Many auctioneers offer coins only occasionally, as part of a larger estate; and yet houses email coin buyers weekly about African masks, faux artwork, gaudy costume jewelry and any other item they believe is a “collectible.” That’s a turn-off–literally.

Here are official Proxibid categories:

• Fine Art, Antiques & Collectibles
• Heavy Equip & Farm Machinery
• Industrial & Commercial
• Property & Real Estate
• Vehicles, Collector Cars & Marine
• General & Estate Auctions
• Charity & Benefit
• Equine & Livestock

Coins fall into the first category of “Fine Art, Antiques & Collectibles,” but only a fraction of those auctions offer coins regularly. Work with Proxibid to target coin buyers when offering at least a dozen such lots. But keep in mind that typical numismatists mainly buy coins, and if they come across some of yours using Proxibid’s search function, that doesn’t mean they are also interested in fur coats, antique cars and Hummels.

This week Proxiblog received one too many such emails. We began informing houses not to send any more advertisements because we are treating them as spam. While we appreciate well targeted advertisements about coin consignments, the deluge of spam has sent us scrambling to Proxibid’s comprehensive search function where we can target a specific denomination, such as Morgan dollars, or a specific year and type, such as a 1996 Silver Eagle.

Rather than spamming numismatists, take a few moments when shipping coins to log Proxibid user names and emails and compile your own marketing list. Then, when you do receive a consignment containing coins, email them briefly explaining how many coins, what type and any other showcase feature that may secure a registration.

For those who offer coins regularly, inquire whether Proxibid should make “Coins and Currency” a separate category, as eBay does. More on that later this week. …

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.