GreatCollections
GreatCollections is an online auction house for certified U.S. and world coins and paper money, with weekly sales that close on Sunday nights. This page covers what it sells, how bidding works, and its buyer's fee, which is lower when you pay by check or wire than by card, with a direct link to greatcollections.com.
- Founded
- 2010
- Based in
- Irvine, California
- Buyer's fee
- 10% wire, 12.5% card
- Pay within
- 7 days
Go to GreatCollections →How buying worksFees
About GreatCollections
GreatCollections was founded in 2010 in Irvine, California, by Ian Russell. It is privately held and moved into a building about eight times larger in 2023. It became an official auctioneer for the American Numismatic Association in 2022. It has sold several very high-value coins, including a 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
Sales run online only. Thousands of lots close each week, mostly on Sunday evenings, and each lot has its own end time. The site also has fixed-price Buy Now listings with no buyer's fee. Most items are graded by PCGS, NGC or another major service.
What GreatCollections sells
How buying works at GreatCollections
- Make an accountSign up free on the site. You must be 18 or older.
- Get clearedNew bidders or large buys may need references, a wire payment up front, or a wait for funds to clear.
- BidPlace a maximum bid online before the lot closes, or use Buy Now on fixed-price items.
- Add the costsAdd the buyer's fee of 10% (check, eCheck, wire) or 12.5% (card, PayPal), at least $5 a lot, plus shipping and any tax.
- Pay and receivePay within 7 days. Coins ship insured after payment clears.
What it costs
These are the buyer charges in the GreatCollections terms of use.
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Buyer's fee, check, eCheck or wire | 10% of the winning bid |
| Buyer's fee, credit card or PayPal | 12.5% of the winning bid |
| Minimum buyer's fee | $5 per lot |
| Buy Now purchases | No buyer's fee |
| Card and PayPal limit | Invoices under $10,000 |
| Shipping and insurance | Set by a published schedule and added to the invoice; insured for the purchase price |
| Returned check | $30 |
| Late payment | 1.5% a month on overdue invoices |
| Returns | One free return a month; 5% of the price for each extra return that month |
| California sales tax | Charged to California buyers; coin and bullion invoices over $1,500 including the fee are exempt |
Worked example: a coin won at $1,000 costs $1,100 if you pay by check or wire, or $1,125 by card, before shipping and any sales tax.
Paying, pickup and storage
| When to pay | Within 7 days of the auction end or Buy Now purchase. |
| Payment | Check, eCheck, wire, credit card or PayPal. Cards and PayPal carry the higher fee and are capped under $10,000. |
| Non-payment | The sale can be cancelled and the buyer can owe resale costs, collection costs and interest. |
| Shipping | Several invoices paid together can ship as one. Loss or damage claims are due in writing within 30 days. |
| New bidders | May be asked to pay by wire, wait for funds to clear, or give industry or bank references. |
| Import duties | International buyers pay any customs charges. |
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UX Search is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by GreatCollections. Bidding, payment and delivery all happen on the house's own site under its own terms. Information checked October 22, 2026 from greatcollections.com (terms and conditions, bidding and buying page) and Wikipedia entry on GreatCollections for history and Shipping fee schedule page blocked to our fetch; amount not listed here; fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the sale page.