Selling Expensive Stamps On Ebay?

I sell US on ebay and most of the stamps sell for between $5 and $50. But I have a couple of high-end items and for obvious reasons, they don't sell very fast. I have one item with a clean cert that has a catalog value of $1750. I'm asking about 2/3 of that because it isn't perfectly centered. I guess it would be a reasonable price if it sold at an auction house. But on ebay? I know there are big sellers with lots of high-end material, but I suspect stuff like this just doesn't sell very often on there.

So my question is, do people have other alternatives for single high-end items like this? I assume the big auction houses aren't interested in a single stamp. Do I just sit back and have patience? Any suggestions?

(This was just a lucky find in a collection I bought about a year ago. This one stamp is worth about half of what I paid for the entire collection.)

Cheers,
Rick

Yes, the ebay channel is a problem to some extent. The large number of fake early coils on ebay is a deterrent to buyers of quality material. Ultimately you may have to take this item to Kelleher or another auction house on consignment and pay their fee.

But people do buy $1,000 items on ebay, when dealer presentation and reputation are convincing. Having looked at your ebay page, I have the following comments that are intended as constructive.

Your main store page does not have a photo or logo. Add one. The old-time portrait image you are using in your store page is cheeky. Change it to a real photo of you, the same photo or logo on the main page or some stamp-related image that is more professional. Provide a business address that is local to you, at least a PO box. Try to look more like a reputable business.

Wait for more feedback; 737 is fairly low for a $1,000 item, and matters to some, regardless of the well-documented uselessness of the ebay feedback system.

Beyond that, the market is telling you that $1,200 for this item is too high and that the number of buyers is small. Many people who want the early flat plate coils will be satisfied with hinged examples, want something better centered, or don't need a line pair.

I agree with Chris. I will add that having a cert is a huge plus if your price is reasonable. A few years ago before I left ebay I sold multiple items for $1000 and up in a period of two months. All had certs and I referenced where they had come from (Siegel) and it seemed to provide a level of comfort. I have also sold autographs that I had authenticated by PSA/DNA for over $1000 without a problem. Price is key along with the items being desirable. In my case the stamps were the ever popular US Zeppelins and dollar value Columbians. The autographs were Three Stooges and went very fast. Yuk, yuk, yuk!

Rick. I would try an auction company that normally handles high end U.S. stamps. (I don't collect them, so I can't recommend one for you.) Your single stamp should have enough value to get their attention - even though it is only one item. Send emails to several companies and see how they respond. It never hurts to ask.
I agree with all of you that ebay is a good way to sell lower cost items, but everyone knows it can be a free-for-all, so collectors are pretty wary of buying expensive items there. There is a higher level of trust for one of the well known auction companies. Just pick one that deserves it.

Thanks for your comments. I've got new inventory now so my feedback numbers will start moving. That picture is actually my grandfather who was the original big collector in my family. His collection paid for college for me and my siblings. Maybe I can add something to explain that.

Cheers.

I list all the time and wait-best part of this whole selling thing-they dont buy-my collection grows!






And buying all the time, if they dont sell-look for the next 'flavor' of the month-
good Luck!

Will an auction house take a single hi value stamp?

It is unlikely unless for the stamp in question here.

Most auction houses state a minimum consignment value (to keep the lower-priced items away) but the stamp in question clears all the thresholds I've ever seen, so I'm guessing most houses would be glad to include it in their auction.

C J Palermo says "people do buy $1000 items on ebay." I have spent up to close to this for a single stamp, on ebay, and while this is highly risky if it's from a dealer you've never dealt with, the stamp in question is one that is not known to have ever been forged, is a well-known stamp, albeit scarce, and the stamp when I bought it came with extensive documentation of its provenance including the sales slip from a prominent auction house that was issued when the stamp last changed hands, and the original listing from the auction catalogue, so there was no question it was the same stamp and therefore its authenticity was unquestionable. I probably could not have afforded this stamp from a brick and mortar shop (if I could even find one!)since they would have to have charged me two or three times what I paid. So ebay is a good alternative, for both buyer and seller for pricier material, where the seller doesn't have large overheads and is eager to move the merchandise and they would have to keep reposting it if it didn't sell

The centering is only fvf (and maybe only f), The cat value is only $1100 for fvf, so the $1250 you are asking is over cat value. You would get less that $1000 at auction, and if trying to consign only that you would fall below the minimum total consignment level pf many auction houses.

I don't want to brag, but I have sold MANY $1000+ coins on ebay and more than a few $10000+ coins, as well. The secret? Coins are more regulated. It's not the size of the audience, because Siegel proves sale after sale that the buyers are out there. The fact is that if a coin is described with a numerical grade or exceeds a certain price threshold it MUST be certified by either PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG. This was discussed in detail months ago on the "Anthony's" thread. Until we as a hobby get more vigilant and decide to take a stand against the fraudulent sellers, ebay will NEVER be a safe place to consistently trade expensive stamps. Sure, with a little due diligence and vetting, you can locate an honest high-end seller here and there. But, without any regulation, that will continue to be the exception on ebay rather than the norm.

For what it is worth, many collectors prefer auction over buy it now with make an offer listings.

I know that I do.

One other thing I noticed is you have several listings where you state the stamp is sound yet there are visible perforation problems. I'd go through and address that because potential bidders will note them disparity and then everything you have becomes questionable.

I would suggest making the changes to the homepage others have suggested and also listing items as a 7-day auction and see where they end up. I'd start out with items that are nicely centered and clean, in the $10-$20 range and start them out at $1.99.

This will do a couple of things. First, it will get more people looking at your items. Second, it will give you a better idea of market price for the material you are trying to liquidate.

Just my thoughts.

Here is ebay's specific policy for selling raw coins-We as a community should take a page out of this playbook and demand the same policy for uncertified stamps (But, I would lower the value threshold for stamps to $500)....it took a LOT of fraudulent activity to get ebay's attention in the numismatic arena, and although dishonest coin sellers still exist, they pale in comparison to the Philatelic marketplace. Here is the ebay listing policy for uncertified coins:

A raw coin is one that hasn't been graded by a coin grading company, or has been graded, but not by an approved grading company.

Listings for raw coins must follow these guidelines:

The numeric grade (such as MS-65, VF-25) isn't included in the title, description, or item specifics of the listing
No estimate of value (even if personal opinion) or reference to a price guide is included in the title or description
The listing includes photos of the front and back of the coin being sold, and you are authorized to use the photos. Stock photos and images that are dark, out of focus, edited, or misleading aren't allowed
Photos or scans of coins in holders from a non-approved grading company cannot show a grade or any text describing the grade or quality of the coin. The grade and text related to the grade must be completely obscured and unreadable
The starting, reserve, or Buy It Now price for the coin is less than $2,500

Now, here are ebay's stamp listing guidelines. Does anybody see a problem here?

Listings for stamps must follow these guidelines:

Include all relevant information that you know about the item, such as origin, date of issue, and condition
Include clear pictures of the actual item being sold. Stock photos and images that are dark, out of focus, edited, or misleading aren't allowed
All flaws or alterations to the item being sold that can't be seen in the pictures must be specified in the description of the listing
Include all information about any alterations that may have been made to the item
Individually identify every item listed to avoid misunderstandings about what is for sale
Don't make false or misleading claims of sales scarcity, value, condition or investment potential.

The difference? Coins at least have some degree of regulation. Stamps appear to have none; just a myriad of subjective clauses that could easily be bent or broken without any repercussions or consequences for doing so.

Reedededge,

A major difference is that slabbed coins are MUCH more prevalent in their hobby/industry than stamps with certs are. Also, encapsulation of coins is the norm, not the exception, so changes in condition post-expertization are a relative nonissue outside of RD turning RB turning BN over time or due to environmental exposure. Not so with stamps.

There was major collaborative work with the ANA I believe to establish who the accepted grading companies would be, before these policies were implemented. This would be much more difficult with stamps given the number of expertizers out there. Coin grading and encapsulation is primarily a U.S.-centric industry with only a handful of legitimate companies that weren't self-slabbers to be considered, whereas with non-U.S. stamps there are a myriad of legitimate international expertizers. We're talking more than just the PF, PSE, PSAG, and APEX here... if those were the only expertizing entities to be considered legitimate, it would be incredibly shortsighted.

Stamp expertization and coin encapsulation and grading have different processes, standards, and expectations. They are not the same. The coin and stamp marketplace norms are also considerably different, both in terms of how items are collected and bought/sold, and in routine practices.

Stampman, I always try to flag perf problems. I'll do a review. Perhaps there are some older listings that need to be cleaned up.

eyeonthewall - thanks for the price feedback - I will reduce the asking price

edit: I did find a couple items listed as "sound" with some minor perf issues and fixed them. (I'm still reviewing.) I try to be very diligent on faults. I check every stamp for thins, list all faults from tiny perf creases on up. But if its late at night or I'm doing too much, I will make a mistake. Please do send a PM here or on ebay if you notice something off. I want to get it right. Thanks.