Jump to content

Warning About Coins On Ebay


CoinsAndPins

Recommended Posts

I know it's a controversy in the geocaching community whether coins should be sold on eBay or not. I don't really have a stand on this, but I wanted to let everyone know about the risk of placing and buying coins on eBay. I have been in the custom coin business for 4 years and seen lots of bad on eBay when it comes to this. There are people (individuals usually, not businesses) on eBay that frequently make illegal copies of eBay coins. Illegal copies have been a big problem for the military coin community and some coin makers for several years. I have personal experience with this. I have not yet seen any of my custom coins copied (knock on wood), but I started selling a stock military coin on eBay a few years ago for another coin maker (with their consent of course). After two months, the coin was illegally copied and being sold on eBay also. The copy was really poor quality since frauds usually care about money and not quality, but not many people could tell using the pictures posted on the listing page. So, be careful when posting or buying coins on there. Once the frauds find out how well the goecoins are selling, they may copy it and sell them too. Even with false tracking numbers it will probably be too late by the time you find out the number is no good.

Link to comment
I think as long as you recognize the seller as a cacher, buyers can feel assured that the coin they're bidding on is legit and the real deal.

One problem with that is that some geocachers have different user names on eBay. For instance, I do. I joined eBay 2 years before I got into geocaching, My eBay user name is kimkramer and my geocaching name is GrandpaKim. You probably could figure out that they are both for me. But some of them might not be so easy.

Link to comment
I think as long as you recognize the seller as a cacher, buyers can feel assured that the coin they're bidding on is legit and the real deal.

One problem with that is that some geocachers have different user names on eBay. For instance, I do. I joined eBay 2 years before I got into geocaching, My eBay user name is kimkramer and my geocaching name is GrandpaKim. You probably could figure out that they are both for me. But some of them might not be so easy.

True, however, as someone pointed out to me once... by looking at where the seller is from and the associated feedback, you can usually flush out if it's a regular coin trading cacher or not.

Link to comment

If it was a high dollar auction you might ask for geocaching credentials, username etc. If they didn't rely or it turned out that they were a new or non-geocacher then you might press for how the coin was obtained. It wouldn't hurt if legitimate geocachers who sell the coins published their GC nic in the listing so that people could quickly verify legit cachers.

Link to comment

Lets say your order 100 coins. The company that makes it might produce 150 to make sure you get a good 100 copies. So now you have 50 coins which could make it to ebay.

 

I think I posted this elsewhere, but that is why we choose to have both numbered and tracking. It might cost a little more, but you can only have one number 1 and one tracking number. Even without GC tracking, if you say you made 100 coins, anything above 100 would be 'fake'.

Link to comment

This post is not about a company making extra coins. I don't know of any company that would make extra coins to sell to anyone except the design owner. Maybe some one who does this kind of work on the side could make extra coins to sell, but I have not seen it. This post is about individuals that lurk around ebay looking for things to easily copy and sell. It is like a hobby for them to do this, or they do these illegal things full time.

Link to comment
...What Company will send you the dies back?

 

Richard

Probably none, but if you really did pay for the work and the die then it really should be yours.

 

The reason I brought it up is that I could of sworn that happened to Blazerfan, when his coin turned up on eBay from one of his coin makers employees.

 

That's why it's related to the topic.

Edited by Renegade Knight
Link to comment

Again were back to the point of an individual that did something wrong. I'm sure it is not their business policy to do such a thing. In any event, what I am talking about with starting this post is that these malicious copycats get new dies made through a different manufacturer.

 

In the case of taking possession of your design's dies, a customer is welcome to have the dies given to them. The reason why most manufacturers' typical policy is to keep the dies is that once the dies leave their possession the dies are susceptible to damage, especially in shipment. They are easily prone to scratches and dings that render the die useless for re-orders. Any small blemish on a die is a large blemish on the final product. Also, the shipping cost is enormous since the dies are large and very heavy. This now makes the entire coin order cost much more than needed. Then if you want a re-order, you now have to wait for the dies to get back to the mint making order take days longer than needed. If it is a matter of maybe having the coins made at a different mint for whatever reason, then you have to find out if the dies even fit their press machine. Most of the presses are custom made for the manufactures applications and how each mint feels what press design is best for production. Also, the other mint may not want to use the dies since some companies don't want to take the chance of possibly producing an inferior product if the die came from a low grade mint or die maker. Etc., etc...

Link to comment
Again were back to the point of an individual that did something wrong. I'm sure it is not their business policy to do such a thing. In any event, what I am talking about with starting this post is that these malicious copycats get new dies made through a different manufacturer....

Both are an issue, though what you post about I have no doubt is far more common.

 

How would you guard against both happening on your own coin, and if you are buying on eBay what would you suggest as a means of telling a legit coin from a fake?

Link to comment

My method in these things is to look to the history of the item. Best case, get the item directly off the person who's item it is. Second best might be to ask them what it's history is.

 

It doesn't take many coins at $40 a pop to make fakes econimical. I bet that at least 20-30 sets of the MIGO's could go through before folks got wise. (folks want to believe they are getting the coin they want -- so even though 20 sets would be 20% of the run, people would tell themselves that it was legit).

 

From my experiences on eBay -- few folks actually research the seller very much.

Link to comment

Help me understand.

 

These are trackable on gc.com, right?

 

Are they 'activated? Can I view the coin page by using the reference number? (Use GWXXXXX to reference this travel bug.)

 

If they aren't activated is there a way to verify they are gc.com issued?

 

(Yes I know people could still lie about the reference number, but it may go a long way in proving to ebay this seller is.....not quite on the up and up.)

Link to comment
Again were back to the point of an individual that did something wrong. I'm sure it is not their business policy to do such a thing. In any event, what I am talking about with starting this post is that these malicious copycats get new dies made through a different manufacturer.

 

In the case of taking possession of your design's dies, a customer is welcome to have the dies given to them. The reason why most manufacturers' typical policy is to keep the dies is that once the dies leave their possession the dies are susceptible to damage, especially in shipment. They are easily prone to scratches and dings that render the die useless for re-orders. Any small blemish on a die is a large blemish on the final product. Also, the shipping cost is enormous since the dies are large and very heavy. This now makes the entire coin order cost much more than needed. Then if you want a re-order, you now have to wait for the dies to get back to the mint making order take days longer than needed. If it is a matter of maybe having the coins made at a different mint for whatever reason, then you have to find out if the dies even fit their press machine. Most of the presses are custom made for the manufactures applications and how each mint feels what press design is best for production. Also, the other mint may not want to use the dies since some companies don't want to take the chance of possibly producing an inferior product if the die came from a low grade mint or die maker. Etc., etc...

I actually would like this. I asked the company that made my coin if I could have the die since one side had the year on it and I wouldn't be minting more. I just thought it would be cool to have. They said they wouldn't do it. With a flat rate box at the post office only costing $7.70 no matter the weight it wouldn't cost that much to send it to the client if they weren't planning on minting any more coins.

Link to comment
I think as long as you recognize the seller as a cacher, buyers can feel assured that the coin they're bidding on is legit and the real deal.

Note to Self:

Register AtlantaGal on ebay

list some NW Atlanta location

sell geocache related stuff

 

(just kinding of course, but I don't see you can easily recongnize someone you probably don't know)

Link to comment
It's not just coins. You should have seen all the fake beanie babies being passed off on ebay in 1998/1999. It was unreal.

 

I think as long as you recognize the seller as a cacher, buyers can feel assured that the coin they're bidding on is legit and the real deal.

We use the same name for e-bay and GC.

 

Using multiple names has always, IMO, just led to confusion on everyone's part.

 

Especially mine...... <_<

Link to comment

You could be right. I just received a MIGO coin from an E-Bay auction today and when I try to track the coin, I get a "The Travel Bug you requested does not exist in the system". I wrote the seller an e-mail and am awaiting his response. He had a 99.7 positive feedback rating with 146 for the year.

Link to comment
Wolfmaster - does the number on your MIGO coin start with "MI" as the first two letters? Only the newer ones that start with "MI" are trackable on geocaching.com....

No it starts with MIGO. The ad read

 

MIGO (Michigan Geocaching Organization) Geocoin in original wrapper, not activated, activation code included. Coin number covered in photo.

Coin number is below 100!

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...