Net54baseball.com Forums - Hey, pennant guys

Not really a good juxtaposition at all in my opinion. Dealers are experts. I know in some professions like pawn shops it's illegal to take advantage of people if you know the true price. I don't want to derail a thread like this, so this'll be my final opinion on it.

Mine also. Just for the record, I was a terrible dealer when it came to getting bargains I could make windfall profits on. The first thing most people ask is, "how much is it worth," and I always felt compelled to tell them before explaining the economics of the hobby and my place in it. eBay was a godsend in that respect since I wasn't really dealing with people but with an anonymous machine and could utilize my expertise, especially of the niches I had really gotten to know well, to get some real deals to make it all worthwhile doing. I'm sure gouging does go on, but whatever happened to "caveat emptor?" You can't regulate stupidity or ignorance, and you shouldn't try to. They should teach in the schools how to be smart with money.

ooo-ribay

11-01-2025 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucas00 (Post 2547470)

I'm not saying it's a terrible thing, at least real time and money has to be spent. It is annoying because even collectors like to get a deal every now and then, and that is pretty much non existent now.

I don�t think there are any �deals� to be had unless a) it�s an underpriced BIN (and you have to be VERY lucky/diligent to find these) or b) an item is horribly or incorrectly described. In other cases of an auction going to its end, the market decides the price. If it�s more than you�re willing to pay, it really doesn�t matter if the winning bid is put in 5 days early or 5 seconds before the auction ends. In a way, we�re all losers when we win something�we have just decided to pay more than anyone else would! :p

UKCardGuy

11-01-2025 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay (Post 2547544)

I agree with this. I think any auction strategy is only ever going to work at the margins...on that 1 in a 100 auction. But when it works, don't you feel great :D

Some people bid their max up front, most people wait until the extended bidding. Personally, I like to put bids in when the auction opens to ensure that I able to bid in extended bidding. Then for items that I'm most focused on, I might put in a bid at about 1/2 of my max to gauge interest in the lot. If I'm outbid quickly and with several other bidders I know that I might have a battle. If there are other items in the auction that I want, then I might have to change my focus to those.

I like to think that this gives me some insight about how keenly other people are bidding on that lot. I don't think it's very scientific and I'm probably just deluding myself. Ultimately, it only takes one other bidder on the night to drive the price up higher than I can afford.

ooo-ribay

11-01-2025 07:41 PM

I�m sure auction house vs. eBay �strategies� are different. Usually with auction houses, I�m blown out of the water early and give up. Que sera sera. I usually only bid in the hope they continue to send me their drool worthy catalogs. Some do, some don�t.

Fballguy

11-02-2025 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay (Post 2547566)

I�m sure auction house vs. eBay �strategies� are different.

On ebay, passivity loses. 6-7 years ago, scoring pennants at great prices was like shooting fish in a barrel. Then Covid happened and the lock down spawned an army of ebay trolls. If you don't sit there tapping your enter button all day, you've got next to no shot of getting anything decent, nevermind anything decent at a good price. Even for nice items listed as an auction, you better reach out to that seller to see if they'd accept an offer...because if you don't I guarantee someone else is.

ooo-ribay

11-02-2025 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fballguy (Post 2547854)

I can�t dispute anything you say in regard to eBay, although I�m not sure I see the Covid connection. I�ve resigned myself to the new reality and accept that a blind squirrel like myself is only going to find the occasional acorn. It sometimes frustrates me but I�m not willing to devote all my time to the acquisition of �stuff.�

perezfan

11-03-2025 01:02 AM

Yup... eBay is ruined. I could list off at least a dozen reasons it was better pre-2020, but Rob summed it up nicely.

The good news is that I am spending MUCH less time searching in futility. So now I can waste tons of time in less expensive ways. :rolleyes:

ooo-ribay

11-03-2025 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perezfan (Post 2547910)

Yup... eBay is ruined. I could list off at least a dozen reasons it was better pre-2020, but Rob summed it up nicely.

Are you also thinking Covid (2020) had something to do with the �change� in eBay? I can�t pinpoint a time, but it seems to me eBay has been getting tougher for at least the last 15 years. I still average probably one, usually minor, purchase a week but unusual Giants pennants are very few and far between.

thetahat

11-03-2025 10:11 AM

You�re not merely dealing with collectors who hunt for items to add to their personal collection. Some seemingly live on eBay to grab cheap BINs only to relist for a profit 1-2 weeks later, or whenever the mailman leaves their porch. Not illegal but kinda lame.

thetahat

11-03-2025 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay (Post 2547927)

Are you also thinking Covid (2020) had something to do with the “change” in eBay? I can’t pinpoint a time, but it seems to me eBay has been getting tougher for at least the last 15 years. I still average probably one, usually minor, purchase a week but unusual Giants pennants are very few and far between.

I think it has gotten tough simply due to more users, and more accumulated sales history/evidence. Twenty years ago it was much more likely for a person who stumbled across pennants at a flea market or his attic to not know what he had. Today, with Worthpoint, etc., it’s easy to research.

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