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How do you try to protect yourself trading by post?

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How do you try to protect yourself trading by post?
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FloFlo71

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I have traded a few times on here, pinpics and Facebook. Each time if I don't know the person it is a bit of a twitchy time. This time I have had a request and when I asked for pics they said the pin isn't where they are at the moment so pics could take awhile. I've repied saying I would wait to see pics before confirming trade. They have pm'd a few other people in the pin group same day as they pm'd me and have posted in group previously offering to co-op on pin sets.

Not much else I can do if I want to trade, is there?
 

Well if the pin isn't where they are right now, they wouldn't be able to send it to you anyway.. So I wouldn't send it out any earlier either, especially since you're feeling a little cautious. I would confirm the trade but insist that you can only trade if he/she sends you a picture when they have it & can send it out.

I trade mostly on Instagram and we always send pictures of the pins, and then of the stamped parcel and tracking number. It gives you some peace of mind
 
You should always see pictures of the pins before you trade with anyone. Unless it's with a friend who you've traded with before of course. Trust, but verify!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk
 
I'm a relatively new trader (so I haven't been burned, yet). I once checked references, and worried about the honesty of potential trade partners. Though I've never asked for pictures (though I occasionally send pictures, even if not asked).

I've stopped worrying about all that. Unless I were trading pins of unusually high monetary value, I don't sweat it too much.

As one experienced collector/trader says (many of you know him): "They're only little pieces of metal!"

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't lose too much sleep over pin trading. Here's an example: the picture below are pins I received this week from a trader in Belgium, and I'm in the United States (I took this picture AFTER the pins arrived). I didn't know this person, yet I didn't go looking for references, and didn't request photos of the pins (though I sent them a photo of my pins). I had "good vibes" from our conversations, so I did the trade without any worries. As you might expect, I had to send a nice little collection of pins to receive these. Included in the package I sent were some LE's. That's the level of trust I have in people engaged in this hobby, that I would do a trade of this magnitude with a complete stranger on a different continent!
 
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Thanks, both, I guess I just expected photos to be available and when they said the pin wasn't where they were I was a little unsure. I have said I will still trade once photos are provided. I am guessing if the pin was elsewhere that someone else was going to mail for them. Haven't had anyone say that before.
 
I am a British trader so obviously it is probably even harder conducting an international trade, particularly as many are unwilling to post pins to the UK. That said, regarding the risks of postal trading, you do get vibes from people speaking to them- other than that, I feel more comfortable if they are particularly active on the Facebook groups I'm in/ have traded with other people.

Regarding shipping, I am unsure of the American system, but in the UK we are able to insure our international packages for a relatively low price. For pins of less than $30 value, I ship standard and untracked as this value is still insured. For more valuable pins, I will pay just over double in order to have them tracked and insured to a higher value. I feel more comfortable sending out pins having insured them- I'm not sure how it works in the USA but I don't think the majority of time traders ship to me with insurance. I would like to think though that if their package went missing or there was a problem they would 'make good' on the situation though.
 
Hi FloFlo71, I am a long time trader and I don't delete emails. I have been trading online for over 12 years now and have made thousands of trades over the time. I have been burned maybe a handful or so times. I am also a mod on pinpics. If you ever have a question about any trader feel free to email me at docfish2u@gmail.com. I am happy to tell you anything I can about the other trader. I am always happy to help whenever I can.

This offer is good for anybody who wants to email me. I know the reference center is down for the moment so I am happy to help out with it.
 
I wouldn't trust that Docfish guy as far as I can throw him, he's a liar, a cheat and he'll take every pin that you have if he could. :rofl::rofl: Just Kidding.
I'm like David, I've been doing this for a long time also and ya I've been burnt a few times over the years but the good trades way outweigh the bad ones. Go with your gut, and if your still not sure then ask any of us if we ever traded with the person before. David is also a great source, he can normally tell you what you need to know.
The biggest thing is just to have fun trading!
 


When I sold some BT pins through Facebook, I insured them. Like you, minor pins are one thing, pins valued over $200? Insurance!
 
I know I haven't been on here in forever, but do you have any suggestions as far as insurance (and maybe how much) when you don't even know how much your pin is worth? I know it's worth a lot (because of what I'm getting for it) and it's double digit LE size, but I've never made a trade quite like this before.
 
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