Wading Through The Trash On Ebay !

Not that long ago..when I used to look at worldwide collections/lots on ebay...thats pretty much what you saw..box lots and albums...now they are putting single penny stamps on it !! I think when someone brings some stamps to a dealer that the dealer does not want he probably advises the person to "put it on ebay" !

Your right Phil, ebay is becoming a mess. Now with new policies being levied against top rated sellers....prices will be going up.

Very frustrating. I'm looking at the Collections/Lots category now and there are a bunch of individual stamps. Even if you try to search for "collection" or "album" within the category, you still retrieve items like "MALDIVE ISLANDS 1909 SC #07 MINT from OLD ALBUM." How someone can think a single stamp belongs in the Collections/Lots category is a mystery to me. And from a top-rated seller (although I've read that this can happen when the seller is using listing software and forgets to change the category when adding a new item).

I have always said that ebay is nothing more than a gigantic 'flea market'.

A great deal of the sellers have no idea what they are selling and have not done research on anything.

A lot of non collectors cling to the belief, if it is old, it is rare and expensive.

Chimo

Bujutsu

I've started a couple of other trash ebay threads (although I really do think they have their place) but since this thread is current, I thought I'd add this one here.
Just came across this listing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Overprint-U...em43ae5ad178

How can a seller with a feedback score of 26274 make such an obvious mistake like this one. To list a page of stamps in the Confederate States category when these very common stamps are so obviously NOT Confederate. Not even the same decade, let alone century!
I know it's caveat emptor, and all that, but REALLY? (high pitched voice)

advanced collectors keep coming back to ebay because every week there is new eye candy - and lots like this which contains a VERY valuable cancel...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Precance...em20c4d24ef9

clueless sellers are the best!

Chasa...

Here here to clueless sellers - there is nothing better than stumbling onto a nice lot that is totally misidentified and shown in a crappy photo. Really narrows the field.

There are good buys out there - the trick is sifting through all the junk.

Thats what brings us back...i just saw one of the 10 cent deal guys advertising a Great Britain stamp and its Queen Wilhemina .There are times I feel like sending the seller a message but its not worth the effort !!

Philb, totally agree with you. I believe in these difficult financial times too many 'totally picked out many times over' auction lots from decades ago, that should have been thrown out or burned for Philatelic sake, are being re-auctioned by trash collectors looking for other mugs to trap with worthless rubbish.

When will people learn, if part time $dollar opportunists are getting rid of it, IT'S JUNK.

Hi chasa,




I agree! But also what happens is that non-serious collectors see this type of lot go up in price because a couple of collectors see the valuable stamp, they then think that these types of stamps are valuable and they either list more junk at a high starting price, or bid up the price on junk lots.

finches I feel they make it difficult for the legitimate collectors who are just trying to get something for their duplicates..i am afraid we have become greatly outnumbered.....

I'm glad I have more sense than money !

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...:WNA:GB:1123

Philb.

You're honest, knowledgeable and have earned a excellent reputation. Any collector purchasing from you has ALWAYS done well.

All one needs nowadays are good computer skills - - - - and no stamps / philatelic skills.

In the days before computers, a philatelist had to write or phone a bonafide auction house to be put on their list to receive the different auction catalogues. Today, if you have the computer skills, all you have to do is start up your own website and sell, or better still, list everything you have on ebay etc.

I lost count of the many times I have seen junk stamps listed as 'rare' stamps etc. To a non collector, if it's old, it's rare and expensive. We all know this is so untrue.

Like I stated earlier, ebay is a glorified flea market. Had ebay started up before the computer, they would have had to have a specialty of some sort. For example, either stamps, coins, rocks, antiques - - whatever, and issue a specialized auction catalogue. Today, with the computer, they can list everything literally under the sun and thet do NOT have to be knowledgeable on any given subject. All they have to do is accept anyone who has a moth eaten cover, card and put it up on ebay for a fee.

Granted, some people know what they are selling and the prices are usually adjusted accordingly.

On the plus side for any of these online auction houses, including ebay, we have images at our finger tips for any given lot to examine. Also, to be honest, there are bargains to be had out there too. If you are on at the right time, it is possible to get a real bargain, but, you have to know what you are looking for.

Enough of my ranting

Chimo

Bujutsu

ebay is not interested in quality philatelic items, just making money.
Delcampe, bidStart and CQout are all better sites for looking for stamps.