With all the auctions out there

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Ultimately, whether you call it a seller's fee or a buyer's premium is just semantics. Rob, I don't know why you don't grasp this.

If it's just semantics...Why bother calling it a "buyer's premium"?

If it's just semantics...Why don't they get rid of it and just take 20% out of the high bid? In your world it's all the same right?

If the seller is paying everything, why do we need a buyer's premium at all?

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

I honestly don't care where an item is for sale: ebay, auction house, or here on the BST, I know what I am willing to pay and that is that. If I know I am participating in an auction that charges a buyers premium, I factor that into my bid amount.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

If it's just semantics...Why bother calling it a "buyer's premium"?

If it's just semantics...Why don't they get rid of it and just take 20% out of the high bid? In your world it's all the same right?

If the seller is paying everything, why do we need a buyer's premium at all?

You don't see that the 20 percent fee with an auction house is less money the consignor receives? Most buyers will bid the same amount in either venue and just factor in the BP when making a maximum bid.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

You don't see that the 20 percent fee with an auction house is less money the consignor receives? Most buyers will bid the same amount in either venue and just factor in the BP when making a maximum bid.

I can't believe how many of you are fooled by this. Or maybe you have friends in the business...or maybe you are in the business.

If it was an even exchange each and every time...The high bid is the high bid regardless of BP or not....then answer my question. Why confuse the situation with a buyer's premium instead of just taking 20% off the high bid at the end?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Yes Rob, the entire board is stupid and you alone get it because you're so savvy. Happy now?

Here's something to ponder though: buyer's premiums depress hammer prices. The high bid is NOT the high bid independent of the premium, it's a function of the premium. Think about it, and maybe you'll finally actually see what everyone here is talking about.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

I can't believe how many of you are fooled by this. Or maybe you have friends in the business...or maybe you are in the business.

If it was an even exchange each and every time...The high bid is the high bid regardless of BP or not....then answer my question. Why confuse the situation with a buyer's premium instead of just taking 20% off the high bid at the end?

I am not even really sure what your argument is. Taking 20 percent off the top of the high bid at the end or calling it a "buyer's premium" and adding 20 percent is the same thing in terms of total money in the pocket of the consignor. What is there even to get "fooled" on? A card that sells for $1,000 total with a 20 percent BP only nets the consignor $800.

Not just in this situation, but in life as a whole, when your argument comes down to everyone else is wrong and I am the only person who understands what is going on, it is usually time for an honest reflection.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

I am not even really sure what your argument is. Taking 20 percent off the top of the high bid at the end or calling it a "buyer's premium" and adding 20 percent is the same thing in terms of total money in the pocket of the consignor. What is there even to get "fooled" on? A card that sells for $1,000 total with a 20 percent BP only nets the consignor $800.

Not just in this situation, but in life as a whole, when your argument comes down to everyone else is wrong and I am the only person who understands what is going on, it is usually time for an honest reflection.

Not just in this situation, but in life as a whole, when a person repeatedly refuses to answer a question, it's because he doesn't like the answer he has to give.

If it's all the same in the end, why is there a buyer's premium?

Just to trick those dim consignors?

[doug.goodman]

Ok guys, we get it, you disagree.

At the end of the day, the final cost of an item I buy is what the item cost me, and I won't buy it if it's more than I want to spend.

Buyer's premiums, or what ever they are called, are part of that. As is shipping.

If an AH doesn't charge a premium, good for them, but my end cost will probably be similar to if they did, due to buyers possibly bidding more.

I buy stuff everywhere that I can get a deal that I am happy with, which doesn't necessarily mean that I got "a deal". At the risk of fballguy thinking that I'm on Peter's "side", it really is all semantics, and certainly not worth arguing about for as long you two have been on this thread.

The original question actually deserves only a simple yes or no answer.

My answer is "yes".

Hugs and kisses,
Doug

[Leon]

Well said and 70% of our respondents agree.

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Ok guys, we get it, you disagree.

At the end of the day, the final cost of an item I buy is what the item cost me, and I won't buy it if it's more than I want to spend.

Buyer's premiums, or what ever they are called, are part of that. As is shipping.

If an AH doesn't charge a premium, good for them, but my end cost will probably be similar to if they did, due to buyers possibly bidding more.

I buy stuff everywhere that I can get a deal that I am happy with, which doesn't necessarily mean that I got "a deal". At the risk of fballguy thinking that I'm on Peter's "side", it really is all semantics, and certainly not worth arguing about for as long you two have been on this thread.

The original question actually deserves only a simple yes or no answer.

My answer is "yes".

Hugs and kisses,
Doug

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

I can't believe how many of you are fooled by this. Or maybe you have friends in the business...or maybe you are in the business.

If it was an even exchange each and every time...The high bid is the high bid regardless of BP or not....then answer my question. Why confuse the situation with a buyer's premium instead of just taking 20% off the high bid at the end?

Because a 20% buyers premium means I only pay a 16 2/3% consignment fee. And if my consignment is nice enough i can negotiate part of the BP as well. This is better than the AH taking 20% of the final price. And in a few rare instances that you keep bringing up some people actually forget about the bp all together, so I would get an extra 20% for my consignment.

The first priority for an auction house should be getting quality consignments. Collectors will bid from anyone who has the stuff they want. If you dont believe that read the candiman thread.

[PowderedH2O]

I'll answer the original question. I prefer ebay for reasons of convenience, and because I don't feel like taking extra time to figure out the final costs of things on auction houses. I bought some comics last year and set some really low bids through one of the major auction houses we discuss here often. The comics were worth about $35 each and I won the auctions for about $16 each. In my mind I had done really well. Then a buyer's premium was added, plus a shipping fee that was about twice what actual shipping cost, and before I knew it I had paid about the same as a BIN on ebay. So, I will just do ebay unless it is some unusual item that never pops up.

[Beastmode]

"I can't wait to stay up all night to watch an auction close multiple times while I have to put bids in manually because I can't snipe, while getting shilled by dozens of bidders I can't see at these Auction Houses" said no-one ever

[JollyElm]

100% of my bids are on ebay.