This is the last in the five-part series on Proxibid vs. eBay. Our first post covered our initial bidding experience. The second post compared shipping between the two portals. The third installment covered IT functions and payment options. The fourth discussed consignments and lot descriptions. This tallies the results and announces where Proxiblog will do more business in the future.






Finally, when it comes to bargains–the most important consideration for coin buyers searching online for acquisitions–Proxibid beats eBay, time after time. eBay items often open with bids over retail (with “best offers” considered). Also, because there are thousands of bidders at any second on eBay, using sophisticated “sniper” programs to steal coins at the last moment, lots usually are won over wholesale and often over retail. Ironically, however, Proxibid surpasses eBay only if buyers are numismatically savvy and have the education and/or experience to overcome hyped lot descriptions and poor photography viewed too frequently on the portal and displayed for all to see on our “Boos and Booyahs” page.
Of course, those shortcomings explain why we created Proxiblog in the first place in May 2011. We wanted to protect the hobby adding detailed quality control to complement Proxibid’s then mostly hidden standards. At times we argued with Proxibid, we challenged its quality control, and we continue to hold auction companies accountable, praising best practices and exposing worst. And in the process, Proxibid’s quality control has taken step-after-step to even the bidding playing field and to be more transparent about auctioneer practices. We applaud Jason Nielsen in particular for overseeing quality control and taking measures into hand to rate auction houses with badges and even charge auction houses for violations of the Unified User Agreement.
Finally, a viewer of this blog asked about problem resolution. True, eBay has made strides in that, complicated at times with PayPal. Its community rules are transparent for all to see. Proxibid’s rules are less transparent, but can be found in the Unified User Agreement. The edge here again does to Proxibid for its greatest asset, and that is, Customer Service. There is no better. You get personalized individualized telephone service with a helpful agent who has been trained to serve the customer above all. We know several agents by name. We keep encouraging Proxibid to recognize and reward these agents who are Proxibid’s greatest asset.
Because of that, and the ability to secure choice coins at bargain prices, we will continue to purchase more in Proxibid auctions of top houses listed on the sidebar to the right and in our Honor Rolls.
We encourage eBay bidders to try Proxibid (and vice versa) and report their own comparisons in the comment section below.
I really appreciated this series of posts. I would like to to make a few points about eBay.
First, eBay payments. eBay doesn’t require use of PayPal. Some sellers (e.g. SilverTowne) don’t accept it and require a credit card. Still most sellers choose the path of least resistance and stick with PayPal.
Second. Pictures. True, most eBay sellers provide decent pictures. Still, there are more than a few sellers that post pictures so small, that they are of no use whatsoever. Others include pictures of only one side of the coin. Or blurry pictures. Or all of the above. Or pictures of cardboard box. Or stock photos.
Third, all eBay sellers are using the same terms. There are no buyer fees, so what you bid is what you pay.
Fourth. Searching. While you still won’t find PCI slabs, you can use google to search eBay auctions and gain quiet a bit more flexibility.
Finally, eBay listing pollution. I can understand auctions that get out of hand. I can understand buy it now prices that are high retail. But listing an item with at 3-4 times typical retail price makes it that much harder to find what you want.
Thank you so much for your insightful and useful comments. You have contributed to the discussion, and we appreciate that.