What to look for in an eBay Purchase

EBay.... How to guide: surviving your eBay purchasing experience.

When you are looking at a pin for sale on eBay, what do you look for as a sign of a safe buy VS an unsafe buy?

I will add people comments to the list here in the OP so that newer folks can see what to watch for.

good signs/safe seller:

• Pictures of actual pin(s) for sale.
• feedback score of 100%
• positive feedback comments.
• All pins for sale are good "Clean" authentic pins.

Bad signs/ unsafe seller:

• Pictures of random "lot" but not of pins actually being sold.
• prices putting pins under $1.00 each in a lot.
• feedback score less than 99.7% can indicate problems.
• Feedbacks with negative comments.
• ANY pins for sale that are known counterfeits.
• multiple times selling the same low LE over and over.
• descriptions that are suspicious: See comment/reply #8 below.

This is an information gathering thread. I am totally cool with all opinions, and some debate.... Just dont attack other people's opinions. Keep it polite if you disagree. DPF rules state no links, so no links for examples. If the thread seems to be going well, and is informative, we can ask for it to be stickied later.

Thank you in advance for all input!!!!

A feedback rate as low as 99.7% can indicate real problems. If they are less than 100% you should look into the actual comments.

Always look at the other items a seller is selling. If they are selling any scrappers, odds are they are selling ONLY scrappers.

honestly, I look at their eBay number. If they are over 100 feedback and a couple years on eBay, Ill go ahead with the sale/purchase. I'd like to add, I was on Craigslist looking for pins to trade to CMs, found an ad, contacted the seller and asked her if she wouldnt mind posting the ad on eBay and Ill buy it immediately (as she was in LA area, and we are in SF area). Worked perfectly, this was the only time I dealt with someone under 100 feedback!

Thanks for the tips

With the case of picture of "actual pins" I would like to bring up that someone here (forgot who, sorry!) bought a Cheshire cat pin, that had the real pin in the picture, but when they received it it was indeed a counterfeit pin! Sadly... :/

You can't always go off the pictures! Make sure before you buy that the seller has 100% feedback, and read their sales feedback! Make sure no one mentions "scrappers / fake" pins!

BugCatcherJenna said:

With the case of picture of "actual pins" I would like to bring up that someone here (forgot who, sorry!) bought a Cheshire cat pin, that had the real pin in the picture, but when they received it it was indeed a counterfeit pin! Sadly... :/

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I am still not convinced that the Cheshire cat pin you referenced was counterfeit. Yes, there were differences between the pin that was shown and the one received but that doesn't mean that the pin received was a counterfeit. That pin was one that was reissued many times and there can be many differences between pin runs. That pin came on original card and the seller offered a full refund which was refused by the buyer.

Another thing to look for is a seller that offers a good return policy without having to ask about it. Sellers that know their stuff is good are more up front about returns vs those that are trying to get away with something.

ryanfury said:

If they are selling any scrappers, odds are they are selling ONLY scrappers.

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Great advice!

I am not sure how to word this as a bullet point for negative signs...

I noticed that many of the scrap/counterfeit sellers state in their descriptions:

"Authentic rubber mickey backs, tradeable in parks. No duplicates!"

also I know of one seller who states in the description:
"If you believe everything these so called databases and forums claim about fake pins, dont buy from me." ((It is worded a bit differently and felt like a hostile comment))

Just saw this phrasing on an auction "AUCTION FOR 25 DISNEY TRADING PINS ON BLACK CARDS JUST LIKE DISNEY"

Note: the auction does not say that pins come on original cards, just that they come on cards like Disney. A pin that is on its original card should have a sku and price that matches what is on Pinpics (or ODPT, if the old pins are ever returned). If a pin was originally sold in a mystery tin, or a booster pack and it's being sold on a black card, that's not a good sign. If a pin is sold at Disney as a "blue" pin but it comes on a "yellow" card, that's not a good sign. The cards have changed over the years, pre-pin trading many cards were small, grey plastic, early pin trading pins came on small black cards, later pins on larger cards, newest pins come on paper not plastic cards. This info isn't being captured anywhere, but if you saw a pin at a park on a paper card and then see it in Ebay lots on plastic cards, it probably isn't original. Or if it's a 2001 pin on a paper card, not original.

Pre sales should be added into your guide somehow. Maybe not positive ort negative, but definately something that should be addressed.

Pre Sales can be tricky simply because there is no guarantee the seller will get the pins (unless it is an rsp that they've already acquired). There are three reasons why I avoid pre sales:
1. As stated above, there is no guarantee the seller will get the pins. (proven by the last BT release)
2. Quality of pins cannot be guaranteed. (DSF - many pins get exchanged from the people in the front of the line because of flaws from the factory. These pins are still sold to the rest of the line because there are only 300-500 pins with more people in line to buy, than there are pins to sell)
3. I just go get them myself.

Psycho Pixie said:

also I know of one seller who states in the description:
"If you believe everything these so called databases and forums claim about fake pins, dont buy from me." ((It is worded a bit differently and felt like a hostile comment))

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Eww, that is awful. At least they are honest about selling fakes!

If they have less than 100%, see why. Someone could have a 99.7% because of really stupid things. One seller I buy from a lot has a 99.9% because one person claimed they had "slow shipping," i.e. they got their pin in a week instead of 2 days. I buy from the person all the time and get the pins in about 3-4 days depending on how slow the USPS is being.

I have ONE negative feedback and it lowered my score to 99.2%. I sold a brand new pin (with pictures that I took). The buyer said it was extremely damaged when they got it. Heavily scratched and they were sure it happened while I had it since it was packaged well. I said to send it back. They said they wanted to try and repair the damage. I said to send it back. They then said it was too expensive to send it back and they left negative feedback. So, mine is lower than 99.7% but all my other feedback is positive.

I'm worried I bought a counterfeit pocahontas pin :/. when it comes if it's fake i'm going to contact the seller and hope they give me a refund! I'm not sure how to tell 100% if it will be counterfiet so I might post pictures for help

jennisney said:

I'm worried I bought a counterfeit pocahontas pin :/. when it comes if it's fake i'm going to contact the seller and hope they give me a refund! I'm not sure how to tell 100% if it will be counterfiet so I might post pictures for help

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I am really confused here. If you haven't got it yet, why do you think its counterfeit. Better question, if you think it was counterfeit, why did you buy it?