Any Tips For Safely Buying Off Ebay?

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

Always, if you are buying used stamps that you want to ensure are fault-free or if you are buying unused stamps at "never-hinged" prices. Very often faults can only be seen on the reverse.

Knowledge

When it comes to ebay most people I feel are honest. However there are those that will flat out take you for what they can get. For the most part you will find these sellers in the higher valued stamps. For most common low value stamps the water is much safer.

Knowledge comes in to parts. First you must be fully knowlegable about the stamp you are buying. There is plenty enough resources of the internet to help. The second is understanding fakes and out right fraud. You must learn how to spot both. Over the years I have seen just about anything a person can do. I have seen added cancel marks to hide faults, regumming I mean things you would never think of. These alterations continue to fool many people.

The US Classics are a high suspect for me. People go as far to even hand draw effects to improve stamps. Without knowledge of the stamp you will not even notice.

You think you are looking at a coil wrong it has been trimmed.The stamp is 100% perfect until you send it out to be graded only to find out you overpaid for a repaired stamp.

Do you know your grills? If not do you know how easy it is to add them. Pen cancels can be taken off or hidden with a added stamp cancel. Washing cleans clothing pretty good but can do wonders for stamps.

To be honest there are an unknown amount of collectors that have bought these stamps and in return will sell them not even knowing they were taken only to find out when a knowledable buyer comes along.

I'm not trying to worry you but I am telling you to become very knowledgeable when it comes to higher valued stamps. If your looking for a good deal don't let your greed make a bad deal.

Now I doubt someone is going to go through all that trouble on a low valued common stamp.

The folks who fake stamps have to practice on something.

Lol some of the first real fakes were on common low value stamps in the USA. They were more to defraud the post office. What I meant to say you are probably less likely to be concerned about fake low value stamps on ebay. Most ebay fakes are making low value stamps into higher value stamps.

Hi my advice for buying off ebay.

I know some sellers do not scan the reverse, I've asked, but was told they usually don't scan the reverse side for stamps under $5 for sale? There are all sorts of buyers, new stamp collectors, etc., we all want to see the reverse side of a stamp, actually any stamp we are thinking of buying. I guess some sellers do not care about new collectors.

I love the sellers who have no idea what they have for sale, I have picked up many good varieties and other stamps for very little. But you need the knowledge before you try this activity. Read, read, read, then venture out with you knowledge.

Be very careful, sometimes a seller will have something for sale, but then send another example, saying the example you wanted was sold already. Later from the same seller you will see the same stamp for sale. You need to read everything in the description.

Most of the sellers are excellent and honest, but there are dishonest sellers, stay clear of them for now, gain knowledge.

My advice stay away from sellers who do not show scans of the reverse side of the stamp you are interested in.

These are my thoughts, I hope you success in your future stamp collecting adventures (you will have adventures)

My advice for buying stamps -----Start with a small amount of money -----Be stupid . Make all the mistakes and get ripped off with a lot of small transactions learn the game and learn how good honest dealers who are kind and friendly to everybody wearing a APS badge ,then you come along and they got special deals for you from under the table .


Yes... you read this right get RIPPED OFF and learn the game people play to get your money ,learn the tricks of the trade. Learn with pennies and know what your dealing with then when you spend more serious money you know the game . It is like my Jiu-Jitsu instructor says make your mistakes on the mat ,get angry ,get mad and go home frustrated that is learning . Don't walk around a stamp show or go on on-line buying and being scared to do business like others here ,go and have fun and know all the cons people play . Hey the other day I went to a fast food restaurant and there was two clowns in there in front of me in line ,I was relaxed and the only thing that came into my mind was do I put those two 20's something on the ground or should I sent them to the hospital. Very relaxing situation for me ,that should also be like to give you a relax situation when dealing in stamps .
Make your mistakes and enjoy the learning experience just do it in a control manor .

I realize that clowns are creepy, but going around beating them up seems a bit harsh.