Coin collecting can be fun and easy.  It doesn't take a lot of cash to start a nice collection, and with some basic knowledge and practice, anyone can do it.  Online auctions like eBay are one of the best ways to collect coins or anything else.  A quick search of the Coins category on Ebay, however, will result in over a quarter of a million coins or coin-related items for sale at any given time and that can be a little overwhelming, so where do you begin?

I don't have hours to spend browsing through the thousands of coins listed each day, but I have learned from experience some very useful tips.  The first thing to remember is this:  if it sounds to good to be true, its probably a scam.  Unfortunately for all of the legitimate and honest sellers out there, there are plenty of people trying to rip someone off.  With that said, here's how I add to my collection.

Deciding what you want to collect is the first step.  Are you interested in older coins or the new modern sets?  Do you want silver or gold?  Coins or paper money?  Foreign or domestic?  Once you have decided what you are after, eBay gives you the tools to customize your searches and save hours of time.  The Favorite Searches option is an excellent tool - it lets you refine your search for a particular group of coins, and then immediately sort and list only those coins you are interested in purchasing and save it for quick access the next time you sign on. 

Here's how you do it:  Let's assume you are interested in purchasing silver dollars.  In the search box from My eBay, type the words "silver dollar" and then click on "All Categories" and select "Coins & Paper Money" and click the Search button.  If you look at the screen, there are tabs and boxes for selecting ways to narrow your search even further.  By clicking on the "Coins: US" link or "Coins: World" link you reduce the number again.  Once you've done that, there are other search options you can use.  The "Show Only" option is my favorite.  For example, you can define the search to "Show Only" "Listings" "Ending within 4 hours" and then click "Show Items." 

At this point you can choose to narrow the search even further by selecting the "Auctions" tab if you are feeling adventurous, or the "Buy It Now" tab if you just want to go for it - both are at the top of the page - and then you can sort the items by price or ending times by clicking on the "Sort by:" tab which is located near the top right.  After you have done all of this, you are ready to save your search.  At the top of the screen to the right of how many items there are for purchase, there is a (Save this search) link.  You will be asked to name and save your search, and will be able to immediately retrieve it from "My eBay" "All Favorites" "Searches"at any time.  You can customize and save as many searches as you wish, and then access them with ease.  This is a great tool, and saves me hours each week.

This next tip is for those of you who don't sleep.  You stand a better chance of winning an auction ending in the wee hours of the morning.  It makes sense - most people do need to sleep, so the competition is less fierce then.  And for those of you who do need to sleep, you don't have to stay up all night.  Just check the auction end time, and place your maximum bid before you go to bed.  Remember that the end time is Pacific Daylight Time.  I have found that auctions ending between one and four a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday (weekends are ferocious!) result in some amazing finds and purchases.

Another tip:  Not everyone knows how to spell.  Combine that with typing errors, and you get some very interesting eBaying.  For example:  "commemorative"  as a search will turn up numerous coins, but it won't show you the handful of coins with the misspelling "commerative" in the title, so be creative, think outside the box, and you might be surprised at the results!!

Enough said.  I hope you found this helpful, and I wish you much luck.  And don't forget about those scammers!!  Save yourself some grief and always check the feedback on the seller before purchasing, and see what other buyers have to say about their experience with that seller.  Happy eBuying!!