When items warrant, Proxiblog laments and compliments best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions in this light-hearted feature. We name the best, but you will have to search for the bad. (Note: Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions.)
Booyah! To Gary Ryther Auctioneers for listing the authentication identifier for rare fractional gold, one of the riskiest purchases a collector can make on Proxibid because of all the $5 fakes, tokens and souvenirs being sold as genuine in various auctions.
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer who doesn’t know the importance of mint marks, in the case of this 1882-CC Morgan–listed erroneously as 1882. The difference in price is $100. Proxibid numismatic sharks will target this auctioneer whenever he sells coins!
Booyah! to Silvertowne Auctions, not only for identifying a pricey coin as containing a “lamination,” but also defining what that numismatic terms means (“extra metal”).
Booyah! To Meares Auctions for being proud of its 10% buyer’s fee and showcasing that in its email blasts! Meares keeps on improving customer service and consignments. Kudos atop booyahs!
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer who not only posts blurred, impossible pictures but also lists a 1966 clad Quarter Dollar as “40% silver.” Why sell online if you cannot provide the visuals, let along accurate lot descriptions?
Booyah! To Capitol Auctions for a detailed historical description of “CONSTANTINE THE GREAT” ancient coin. It takes time to write accurate lot descriptions, especially on coins, but they lure the high-rollers and Capitol knows that, explaining its top-caliber consignments.
Booyah! to Silvertowne Auctions for identifying rim damage on a coin whose picture does not readily show that. Silvertowne tops our list of best online auction houses because of its expert numismatist who writes the best lot descriptions on Proxibid!
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that thinks a $4 mint set is “an investment” and wants 15% buyer’s fee plus $19.95 shipping to send it!
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer who used the same picture for several Carson City dollars without noting that a stock photo was being used (or the same in-house photo for each GSA Moorgan). Why do auctioneers take shortcuts with photos when contracting with an online portal like Proxibid?!
Booyah! To Big Fellows Auction in its first Proxibid auction for accurate lot descriptions, including this one noting the tube of silver eagles were pristine out of a monster box (when some eagles of dubious condition are often just stored in such a tube).
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that took a picture of a US Mint box without also photographing the coins inside, not only on this but on eight similar lots, which confuses us, as there is gold inside … unless wanting to give the onsite audience an edge because they have access to the coins on display. We don’t like to think that, even though none of the sets containing gold sold to Proxibidders. That’s just probably an outcome of an auction house taking shortcuts with digital photography. There are no visual shortcuts in online coin selling. That’s a good lesson with which to end this post!
August 10, 2011
We continue to see auctions with high opening bids pass item after item. In one case, only about 40 out of 460 coins sold. We wrote about this in an earlier post, “High Reserves Bring Low Hammers,” noting that Proxibid only gets a small fee when an item sells but gets nothing at all when a lot passes. This trend of setting high opening bids not only undermines the auction experience but also, in our independent view, qualifies as an abuse of the Proxibid system.
Without naming the auction companies, here are three photos from three houses whose auctions had an extraordinarily high volume of passed coins–in one instance, setting a high reserve and then inexplicably passing on the item:
. The house set high opening bids on slabbed coins, as in this case of an 1888-O Morgan variety, only to pass on items, an issue that Proxibid might look into as it undermines the auction experience.
This auction advertised “LOW” starting bids. They were high, as passed items attest, usually about 13% under retail when buyer’s fee and shipping were added. This coin has a retail value of $165. Assuming the opening bid won the item, the price plus shipping comes out to about $158. Better to advertise these as “wholesale” rather than “LOW” opening bids. Better to have no reserves at all. (Footnote: In a new auction, this house did not post opening bids at all–booyah!)
Opening bids in this auction were so high that only about 40 of 450 lots sold. That seems unreasonable when 18% buyer’s fee is added, plus shipping. Thankfully, Proxibidders are not patronizing these auctions to the extent that they are no-reserve sessions where bidding wars often underwrite the occasional bargain.<.
How fine to see a gloved hand holding a Morgan dollar correctly. You’ll see auctioneers holding coins to the camera in several Proxibid auctions. This is the first to show how to handle coins correctly, holding a Morgan dollar by the rim. Booyah to Matthew Bullock Auctioneers.
Another booyah to Bullock Auctioneers for correctly identifying artificial color! Every week in online auctions doctored coins such as this taint the auction block. If you need to bone up on artificial color, click here.
This house doesn’t complete the lot description sufficiently and provides too small a picture to make out the coin. If you’re selling on Proxibid, you need to master the basics for the online audience so that they can see and identify what they are buying!
Booyah to Silver Trades auction for this nicely depicted and described lot. Silver Trades takes great care in describing the numismatic components of each coin. The house also publishes several photos of the same lot so that bidders can view the coins from different angles.
We’ve written before about “Sticker Shock“–obscuring vital parts of a coin with lot number stickers and the like. Boo! In this case, the auctioneer hides the arrow feathers of an 1879-S Morgan, which could have the parallel feathers of the 1878 reverse, elevating the coin’s worth substantially.
Booyah to Jewelry Exchange for correctly identifying a stock photo, notifying buyers that the photo is “representational” of the lot and does not portray the actual item for sale.
August 25, 2011
One Big Booyah! to Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction for lowering the buyer’s fee to 5% for top-quality gold, knowing this spurs competition and higher bids with the online vs. onsite folks. (Otherwise, given the price of gold, online bidders will lose out to onsite customers every time.)
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer who needs a new camera or lessons in how to focus one!
Boo! to another auction house that not only refuses to show the reverse of coins but also gets the mint mark wrong–twice!–in the lot description.
Boo! to another auction house that cannot tell the difference between Type I and Type II gold dollars. How come they always mistake the inexpensive Type I for the pricey Type II?
Boo! To yet another auction house that labels Type I gold dollars Type II. (Click picture to expand and see the difference.) Also, this auctioneer inflates the estimated price by $650-$1000. Please learn basic numismatics if you solicit coin consignments! You’ll get return customers … and booyahs on this page!
Booyah! To Express Auctioneers not only for identifying a copy of a US Mint commemorative but also for noting it as not silver. This shows honesty and integrity. We applaud!
Boo! to this auction house trying to sell a coin variety without showing the reverse (where the variety can be verified). Yet another auction house taking photographic shortcuts and yet warning online bidders that they are responsible for inspecting coins before placing bids. Geez. Let’s hope Proxibid requires photographs of both sides of a coin, soon. Anything else takes advantage of online coin bidders.
Booyah! To Fisher’s Auction Service for stating that the seller thinks the coin is uncirculated, but it just might be cleaned. That’s how you win trust!
Booyah! To Munda Auctions for accurate lot descriptions and good photos of obverse and reverse. Nice work.
Booyah! To Silvertowne Auctions for noting hard to see rim bumps on these Morgans. Silvertowne’s lot descriptions rank among the best!
Boo! To this unnamed auction house that keeps using the same stock photo for Carson City dollars without stating that it is the same photo, a shortcut that should be banned, because buyers cannot see what they are buying. For the life of us, we just cannot understand why some auctioneers think taking photos of coins to be sold on the Internet is such a hassle!
Booyah! To Key Date Coin Auctions for noting that this Morgan dollar may have been cleaned. It’s a judgment call, but Key Date did the right thing in saying so. That reflects well on the auctioneer.
Booyah! To Affliated Auctions for the best lot descriptions and fine photography of the week! Notice all the pictures of the various items in this lot, plus the detailed and accurate descriptions of coins, sets and more, with accurate estimates to guide bidding. Wow!
September 8, 2011
Booyah Bailey Auction! Always good to mention cracked holders, even when the picture doesn’t necessarily show the crack. Nice.
Boo! to this unnamed auctioneer selling high dollar coins with low dollar visuals!
Boo! to an auction house that knows coins, shows only the box of a GSA Carson City dollar, when the condition of that dollar is key in making a bid.
Booyah! to top-house Weaver Coin Auction for correctly noting a coin has been dipped when the picture may indicate that it hasn’t. This spells integrity so that buyers can bid with confidence.
Boo! To yet another auction house that cannot focus a camera and that shoots with no lighting.
Boo! To an unnamed auctioneer with a retail opening bid and 17% buyer’s fee on top of that, assuming no one else bids for the coin. Yes, this is a lovely coin that can bring a premium, and if that’s the case for the high opening bid, then simply state that in the lot description. Proxibid gets no payment when lots fail to sell.
Boo! To another higher than retail opening bid. We’ve inserted NGC retail price on this one so viewers can verify why we keep harping on this complaint. And we’ll keep noting that Proxibid gets no payment when lots fail to sell.
Boo! To an unnamed auctioneer who confuses the high relief Peace dollar with the low-dollar Morgan one, inflating the estimated value by hundreds of dollars.
Booyah! To Key Date Coins, one of the most improved auction houses on Proxibid, showing other auctioneers how to depict a GSA dollar. Way to go!
Boo! and Booyah! To this unnamed auction house that notes scratches on the reverse (THANK YOU!) but doesn’t also show the reverse (SIGH).
Booyah! To Osage Auction for noting a restrike rather than original coin. This showcases honesty and scores points as well as bids with Proxibloggers.
Booyah! To Affiliated Auction for good pictures and even better lot descriptions.
Booyah! To Silver Trades for making an exceptionally difficult numismatic call on a coin that may be prooflike or proof. Auctioneer is a noted numismatist.
Boo! To an unnamed auction house depicting a coin with poor photography, charging retail and then adding 18% buyer’s fee.
Booyah! To Key Date Coins, once again, for sharper than ever photography and now variety designation.
Booyah Key Date Coins! for noting alteration on a Morgan dollar, evidence of doctoring disclosed to bidders before rather than after the sale.
Booyah! to Jewelry Exchange for noting a cleaned coin with lesser value than one in natural state. More auctioneers should do this!
Booyah! to Kaufman Auction also for noting cleaning. We’re seeing more of this on Proxibid, and we’re cheering you on!
Booyah! again to Scott Hall for yet another example. Cleaning is difficult to capture with a digital camera. That’s why these descriptions are so valuable to bidders.
Booyah! to Christy’s Auction for noting the reserve–helps bidding!
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that gets everything wrong, from imprecise lot description to only one side of a coin to a picture of, well, an orb rather than a coin!
Boo! to an unnamed auction house that provides only picture of an obverse, especially irksome with 1890-CC because bidders cannot see if it contains a pricey tailbar on the reverse. If you don’t know what that means, then provide the picture of the reverse so that those who know can bid accordingly.
Boo! to an auction house that calls a common and worn 1943 half “rare.” This one is not rare, worth about silver melt.
Booyah! to Jewelry Exchange for providing a neat numismatic note. It’s a joy to learn about coins when bidding, and this auctioneer knows his coins!
Booyah! to Tiffey’s Auction House for noting that this coin is a fake. It’s illegal to sell fake coins as authentic. Some coin clubs and organizations collect fake coins to help identify others.
Booyah! to Weaver Coin and Currency Auction for stimulating competition by lowering the buyer’s fee on gold. This house is not afraid to set trends on Proxibid! The more competition, the greater the profit in auctioneering, and the Weavers know that.
Booyah! to our top house Kreuger and Kreuger for taking time to create uniform lot descriptions that utilize Proxibid’s bidder window to the max. In its October auction, this house managed to secure higher than retail bids on more than a third of his coins. Good lot descriptions and photos spur competition.
Booyah Black and Gold Auction! for noting rim dings that many auctioneers overlook when selling coins but that affect the grade.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that states that an 1911-D quarter eagle is the key to the series but inappropriately leaves out the reverse picture of the coin, knowing there are “strong” and “weak” “D”s worth hundreds of dollars’ difference in price. Actually, only the “strong” D is key to the series; but would you place a high bid in the thousands without seeing the reverse? Would you pay $5,000 for seeing only half of a used car? (You get the picture–NOT.) This house specializes in coins, too. Sigh.
Booyah! to Hradil Auction for noting that a coin is a copy. It’s important to state that even if the word “copy” is on a flip or visible on the coin itself. You never want to be accused of selling copies without identifying coins as such.
Booyah! to Hi Dollar Auction for noting that this set lacks the original envelope–a fact that few auctioneers would bother to state but that one which affects value. Nice job.
Booyah! to Munda Auction for providing good photos and stating that this coin has been polished. Again, it’s important to note that in the lot description even if the word is on the flip.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that quotes the PCGS price list for a coin holdered by a lower-tier entity. You have a PowerBall’s chance of getting $3300 for this coin. And why the estimated value of $300? This coin will most probably grade MS68 or MS69, with the latter worth $38.
Booyah Leonard Auction! for calling a bottom-tier company’s grade for what it is–polished and buffed. This is how you do it without citing PCGS’s price list for this coin.
Booyah! to Scott Auction for noting scratches that might not be visible on the coin from the provided picture. Yet another lot description that helps the reputation of the auctioneer.
Booyah! to Silvertowne Auctions for noting cleaning and other defects on coins. Larry Fuller’s reputation as a grader is one of the reasons bidders look to Silvertowne for lot descriptions.
Booyah! to Weaver’s Auction, our top house, not only because of the great consignments but also because of the lot descriptions that note coin doctoring. Thank you, Dave and Cheryl Weaver!
Booyah Arneson Auction! for noting defects that online photography may not capture in a coin. Arneson is in the process of becoming more competitive with upgraded photos and complete lot descriptions, as well as lower buyer’s fees. Click here to read more about the house.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house for not showing the certification on the slab, important for authentication.
Booyah! to Gaston and Sheehan Auctioneers for noting artificial color, one of the most common types of coin doctoring.
Booyah! to Silvertowne Auctions and Larry Fuller, numismatist, for identifying buffing and advising bidders what the coin might be worth rather than what the coin appears to be worth. Nice job.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that photographs without flash on a dark background with a dark-toned coin. If you want to sell online, master basic photography! This is a terrible combination of worst photography practices.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that doesn’t note a harshly cleaned rarer silver dollar, in a condition that approaches silver melt or, at best, a hole filler in an album. It’s a rare coin; what’s rarer is to see a rare coin destroyed.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that photographs the album but not the coins. For Pete’s sake, we’re selling the coins, Mr. Auctioneer!
Booyah! to Chaparral Auction for noting that the US Mint Package is missing the gold dollar. It may seem obvious from the picture, but to protect yourself as an auctioneer, always note what is not in the box as well as what is in it.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that commits one of the worst numismatic sins in describing a slabbed coin from a bottom-tier company as being worth $1650. The coin is so hideous as to be worth only $45. Never quote Redbook prices unless for a top-tier company like NGC or PCGS.
Booyah! to Weaver’s Auction, our top house, for noting coins that have damage that online photography cannot easily capture. Doing so helps the integrity of the house.
Booyah! to Capitol Coin Auctions for noting more coin doctoring in consignments selling on Proxibid. Numismatic expertise is important if you sell coins regularly and want returning customers.
Booyah! to Silver Trades for its continuing expert numismatic lot descriptions, which are a joy to read. You can read about this auctioneer by clicking here.
Booyah Capitol Auction! for noting coin doctoring, one of the few houses that take the trouble to point out these alternations. We appreciate your numismatic skill and integrity.
Booyah Jewelry Exchange! for noting cleaning on a 2-cent coin that looks uncirculated. Without this notation, the winning bidder would have been disappointed. We appreciate your honesty and numismatic skill, too!
Booyah Weaver Auction! Talk about numismatic skill, honesty and integrity? Take a look at this by Weaver Auctions. It’s a zinc core cent that appears to be a mint error (but cannot guarantee that it is, as the auction house notes). For the record, I think the plating was removed in a high school chemistry experiment. One of our sons showed us how to do it. Can’t guarantee that’s what happened here, but can guarantee that Weaver Coin and Currency Auction is one of the best on the portal.
Booyah Silver Trades! for yet another accurate description, excellent photography and numismatic information. It’s fun to visit Corey’s auctions because his lot descriptions and audio are as good as any coin show … except you can win lots by tuning into his!
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that doesn’t provide a reverse picture of a three-legged buffalo nickel. There are many fakes out there. Typically one looks at the reverse not only for the three legs but also for a small planchet lump near, ahem, the lower hind quarters. Can’t do that here. So advise not to bid.
Boo? Booyah? we just couldn’t make up our minds for one of the classic lot errors in memory. We posted it because we couldn’t resist. And it nearly went viral (oops–can’t say that without a Freudian slip) on coin sites. Once again, ahem, we just couldn’t resist. The word is UNCIRCULATED!
Booyah Silvertowne Auction! for noting light damage to the reverse of a coin, which the photo doesn’t pick up.
Booyah Leonard Auction! for noting artificial color, one of the commonest coin doctoring gimmicks in numismatics. Other auctioneers seldom mention this because it does take some skill to detect. Click here for a tutorial!
Booyah Key Date Coins! Auctioneer here knows his coins … and knows when to mention a consignor stating the grade a bit overzealously (as the flip documents). Noting a consignor-graded coin is a good practice, especially when the auctioneer questions the seller’s description of a coin. Way to go!
Booyah Western Auction! for yet another accurate description, this time pointing out a rim ding that is not immediately noticeable in the picture. Helps the reputation of the house!
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that doesn’t provide pictures of key date coins in what looks to be a premier set of Lincoln wheat cents. Too bad for the consignor!
Booyah Hall’s Auction Company not only for noting a crack in the holder but taking the time and trouble to show the flaw to bidders. Once again, this builds integrity. Nice work!
Key Date Coins gets a second Booyah! for noting that bank rolls may have been opened. Of course no one can tell what happened to these rolls, but we know sellers who can unwrap and rewrap original bank rolls, taking out the better coins. Always good to inspect these and add a disclaimer, as the auctioneer does here.
Boo! to this new Proxibid auction house that doesn’t provide pictures of reverse of coins. Often that is where the mint mark is, especially on Morgans, whose reverse varieties can bring extra $$$.
Booyah Kaufman Auction! for noting cleaning, one of the most difficult conditions to depict in photography. Here the auction house helps by noting evidence of cleaning on the obverse.
Booyah Weaver Auction! again for noting cleaning, this time in a box of coins that often lure hobbyists because Morgan dollars tend to tone in them. Dave Weaver puts up a red flag, and we thank him.
Leonard Auction gets a second Booyah! for noting that these California fractional gold pieces are replicas. He also shows the reverse. If the reverse has a bear on it, it’s a replica. Bid accordingly (like $5 instead of $300).
Booyah Silvertowne Auction! for noting rim dings and the advisory to bid accordingly. We appreciate your numismatic skill and integrity.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house for mistaking a brass souvenir token for California fractional gold. Beware of bears. Some are gold (about $10-15 dollars worth) but most often are plated. If you see a bear and not a denomination, you can bet your token is a trinket.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that doesn’t note scratches on the coin but that are plainly visible when the photo is expanded.
Boo! to this unnamed but knowledgeable auctioneer who only shows the box of a GSA 1880-CC dollar, which has multiple varieties. This house has great consignments but continues to take occasional shortcuts on photos. Nothing is more important than good photos of obverse and reverse if you hope to get ever higher bids on Internet.
Booyah Kaufman Auctioneering! for noting cleaning, one of those flaws that often digital photography cannot capture. By noting cleaning, you ensure proper bids and avoid hassles of complaint afterward.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that hypes a consignor’s MS64 as gem-plus (MS66). We see too much of this. Check out this article to learn what is and what is not a “gem” coin.
Booyah Jewelry Exchange! for noting several flaws in this coin that are not readily apparent in the photograph, once again establishing trust that brings return coin buyers to a particular house’s auctions on Proxibid.
Booyah Midwest Coins! for lowering the buyer’s fee on gold, the best way to stimulate competition and make a strong sale.
Booyah Shamrock Auction Service! for noting damage to a coin, the kind again that might be overlooked in the typical digital photograph, establishing standards for this house and ensuring return customers.
A very small Boo! to this unnamed auction house that makes a typo in the description of a gold coin. Typos can cost, especially when you mistake a gold coin for a copper cent!
Booyah Weaver Coin Auction! not only for noting the cleaning of coins but also their VAM designations. (VAMs are varieties that bring premiums. For more information, see the Vam World’s site
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
It’s important to be in sync with the Proxibid technology to showcase your photos, hone your lot descriptions, and highlight your consignments for top bids on the leading portal! In the latest installment, Proxiblog laments and compliments best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions during the past week. We will name the best, but you will have to search Proxibid for the bad. (Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions below.)
Booyah Silver Trades Auction! for a linked video to a charming scene of a young numismatist selling her collection. This shows real technological savvy, and the little girl sold her collection, to boot! Wonderful use of Proxibid technology.
Booyah Bid-A-Lot Auction! for noting polished coins, which turn up frequently on Proxibid and which always need to be described because this is a form of coin altering. Moreover, some unethical consignors target auction houses for all their polished coins, especially when the auctioneer states “I AM NOT A COIN EXPERT.”
Booyah! Kaufman Auction for describing this coin as cleaned, even though the cleaning isn’t readily apparent from the photos. Shows auctioneer knows coins and respects bidders!
Boo! to this unnamed but knowledgeable auctioneer who doesn’t take the time to note that these are replicas recently banned from eBay. Perhaps he thinks anyone purchasing them should know that as these if real would cost a fortune. With stakes so low, just mention these are copies, OK?
Boo! to this otherwise fine auction house that claims in the description that an outlaw owned this coin. In this case, do not show us the money; show us the certificate of authenticity that an outlaw really owned the piece. Otherwise, keep mum.
Booyah! to Key Date Coins whose auctioneer Eddie Caven knows his VAMS and numismatic errors. Eddie calls ‘em as he sees ‘em–literally. Moreover, he keeps on improving with each auction. His pictures are great, and he ships inexpensively and quickly.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that claims it doesn’t know coins and then only shows one side of the coin as if bidders are to make a determination on this basis alone. For all we know, this could be a Carson City dollar, but we would have to see the reverse to make that call.
Booyah Silvertowne Auction! for describing the damage to this coin in addition to advising bidders what top dollar would be if they still desired the lot. This is yet another reason why so many bidders trust Larry Fuller’s descriptions. Good work!
Booyah Rick’s Relics! for using a stock photo of coins and being sure to emphasize that in the lot description, a practice accepted in numismatics as long as the mention of “stock” photo and description of condition are accurate, and we believe these to be.
Booyah Weaver Coin Auction! for noting that the coin is altered (whizzed) and then providing a large format photograph so that bidders can see for themselves. As this is a key date coin, bidders were sure to place high offers for this coin. This mitigates disappointment later and is yet another indication of why this house as been in our top three best companies most of last year and overall winner for best house in our awards.
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
It’s important to be in sync with the Proxibid technology to showcase your photos, hone your lot descriptions, and highlight your consignments for top bids on the leading portal! In the latest installment, Proxiblog laments and compliments best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions during the past week. We will name the best, but you will have to search Proxibid for the bad. (Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions below.)
Booyah Scott Auction! for noting the rim ding and its position. These flaws are enough to keep an otherwise good-looking coin from being graded by top houses PCGS, ICG, ANACS and NGC. The flaws aren’t always apparent in photos, so auctioneer’s reputation is enhanced by noting them in the lot description.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that takes a photo so dark as to make extremely difficult any type of online evaluation. If you’re going to sell on Proxibid, get your photography in order … or get off the portal because you’ll be losing money for your consignors (and yourself).
Baloney! Deep Mirror? One unnamed auction house labeled more than a dozen uncirculated coins “deep mirror,” probably because that designation sells coins or because the auctioneer doesn’t know numismatics. For a coin to be deep mirror, it has to reflect 6 or more inches a 12-14-point piece of type so that the words are readable. Few, if any, of these coins qualified in the auction.
Booyah Brian’s Auction Service! for noting a probable grade (I think it’s too generous) on coins in this holder, all too prevalent on Proxibid. What’s worse, we’ve seen auctioneers cite PCGS values for coins that should sell with a slight premium over silver melt.
Booyah Brian’s Auction Service! once again for noting cleaning of this particular coin, although the photo shows little evidence of cleaning, again enhancing the auctioneer’s numismatic honesty.
Booyah Weaver Auction! for noting the correct designation of California gold, which often is just a dipped brass replica with a bear on the reverse, hyped by unknowing auctioneers to be genuine gold of a very desirable series … but one also fraught with fakes. This is a credit to Dave Weaver for taking the additional time to identify the item, another indication why Weaver’s is maintaining its top Proxiblog ranking.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that seems to miss the fact that “genuine” on PCGS labels means ungradeable but authentic (not fake). This is a clear example of chemical treatment. To learn about artificial toning–altering of coins–click here.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house for noting that a coin is slabbed but withholding information about the particular slabbing company. If you say a coin is slabbed, show the picture AND the certification number. As we have seen on Proxibid all too often, self-slabbed overhyped coins are usually worth only a small premium over melt.
Booyah Gary Ryther Auctioneers! for identifying an illegally altered key date coin and explaining how it was done so hobbyists and bidders can learn how to spot them. Some bidders collect doctored coins so that they can identify the various methods of fraudulent alteration.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house for believing this is an expensive coin rather than a Morgan retaining a little cartwheel effect after being lightly circulated and dinged. On the other hand, you can sense that this auctioneer is smitten with Morgan dollars. Wait until he sees a real “deep mirror” coin!
Boo! to this unnamed auction house hyping as “deep mirror” an ordinary coin and then getting the designation wrong. You can’t have an extra-fine coin that reflects 6-8 inches a strip of 12-14-point type. Let’s please stop identifying coins as deep mirror. They are truly rare. That’s why they command high prices … and why few auction houses ever see them.
Booyah Key Date Coins! for noting that a coin has been dipped, difficult to detect in digital photos because the surface of the coin contains small grains and dull finish and usually has to be identified via a loop with good lighting.
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
It’s important to be in sync with the Proxibid technology to showcase your photos, hone your lot descriptions, and highlight your consignments for top bids on the leading portal! In the latest installment, Proxiblog laments and compliments best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions during the past week. We will name the best, but you will have to search Proxibid for the bad. (Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions below.)
Booyah Topless Collectible Coins! for noting that this counterfeit coin is a copy without the required markings as required by the Hobby Protection Act. To test for base metal, often used in fakes (and probably used in this poor copy), test with a magnet. Silver isn’t magnetic.
Booyah Weaver Auction! for noting scratching and cleaning of a rarer Carson City coin whose flaws are typically obscured when placed in a plastic holder. Hard to get those moves by auctioneer Dave Weaver whose lot descriptions are among the best on the portal.
Boo! Deep Mirror? No way! This unnamed auction house continues to label common cartwheel Morgans as “deep mirror.” For a coin to be deep mirror, it has to reflect accurately 6 or more inches. This won’t even qualify as proof-like. To learn how to test for mirrors, read this article.
Booyah Engstrom Auction! for noting that these Morgan dollars are polished. Some auctioneers unfamiliar with coins would have labeled these “shiny” or even “deep mirror” when they actually only are damaged because of amateur attempts at cleaning.
Booyah Key Date Coins! for noting that the consignor may think this is a DMPL, but auctioneer and numismatist Eddie Caven just doesn’t see it. (Neither do we.) When auctioneers write accurate lot descriptions, as Caven does, accompanied by excellent photographs that capture the true condition of a coin, buyers can bid with confidence. That helps consignors more than allowing their inflated grades.
Booyah Kaufman Auction! for noting cleaning on this Mercury dime. Digital photography often does not pick up cleaning on small coins like dimes. That’s why we need the auctioneer to inspect the coin and depict it as accurately as possible. It’s yet another method to insure return bidders and, in the end, helps consignors once again because buyers trust the house.
One Big Booyah! to Larry Fuller of Silvertowne Auctions, one of the top graders on the portal, who warns bidders that this expensive coin has a slight bend. That decreases the bids by hundreds of dollars. But it increases the chances that buyers will return to this auction because they can trust the lot descriptions.
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
It’s important to be in sync with the Proxibid technology to showcase your photos, hone your lot descriptions, and highlight your consignments for top bids on the leading portal! In the latest installment, Proxiblog laments and compliments best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions during the past week. We will name the best, but you will have to search Proxibid for the bad. (Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions below.)
One Big Booyah! to Weaver Auction, not only for identifying a US coin minted on a foreign planchet but also describing why the coin might not be grade-worthy. Pretty sophisticated numismatic stuff going on here.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house for listing an 1881-S as 1881 both in the description and in the title. On the other hand, boo to NGC for its silly designation of “S” for both “Silver” and “San Francisco” mint. (PCGS uses $1 rather than “S.”)
Booyah Nevada Public Auction! for noting that these are copies rather than bullion gold. As we reported previously, due to eBay’s policy on copies, many of these so-called coins would flood the Proxibid market. Be sure to note copy or replica when you see one … and consider not selling it if it lacks “copy” on the surface of the item. Anything else may be a violation of the Hobby Protection Act.
Booyah Kaufman Auction! for noting that this coin has a scratch, which often are too faint to see even on the best digital photography. By identifying flaws in a coin, you earn bidder trust.
Booyah Western Auction! for noting scratches. We encourage every consignor to inspect coins for any flaws, the most common of which are cleaning, artificial coloring, scratches, plugs, whizzing, tooling and environmental damage.
Booyah Key Date Coins! for noting that the consignor graded this coin and, perhaps in doing so, left a fingerprint on the surface. Fingerprints detract from a coin’s worth, but again, digital photography sometimes may not pick that up, so we have to rely on the auctioneer.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house that does not provide pictures of the reverse of a coin. We’ve seen this shortcut before, even by some of our favorite auction houses. So we have to call these shortcuts as we see them and hope that the house provides the reverse before auction time.
Booyah Brian’s Auction! for noting that this seemingly rare coin actually only is a plated replica, probably brass, and not worth listing (in our view). True, some folks collect counterfeits but others try to pass them off as real.
One Big Booyah! to Silvertowne Auction for noting that the holder has been cracked and seemingly opened. Sometimes fraudulent sellers slip in a lower grade or problem coin with the same date and mint mark. Silvertowne calls our attention to that.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house listing an 1853 $1 gold as Type II. That rarer type begins in 1854, so this couldn’t be Type II, which features a different Indian princess and planchet size.
Booyah Fox Valley Coins! for noting that a scarce Liberty dollar has been plugged and repaired, a difficult flaw to detect at times and one that an auctioneer needs to share in the lot description.
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
It’s important to be in sync with the Proxibid technology to showcase your photos, hone your lot descriptions, and highlight your consignments for top bids on the leading portal! In the latest installment, Proxiblog laments and compliments best and bad auctioneer lot descriptions during the past week. We will name the best, but you will have to search Proxibid for the bad. (Click pictures to expand and view lot descriptions below.)
One Big Booyah to GWS Auctions for noting that this coin is fine 20 and appears to have been dipped, basically making this silver melt, as the 1885-O in this condition has no real numismatic value. We know some Proxibid coin auctions that would have called this deep-mirror prooflike and taken bidders for a numismatic ride. GWS knows coins and does a good job with descriptions.
One Big Booyah to Leonard Auction whose auctioneer John Leonard routinely assigns appropriate grades to hyped bottom-tier slabbers. We’re seeing this awful slabs increasingly on the portal because eBay’s quality control restricts them by not allowing sellers to refer to grades.
Booyah Weaver Auction! for lumping bottom-tier slabbed coins into one low-tier lot without bothering to photograph the inflated grades of each coin … or actually try to persuade bidders that the grades are legit, as some unscrupulous or numismatically ignorant Proxibid auctioneers do.
Boo! Deep Mirror? DMPL? This is flipping ridiculous! This unnamed auction house routinely believes or promotes the ridiculously hyped grades on flips of his consignors. This is basically silver melt. We continue to see Proxibid auctioneers unethically calling ordinary coins deep mirror prooflike (DMPL). For a coin to be deep mirror, it has to reflect type accurately 6 or more inches. To learn how to test for mirrors, read this article.
Boo! to this unnamed auction house for showing pictures of a box rather than the coin … after stating that the coin has golden highlights. We’re selling coins, not boxes. When will Proxibid coin auctioneers understand that photography is everything for the online buyer? Houses that invest in photography get higher bids. If you’re going to sell online, treat that audience with the same courtesies as your onsite bidders.
Booyah Key Date Coins! for noting that the capitol holder states 1951 but 1954 coins are inserted in the holder, a small but important notation in the description and one that shows auctioneer Eddie Caven cares about accuracy in his regular coin auctions.
Booyah Munda Auction! for noting possible light cleaning on this coin. Digital photography often does not pick up cleaning, especially when it is only suspected (usually a dipping rather than a scouring). That’s why we need the auctioneer to inspect the coin and depict it as accurately as possible. It’s yet another method to insure return bidders and, in the end, helps consignors once again because buyers trust the house.
One Big Booyah! to Larry Fuller of Silvertowne Auctions, one of the top graders on the portal, who knows how to list and grade raw California gold coins, one of the most counterfeited coins on the Proxibid portal. We recommend all auctioneers invest in CoinFacts to identify California gold. Quick way to identify authenticity: There should be no bear on the back of the coin where a denomination will be displayed 1/4, 1/2, 1 “dollar.” The word <bigdollar is critical. Bears were a means to sell replicas without being charged as counterfeiters by the federal government.
Booyah Leonard Auction! for the second time in a week for clearly identifying fake California gold as replicas. These typically are made of brass, have a bear on the reverse, and are worth no more than a few dollars whereas real California gold can be worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. John Leonard, like Larry Fuller of Silvertowne, takes time to write accurate lot descriptions so that buyers can bid with confidence.
Booyah Star Coin and Currency! for noting solder on the reverse of this otherwise desirable gold coin. Without such notice, which is also in the title as well as the lot description, a bidder is apt to hurriedly place a maximum price and then complain later upon receiving the coin about the solder on the reverse. Better to deal with this upfront. Honesty as always is the best policy on Proxibid!
Viewers can point us to other candidates for our “Boos & Booyahs!” series. Just leave a comment but follow our rules–all in good fun as a way to inspire accurate lot descriptions on Proxibid.
Proxiblog is an independent entity with no connection to the auction portal Proxibid. Our intent is to uphold basic numismatic standards as established by the American Numismatic Association and the National Auctioneer Association and to ensure a pleasurable bidding experience not only on Proxibid but also on similar portals such as iCollector and AuctionZip.
K & K Auctions (Krause) is doing an outstanding job with coins. As both a buyer and seller, I am impressed with how they display, describe, and auction the coins. Excellent shipping and open communications are also a big plus.
We concur!