This is a work in progress. Will add more info very shortly.

Buying coins on eBay can be a very rewarding but many times VERY risky business. There are just as many  "bad coins" as there are "bad sellers". Watch out, know who you are dealing with, know what you are buying, & most importantly, use common sense. There are some people on eBay who make a living out of fleecing the less informed. Here are some tips to help you make sure you get the most out of your eBay coin buying:

Note that ALL statements apply IN GENERAL. There will always be an honest person on the up & up that is the exception to one or more of the following "rules" that SHOULD NOT be avoided BUT, in general AVOID ALL coin sellers that exhibit more than the number that YOU are comfortable with of the following characteristics - i.e. "RED FLAGS".

If used as a checklist, obviously, the more of the following characteristics one possess, the more one should be avoided.

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So, AVOID Coin Sellers That:

1. Don't offer a clearly stated return policy.
2. Don't allow returns at all.
3. Quote the PCGS price guide for NON-PCGS graded coins.
4. Don't show a CLEAR picture of what they are selling - or no picture at all.
5. The picture of the coin(s) doesn't(don't) look like the seller took the photos themselves. Many times crooked sellers will steal images from legitimate dealers and use it in their auctions to make the buyer think they are receiving the coin in the picture. If in doubt, ask the seller where they got the picture from!
6. Say they are selling a slabbed coin but don't show the uniquley identifying data on the slab itself in the picture (which just might be a stock photo).
7. Have lots of "third tier" slabs in their inventory & promote a coin as being worth $10,000 (based on the ridiculously over-inflated grade) but has a buy it now of $500, e.g. Most of the time these are either raw coins or have been graded by a third tier grading company such as SEGS, ICG, PCI, NTC, ACG, ANI, Anyone Else &/or ANY Coin in a CoinWord do it yourself holder.
8. Don't reply to your e-mail inquiries within 1 business day.
9. Assert a coin is something that the slab insert neglects to mention AND refuses to guarantee their assertion (i.e. attribution) AND extend their return policy - or even allow a return when they normally don't - AT LEAST for enough time for you to get it authenticated/verified by an independent third party grading service (such as ANACS, NGC, or PCGS). This is PARTICULARLY important if you are buying Vams &/or varieties.
10. Run private auctions/listings as many times this is just a way for them to hide their shill bidding activity.
11. Have feedback that has several RECENT negatives - & more than usual. A possible sign of a hijacked account (12, 13, & 14 below are early warnings of a hijacked account).
12. Has an account that shows no activity for quite some time and suddenly is offering a very rare or expensive coin or an unusually large number of coin auctions/listings.
13. Had past items that were something like very low dollar items &/or CD cases, old DVD's, and machine parts - there's a good chance that they are not going to be offering rare coins.
14. Is offering a coin for outright sale at well below what the coin typically sells for then there is a strong possibility that the seller is trying to steal your money by having you pay for the item once you win/buy it and never shipping the coin to you.
15. Have private feedback - as this is usually to just hide some seriously derogatory statements from those that they may have mistreated or ripped-off.
16. Have less a than 99% (at the BARE MINIMUM) feedback rating.
17. Are not an eBay powerseller.
18. Refuse to give you a way to reach them by telephone.
19. Refuse to accept a form of payment that you have no recourse on (i.e. cash/checks only, e.g.).
20. to be continued...

    A Note About Grading Services:

Not all Third Party Grading (i.e. Certification) Services (TPG's) are created equal. I would recommend that buyers of coins on eBay stick with PCGS, NGC, & ANACS - IN GENERAL. As for the TPG's below, be VERY cautious when buying coins certified by these companies (in order of best to worst):

SEGS, ICG, PCI, NTC, ACG, ANI, Anyone Else &/or ANY Coin in a CoinWord do it yourself holder.

These are grading services that GENERALLY have sub-par standards and should GENERALLY be avoided. i.e. An ACG MS65 might turn out to be anywhere from an AU58-MS63, e.g. at PCGS - if it doesn't get "body-bagged for a problem such as having been cleaned, e.g.

If you are interested in a coin that is holdered by any of the above listed services, ask yourself, why isn't the coin in a PCGS, NGC, or ANACS holder already? If such coins get such premiums, wouldn't it make sense for the seller to get the coin certified by one of those three services (& yes, in many cases, it's PCGS that would add the MOST value to a coin holdered at a given grade)?

I find it almost funny (if it weren't so so sad) that a seller would promote a coin as being worth $10,000 and then have a buy it now price of $500 (e.g.). Most often you will see a link to the PCGS price guide and the coin will be either raw (ungraded) or in a third tier slab (see list above). Just remember, you get what you pay for and if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Of course, in our advanced seminar, we'll explain how to buy these "3rd tier slabs" at the "right price" - LOL :-)