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View Full Version : Amusing and bewildering pattern on eBay.


Brian Van Horn
06-12-2010, 09:44 PM
PT Barnum's famous saying is that "There is a sucker born every minute."

Lately there has been a pattern on eBay (I am not saying eBay is involved for the lawyers on the board), where a card is not sold at the asked for minimum bid. The card is then relisted for a higher price.

Now, with the economy in the shape it's in and the card market in a lot of ways being dependent on a good economy in order to sell its product, does this make any sense?

In short, if you have a down economy, there are fewer new collectors that would normally start buying unless they are looking for a bargain. This strategy relies on the opposite side of the scale on new buyers who might be more generous with their money or existing buyers who have missed the original offering.

OK. I'm off my soapbox. It's all yours, guys.

Steve D
06-12-2010, 10:38 PM
I've seen a few of those myself, and just shake my head at them.

It makes absolutely no sense to me. Let's see.....my item didn't sell for $100....let me put it back up for $150 and see if anyone wants it!

Seems to me that if someone had been willing to pay $150 for it, they would have bid when it was only $100.....or am I crazy?

OK, sometimes I am crazy, but that's a completely different story! :p


Steve

glchen
06-12-2010, 11:23 PM
I think the thing is that not everyone is watching ebay on all of the time. It can be impulse buys for some people, and if there are only a very few copies of that card on sale on ebay to compare prices, people can pull the trigger and not know that they could've gotten a better deal before.

After seeing that thread on frankenstein cards, I had this sudden urge to buy game used cards, and picked up a Ruth Bat card. I probably overpaid and am one of those idiots.

FUBAR
06-12-2010, 11:38 PM
i think they are trying to fish out offers around their original amount....its all about marketing and winning the psychological game.. if the item didn't sell for 100$ so then they relist it. They relist with a Bin of 150, chances are you would offer 100.... and they get what they wanted in the first place. As long as you think you are getting a deal, you are more likely to pay a higher amount

glynparson
06-13-2010, 05:16 AM
Why do so many on this board assume people see everything every time its listed, andthat they also have the disposable income at that time to buy the card? I've listed many cards and when they didn't sell moved them to my store at a price higher then the minimum bid was and guess what I have sold every single one of those cards sometimes without even getting a best offer. Not everyone has extra money all the time especially in this economy.

Peter_Spaeth
06-13-2010, 07:47 AM
I think it's some sort of conspiracy. :D:D

steve B
06-13-2010, 11:01 AM
The points about not everyone seeing everything are good ones. And Ebay can be very strange. I looked at a non card item, listed at $100. Asked a friend who is really into that sort of stuff (16mm films) and he said "maybe $50-75" No bids at 100, relisted with a $50 opener. Sold for over $400!
I think it all depends on who sees an item and when they see it.

Sometimes it can just be marketing. A dealer I knew had an odd card, they didn't know what it was. Had it at a few shows for five bucks with no takers.
On a whim they priced it at $50 for the next show, and it sold in the first hour or so. This was before most price guides. All they could figure was that at $5 people figured it couldn't be all that odd or valuable. But at $50 it MUST be valuable! Made no sense to me, and still doesn't, but people arent always logical.

Steve B

Leon
06-13-2010, 11:13 AM
I think it has to be PSA's fault.

prewarsports
06-13-2010, 11:46 AM
I echo what Glyn said. When you list something in an auction you get 5-7 days of exposure, in a fixed price scenario you got 30 days and it only takes one person who wants something. The other issue is that people on ebay are bargain hunters and if you have something for 150 they will offer 100. If you have it at 100 they will offer 75. Not that the strategy works every time, but it does work enough that people keep using it with some success.

Exhibitman
06-13-2010, 02:39 PM
Sort of like losing $0.02 per unit but hoping to make it up on volume...