Thought I Was Stealing, But I Was Taken...nystamps

Just as an observation. NYStamps used to mostly sell lots. I purchased one years ago and it was a decent buy.

In the last number of years, they have started to "learn" a little about the stamps they are selling and seem to cherry pick their lots now and sell individual stamps or short sets.

It is a buyer beware situation of course.

However, I once bought a Canadian scarce overprinted stamp mint that did not show the back. I was happy with the price for a hinged stamp (as I assumed). Turned out to be MNH and I was quite thrilled. I spent about $30 for a stamp that I could sell for $150 or more.

If a store cashier mistakenly gives me change for a twenty, when I gave them a ten, my immediate reaction is to inform them of the error.

Yet, when a seller misidentifies a stamp to my advantage ( a steal), I'm a happy camper. Is it Karma, payback for the times when I was taken?

Guess I'll have to wait for judgement day to get the answer.

Too busy is not an excuse. Would you buy from a regular store (regular stuff, not stamps) if the store was understaffed?

By going this route they are able to sell misidentifued stamps and stamps with undescribed faults to peple who are either too trusting or who don't have the knowledge to know they are etting taken. This added revenue they get then allows them to go out and out bid other buyers with the knowledge that they will be able to squeeze more out of the lot than an honest diligent seller who does prperly describe their stamps.

Agreed. They simply choose not to spend more time examining stamps and/or describing them. They've made a conscious choice to follow the "turn and burn" model of doing business rather than "slow and deliberate". A more traditional dealer would almost certainly hire an extra hand rather than taking shortcuts in identification and description.

It wouldn't be quite so bad if NYStamps used high-res scans (front and back) rather than the low or medium-res photos that they do use, which makes it harder to spot problems. While their pictures of the front are usually adequate or nearly so, the photos of the back are very small and you can't zoom in. But, again, scans are slow, photos are quick, so I'm sure this is another conscious decision on their part.

With respect to NYStamps, I've always been able to return an item purchased from them under conditions like this. You have to be on the alert with their material - there is so much, there are the usual "weeds" in with the bargains. They're actually one of my favorite sellers

Matt

Matt,
Understood and agreed.
But in the last 12 months, they have sold $62,396 (around 350 listings) of misidentified, un-described faults, or forged/fake stamps. And those are only ones we noticed, that is a lot off "weeds". I concur that they have some listings that have value, they do a large volume, they start everything at $0.00. And kudos to them for clearly stating that you might receive 'expertly repaired stamps' in every listing. But I find dealing with returns a waste of shipping money and time, it also ties up money that I could be using in other ways. For me, I choose to not support dealers which take advantage of unsuspecting, newer hobbyists.
Don

Ok, I was wrong. just recently I notified them that this listing contains a forgery.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/38148000815....m1436.l2649

Note the 'A' in the overprints (right stamp is forgery); it is pretty obvious when they are side by side as their own image shows.


Since this listing had no bids I notified them but looks like the are going to let it stand anyway.
Don

Of course I don't watch every one of their auctions, but I don't think I've ever seen them change a listing once it's posted. I've seen some items that were grossly misidentified in ways that would work against them, but they never go back and change those, either.

Art
Out of 335 listings I have tracked this year for them, 112 were updated. This is about 33%. I have stopped notifying them of the 'repaired' listings, there are literally hundreds of them and at least they note this in their T&Cs. I used to think that they simply bought a big collection that had these repaired stamps in it, but the number of these 'repaired' listings over the last 2 years seems to indicate that they are performing the 'expert repairs'.
Don

To your question: it's hard not to.

Ever shop at Best Buy, Menards, K-Mart Superstores, Wal-Mart and try to ask a question about what they are selling? First you have to FIND someone, and then THEY have to know more about the merchandise than you do.

Ever try to buy dress shoes that fit and will last? You will need help for that, but good luck getting it at Penney's, Payless, and a dozen other places I could name.

Poor service due to poor staffing is the rule rather than the exception today. Increasingly you have to know what you are after and how it should appear for ANYTHING you buy these days.

Welcome to the 21st century. Not kinder and gentler, but paced to keep you on edge all the time.

NYstamps is for buyers in the philatelic fast lane. It's not for everyone. Grousing about it is not going to change anything. Teaching the uneducated will do more good.

Fortunately the philatelic marketplace is multi-lane. People are free to travel at whatever pace suits them best.

Certainly possible. Regardless of where they originate, I don't dispute they sell material like this without providing a written disclosure, which is why I basically never give them the benefit of the doubt on something that looks questionable.




People vote with their dollars for stores that are understaffed with underpaid workers who don't really care. At 30% off (or more) compared to more full-service outlets, most people will take their chances. This is perhaps an apt analogy. NYStamps (and ebay in general) is the Wal-Mart of the philatelic world, whereas more traditional full time dealers are more like higher-end, full-service retail establishments.

When purchasing a stamp from any one, on the net or in a store, if you don't know what exactly you are buying, you should not purchase it. I collect VF NH U.S and Canada and I would estimate that 75% of all stamps on e-bay that are said to be VF are quite clearly not VF. But since this is my collecting interest, I have learned to grade my stamps.

Stuart MacNeil,

You are astute. That was the first thing I learned, too! Welcome to the group.

Jack Kelley

In spite of the inadequate service, complaints about the treatment of their workers price usually wins which is why Walmart is successful. An individual who has a full time job and is supplementing his income by selling stamps on ebay can undercut because he has no overhead.

There are many reasons why the stamp marketplace would be better off without dealers who consistently offer poorly described or altered stamps. When buying at auction they are able to pay slightly more than more competent or ethical dealers. Over time, buyers pay less, not wanting to be stuck with damaged stamps they don't want and can't return. What would be the effect if some of the worst dealers could no longer sell on ebay? It is possible that prices could rise, but buyers would end up with more value for their money.

Since tossing the worst dealers is unlikely to happen, Gresham's Law applies. The best sellers will go elsewhere if they can.

Clark