Problems with Ebay items not showing up???
 

I recently had a 1955 Bowman Willie Mays PSA 3 end last night. VCP average for the card is around $275. Mine sold for $200. A record low. Normally, I don't do that poorly on an Ebay auction, so I wanted to see what I did wrong to make this one sell for around $75 under fair value. When I punch the number in on Ebay, IT DOESN'T SHOW UP!!! Item #404216420708.

Then I did a word search under 1955 Bowman Mays PSA 3. It still does not show up. Is it possible my item sold so cheap because no one could actually see the item?

This is the Mays.....like I stated....it is NOT showing under completed listings, and the item number is not showing up at all.

https://imgsrv.sellersourcebook.com/...jpg?1680608108

Bobby I was looking at your listings at least twice last week and saw the Mays card both times. I was a little curious because I have a similar mays card. Sometimes funky stuff happens on ebay but don't worry, it was visible.

Why is it not showing up under completed listings then?? Also when you search by simply the auction number it should come up directly. It is not.

Like I said sometimes funky stuff on ebay. How does an item have 2 watchers and no views? I've had items do that.

This happens all the time and is fairly normal in my experience with completed auctions. Give it some time and it will show up normally. Even though it happens with completed listings it did not happen while active.

This in part highlights the problem with trying to define "fair value"
 

1st I want to say that I found your card quite easily using the Terapeak research tool on Ebay sorted by date ended. It did not come up for me with a completed item search for the same (not sure why - has the transaction been completed?).

You make a statement that your Mays sold for "$75 under fair value". VCP is not a measure of "fair value". VCP is a listing of historic sales (as is Ebay sold listings). VCP average I would argue would have the potential to be skewed low in a rising market and skewed high in a softening one unless all of the sales used to calculate the average are ultra recent. Add to that qualitative differences in cards leading to quantitative differences in sold prices.

Many would define "fair value" as the price where a willing buyer and a willing seller agree - $204.10 in the case of your card. Problem with that is while you were a willing seller in this case (you listed the card at no reserve and arguably were "willing" to sell the card at any price - the same "risk" is in play at any auction venue without a reserve ( a whole other topic of conversation)), not all willing buyers placed bids on the card because not all willing buyers happened to see it! A consequence of a VERY imperfect marketplace.

VCP or any other pricing history also misses every single private sale which in my case I can say are sometimes higher than public sales and sometimes lower.

Determining "fair value", while incorporating prior sales as a tool and part of the equation, is not simple. In my experience, it is always imperfect and a combination of art, science and experience.


I'll further illustrate with a real life example from the recent Chantilly show. A collector came up and was looking to sell a 1958 Willie Mays PSA 7. I looked up VCP. VCP average is $1614.39. The last sale on March 15 on Ebay in an auction format was for $3541. 3 prior sales were: $1140 - 2/2 Clean Sweep, $1440 - 1/27 Heritage, $1300. 12/13 - Ebay. What is current "fair value"? In this case near impossible to pin until there is another public sale either supporting or showing as an outlier the last $3541 sale. We understandably couldn't make a deal as he was looking squarely at the last sale and while I could get above VCP average, couldn't get close to a single sale (the last one).

You can watch something without fully clicking into the listing, like if you search for an item/player. People might do this to come back to it later or if they have the item and just see what it goes for.

Yes....he paid immediately. I knew he would.

something is worth what someone is willing to pay

Yea, but if the item is hidden so people can't see it, then that kinda depresses the price. Imagine playing Bingo against only 5 people. You have a real good shot of winning. Now imagine playing it against 500 people. Your odds ain't so good all of the sudden.

Thanks! Didn't know that. There's so much to learn here!

watchers
 

eBay changed the view count to include the last 30 days only, but watchers remain as long as the listing is live. If you have 2 watchers and no views the watchers have been watching for more than 30 days.

I can see it under sold items

I think it might have finally showed up. I also see it now under VCP.

When I have set up at shows in the past, and someone tells me my card is more than the avg on VCP. I say one of two things.

1. Good- I don't sell average cards.
2. Go buy it from VCP

Eye appeal has to come in at some point, unless it's a pure registry play, I guess.

eye appeal, and it's your damn card to do with as you please! VCP isn't exactly legally binding lol.

No...but a lot of people swear by it. I just was curious if an auction is hidden so people can't see it that you have to follow through with the sale.

That is the good news about having your own platform Scott. Your people will see your item. And if your website crashes, you would obviously extend the time.

Your auction was never hidden while live.

my post was in reply to Leon.

OK....