The Golden Ticket was a plot device in the 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which became the hit 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. In case you’re unfamiliar with this classic, a closed chocolate factory announces that it will reopen. Five golden tickets are hidden in Wonka bars. If you find […]
Visual puzzles sharpen grading skill
Increasingly as I scour coin auctions, I am amazed at how both auctioneers and bidders overlook outright mistakes and flaws. There is a distinct lack of numismatic skill more evident than ever on the Internet. First and foremost, you have to know what you are looking at and why you are bidding. Don’t rely on […]
Time to report fake California gold
Many auctioneers on HiBid, Proxibid, eBay, and other venues know I will call out fakes, replicas, souvenirs, and tokens when the seller lists them as California fractional gold coins. I wrote about this for Coin Update, most recently in July 2021, calling out this seller who lists this fake as being worth $1, 275. But […]
Beware of increasing buyer’s premiums
Online bidders have many options to snare coins for collections or investment as hundreds of auctions are available via such portals as Proxibid, HiBid, and Live Auctioneers, among others. In our excitement, we may overlook the key component that determines whether we will make a score or suffer a loss: The buyer’s premium. Internet auctions […]
PCGS TrueView adds value
Recently I won several Canadian specimen Proof coins with frosted surfaces and marvelous toning. The latter occurs because of the interaction between the metal and packaging of the coin. I consign my online auction winnings to an eBay seller known for his excellent toned coins and good photography. But his cannot stand up to that […]
Dubious double mint sets: What you should know
The U.S. Mint produced original double mint sets between 1947-and 1958. These are especially desirable because of low survival rates and outstanding toning, especially in 1957 and 1958. The first three years have the lowest mintages, with 1947 (5,000), 1948 (6,000), and 1949 (5,200). No sets were produced in 1950. Mintages grew each year from […]
Predicting PCI crack-out grades at PCGS
I have been submitting to PCGS for more than 15 years and so have a good feel for their grading standards. I thought it might be useful for me to show PCI coins that I am submitting in early February and then report on the findings when they are slabbed and returned to me, which […]
Auctioneer bans new international bidders on HiBid
Sheena Wallace, owner of Auctions by Wallace, has been one of my most trusted coin auctioneers for more than a decade, first on Proxibid and later on HiBid.com. This week I saw a notice on her platform, banning new Canadian bidders. She has since expanded that to all international bidders. When I see such alerts, […]
Bidding online with the pros
Today’s column differs from most of Michael Bugeja’s pieces in that he shares tips for online bidding, explaining your competition as well as auction basics: Is the auction in the United States? (You don’t want to pay international credit card fees on top of buyer’s fees). Does the auction have at least 50 coins up […]
The $60 rule: Don’t bid less
I have a $60-dollar rule in online bidding, and I recently violated it . . . and paid the price. You should bid less than $60 on a coin with a retail value of at least $75. Otherwise, don’t bid. You’ll lose money. The above image is a $75 retail value Morgan from APMEX. If […]
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