consign to them.  Also just like US, world collectors are looking for a specific coin.  "France 1815" won't do it.  Suppose you were looking for a ms-64 high relief 20$ Saint Gaudins and you had to go thru every listing for a vg 1907 Indian Head cent to see if they had one?

I can understand your frustration with how the search works. I agree that it could be more efficient. In the process of doing literature reviews for publications, completing my thesis, and writing up my dissertation I have gained a ton of experience in sifting through countless search results just to find the handful that I need. Using keywords to conduct searches is second nature to me. I agree that it would be very irritating to look through countless 1907 VG Indian pennies when looking for a 1907 $20 high relief in a specific grade; however, you can avoid looking at all those Indians by simply typing in 1907 high relief (they have one by the way in NGC UNC details). The key words “high relief” are the distinguishing factor between the coin you are looking for and the other 27 results that are irrelevant. Even if there were multiple 1907 high relief examples for sale in grades lower or higher than what I was looking for I would still want to look at them. As I am sure you know, not all like graded coins are equal. I also just noticed that when you type in the search bar suggestions populate underneath with all listings matching your search criteria. I primarily collect foreign coins, and I agree their selection is limited in comparison, but I am not sure that has a relationship with their search functions so much as their competition.

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Each has their advantages and disadvantages, as enumerated above. I like and use them both, generally for different types of material. I particularly admire GC's speed, important to an obsessed and impatient collector like me. HA takes too long to ship IMO, even when the lots originate in Dallas, but they have more and generally higher-end material. 

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I personally very much like GC, I have both sold and bought from/with them and have been very pleased with the results.  Just because an auction firm doesn't have a wide selection of the one micro focused area of one collector doesn't = a poor service; and while they have room for improvement GC is getting more and better material all the time because of the great customer service.  HA does indeed get some great coins but their fee structure; both on the buying and selling side; is atrocious and only getting worse.

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11 hours ago, Coinbuf said:

 HA does indeed get some great coins but their fee structure; both on the buying and selling side; is atrocious and only getting worse.

I couldn't agree more about the fee structure with HA.  Personally I like the idea of Great Collections and this is may be a reincarnation of the old "Teletrades" which used to have great research capability.  If they can have a search function in which foreign/world coins at least have a country designator AND a grade (if slabbed) it'd be a big help.  I've corresponded with Ian Russell, President of GreatCollections but I guess they're only US.  As mentioned, it's not just one micro focused area but all world is lumped together as "all world silver coins".

832673527_Screenshot(40).jpg.128d37380b3848f2d96dd7df43cf3be0.jpg

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Just went through a GC auction. I priced my coins bid amounts and submitted to GC (Ian direct). He immediately notified me and said that I'd have to lower my "bid" amounts to be accepted. I was reluctant, so I ask him what he thought they should be. He sent me back a list by email and gave me a start price for each coin. These were prices he was "sure" would start the bidding process and get me higher prices. Long story short, I lost in excess of $6,000 on just two of my submissions. Of course I panicked and emailed him and he said there was nothing that I or he could do and the sales would be completed.  OMG, I'm really upset that this has happened because I really wanted to stay with GC on my next auction of dynamic monster toners. But now I have to go back to ebay where I at least have control.

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