Stamp Collecting with GS

Online Auction Selling Tips

Online stamp auctions are very busy places, where dealers and collectors list auctions for sale. Here are a few tips to help you when you list your stamps for sale online.

Time the end of your auctions when bidders on the West Coast are online, but not past 11:00 PM on the East Coast. That leaves you with a two-hour window of from 9:00 et (6:00 pt) to 11:00 et (8:00 pt).

Check the calendar. Don't end your auction on a major holiday when people will be away from their terminal.

Spread out the closing time of lots listed within the same category. Try to space out the closing time of your lots by five or six minutes. If you list 10 lots of Irish stamps that all close within moments of each other, some bidders will miss out bidding on a few lots because they're waiting a particular item.

You must have a clear scan of your stamps for sale, and please make the scan larger than a postage stamp. If you're not getting crisp pictures from your scans, read and learn from one of the online resource sites about scanning.

If the condition of the back of your stamp is important to your bidders, include a view of it along with the face, and be sure to scan it against a contrasting color.

Many active stamp collectors search the stamp categories with keywords so be sure that the title of your lot contains as many important words as possible, such as the country, the Scott #, exceptional condition if applicable, "on cover" if applicable.

If you have a specialized stamp publication, you might try listing it with the stamps of that country, rather than under "publications."

List your lot where the bidders are. Spend a few days checking the auction site's traffic and check closed auctions for lots like yours. Ask a few stamp collectors who've sold online for advice.

Don't leave bidders guessing. State how you will accept payment (money order, check, etc.) and what the postage/shipping cost will be. Many bidders will figure the postage and cost of a money order into their bid, so don't charge $5 shipping for a $1 stamp.

The USPS will insure up to $50 for $1.10. Be familiar with their insurance coverage and go to their Web site. If you think it's a good idea, put something like "Successful bidder can add $XXX for insurance."

If there's a minimum amount of money you'll accept for your lot, you can set the initial bid at that price, or you can set it lower and set a reserve price.

Describe your stamps accurately, such as "United States, #987 mint, never hinged." Let the scan do the talking about color, perfs and centering, but be sure to disclose all known defects that are not readily apparent in the scan, such as thins or repairs.

Our friend Marek suggests: "Ebay and Yahoo let you list an item for a maximum of 10 days. List your auctions Thursday night so you'll hit two weekends. Don't pick automatic relisting. Relist auction yourself next Thursday. This way you hit another two weekends and take advantage of fee weiver. Traffic increases on weekends and also depends on the season of the year in the northern hemisphere. Late fall, winter, and early spring puts more people in front of their computer."