(407) The Soap Box: Volume 1 Issue 4: Last Revision: 06/17/05

The Current State of the Internet and On-Line Auctions

Over the last few months we have been trying to find out what other Mexican coin collectors think about Internet and the numismatic auctions conducted there.  At first we asked this question, “Tell us what you think about today’s Internet coin auctions, and please give us your ideas and opinions about not only eBay and Yahoo, but if you have participated in any live Internet auctions with the giants such as ANR, Heritage or some of the European auction houses. We want you to give our readers the pros and cons, and what, if any impact you see the Internet may have on the future of foreign coin sales?”

We really didn’t get any place with this approach, so I fell back to another lifetime and I wrote the questionnaire below and emailed it to some of our readers.  In my past life if we received a 5% response to a mailed questionnaire we were lucky.  Hopefully we will do much better with this approach?  Also I would like to encourage any readers who didn’t receive an email to fill out the questionnaire and return it to us.  Some of our respondents wish to remain anonymous while others don’t mind using their names.

We will give you the answers we receive for this survey and an analysis some time in the future when we have a significant number of returns.  

We intend to produce several more surveys in the near future concerning Mexican Numismatics, would you like to receive these surveys in advance of them being published on our website: 

[_] No [_] Yes, please send them to Name: ________________________________

Email Address: ______________________________________

 

Mexican Coin Magic Survey©

The Current State of the Internet and On-Line Auctions

Question #1:  Have you personally bought coins, books, auction catalogs or paper money through any Internet auctions?

Answer #1:  [_] Yes [_] No

Question #2: If yes, how many and which auction sites have you purchase from in the last year?

Answer #2a:  [_] 1 to 10 Items [_] 11 to 20 Items [_] More than 20 Items

Answer #2b:  [_] eBay [_] Yahoo [_] Other: ______________________

Question #3:  Were you satisfied with the items you bought most of the time?

Answer #3:  [_] Yes, very pleased  [_] Yes, somewhat pleased  [_] No

Question #4:  If you weren’t satisfied, what were your problems?

Answer #4:  [_] No, I have been experiencing these problems:

                        [_] Items were not as described

                        [_] Over-graded coins, books or catalogs

                        [_] Never received merchandise

                        [_] Didn’t receive refund

                        [_] Other, please describe your problems: _____________________     

Question #5:  Did you enjoy your purchasing experience? If your answer was no, why?

Answer #5:  [_] Yes [_] No, ____________________________________________

Question #6:  How long have you been involved and collected Mexican items?

            [_] New Mexican Coin Collector- less than two years

            [_] Fairly new 2 to 3 years

            [_] Fairly new 4 to 5 years

            [_] Longtime collector 5 to 10 years

            [_] Old-time collector 10 years or more

Question #7:  How would you classify yourself as a collector?

            [_] Casual Mexican Coin Collector

            [_] Semi-serious

            [_] Serious

            [_] Very serious

            [_] Advanced

Question #8:  How would you classify your type of collecting?

            [_] Type Collector only  

            [_] Some Types and other mixed

            [_] DAM (Date/Assayer/Mintmark)

            [_] Variety Collector for series I’m interested in

            [_] Other: explain ______________________________

Question #9:  What, in your personal opinion, could be done to make your bidding and buying experiences better?

Answer #9:  ________________________________________________

Question #10:  Have you had personal problems with the guarantees by the individuals conducting eBay or Yahoo auctions?  If so what were your problems?

Answer #10:  _______________________________________________

Question #11:  Have you participated in any live Internet auctions yet?  If so, what was your general opinion of them?

Answer #11:  [_] No [_] Yes, ___________________________________________

Question #12:  What do you think the impact of the Internet will be on our part (Mexican Numismatics) of the hobby field in the next five years?

Answer #12:  _____________________________________________________

Question #13:  Are you aware of online auctions in countries other than the U.S.A.?

Answer #13:  [_] No [_] Yes, _________________________________________

Question #14:  If yes, have you purchased anything from outside the U.S.A. online auction sites?

Answer #14:  [_] No [_] Yes, _________________________________________

Question #15:  If yes, which countries have purchased Mexican Numismatic items from?

Answer #15:  [_] England [_] France [_] Germany [_] Italy [_] Mexico

[_] Others: _________________________________________________________

Question #16:  Is there anything else you would like to say about the Internet or the auctions conducted there at this time?

Answer #16:  [_] No [_] Yes, _________________________________________

Question #17:  What epochs of Mexican Numismatics are you interested in?

Answer #17: 

[_] Early Colonial: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] Late Colonial: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] War of Independence: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] Empires of Mexico: [_] Iturbide [_] Maximilian: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver   

[_] Early (Escudo & Reales) Republican Period: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] Late (Decimal) Republican Period: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] Revolutionary War: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] Modern: [_] Copper [_] Gold [_] Silver 

[_] Paper Money: [_] State [_] Federal

Question #18:  What is your name and email address?

Answer #18:  Name: _____________________________

                          Email: _____________________________

Question #19:  May we publish your name with your answers?

Answer #19: [_] Yes [_] No, I wish to remain anonymous

Question #20:  How many hours a week do you spend on the Internet that relate to your interest in Mexican Numismatics?

Answer #20:  [_] Less than two hours

                         [_] Two to five hours

                         [_] 5 to 10 hours

                         [_] More than 10 hours 

The Date you filled out this survey: __/__/__

Thanks for your help.

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