Decline in eBay listings?

[GregMitch34]

Is it just me or has there been a steady and growing decline in the number of pre-war eBay listings (especially for mid- to higher-graded) in past months? Perhaps I am just getting more selective but the number of cards I have 'watched' has plunged since last year. Is this real? Also, the reason? It seems like more and more auction houses perhaps a reason. Your thoughts?

[iowadoc77]

Seems like big time auction house listings are the new way to go with the way eBay is changing, how hard they are on the seller and the fees associated. Auctions seem to attract the right audience and seem to command pretty good prices. And I think high end cards look even better in those catalogs than a picture in eBay! And, one more thing, the risk of losing a high end card in the mail through eBay.

[jefferyepayne]

Ebay continues to become more and more seller unfriendly so people are looking for other avenues to sell their cards. With all of the small auction houses out there, you don't have to look very far, either!

jeff

[ullmandds]

totally agree!

Originally Posted by iowadoc77

Seems like big time auction house listings are the new way to go with the way eBay is changing, how hard they are on the seller and the fees associated. Auctions seem to attract the right audience and seem to command pretty good prices. And I think high end cards look even better in those catalogs than a picture in eBay! And, one more thing, the risk of losing a high end card in the mail through eBay.

[lharri3600]

I agree also! It was not a matter of if, but when with ebay. The chickens have come home to roost!

[t206blogcom]

It's a shame too because many collectors aren't aware of the auction houses and soley rely on ebay. When I started putting together my T206 set, I only knew about ebay. Halfway through I stumbled upon Net54 and auction houses. I then realized I overpaid for most of my set.

[pgellis]

There are several issues that have hurt eBay in recent years.

1. BINs - When I started to put together my T206 set about 10 years ago, there were at least a couple hundred eBay AUCTIONS for graded T206s ending every week on Sundays. Now, you get maybe 10-20 AUCTIONS ending each week. Everything is an over-priced BIN that just keeps getting listed month after month after month.

2. FEES - It seems that whenever a rare piece (card or memorabilia) is listed on eBay, someone reaches out and contacts the seller in order to hammer out a deal outside of eBay. It has happened to me with leather football helmets so many times I can't remember them all. I once told a seller to let his auction run it's course and I guaranteed him that I would be the high bidder. He let it run 7 days and then pulled it off of eBay within only hours of it's ending. Sellers would rather cut a lesser deal off of eBay to save on the seller's fees. I wish eBay made it harder to pull an item from an active listing once there was an initial bid by a bidder.

3. SHILLING - Once eBay hid bidder's IDs, it made it harder to prove shilling. Once a bidder suspects shilling, they will usually stop bidding on an item and if it becomes a pattern, they begin to ignore a certain seller altogether. Now, there was always shilling from the beginning of eBay, but now they make it so easy to do without any recourse.

I think eBay should go back to 100% auctions. You can have a BIN also, but the item must be an auction to begin with. In other words, you can have a card with a BIN of $500, but it must be listed as an auction with a starting price less than $500, for example. Don't allow sellers to end an auction once a bid has been placed and let's see member ID's again.

[Joshchisox08]

Originally Posted by t206blogcom

It's a shame too because many collectors aren't aware of the auction houses and soley rely on ebay. When I started putting together my T206 set, I only knew about ebay. Halfway through I stumbled upon Net54 and auction houses. I then realized I overpaid for most of my set.

I agree with that Jason. There's only a couple of auctions that I'm aware of that regularly has t206's.

Sterling and Joe's vintage. Other than that I don't know about any but eBay. Which like you said are almost always overpriced.

[Thromdog]

Originally Posted by GregMitch34

Is it just me or has there been a steady and growing decline in the number of pre-war eBay listings (especially for mid- to higher-graded) in past months? Perhaps I am just getting more selective but the number of cards I have 'watched' has plunged since last year. Is this real? Also, the reason? It seems like more and more auction houses perhaps a reason. Your thoughts?

Back to the topic on the listings, I have to agree. My watchlist/bid list has also dwindled substantially over the past year. I think you're right that it's likely due to being more selective.....I have a couple dozen to finish the monster and halfway through Delongs. As for auction houses, I have to agree with that too. More of them and they are providing offerings more often through the year.

But, I personally think after getting serious these last 2 years, ebay still continues to be the best deal financially for buyers who are diligent, patient, and understand what they are buying. You just have to get around all the fluff and overpriced BIN's.

[iowadoc77]

There are still plenty of deals to be had on ebay and I do a ton of deals off ebay with reputable sellers who are very often willing to negotiate a much lower paypal price outside of the ebay confines. i know it is a risk, but a very low one with paypal's buyer protection (if you do goods and services).

ebay better for buyers in many aspects

ebay not better for sellers in many aspects.

[Thromdog]

Originally Posted by iowadoc77

ebay better for buyers in many aspects

ebay not better for sellers in many aspects.

+1

[Bpm0014]

It's a shame too because many collectors aren't aware of the auction houses and soley rely on ebay. When I started putting together my T206 set, I only knew about ebay. Halfway through I stumbled upon Net54 and auction houses. I then realized I overpaid for most of my set.

Same here!

[ullmandds]

it was inevitable...ebay has continuously jacked up selling/paypal fees...combined with not organizing/policing the vintage bb card area well at all. How many kicks to the groin can we take.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I completely disagree. If anything, the trend is going to be towards the ebay model and sellers such as PWCC and Probstein and others who are efficient, have lower costs, take a lower percentage of the realized price, and pay much quicker than most auction houses. Perhaps not for the very high end material, but for everything else.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Bpm0014

It's a shame too because many collectors aren't aware of the auction houses and soley rely on ebay. When I started putting together my T206 set, I only knew about ebay. Halfway through I stumbled upon Net54 and auction houses. I then realized I overpaid for most of my set.

Same here!

well that would mean sellers are doing well on ebay versus other places for those cards..so not sure why the trend would be to list less of those cards if they are making the most money selling on ebay if you are stating you would of paid less at other places....you may of stopped but there are others doing the same thing..

[Touch'EmAll]

Lets say a buyer is willing to spend $1,000. on a card. If the seller lists on ebay for BIN $1k there will be 10% ebay fees and then Paypal fees to net the seller approx. $875.

If the card went to, say, REA, there is a 20% buyers fee, so the buyer is willing to bid $830. making it about $1,000. cost after the juice.

Assume no auction house seller fees for the seller, ebay BIN gives a better net price. However, I can see how an ebay true auction is just too risky for seller.

[GregMitch34]

That's a good analysis but you have to factor in that some bidders at AHs, even though they know they should factor in the added 20%, often willfully ignore it in the heat of battle...

[Orioles1954]

As a seller, I don't seek to make serious money on ebay. More or less, it's just to get rid of stuff I don't care about or want anymore on the cheap. If I'm looking to make significant money the auction route is the only venue for me. Even if I group hundreds of cards together I still make around the same amount if I had pieced them out on ebay. Sellers have diminished and many reliable buyers have gone by the wayside as well.

[cozmokramer]

Every card I sold through an auction house, I got exactly what the final bid was. The high bidder paid an extra hour 20% which went to the auction house.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by cozmokramer

Every card I sold through an auction house, I got exactly what the final bid was. The high bidder paid an extra hour 20% which went to the auction house.

I am sure the bidders accounted for that extra 20% in their bidding strategies.

[GregMitch34]

Yes, I certainly factor in the buyer's premium and I presume most do. That's why VCP always includes the buyer's premium in their accounting. So a card that sells for 600 on eBay and same card selling for 500 + 100 at auction house gets listed also at 600. Which is accurate.