Buyer marketplace · free to register
CX CDX Auction
Help

How CDX Auction works

Simple answers for buyers and coin shops: how to bid, buy, list, and pay. If a word on the site is unclear, start with the word list below. Longer guides: docs.cdxauction.com.

Word list

Sell page →

Only open this if a label is new to you. Coin shops use a few short words for metal and auctions — here they are in everyday English.

  • Metal value sometimes called “melt”
    Roughly what the raw metal is worth today (gold or silver price × how much pure metal is in the item). It does not include rarity, grade, or packaging. Example: one full ounce of pure silver ≈ today’s silver price.
  • Spot price
    The going wholesale price of gold, silver, platinum, or palladium per ounce. Metal value is based on this price.
  • Price from metal value
    Buttons on the sell page that fill your starting bid and Buy Now as a bit above metal value (for example +5% or +8%), so you don’t have to do the math by hand.
  • What other sites would take
    An estimate of fees eBay or Whatnot would charge at this sale price — for comparison only. SpotPro software shops pay $0 CDX list/sell fees; independent shops use Free or Pro seller plans (platform fee only — not a buyer charge).
  • Below metal value
    The asking price (or current bid) is under the raw metal value. Buyers often like that; shops usually only price that way on purpose.
  • Great / fair / premium / steep
    Quick labels for how high the price sits versus metal value, guide prices, or recent sales. Great and fair mean normal or buyer-friendly. Premium means higher than typical. Steep means much higher than usual — double-check before you bid high.
  • Buy Now
    A set price that ends the auction right away if someone chooses it. Optional on timed auctions. On fixed-price items, that set price is the price.
  • Max bid
    The most you are willing to pay. We only raise your bid as needed to stay ahead, up to that amount. Other bidders do not see your max. On bullion you can also set a max as a percent of metal value that moves when metal prices move.
  • Buy Now that follows metal prices
    A Buy Now price that updates when gold or silver prices change (plus any extra the shop added, and never below a minimum they set). Keeps bullion prices from going stale overnight.
  • Fair price / Greysheet / guide price
    Fair price is a simple check of whether the ask looks reasonable (guide book, grade, similar sales — not only metal). Greysheet is a common dealer price guide. When a shop saved a guide price on the listing, we show it as a reference — not an official appraisal.
  • Great deals
    A short list of lots that look well-priced versus metal value or guide prices, so you can scan bargains without opening every listing.
  • Held in inventory
    After a real bid, shops that use linked store inventory keep the item reserved so it is not sold twice while the auction is still running.
  • Move from eBay tools
    Seller tools to import a list, reprice, feature lots for free, and compare fees if you are leaving another marketplace.
  • Fee comparison
    A side-by-side look at CDX versus eBay, Whatnot, and big auction houses. Numbers are examples for learning — not a quote for your shop.
  • Live floor view
    A full-screen view of the next lot ending — handy for a shop TV or host notes.
  • Modern mint & sealed
    Current-year or sealed mint product (Silver Eagles, proof sets, and similar).
  • Missing dates
    Years or mints you still need to finish a coin set. Your checklist shows owned versus missing.
  • Ending soon
    Lots whose timers are about to run out.
  • Approved shop
    A seller approved to list on CDX — either an independent shop (apply + phone/ID) or a SpotPro software dealer linked by shop email ($0 CDX list/sell fees).
  • Featured free
    Shops can put a live lot on the homepage feature row at $0 — no extra cut of the sale for that boost.
  • Sold price
    The winning bid or accepted offer — what the buyer pays the shop for the lot (shipping and card fees between buyer and shop are separate).
  • No buyer premium
    CDX does not add an extra percent on top of the sold price for buyers (some big auction houses do). Your bid is what you pay for the lot.
  • Set checklist
    Year and mint maps for a series. Mark what you own, see missing dates, and find live lots that fill those holes.
  • Still see a confusing phrase? Email us and we will fix the wording.

    Create an account

    Sign up free with a real email (temporary inboxes are blocked). Confirm your email before you bid, make an offer, or pay. Check spam if the message is slow — it comes from CDX Auction.

    Your max bid

    Enter the most you will pay. We only raise your bid as needed to stay ahead, up to that amount. Other bidders do not see your max. On gold or silver you can also set a max as a percent above metal value (with an optional hard dollar ceiling). Bids are binding.

    Last-second bidding: if someone bids in the last about 2 minutes, the timer can add 2 more minutes so you have a fair chance to respond.

    Make an offer

    On lots that allow it, send a private best offer (not a public bid). The shop can accept, counter, or decline (usually within 48 hours). If they accept, you buy at that price and pay the shop like a win.

    Offers must be at least the starting bid or current high bid, and below Buy Now if Buy Now is set.

    Watching a live lot

    Lot pages update while you watch: new bids, history, and whether you are still high bidder. Look for the LIVE chip with the small pulse dot.

    Metal value, fair price & guide prices

    Bullion cards show metal value and how far the ask sits above or below it, plus simple labels: great / fair / premium / steep. When the shop saved a price-guide number in SpotPro, we show that guide dollar amount as a reference — not an official appraisal. Guide numbers are saved with the listing; opening the page does not re-look them up live.

    Fixed price items have no bidding — buy at the listed price (or make an offer). Use the Fixed price or Guide price browse chips.

    Buy Now that follows metal prices

    On bullion, a shop can tie Buy Now to live gold or silver. As metal prices move, Buy Now updates from their metal sell price plus any extra they set, and never drops below a minimum they chose. On timed auctions, once bidding starts, Buy Now also stays at or above the starting bid. Look for Live metal on cards and on the lot page.

    Alerts

    The header bell shows in-site alerts: outbid, ending soon, wins, offer updates, and more. Email alerts can run too — manage both under Settings.

    Watchlist & favorite shops

    Tap ☆ on browse, store, or lot pages. Favorite shops to hear about new listings. Optional daily emails cover winning, outbid, ending soon, favorites, and payments due.

    Winning & paying

    Open Payments, Wins, or your win email. You pay the shop (card, PayPal, Zelle, bank transfer, and so on). “Report payment” only lists methods that shop turns on.

    If you owe one shop for several lots, use Pay all to this dealer.

    Account tools

    • Portfolio — wins and open high bids, with metal-value comparison when the item is bullion
    • Set builder — year maps for major series; green won, blue chasing, gold live
    • Primelots with product video
    • Ending soonlots about to close

    Phone & photos

    On phones, use the left menu for Browse, Ending, Prime, and account links. Lot pages keep bid / Buy Now / offer buttons sticky while you scroll. Some lots show a product video (starts muted) plus still photos.

    For sellers

    Pricing · Open a shop · Full guide →

    Who can list

    Anyone approved as a CDX shop can list:

    • Everyone — one free account → open a shop on that login → verify phone + ID → list on Sell
    • SpotPro software shops — same shop email lists free ($0 CDX fees); also list from shop inventory tools

    Your public store page

    Buyers see your profile, feedback, live auctions, Buy Now, and sold history at a store link on CDX (from your shop name or store id).

    Make offer

    Leave Allow make offer checked when listing (default) so buyers can send private best offers. Handle them under Account / Offers (accept / counter / decline). Accepting sells the lot and creates a payment due for the buyer.

    Buy Now that follows metal & video

    On bullion, you can price Buy Now from live metal with your markup and a floor. Add a product video or paste a YouTube/Vimeo link when listing — video lots also appear on Prime.

    How buyers pay you

    Tell buyers how to pay you (card link, PayPal, Zelle, bank transfer, in-store). Coin sale money goes to the selling shop — CDX does not hold the buyer’s payment for the coin. Any CDX selling fee (public plans) is billed separately.

    Trust & safety for sellers

    Independent shops verify phone (SMS) and photo ID before the first list. Ship with tracking, keep communication on-platform when you can, and report bad-faith buyers to support.

    Fees & payments

    Rate card · Payments guide →

    What CDX charges

    Buyer accounts are free. SpotPro software shops: $0 to list and $0 CDX selling fee. Independent shops: public plans (e.g. 5.9% of sold price with a cap) — see seller pricing.

    Card and PayPal fees

    Fees from your card processor, PayPal, or bank are between you and that provider — not a CDX coin-sale commission on top of your plan.

    Safety, shipping & claims

    Trust guide →

    How we keep the market safer

    We check addresses and ZIP codes, ask for phone verification on larger payments, may ask for ID on high-value activity, match card billing ZIP when you pay by card, limit how fast accounts can act, and limit local pickup to near the shop. We may hold payments that look high-risk until we review them.

    Safety tips

    • Only set a max bid or offer you mean to pay if you win or it is accepted
    • Save a real shipping address and phone in Settings before paying
    • Card billing ZIP should match ship ZIP unless you mark a different address
    • Local pickup only if you are near the shop’s store ZIP
    • Never send card numbers over email or chat
    • Shops: confirm offline payments before you ship

    After you win — shipping & claims

    • Shops should ship with a tracking number (required for shipped sales). You’ll see carrier links under Account → Payments.
    • If something’s wrong, open Account → Claims. A carrier Delivered scan counts as evidence; a free replacement is never automatic. False claims can close an account.
    • If you say “not received” when tracking already says Delivered, we treat that as high-risk. Check household, building staff, and the carrier first.
    • Shops review claims with tracking. Real mix-ups are rare and handled case by case.