Buying On Ebay/Hipstamp

I'm at the point where I'm going to be trying to fill the bigger (in monetary terms) US stamps like #2 and 356 unused this year. Should I abandon the online sites? While it is fun to fill my albums with everything I want to mount; I am getting to where $1-3,000 or more is probably going to the price tag. Fine with that; but I see listings with little to no info; and with that price tag, I'd expect to at least see the back of any given stamp when the price is above $500.

Am I wrong and online dealers are just lazy? Should I simply request more info on any given listing?


(I certainly don't expect a dissertation on a 424 or something common; but have seen very little in terms of actual descriptions on some higher-value stamps in the "great deal" auctions on hipstamp lately.)


Appreciate any and all feedback.

Register and bid on Stamp Auction Network with real auction houses. I would never drop that type of money on ebay. A whole lot of ebay material comes from the auctiin houses in the first place and is on ebay because of issues or is obscenely marked up. Try to buy with fresh certificates but if necessary always specify an extension if the cert is older or nonexistent.

Look at about a hundred auction results then wait.

Looking at auction results on Stamp Auction Network will not only give you a ballpark figure for what you'll be spending (remember to factor in buyer's premium) but you'll also get to know quite quickly the auction houses that are carrying the material you're after.

ebay is fine for many things, including common stamps, modest collections, binders, pages, and so on. But if you want some of the more expensive stamps and collections, it's always better to try to find them at auction. The prices will be better and you have guarantees from reputable auction houses. ebay can be hit or miss. I've had good luck on ebay, but my purchases there are limited to a few sellers and they've been almost exclusively modest purchases. It may take longer to find what you want at auction, but you'll be happy you did.

There are some good sellers on ebay, but you won't find them by sorting on 'lowest first'; it is rare that less common stamps in great condition will be found 'at a bargain'. Quality material is recognized by the better sellers no matter what the venue might be. Consider building a relationship with a quality seller and support them as a means of getting a better price. Never buy into the ebay marketing hogwash that it is fine to drop a lot of money on something sight unseen from an unknown seller half a world away. This might be fine for some consumer product under $50 but when it comes to buying less common stamps, know wh9o you are buying from.
Don

I use ebay to get items for my foreign collection that are in the $5 -$50 catalog range. After doing this for quite a while I've found that most decent material will sell for 30-40% of catalog range. I know many people do not like them but I get a lot of things from the seller NYStamps. I like the idea of starting EVERYTHING at 0.01 and letting the market dictate the outcome. It's funny to see sellers post things with starting bids at 75%+ of catalog - I stopped buying from them long ago.

As for higher end US, I only have a couple sellers on ebay I will use(a good one is Rupp Bros - very accurate descriptions and fair prices). It's a gamble to buy anything from an image no matter how good it is - I hate to count the times I've bought something, and after receiving it, say to myself "If I had examined this in person I probably would have passed".

I will stay with buying better items from Stamp Auction Network ,the auction houses will work with you on any issue . Buying better stuff on ebay has cause too many bad experiences for me .

The 1 cent opening bids on ebay is a circus,too many clowns out there bidding on stuff but never bidding to realistic prices ,they are hoping they shag something with their very low bids .If you ask me they give people in mental insitutations computers and they are told they can bid on stuff but only up to 50 cents and they place hundreds of bids each day .

To the original poster: I'm wondering if perhaps the APS Stamp Store might also be an option for you -- perhaps at least taking a look at the offerings?

It may be OK to buy high end stamps on ebay, but do not buy expensive stamps without certificate. A successful outcome is more likely if the dealer is a current APS dealer member, ASDA member or NSDA member. Unknown off-shore sellers with low feedback may not perform and International shipping, except for FedEx and registered mail from a selected countries is not likely to be secure.

Stamp Auction Network hosts a variety of sellers. Some are excellent, but some are no better than their ebay counterparts.

It is also possible to investigate prices of better stamps on sites of major auctions houses like Siegel.

With all due respect Clark at least one membership, ASDA, insures nothing. Anthony's and some of the other usual suspects display the ASDA logo and we all know how that story goes.

To paint an analogy ... you seem to be asking which swimming pool has the best lifeguard, when it would be better that you know how to swim in deeper water yourself. Knowledge is the key ... to recognize the pitfalls yourself regardless of where you choose to swim. Each source mentioned here has its advocates and detractors. Knowledgeable collectors can build impressive collections and exhibits from any of them.

Hmmmmmm, ebay or Siegel for that $3000 stamp.......what to do......hmmmmmmm

Rogdcam, We all know you hate ebay and do not use it. You continue to deride it in post after post. Apparently you had some bad experience there in the past. It's time you stopped flogging the horse. It's dead. Many of us get a considerable livelihood from ebay and are tired of listening you harp on and on. If you don't have anything nice to say about ebay, then SHUT UP.

I do not hate ebay. I have no skin in the game. Apparently you do and that is fine but your view is biased based upon your deriving income from ebay. As far as the anger goes and telling me to SHUT UP that deserves no response. It is childish. We have differing opinions. That is all. Adults debate without throwing tantrums. Can it be toned down perhaps? Last I checked we are equal forum members and need to treat each other with respect.

Could anybody point to any forum requirements that only nice ebay comments will be tolerated?

Knowledge assists you in finding a quality stamp, wisdom assists you in finding a quality seller.

In my opinion the venue has some impact but there is no 'venue panacea' in which less experienced buyers can trust in buying properly identified uncertified stamps. Every venue has problematic stamps and buyers want to be able to buy a stamp and mount it without having to invest time and money in certifying anything but a rare stamp.

Trying to count-balance the ebay marketing monster, which clearly has pushed the idea that you do not have to know the seller nor do you have to build a long-term business relationship, is an uphill battle.
Don