Quote:
Originally Posted by rhettyeakley
I have never understood why people today feel only an auction can determine what the true value of a card or commodity is.
The short answer is NO, at auction there needs to be TWO people that feel the card is worth a certain amount for the item to get to that level. If only one person bids to the current level and there is not a second party involved they may in fact be getting a major deal on the card considering that same person may have been willing to spend a significant amount more to aquire the same item in a retail or direct sale setting.
Retail sales haven't suddenly become meaningless. In reality all it takes is ONE PERSON to determine a market value as long as money is exchanging hands. Sellers have sold countless things over the years for a fair amount over "auction value" to someone that really wants an item that is unavailable elsewhere, especially in a thinly traded set. These sales are every bit as legitimate as any auction price.
ON a different topic: I always find it funny when people who are almost exclusively buyers just don't understand why sellers don't just start things low and let it fly, as if the seller must have gotten the item for free and there is no risk involved. It sure is easy to risk or spend other peoples money, isn't it!
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+1. Beautifully stated. If multiple people think it's worth something, then that gets you your true value. If the runner up thinks it's worth squat, is it REALLY worth squat? I have had people try to get my items via Ebay's messaging system (when I have multiples of the same item, for example, unopened wax packs) for the "peanuts" price, after the auction has ended. I explain to them my disappointment with the low price, and then proceed to sell the item for "real" value, in the case 3-4 times the value of the peanuts price. Might take longer than a 7 day auction, but doesn't take years! Obviously that is on items with a small market window. That won't work on a 1965 Joe Namath rookie card! Obviously a .99 cent auction will yield the best results, no matter WHO is selling that card! LOL! Then again, PWCC might get more than me....who knows!