Any Tips For Safely Buying Off Ebay?

I'm a new collector and I was wondering if you guys have any tips for buying safely off ebay. Is there a list of good sellers on here? Is there anyone I can ask to look over listings?

If you go to http://stampsmarter.com you will find listings of sellers'
Other than that, just use common sense. If it looks too good it sometimes is not worth messing with. Also, a return policy can be a plus. Good luck,

Peter

Welcome to Stamp Community Forum! In addition to the good advice offered above I would add: 1.) Read every word of the item description, and 2.) look at the pictures very closely. There are sellers who will sell faulty items where it is very difficult to discern the damage. They feel that if they show a blurry image (and/or plead ignorance), they are absolved of responsibility. If you are not sure, pass it by. There are plenty of choices. Be patient and be sure. This will greatly limit hassles.

Thanks a lot guys! The stamps I'm collecting now are probably worth less than $50 mint. Should I be really worried about buying fakes? Should I also ask to see the back of the stamp? I noticed this seller only shows front and back when dealing with really expensive stamps.

Also! I noticed that sometimes fine used stamps are worth more than mint, why is that?

Because finding stamps that were used in the era that it was issued is more difficult than finding mint ones. EG Scott #39 It was issued around September 1860. When the civil war broke out, the post office it was demonetized by in 1861 and was replaced by Scott #73. Thus there was a very short window where they could have been used(only 180 certified used examples remain), on occasion it was used for courthouse documents, most often it was used in combination with other stamps to pay a higher rate, usually to a foreign destination.

LickMe, at times there are very short periods when stamps are valid, or useable/useful. This is usually because of political change or economic circumstances (currency revaluation, or hyperinflation). When used stamps are more valuable than mint, there is a much greater chance of forged cancellations or illegitimate usage.

Even though you have mentioned that you are going for items less than $50, better search this forum about the Cartel. Some day you are going to know about that !

If possible, I would also avoid sellers who don't take returns. (even if ebay and paypal cover the purchase)

If bidding, don't get carried away and go crazy. !

When in doubt, post that listing here and ask.. Our guys here are eagle eyed experts and can spot most issues. :)

What are you actually buying? You may find it helpful to buy at genuine auctions - and if you're near a venue you can look at the stamps in detail.

Use common sense. If there is no picture of the backs of the stamps and you feel uncomfortable with that, email the seller as soon as you can to request images of the backs. If they don't cooperate, I'd pass. Check to see if lots they sell have "private bids." I personally refuse to bid on any auction with private bids because it leaves a window open for the seller to engage in shill bidding. Sellers can engage in shill bidding anyway, but private auctions make it impossible for us to detect potential shill bidders.

If a seller does not offer returns, most times you can still return the item. That said, the seller will be very resistant and in general it's a sign that if there are problems with the stamps, the seller wants to pass those problems on to you. Proceed with caution.

Avoid sellers who charge a large sum for shipping. Besides the obvious concern of overspending unnecessarily for shipping, high shipping fees can affect you materially if you have to return the stamps. Let's say 2 sellers have the exact same item. One of them sells it for $5 with $8 shipping, and the other sells it for $10 with $3 shipping. Net/net the cost to you is the same, however if you have to return the stamps to the seller who charged $8 for shipping, he likely will say that the shipping is not refundable so you may only get $5 back. In the second case, you would receive a $10 refund.

Lastly, I would not buy from anyone who does not accept paypal or credit cards. There are other companies that will exchange your money, however they do not provide support to the buyer if there is a dispute. So if the transaction goes south, you're at the mercy of the seller. And even with paypal, I strongly recommend using a credit card for all transactions vs. bank transfers or other forms of money transfers. The credit card version of paypal transactions offer you much more safety (and 2 levels of safety) vs. moving cash.

I'll second this:


I'll add 3.) don't take anything for granted and don't give an unknown seller the benefit of the doubt. If the description and/or picture aren't enough for you to be comfortable that the stamp isn't faulty, don't just assume that it isn't. That isn't to say you shouldn't bid on such items at all, just that it's a good idea to assume the worst and bid accordingly, if you're willing to take the chance.

Spend time and research what you want before you just jump in, some things may be worth 80% of book and others less than 10% so research what things actualy sell for. Start small till you get the hang of things.

Good advise I'd add checking the "FeedbacK as Seller". Some sellers total feedback score is pumped up by cheap purchases and it hides how many successful sales they've had.

I'd recommend you build up a list of 4 or 5 sellers you can trust and if you can occasionally add a seller to your list you should have plenty of safe buying opportunities.

Ken

Remember to check what the stamps that you're interested in bidding on are really selling for, by checking the sold listings box. (left hand side, near the bottom of that column of check boxes)

alub, you have a typo in your otherwise right on response. U.S. Scott #39 was not replaced by Scott #73 in 1861 upon demonetization but rather by Scott #72.

Assume the seller knows nothing. When you bid on large lots, only bid what the items you see in the pictures are worth to you, don't assume there is more unseen. Unless you are positive, if there is a question on an item, assume the item is the cheapest possible of the choices.