Numismatic writer and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee member Michael Bugeja has assembled a new, updated work–Online Coin Auctioneering–intended for estate auctioneers considering or already selling on a portal such as AuctionZip, iCollector or Proxibid.
The advice in this new work also pertains to eBay and coin dealer auctions.
Bugeja writes that all online coin auctions, from the largest to the littlest, have these things in common:
1. They secure top consignments of the most desirable coins.
2. They secure those consignments with no or minimal seller fees.
3. They feature sharp, expandable photos of all lots.
4. They fill out lot descriptions completely and accurately.
5. They understand numismatics and do not exaggerate condition or worth.
6. They have safe venues for use of credit cards or PayPal to make online buying secure and convenient.
7. They have low or NO opening bids or reserves.
8. They ship cheaply, safely and quickly.
9. They accept returns on counterfeit and doctored coins.
10. They focus on customer satisfaction and resolve disputes amicably.
If you’re going to sell coins online, Bugeja writes, you have to understand Internet and other considerations that you must master to vend lots via a global platform. You also must become a numismatist rather than a hobbyist or estate auctioneer because you’re selling U.S. Mint and world mint products in raw condition or perhaps holdered by any number of companies. You must know how to grade, how to price, and how to describe lots. More important, you must master digital photography—the chief component of successful online sales. Finally, you have to know the business, from fake coins to dispute resolution.
This book covers it all. Written by nationally known numismatist Michael Bugeja, who writes for Coin World, reports for Coin Update News and is a member of the Citizen Coinage Advisory Committee of the US Mint, Online Coin Auctioneering is an indispensable guide.
