ALL TIME FAVORITE SELLERS:
NOTE: Auction houses in our top rankings do not see maximum bids or allow bidding by auctioneers or their employees. All rankings are based on Proxiblog buying experience to establish informed opinion. Your online experience may differ from ours or these reviews.
1. Capitol Coin Auctions
25 points. One of the most professional coin houses on the portal and, in our opinion, one of the top sellers on Internet. Low buyer’s fee, 15%. Consignments are among the best, and owners write accurate lot descriptions that are of PCGS accuracy. Great photos, too--among the best on Proxibid. More than 35 years in the business. Hosts only a half dozen sessions per year, but each is an event with coins from estates. Never overlook this house on Proxibid.
2. Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction
25 points. Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction. Detailed photography. Best innovation. Top online advertisements. Numismatic descriptions. Low or tiered buyer's fees. Runs budget-saver auctions. Highly competitive, innovative. Provides detailed receipts for both buyers and sellers. Very responsive. See "On the Block" entry for more information. Usually ships within 3-4 days.
3. Fox Valley Coins
24.5 points. One of our favorite Proxibid houses. Excellent consignments. This is the place where the best buys on the portal can be had if the bidder knows numismatics. We are excited to participate in each auction because of the vast array of key dates, varieties and rarities. Schedules only a few mega-auctions per year on Proxibid, but each one is an event! Now accepts credit cards. Photography greatly improved, which makes up for the lack of numismatic descriptions. Buyer’s premium is 18%.
4. SilverTowne Auctions
24.5 points. Exceeds basic criteria in both buying and consignor categories. Among best coin grading and descriptions on Proxibid. Top consignment policy for rare coins. Timed auctions offer great bargains with good selections. Accepts returns on counterfeit coins or if error made in description. Among fastest shippers on Proxibid using numismatic packing. Usually ships within 1-2 days.
5. Leonard Auction
24.5 points. Among the best consignments on Proxibid, and for good reason, too. John Leonard's policies of 0% seller's fee for lots that bring $250 or more ensures top numismatic items. Completely thorough lot descriptions. Quick shipping. Professional customer service. For more about this reputable house, see this "On the Block."
6. Jewelry Exchange
24.5 points. A long-standing reputable auction house featuring regular coin consignments, including gold, US and World coins (and on occasion Ancients) with 15% buyer’s premium, great customer service and quick shipping. Photography adequate; lot descriptions, accurate. See the company’s “On the Block” by clicking here.
7. Krueger and Krueger Auction
24.5 points. Kurt Krueger is a seasoned numismatist who conducts exemplary auctions on Proxibid. This house also is innovative and understands the importance of the online audience. Of particular note is his accurate lot descriptions. He’s not afraid to say “Hogwash” to bottom-tier alleged grades, and we love him for that.
8. Back to the Past Collectibles
24.5 points. 10% online buyer’s fee. Excellent photos. Quick shipping. Auctioneer C. Scott Lovejoy has made significant improvements and secured fine consignments. We admire houses like his that aim to please the online bidder! Rapidly becoming one of the top coin auctions on Proxiblog.
9. Star Coin and Currency
24.5 points. One of the best timed auctions on the portal. Keeps improving. Yet another company that pays attention to customer service. Sharp photography. Numismatic descriptions. Inexpensive, fast shipping.
10. Meares Auction
24.5 points. Charges 5% online buyer's fee for coins. See this article for Darron Meares' innovations. Improved photography. Courteous customer service. Ships reasonably and quickly. Knows coins. One of the longest Proxibid sellers and top auction house; nationally recognized as leader in industry.
11. Kaufman Realty and Auctions
24.5 points. Kaufman Realty features strong consignments, fair photos, numismatic lot descriptions and regular coin auctions. 15% buyer’s fee makes looking here a must. Shipping time is improving. Always worth the wait.
12. McKee Coin Auction
24.5 points. Charges 20% buyer's premium and doesn’t use APN, but gives 5% cash discount and uses PayPal. Consignments are improving, and photography is vastly improved. We know Owen McKee and are pleased that he is sharing his vast numismatic knowledge in his descriptions. You can also find the unexpected in his two-day 1500+ marathons, including Canadian coins. Shipping is reasonable but charges $1 per lot handling fee.
For other companies meeting basic criteria, click here.
It’s a simple idea, but long in coming to Proxibid, and that is a feedback box where bidders can inform the company’s quality control about their experience with an auction house.
It has been a while since I have posted a blog with you; I have a few simple thoughts:
1) We have to be careful to not push PROXIBID into another eBay like system! We are auctioneers that make selling over the internet a part of our business. Bidders need to be aware of this.
2) There are less than 20 auction companies that have 5 or more badges, I happen to be one of them. We are honored by PROXIBIDS badge program to have earned these. But like with everything as it is made up of snapshots into a company’s history. There are many other company’s working towards being recognized for their hard work as well, having from one badge to four at this time. I look forward to auctioneers with a partnership with PROXIBID to having many and striving to be the best they can be.
3) PROXIBID has changed the online auction industry with recent changes, a) if an auctioneer wants to see the high bid, and it is denoted. B) If the company wants to bid on the items they are selling, it is noted. I would not buy from most online auction sites other than PROXIBID as to my knowledge the rest allow for this inofrmation to be available to the auctioneer.
4) Bidders and sellers alike need to buy and consign to the auction companies with proven high standards by PROXIBIDS staff. Coins are inexpensive to ship; terms for selling cannot be worlds apart from the different auction companies. Sellers too, need to be honest, an auctioneer has to have trust in what they are told as well.
In closing, let’s be careful with this great resource for buying and selling ‘PROXIBID’, report auction companies as needed, stop buying from those who have HONESTLY’ done you wrong. Support those of us who care for all parties involved with the auction experience: sellers, bidders, and yes their own interest. With companies like us, a fair auction will always be conducted.
Thanks for writing, Ron. We’re proposing a one-way feedback loop, not an eBay let everyone see everything loop. There’s a reason for this. We have personally alerted Proxibid to spurious practices on the portal, and to Proxibid’s credit, once alerted, it took action. But what is worrisome, and more than you cover in your good response–which has many valid points–is that we get complaints about auction houses that have badges, several of them. We have made the decision not to publish those comments, even though we can attest that the complaint was legitimate because we had undergone a similar experience. We always keep in mind that auctioneers are working two crowds, typically, the onsite and online bidders. We always give the benefit of the doubt to the auction house.
Proxiblog is doing everything that you’re asking Proxibidders to do in your last paragraph.
We think Proxibid is the most proactive portal in the business, and we credit Jason Nielsen for much of that. But it still has far to go in the selling of coins:
1. Never allow timed auctions to see maximum bids and ghost bid. There is plenty of this going on without any transparency notices with off-site bidders working on behalf of the company.
2. Acknowledge the bidder. Ebay gives eBay bucks, Teletrade gives gold rewards, Proxibid offers a prize now and then. You know that we are among the strongest bidders on Proxibid, and we get is credit card bills and email blasts to spend more.
3. Allow one-way feedback so that Proxibid is aware of what is going on and what the issues are online. Internet demands transparency. If Proxibid doesn’t provide it, bidders will go elsewhere.