View Single Post
  #26  
Old 07-19-2008, 02:24 PM
Archive Archive is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 58,359
Default Strange Ebay Business Model

Posted By: Rick McQuillan

This sounds like many of the card shops that I visit. They have had the same cards, in the same display case, with the same prices, for the last 10 years. They won't come down on the prices, so the dust continues to gather on the cards. Then they complain because sales are down. One of the dealers had a low grade Goudey Ruth sitting in the display case for at least 10 years. He had a ridiculous price on the card. Over the years I made him a couple of very fair offers, which he declined. Finally he decided to put the card on eBay where it sold for 200 bucks less than I had offered.

When I go to card shows I often wonder why some of the dealers bother to show up. They bring the same stuff to every show. They won't negotiate on prices, so they end up taking their stuff home at the end of the show. Why would I want to pay $50 at a show for a T206 common that I can get on eBay or Net54 for $20?

As far as the BIN's are concerned, I have made purchases using BIN when the prices are within reason. I will even pay slightly over book value for something that I want, but it seems that lately we are seeing 100's of vintage cards with BIN's that are priced at double or triple the average sale price of similar cards. Did the dealers overpay when they bought these cards so they have to price them high to recoup their investment or are they just looking for suckers? Do they take these same cards to card shows and put these same ridiculous prices on the cards at the shows?

Rick


Reply With Quote