Oh, what a number on ebay!! I guess I have just about made it. And to think less than two years ago I started this little part time endeavor just to pass some of my free time away.  Then, June 7, 2007 I started this little blog thing in celebration of a 500 feedback rating. Now 10 months later another milestone. The really amazing part of this number, I guess, is that there are still no negatives. I must be doing something right?? And, the second 500 came without a neutral, as well. Some might tell me not to break my arm trying to pat myself on the back. Sometimes that's the only way you gonna get patted on the back. I'm gonna toot, toot, toot my own horn here. After all, I don't find too many sellers on ebay that have a 100% feedback as a seller. As the old addage goes, "You can satisfy some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time." Maybe I got that a little mixed up with somethin' else I heard one time, I'm not really sure.

Another celebration I should have had a couple months back, I guess, would have been the good ol' ebay award of gold power seller status. Although, I really think that was just a natural extension of having started by ebay store last July. For all you part time sellers out there who have some reasonably expensive items you can sell, give the store a try. Ebay gives you a break on the listing fees, but hits you harder once the item sells. I don't think a store is appropriate for items less than $100 or so because ebay takes a pretty significant cut from the sale proceeds. Then again, maybe with the right markup, you could just about make out with any price items.

Anywho, just wanted to add to this little blog thing that I have achieved another milestone of the ebay kind.

If any of you blogsters out there happen to see this and are interested in some very nice collector coins, take a few minutes and peruse,(is that a word?) my store listings. Some great little treasures in there.

Have a great time playing the ebay game and keep your chin up and head held high!!!!

Mike 

On the afternoon of Oct. 10, 2007, my wife and I became the proud grandparents of our fourth grandchild and ONLY grandson. After our daughter's two little girls and our son's little girl, our son and daughter-in-law finally came through with a grandson. Dont get me wrong here, we love our three little girls a bunch. But, for a sports nut grandfather there is something special about looking at a new born grandson and thinking of the unlimited possibilities of future sporting events.

All three granddaughters are probably going to be somewhat sports minded with gymnastics appearing to be the most likely participating event for the three.  With their ages being 8, 4 and 2 it is a little too soon to tell if there might be some soccer or basketball players in the group. But, with a strapping 7lb 8oz, 21inch boy there is no doubt in my or my sons mind that we have a future NFL linebacker or defensive end now in the family. Or, maybe a quarterback. Who knows? It's just the unlimited possibilties that are exciting. With the expansion and popularity of NASCAR, maybe we have a new D E Jr. or JJ in the family. You get my drift. Possibilties!!!

In all honesty, it sometimes bothers me to see other sellers getting top dollar for coins that are quite frankly only average for the grade on the slab. I wonder then, why are prospective buyers offering way below wholesale for my coins?  I recently had an instance where a prospective buyer messaged me with a question about one of my store listings. His question simply was why was my coin priced higher than the book value for that particular grade. In my mind the answer was obvious. My coin was without a doubt undergraded. The coin was in all aspects of grading an MS64 minimum, with claims to MS65, even though the number on the slab, by ANACS, was an MS63. I went on to explain my reasoning to the customer and left it at that.

For approximately 50 years, I have collected under the correct guidance and belief that coins should be considered according to their own inherent value from condition and eye appeal, and NOT someone else's opinion as to condition and therefore grade. With the caveat that sometimes one must depend on a third party grader, since approximately the late 70's or early 80's, to substantiate an opinion as to grade.  That is, if the obvious condition and grade of the coin is higher than the given grade by the subjective grader, or lower, if that is the case, then the correct choice is to buy in accordance with the coin and not the grade. As is always the case, grading is subjective. There lies the rub.  My opinion may be different and subjectively as wrong as the grader, or vise versa, in any particular instance. Again, we have the guidance of one's own opinion overriding the number on the slab.

Another entry in this little thing they call a blog addresses the difference in graders, and there again the need to buy the coin and not the grade.

Thanks for looking and I hope this little entry helps someone.  Buy safe and may all your winning bids lead to wonderful coins or whatever else you are bidding on.

If anyone out there has the answer to this one, please respond as soon as possible. I would like to concentrate my buying efforts on the correct metal. Thanks a lot for a response as quick as you can.

Do you ever think back to when you were a kid? Maybe six or seven. Your mom or dad just gave you a nickle. Or maybe they were generous and gave you a big fat quarter. You thought about what you were gonna buy with that new found treasure. Maybe a popsicle. Maybe a candy bar. Uh, Oh. I'm maybe telling my age a little here. Most of you have never been able to buy a popsicle or candy bar for a nickle. Anyway. That little piece of metal brought new opportunities. If you were really fortunate, you had two coins at the same time. I used to walk with my hand in my pocket just so I could rub the two together. Felt like real possibilities when there were two in my pocket. Ummmm, let's see what kind of things can I buy now? Anyway, you get the picture. Right? Coins meant all kind of opportunities were opening up to that young mind to think about.

Today, I wonder about why I didn't keep that wondrous attitude about the possibities in those coins. Then I remember what happened when I got a little older and started thinking about all the other things that growing up brought about. I remember taking three Whitman folders filled with Silver quarters and emptying the folders one at a time for money to put gas in my first car, when I ran out of dollar bills. Oh, the insanity. Anyway, you get the picture.

The wondrous attitude about the coins is back, but I have a lot of coins missing that coulda, shoulda been in my collection.

What about you? You got any coins missing?