AppleZippoandMetronome

Sadly ebay really is a bad place to shop for collectable items worth more than a few £s unless you really know what you're looking at. I had my own run in with this on ebay when buying a valuable retro game cartridge for a friend as a christmas gift. That field is not at all my speciality but I know enough to spot the obvious fakes a mile away and I know to open any cartrdiges to check the boards inside for authenticity. The one I got was not authentic despite coming from a seller with really high feedback and numerous assurances that the cartridge had been checked. When I notified the seller and sent pictures of the board the reply I got was an absolute freak out about how I'd destroyed the item which he still claimed was authentic. I opened a case and got my money back. I had to send the item back but I did permanently mark it as fake so it couldn't easily be resold. Not that this matters as it costs a couple £s to buy a replacement off Aliexpress that can then be easily turned around for over £100 to someone who doesn't check things thoroughly.
The potential profit for the morally bankrupt seller is the problem. For any of these things the potential profit is high enough to make the few nuisance cases of people seeing what is actually going on worth dealing with. Even if only one out of every 10 sales results in the item going to someone who just accepts it there is still enough profit to make that worth while for the seller. Do that using a number of accounts enough times and there is sadly probably really good money in it.
The average buyer does really need to educate themselves when buying on ebay but equally ebay really needs to make more of a point of highlighting the fraud that they collect fees for on their platform and helping more people avoid it. They really have done an exceptionl job when it comes to dodging their responsibility on this.

Sadly ebay really is a bad place to shop for collectable items worth more than a few £s unless you really know what you're looking at. I had my own run in with this on ebay when buying a valuable retro game cartridge for a friend as a christmas gift. That field is not at all my speciality but I know enough to spot the obvious fakes a mile away and I know to open any cartrdiges to check the boards inside for authenticity. The one I got was not authentic despite coming from a seller with really high feedback and numerous assurances that the cartridge had been checked. When I notified the seller and sent pictures of the board the reply I got was an absolute freak out about how I'd destroyed the item which he still claimed was authentic. I opened a case and got my money back. I had to send the item back but I did permanently mark it as fake so it couldn't easily be resold. Not that this matters as it costs a couple £s to buy a replacement off Aliexpress that can then be easily turned around for over £100 to someone who doesn't check things thoroughly.
The potential profit for the morally bankrupt seller is the problem. For any of these things the potential profit is high enough to make the few nuisance cases of people seeing what is actually going on worth dealing with. Even if only one out of every 10 sales results in the item going to someone who just accepts it there is still enough profit to make that worth while for the seller. Do that using a number of accounts enough times and there is sadly probably really good money in it.
The average buyer does really need to educate themselves when buying on ebay but equally ebay really needs to make more of a point of highlighting the fraud that they collect fees for on their platform and helping more people avoid it. They really have done an exceptionl job when it comes to dodging their responsibility on this.

Sadly ebay really is a bad place to shop for collectable items worth more than a few £s unless you really know what you're looking at. I had my own run in with this on ebay when buying a valuable retro game cartridge for a friend as a christmas gift. That field is not at all my speciality but I know enough to spot the obvious fakes a mile away and I know to open any cartrdiges to check the boards inside for authenticity. The one I got was not authentic despite coming from a seller with really high feedback and numerous assurances that the cartridge had been checked. When I notified the seller and sent pictures of the board the reply I got was an absolute freak out about how I'd destroyed the item which he still claimed was authentic. I opened a case and got my money back. I had to send the item back but I did permanently mark it as fake so it couldn't easily be resold. Not that this matters as it costs a couple £s to buy a replacement off Aliexpress that can then be easily turned around for over £100 to someone who doesn't check things thoroughly.
The potential profit for the morally bankrupt seller is the problem. For any of these things the potential profit is high enough to make the few nuisance cases of people seeing what is actually going on worth dealing with. Even if only one out of every 10 sales results in the item going to someone who just accepts it there is still enough profit to make that worth while for the seller. Do that using a number of accounts enough times and there is sadly probably really good money in it.
The average buyer does really need to educate themselves when buying on ebay but equally ebay really needs to make more of a point of highlighting the fraud that they collect fees for on their platform and helping more people avoid it. They really have done an exceptionl job when it comes to dodging their responsibility on this.

I think we need to not fall into the trap of expecting the average punter to know what most of us in the TSF know. These people aren’t scamming people in the know. They are scamming innocent people. That person will never invest in gold again as it’s ’dodgy And dangerous’. Gives the whole bullion industry a bad name. 

If you are buying scrap there are certain items to avoid such as candlesticks as they have weighted bottoms and many cutlery knives have weighted handles.

If you regularly sell on ebay one thing you (sadly and quite often annoyingly) come to realize is that very few people actually read an items description. Quite often someone will see the title, look at the first picture and base their bid/purchase on that alone. Whilst the title of this one does clearly give a weight indicating it is a half sov one other thing I've noticed in the coin world is that quite often people rush to buy things without knowing anything about it. I suspect there is a combination of those two things at play with this auction.
The above being said though this is very much a thing on ebay which I'd mostly chalk up to some form of auction fever. You'll see the same behaviour if you attend an auction in person. I was at one back in November and watched as one lot after the other went for well over what you could buy the items for from the shops around that sold them. Factoring in auction fees people paid as much as double for some of the goods and it wsan't because it was a charity auction. Its not something I'll ever understand.

If you regularly sell on ebay one thing you (sadly and quite often annoyingly) come to realize is that very few people actually read an items description. Quite often someone will see the title, look at the first picture and base their bid/purchase on that alone. Whilst the title of this one does clearly give a weight indicating it is a half sov one other thing I've noticed in the coin world is that quite often people rush to buy things without knowing anything about it. I suspect there is a combination of those two things at play with this auction.
The above being said though this is very much a thing on ebay which I'd mostly chalk up to some form of auction fever. You'll see the same behaviour if you attend an auction in person. I was at one back in November and watched as one lot after the other went for well over what you could buy the items for from the shops around that sold them. Factoring in auction fees people paid as much as double for some of the goods and it wsan't because it was a charity auction. Its not something I'll ever understand.

If you regularly sell on ebay one thing you (sadly and quite often annoyingly) come to realize is that very few people actually read an items description. Quite often someone will see the title, look at the first picture and base their bid/purchase on that alone. Whilst the title of this one does clearly give a weight indicating it is a half sov one other thing I've noticed in the coin world is that quite often people rush to buy things without knowing anything about it. I suspect there is a combination of those two things at play with this auction.
The above being said though this is very much a thing on ebay which I'd mostly chalk up to some form of auction fever. You'll see the same behaviour if you attend an auction in person. I was at one back in November and watched as one lot after the other went for well over what you could buy the items for from the shops around that sold them. Factoring in auction fees people paid as much as double for some of the goods and it wsan't because it was a charity auction. Its not something I'll ever understand.

Solid advice. I will also use James' wife's phone

Just been made aware of this thought i would share.
 

Thank you, I will use the wife's phone 😆 

As we all know, this recent and sudden rise of the gold spot price has left many of us questioning, what next. Is it going to stay? Is this the new normal?
So, as percentages over ‘spot’ are being massively squeezed currently, might we see smaller gold coins or small quantities in bar form becoming more popular to buy and sell.
By this I mean, Sovereigns, 1/4oz coins, Half Sovereigns, 1/10th oz coins and 1g bars.
I don’t want to expand much more because I wonder how you all feel about this.
But as ‘spot’ goes up and the squeeze on the cost living rises (robbery), we may see that smaller denominations of gold become more popular and larger gold coins and bars become less unaffordable for most.
Have you abandoned a date run?
Are you thinking of buying little but more often?
I’ll leave this open to you all.

It's just an initial shock, you soon get over it.
'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'...some will baulk, some will carry on regardless.
I remember promising that I'd stop driving when petrol got to £2 a gallon. Drinking when beer hit £2 a pint.
Yet.....😇
Things will change, more people drink at home now than frequent pubs, people care more about MPG than MPH.
In less developed countries, gold is still as prized as ever but folk just buy what they can afford. 
 
Personally, I hit my target in 2020 and now I'm just buying things I like and items to complete collections, but still balancing my total by moving on odds and sods.
I was buying @ £700-750 an ounce so the temptation to draw profit is too strong and I've sold some things I may regret but hey ho.
I've always been a fan of stacking fractional gold and that will certainly continue.

Haven't posted in awhile, thought members might be interested in this auction, mostly Canadian coins but some paper notes and US items.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbidlive.kauctions.ca%2FKASTNER-AUCTIONS_as94235%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR13yh8kIo5uKZAMmLw02-LZyyYf31a6NGDJ6484glefjXfFHnN_DQnppjI&h=AT3n2iXoKGkHdsWIM6ddb22DtDsCXFAzrYrP_6kh9P2_bOkSHSJDOBWHsc2bAzydVyHqqQL26gy51X3fmw4MSu7QPdZK8LYJQUJW6auon3V99TG9pmDA_hcG3w&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AT2hEL_RM9tg6t1XiqPDxq55kdqJxbudgvlixPGykhp7QZsPcMU5ERr3bIn7m5q2mpYJOj9RTgKLzZAJv6Q6Xjref1s-aD3FfRqFZN97sRgmBhvwbS_4Qa3X95kN9VwY3MUwW8gkXiCGdq64LkDEgCKVLUjI9FItnGALkK0wRAhII9wpFaz1UmIpXBGI2yjV_k8o3_EbrkzkkwYsgw

I recently bought these from the Central Mint of Taiwan. 
Personally, I think the holographic design is really visually appealing. 
They come with a higher premium, interested to know if people think that cost is worth it for the flashy design.   
 

If the Royal Mint starting making these we'd get 3D dairy cows!

I’m a big advocate for people leaning to do their own homework. 
 
 

‘For the obverse impression Our effigy with the inscription “· CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D · 200 POUNDS ·” and the date of the year, 
and for the reverse a depiction of the RNLI flag encircled by a lifebuoy with the inscription “200 YEARS” and “1824 2024”. 
The coin shall have a grained edge.’
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4456072 

Really liking the looks of those

BND262 might be a better code for some, it will get you a free platinum jubilee 50p bunc pack if you spend over £75.

RM free delivery code shared on one of the FB groups: PST136
 
Topcashback: 5.95% or more
 

Really liking the looks of those

Good to see they finally got around to it!

I think this is good news from ebay.  Just received an email that from the 11 October any jewellery sold for more than £500, you can post directly to ebay who will authenticate and post on to buyer. Any returns goes the same way.  This will stop scammers posting back a Christmas card or a swapped item. 
I wished they would include gold coins. 
A step in the right direction and no extra charge to the seller
Spyder