ebay limiting TPGs to 4

[coppercoins]

Yeah, I was thinking anti-trust as well. All this does is put more powder in the guns of the big services and further kill the smaller services, a short percentage of whom are cheaper, better, and more honest than the big ones.

And here we go with the melee....eBay will win, but the fight will be tough and long. I'm writing all the rags about this one.

[smed]

I look forward to seeing your letter(s).

[Russellhome]

I just read about this issue on the cover of Coin World. The topic of the short list of grading companies - and how that may be unfair and perhaps illegal -- has been covered. But I have some issues with some of the other new eBay listing rules that have not been discussed.

If you list a slabbed coin from one of the 4 approved grading companies, you must...

1) Identfy the grading company and grade
2) Enter the unique serial number for the slab
3) Include actual photos of the full holder - both front and back.

#1 is a no-brainer. If you don't do that, there is something wrong with you. But #2 -- and especially #3, I have a problem with. Listing items takes long enough as it is - and it seems to me that this 'photos' requirement is redundent and extra work. If I sell a coin slabbed in a PCGS holder, why do I need an actual photo of it? If I have several of the same item, I have been known to take the short-cut and use photos representative of the item (clearly stated in the listing).

For example, I have about 20 ANACS graded MS68 Bison DDO nickels. In the current market, I might be lucky to make a couple of bucks on each of them over the grading fees. If I went to sell a few of them, a stock photo of a 2005 nickel in an ANACS MS68 holder should do it - along with a stock close-up of the key area of doubling. But with the new rules, I'd have to take actual photos - front and back - of each coin listed. A lot of work for the potential of selling below the cost of slabbing.

Now, if the coins I'm selling are more rare and valuable, I'd take the time to do actual photos just to better my chances of getting the market price for the item (no rule required). It seems to me that this rule was written from a buyers persective, without regard to the extra work involved. I'm all for getting the scammers off of eBay (if that were possible) - but IMO, this new policy just means more work for the honest seller and the crooks will figure out a way to beat it. It seems to me that a good seller rating and a fair return policy ought to just about cover any coin sale - no extra rules required.

Plus, I pitty the poor seller that can't do an in focus photograph. Well, maybe not -- the policy does not say the photos must be in focus.

[eagames]

Good points.... It makes me think:

A seller that can't get a picture at all can not list at all (or get by with fuzzy pics?)

If you take the required pics I suppose you must pay extra for the added pics?

Will they kick back auctions if you can't read the slab in the bad photos?

I've also seen sellers (mostly pcgs sellers) that black out the slab number so I guess they can't do that either.

[GarryN]

So you could potentially have at least three photos in an ad. Front and back of the holders and a closeup of the obv or rev as an aid to the buyer. Thats very difficult to manage. Requiremnent #3 would take care of Requirement #2 since you could see the serial number in the photo, so why keypunch it somewhere again? The fly by nighters will copy over any photograph of a coin for their ads. Thats one way they can get away with it. But the market will catch up with them. Last year I caught one guy on ebay using a photo from a live ad from Anaconada Rare Coins. I bypassed the Ebay beaurocracy and contacted Anaconda directly and they handled it. But people can copy over photos from any source.

[Earwig]

They have had the serial number option for some time for NGC and PCGS you type the serail in and it would make the header listing the grade. And at the same time they authenticated the coin from a database supplied. Im not sure if that is how it gunna still be now. And i do believe that ebay will add more grading companies in time it has already went from 4 to 5. Still i dont plan on selling or do much buying til i see if this pans out.

Update on this i just scanned around on ebay for a few and found at least 200 violations of there listing policy and i didnt really even look. Its gunna cost them alot of money policing the rules. And im gunna go out on a limb and say the sellers that are selling a ton of stuff are gunna be left alone so they get the money.

Eric

[Gabe]

Does anyone know when this policy begins to take place?

[eagames]

Supposedly they won't enforce it until Oct.

I doubt they will ever enforce it unless people report each listing.

[creilly]

Teach me... I havent been doing much because of the move. Last night I put up a few ads including the 1922 Peace that I had Chuck look at for me after it was graded clean. I put it up with its grade in the title but did not list the grading company in the drop downs because I was in a hurry and usually go over that kind of thing in the discription. I got a violation. With a notice that if I get another I will lose my ablity to sell on eBay.

I of course never new of the changes. because I havent been paying attention. Not like Ebay sent out a notice to those who sell coins on eBay.

[eagames]

Seems like other sellers that get their stuff pulled off are reporting other people.

If your coin was graded by one of the approved TPGs put it back (and keep the grade and grader in the title) but be sure to include pics of both sides of the holder.

If it's not one of the approved ones don't put it in the title but in your listing you can say "it looks unc to me" and you can show pics of the slab with the grade.