First Tri-Plated Challenge Coin is Introduced
Once in a while new ideas are released on the market that stir new inovations and ideas in a hobby. In 2008 another one of those happened early on in the year. A new Special Forces coin was released through U.S. Challenge Coins .com in Febuary 2008. This tri-plated coin shows how black nickel, high polish nickel, and gold plating can bring beauty unmatched by other coins into one package. This 2″ challenge coin reflects so many things to include a flashes from 10 of the Special Forces Groups, the badges they wear and some of the best detail work on a coin. This coin will be a sure fire hit into an award in 2008. Read more
Google Alert Challenge Coins
Sometimes information can take months to find you through different search variations and it’s difficult to keep up to speed with the new stuff. Google Alerts helps make the search so much easier. Challenge coins is a huge facet that people have difficult tracking. In fact we write on a consistent basis on all our websites and we wait sometimes months before people find what we have written. Not anymore! All you have to do is get your Google Alerts and anything that has challenge coins in the title of the article is now on your radar faster than any other way possible.
You can log in and see what is new each day for challenge coins (or really anything). This will makes everything easier to find those special news releases or articles that you might be interested in. This isn’t just for the competition to track their opponent’s work. No this is also for you the hobby enthusiast in getting opinions NOW! We highly encourage our readers to use this tool to find our new articles across the net. No one writes more than us on a whole basis and we try to bring tons of great stuff to your eyes. Now you don’t even have to hunt for us.
If you are checking us through this tool as competition then we say thanks to care enough to think of us like that!
Military Collectibles: EBay Losing Niche Markets?
Challenge coins, pins, patches and other great niche markets may be in for a little change of pace as eBay opens fissures in the collectible markets when it comes to low priced items. How many times in the last couple years has eBay bent the forever forgiving sellers of niche markets as they drove store and core auctions to record high fees in? The answer is every year since its inception. Many sellers call this “Nickel and Diming” and that’s what it amount to when you sell $10 and under.
2008 posses many new changes from the inability of sellers giving honest feedback through neutral and negative feedback, lowered insertion fee but raised final value fees, and tighter Paypal restrictions on a 21 day hold of funds for certain transactions. When it comes to $10 or less eBay is not interested in helping out the little guy that might want to sell a pin or a military patch. We will use this niche market as an example of the overall scheme since this is what we know from our angle. We did a comparison on our forum not to long ago and we broke information down as:
100 listings on eBay using 2007 rates
100 listings like the attached screen shot: $85.00 upfront
This is all I pay if I don’t sell anything…
If I sell:
100: $85.00 upfront
25% sold: $13.00 total final value fees
Paypal Fees: $16.25
Shipping: $1.48 FC 2oz through paypal: $37
Federal Tax: 15%-28% (we will leave this out for now)
Cost of Coin Avg: $3 (assuming you sell a decent coin): $75
Total Cost: $226.25
25% Coins sold at $9.99: $299.75
Shipping you Charge: $2.00 (because this is the right cost any seller should charge according to eBay): $50
Your Profit: $73.50
You can see by the above example how some sellers are starting to say why when they know there is such a massive change coming. In the event of the major changes many new alternative auction sites are popping up everywhere with better deals, better community, and more options. Challenge Coin Auctions .com is no different in the grand scheme of things. Offering a feeless atmosphere and support in this niche has become a #1 concern that sellers are truly taking to heart.
Sellers and buyers will benefit from new grounds not only in military collectibles but in many other areas too. The kings and queens of the eBay flea market sales will be driven out as the cost does not outweigh the benefit in 2008 and beyond.
New Challenge Coin Auctions
Challenge coin auctions have been all the rage since 2004 forward on eBay practically tripling in normal average daily inventory listed there. What some people don’t realize is that while inventory has tripled the fees eBay puts on their sellers have almost quadrupled in most areas. The simple changes of stores not being in the searches and buyers left because of various reasons has put many sellers on the fence whether to stay or whether to go. EBay packs a good show without a doubt; however, there could be a new player in town for challenge coins. Read more
New Coin Designers Hit the Street
Ya you heard right, there’s breed of coin designers. These coin designers have been coming out of the wood work for the last few years and today they are showing their skills as the produce some of the most outrageous coins on the market. Commonly their coins go for a higher price. Why you ask because they are released in limited quantities and their work is some of the most ground breaking ideas we have seen yet. Some have seen their coins go up in the neighborhood of $250 a piece at auction and in the lower ends of $30.