Capitol Coin Auction, which already won our “Best Descriptions” Award, chalks up another in the Shipping category.
Capitol Coin’s shipping policy is online-user-friendly:
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Shipping Instructions: The Buyer is responsible for the actual cost of shipping and insurance. If the item is heavy or if you wish to ship outside the USA, please contact us for an estimate of shipping costs to your location. Unlike other auction companies, we DO NOT charge our buyers a fee for handling or packing their purchases. All items are shipped within 2-3 business days following the auction.
Capitol Coin won this category because it uses numismatic packing with adequate insurance. Basically, the auction house does the work at the Post Office and sends you your coins securely and quickly. That is all most bidders want.
Capitol Coin and Honorable Mention houses–Engstrom Auctions, Key Date Coins, SilverTowne, Five Star Auction, Midwest Coins and Star Coin and Currency–have an eBay-like etiquette when it comes to shipping. They’re not afraid to specialize in it, knowing that online buyers need quick, inexpensive shipping so as to become return customers.
SilverTowne Auction, in particular, is the fastest shipping–sometimes within hours after a session. Key Date Coins updates you regularly about your shipment.
We bristle when we read shipping instructions like this from an unnamed auction house on the portal:
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PLEASE READ- NEW SHIPPING POLICIES: Items will be shipped by The UPS Store. The UPS Store will charge for Pick-Up, Packing and Shipping Items.If you want your items shipped, please contact The UPS Store within 24 hours after the auction ends with payment information. Per Proxibid regulations-We no longer have access to your payment information to transfer to The UPS Store. You can provide this information to them by phone, fax or email. Their information is XXX-XXX-XXXX. If you don’t contact them within 24 hours, you will incur a $1 [fee].
Compare that with the shipping terms of service from our Honorable Mention houses:
Engstrom Auctions
Coins and jewelry will be shipped via United States Postal Service to locations in the United States at a flat rate of $10 (shipping, and handling) for most orders, which will be added to your invoice. If you have purchased coin books or items that do not fit into a small flat rate box, we will charge a flat rate of $17.50. Our intentions are to ship the day after the auction. All packaging is done by Engstrom Auction employees. We double check your items against our packaging slip to ensure you get the correct items.
Five Star Auction
Shipping Instructions: All items will ship by USPS with postal insurance with the exception of firearms and ammo. … Buyers will pay actual shipping cost with no handling fee. Shipping will be within 2 business days of receipt of payment for item (items) purchased. Your credit card will be charged for shipping at this time. Multiple items will be combined to save shipping costs when applicable.
Key Date Coins
Shipping Instructions: Key Date Coin Auctions does charge a … $3.00 to $5.00 Handling Fee per Package. Bidders are responsible for these charges and will be charged using the credit card on file. If you have a preferred shipped please contact Auction House. Shipping time will be within 1-3 days after payment has been received. We always try to Ship your Items the next Day after the Auction.
SilverTowne
Shipping Instructions: Auction lots will be shipped via US Mail within two business days upon receipt of payment. Packages $10.00 – $1,000.00 will be shipped Insured US Mail. Packages $1,001.00 and over will be shipped UPS.
Midwest Coins
Shipping Instructions: Winning bidders will be billed for all shipping, handling, and insurance charges. We do all packaging and shipping in-house and ship USPS with insurance in the amount of your invoice with $10.00 FLAT RATE for Shipping/Insurance. We will plan to ship your purchases within 3 BUSINESS days of auction payment being received. $10 FLAT RATE only applies to US purchases of coins.
Star Coin and Currency
Shipping Instructions: We provide fast low cost shipping to our bidders. We ship most items for $4 or less for all items won. Sometimes additional postal services or insurance may be added to the invoice if need, based upon value, weight, size and destination.
We congratulate Capitol Coin Auction and our Honorable Mention houses for their emphasis on shipping inexpensively, quickly and securely.
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.
Proxiblog's Top Online Coin Auctions 
I would second your honorable mention for Silvertowne Auctions and would agree that the communication from Key Date Coins is top notch and they
have shipped the next day each time I have won lots in their auction.
I have also had outstanding service from Back to the Past Collectibles.
Their shipments to me have been prompt, secure, their return address label is discreet, and they only charge a flat $5.00 for all lots won.
L
Yes, indeed. Back to the Past Collectibles is a fine shop. Thank you for writing and for mentioning that house. Happy 2013!