Does "Stuff" Trump "eBay Seller"?

[T206Collector]

Would you pay more for the same card on eBay based on the identity of the seller? It's very difficult for me to believe that "stuff" is trumped by "seller" when all of the evidence almost universally points to "stuff" trumping "seller."

I buy the card, and derive no psychic value from the goodwill of the seller.

[HRBAKER]

Some sellers make me more comfortable doing business with them but not paying more than I would pay from someone else.

[T206Collector]

I just don't believe that there is such a thing as "customer loyalty" when buying pre-war baseball cards. In my opinion, customer loyalty is not driving value differentials in the pre-war card market.

[hangman62]

I think Trump stuff is bad investment..too much out there

[JollyElm]

There are so many buyer protections on ebay (esp. via paypal) now, that virtually the only thing I care about is who gets me the card in the shape I need at the best price. If two sellers have the very same item at the same price, out of loyalty I will most likely buy it from the seller I've dealt with before.

[toppcat]

Not for me, plenty of sellers and AH's I won't deal with due to their subpar ethics.

[iowadoc77]

There are so many buyer protections on ebay (esp. via paypal) now, that virtually the only thing I care about is who gets me the card in the shape I need at the best price. If two sellers have the very same item at the same price, out of loyalty I will most likely buy it from the seller I've dealt with before.

This about sums it up.

[JollyElm]

Not for me, plenty of sellers and AH's I won't deal with due to their subpar ethics.

Don't get me wrong. What you said is a given. I agree 100%. With PWCC, etc., I will never spend a dime there. My comment is more of a general statement regarding sellers on the up and up.

[ullmandds]

there are a few items I need for my collection I will bid no matter where they show up...but I have my spending limits!

[iowadoc77]

There are so many buyer protections on ebay (esp. via paypal) now, that virtually the only thing I care about is who gets me the card in the shape I need at the best price. If two sellers have the very same item at the same price, out of loyalty I will most likely buy it from the seller I've dealt with before.

This about sums it up.

[TanksAndSpartans]

A seller with low feedback, negative and neutral ratings, blurry photos, etc. can be a red flag for me. Even with eBay protections, I don't see a reason to risk a headache. That being said, the premium I would pay to buy from a seller I feel comfortable with isn't much, but it isn't zero either. I want both a seller and a price I feel good about - not getting both could cause me to pass and just be patient esp. if the seller is the issue. I've had to return cards, I've had cards not ship to me until weeks later, I had a seller credit me because cards were "lost in the mail" (yeah right). I don't want to spend my time on any of that and that's with me being picky about who I buy from.

[EYECOLLECTVINTAGE]

Unfortunately the days of customer loyalty are far gone. The internet helped this tremendously.

When there were only so many places to buy an item from, price was usually the lowest factor. People wanted to feel safe and wanted to trust the seller before anything else. Then they wanted to like the person and be able to connect with them. Those 2 things mentally allowed people to spend more.

Today a seller is a mere name and number.

You could do right by someone 100% of the time, however 99% of buyers today would buy elsewhere to save a dollar without thinking twice.

It's just the way it is. The world has become so impersonal. Survival of the fittest at its best.

[csotus]

I buy from certain sellers on the bay. I have done business with about half a dozen and never had problems. I am sure there are numerous that would be problem free but I try to stick with what I know.

I'm not saying I will over spend to stay with those certain sellers, but they are my first stop before searching other unknown sellers.

[iowadoc77]

Typically I don’t worry too much when buying with all the protection EBay and PayPal offer. However, I always check feedback and certainly if there has ever been an issue I avoid them.

Loyalty unfortunately is gone and people are fickle. I don’t like it but I can’t deny it.

[bobbyw8469]

Agree with Stephen....as a matter of fact, there are some sellers I avoid, just because I fear the price would go at an irrational level (ie, too damn high).....There are some sellers I prefer because I feel there stuff goes for a decent level to allow me to eek out a small profit.

[SMPEP]

If it's something that comes along once in a decade or two ... I'll cautiously buy from the problem children.

If it isn't ... then there are certain people I'll never buy from. I'll pick the lowest price seller after I eliminate those miscreants.

Honestly I don't get the appeal of buying from Auction Houses. They almost always cost more than Ebay (excluding for those that buy from AHs and then post museum price pieces on Ebay YoY). I derive no value from buying a card from a reputable AH versus a normal person on Ebay. Ebay almost always has the better deal, especially if you wait for it.

[steve B]

I'm not sure about this applying to cards, but I know for sure the seller matters in other hobbies.

A friend of mine sells a lot of 16mm films. For a while I was helping him with the cheaper stuff. Had a film that was a popular story, and in fantastic condition. Intended for schools it was made right about when many were changing over to video in place of film, so it had great color and nearly no wear.
I listed it maybe three times at 24.99, with no takers. We talked and he convinced me to try it at 9.99. Nothing. Gave it back to him, he lists it with my description simply copied and pasted, as a 49.99 BIN. Sold in less than a day.

[Bigdaddy]

How else do you explain the strong prices that PWCC and Greg Morris and a handful of other high-volume sellers continually are able to get?

Sure, shill bidding can account for some of the prices, but I don't believe that it accounts for the consistent premium that these sellers are able to turn.

[OsFan]

It does seem to work for certain sellers. If you look at gregmorriscards for example they definitely seem to benefit from customer loyalty.