Ebay to Change Policy on “Certified Coins” in its Auctions

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By CoinLink on Sunday, September 16, 2007
Filed Under: Auction News, Featured, Commentary and Opinion

8 Comment(s)

1. Morton Elimeleck | Oct 15, 2007 | Reply

   I have all my Canadian coins certified by either ICCS or CCCS before either buying or selling. Both these Canadian companies have higher standards than each of the five approved by eBay. I will continue to use these two grading companies, and will stop listing my graded coins on eBay.
   Apparently the reason this new requirement was introduced by eBay was to allow them to more easily SELL lists of coin data, the same as they do with Baseball cards and Comic books.
   I recognize that there are many unscrupulous sellers, as well as coin graders, which should be weeded-out, starting with “Heritage Coin Grading (HCG)”. This company is using your good name to pass inferior coins as MS-70 and PR-70. The several 70’s I have seen of theirs were graded by someone, who at best had 20/200 vision.

2. Morton Elimeleck | Oct 15, 2007 | Reply

   Okay, I appologize for grading the eyesight of Heritage’s coin grader. He was totally blind.

3. Rich | Nov 15, 2007 | Reply

   I find it rather interesting to find that Ebay has finally stepped up to the window and expressed an interest in the noviced coin collector. It is about time; and much more time is needed in watching the slabbers that establish some form of grading for their own selfish gain.

   Please, let us novices express how we feel about being taken to the cleaners by the first party, self interest graders. Let us make it a fair and impartial world at Ebay coin. Thanks for reading what Ebay is trying to do and my opinion on what us buyers want in all fairness and honesty. Thanks Rich

4. Carl W. Lundquist | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply

   Sir; Before you start giving out information on ICCS perhaps you should start by a little research. ICCS slabs not just Canadian coins. Second, what does a site have to do with excellence? Third “I’m not even sure you could consider then a “certified” Grading company as they do not encapsulate the coins they grade, but rather just put coins in a sealed slips.” Where is it written in law or stone that in order to be considered a certified grading company the company must encapsulate the coins it grades in hard plastic rather than soft plastic? I much prefer the soft plastic slabs as they can be reproduced on eBay by any scanner and no need for fancy photography. And, fourth, I get very fancy prices for my ICCS slabbed coins where the average collector of Canadian coins will not even look at a coin not slabbed by ICCS. And lastly, I put my name and reputation with this information. Where is your name and what is your claim to fame? Regards, Carl W. Lundquist, JD, Colonel, Army of the United States (Retired) 14 Hartland Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, Tel. 617 288 1024, cwlund@verizon.net Purplescarf

5. CoinLink | Jan 1, 2008 | Reply

   Editors Note:
   Dear Col. Lundquist:

   It seems that we struck a nerve with some of the comments included in this article. Let me try to address your points:

   1. The article did NOT say that ICCS ONLY grades Canadian coins, but rather that they SPECIALIZE in Canadian coins. That is, I believe, a factual statement.

   2. The article did not equate ICCS’s lack of a web site with the quality of the service they provide. In fact we mentioned that ICCS is “Highly Respected”.

   What we did say was the lack of a web site was to the detriment of ICCS. A web site would give ICCS the ability to reach tens of thousands of potential new collectors in addition to giving the general coin collecting community greater access to their services and knowledge base. How could that not be a good thing for both ICCS and the coin hobby as a whole? More information and access helps everyone.

   3. There is nothing that states that the way in which ICCS “slabs” it’s coins would disqualify them from being considered a certified grading service, however providing tamperproof encapsulation provides both greater protection for the coin and greater security for the buyer. Some consider a grading company that issues a “certification certificate” along with or attached to an un-secure slip or holder not to be a “Certified Grading Service”. Other, such as yourself, would disagree.

   4. My name is Scott Purvis. I have been the editor of CoinLink for the past 13 years. I have no claim to fame

   Thanks for your comments !

6. r.phillips | Feb 13, 2008 | Reply

   this is an interesting consept myself I am new to the coin world and find that anything that I have purchased Through Ebay with a ICCS grading seems to be right on the money,also when I have asked others about a coin they have agreed with ICCS findings I even went as far as taking out a minor coin that I bought and tested it with another more experienced dealer and he said I should send the coin off to ICCs to get thecoin graded he Figured about an ms 63 maybe 64 the coin was a Ms 63.
   I wonder actually why ebay does this is tthere another reason they dont mention?? Maybe its a force play for canadians to deal with a us company,after all they still allow ICCS on ebay.ca and they willallow other grading companies to use ebay.ca maybe take the others off and leave the Canadian sites to Canadian companies.
   r.phillips

7. MARK | May 29, 2008 | Reply

   SINCE I JUST PURCHASED 25 SLABBED COINS ON EBAY AND UNKNOWINGLY BUYING A BUNCH OF OVERSTATED AND NOT RECOGNIZED AS CERTIFIED, PERHAPS EBAY SHOULD STIPULATED THAT ONLY RECOGNIZED CERTIFIED COMPANIES BE ALLOWED TO USE THE WORD SLABBED. ANY COMPANY NOT ON THE EBAY LIST SHOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED TO LIST CONDITION. THE WORD SLABBED IS MISLEADING.

8. Howard Brett | Jun 18, 2008 | Reply

   Wow, Interesting thoughts! Many valid points have been made. My Name is Howard Brett, I have been grading Canadian coins for over 30 years, and tend to agree with the ICCS grades over 90% of the time, of the other 10%, it is about 50/50 they are over 5% of the time and under 5% of the time… and that is if the coin in the holder is actually the coin they (ICCS) actually placed in the holder. YES, their holders are not tamper proof… guess what… NONE of the Major Services have tamperproof holders… NONE!!! Remember, the same companies that produce holders for the graders, sell them elsewhere, so breaking a holder to get a piece of paper with some numbers out and trading out the contents, placing the new combo in the same type of NEW Tamperproof holder, is childs play! So, buyer beware. You as a buyer, be it expert or novice, must take it upon yourself to learn how to grade the series of coins you wish to collect and invest your hard earned money in… PERIOD. Slabbed coins are nice in that they usually offer an experienced numismatists opinion, but remember, there is always a degree of subjectivity, you must get to know the technical difference between the grades and take nothing for granted. As for eBay, I applaud their efforts to clean up their backyard, although, they might want to concider getting some guidance Just because the ANA has clout, doesn’t mean all their members have the skills and/or ethics to properly grade Canadian coins any better than many none approved companies… other than PCGS and NGC, I wouldn’t touch a Canadian coin slabbed by any of the other appoved services, and as for the two mentioned, I’d never bid higher than 60% of the Trend value for the grade lower than what is indicated on the slab unless I’ve actually seen the coin in person, know the seller very well, or the return policy is no holds barred 100% refund including S&H. How many times do you get that on eBay. As far as I’m concerned, eBay should only approve a third party grading service that does not buy and sell their own coins, that is conflict of interest. BTW. ICCS does not buy and sell coins… they do not invest in a web site as they do not need any more business than they already handle… they are too busy as it is… besides they’d have to start doubling or tripling their fees and start charging prices similar to some of the approved ANA services. In my not so humble opinion, eBay should crack down on the human garbage that has over the years built a history of retaliatory negative feedback towards honest buyers who have been burned by these dishonest sellers, then burned again with no help from eBay, posting blurry, tiny vague photos, over inflated opinions of value, excessive S&H fees that are never refunded, frequent name changes, suspensions, multiple accounts, many incomplete transactions from the same group of buddies that attempt to mask their “shill bidding”… Need I say more? Who’s interests are they [eBay]serving by preventing any honest seller who post large clear details pictures, posting certicicate numbers, offering refund policies including S&H, etc… When I buy Canadian coins, my first seach criteria is (ICCS,_ _ _ _).

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