This is a guide from someone who sells and buys foreign coins on Ebay. Often what I see is not done properly, advertised poorly, or priced outrageously, and often this hurts those who try to sell a lot of foreign coins and frustrates potential buyers. I don't claim to be "the expert" at selling coins on Ebay, but I think some of the experience that I've garnered the past four years will help someone who is trying to sell that old lot of junk coins that they have, and try to get the best price for it.

One: find out what the coins are realistically worth. Just because the coin is old (and when I'm saying "old", I'm talking about a coin over 100 years old, not just something brought back from a trip to Europe ten years ago) doesn't mean it's worth a lot of money. Do some research online, and even research coins that are selling here on Ebay. Research may take time, especially for someone who isn't a coin collector, but may be worth the time and effort and could pay off well with a good sale. The coin books out there are very expensive (such as Krause), but you can check out books at your local library and then look up the coins you have to see what they are worth. Modern coins aren't worthless, either, since they could be legal tender in some country and are worth money to those who either like to collect modern coins or are getting ready to travel abroad. If you research the average price of coins, by weight, they are sold on Ebay for an average of $5 to $12 a pound. This depends on the buyers' assessment of your lot by how you describe the lot and how well you photograph your lot. I'll talk about that a little later. Again, don't assume that your coin is worth a lot just because you think it is; it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it!

Two: Once you have decided to sell your coin or lot of coins on Ebay, make sure that you describe your item concisely, and photograph it well. If you have noticed, some lots have very bland descriptions which don't sound intelligent, nor are they even spelled right! Some lots of coins have such horrible photographs that you can't see anything clearly. If you have a larger lot of coins, state that it is a lot of coins, and in the title line, give the approximate weight or number of coins being sold. Also consider how you are presenting your lot to the world. Good digital photographs of the lot are essential to selling for the highest price. A *big tip* here: use the "Macro" function on your digital camera when taking close-up shots of your coin or lot of coins to be sold. This will prevent your photos from blurred images. Generally, the more images you offer, the better an idea of what buyers will receive in your lot. This works to your advantage in getting a good price for your coin or lot of coins.

Three: be realistic on the shipping charges, and be careful to find good deals with shipping to your customers. If you are selling coins from the USA, consider using USPS (US Postal Service) Priority Rate flat rate envelopes ($4.60) and flat rate boxes ($8.95). Up to four pounds of coins, use the flat rate envelope, and over that weight, offer to ship it in the flat rate box. If you plan to sell coins to international customers, be careful to give realistic shipping charges. It's expensive to ship overseas even in a flat rate envelope or box, and you will have to fill out those customs forms, too.

Four: consider starting your bidding at a very low start. Speaking for myself, I've always started lots at $1.00, and have received the 'market value' for my coins, and with no reserve. This may seem insane, especially considering that I could possibly end up selling ten pounds of foreign coins for just a dollar, but consider the 'psychological' effect of starting a bid at a low price. Buyers consider this a good deal, and may garner more attention to your lot than starting at a much higher price. Often I've seen some sellers start at an unrealistic starting price only to sell their lot with only a bid or two and it doesn't go much higher that what the starting bid was at.  

As an overview, I hope that this helps those who aren't familiar with how the numismatic market works. If you're not a collector of coins, this should help you understand what your lot may be worth, and after making a decision to sell your relative's old lot of coins, how to effectively sell your lot on Ebay.