Let's Play a Fun Game! When X really means Y
 

Let's play a fun game. When you see "X" on eBay or elsewhere it really means "Y".

I'll start. When you see "Please read description" in item title the seller really intends to pass off a reprint/counterfeit, so in the item description they elaborate a bit further "found at estate sale but not sure of origin so selling as a reprint...."

Ok, your turn :)

Resubmit? (or undergraded) means I already tried and failed.

"Razor sharp corners!!" means "butter knife corners."

"thanks for all the inquiries" = no one has shown any interest in this overpriced, off-center t206

"great value" = overpriced

"buyer backed out" = there was no buyer

"card is still available" = i've already used the above three

WOW!

Means the seller has a few extra characters available for his title, can't think of a small, useful descriptive word, and is hoping a buyer will search on the key word "WOW"

"Rare" = one of 5,000 available t206 commons.

"PSA?" means "this card is not graded by PSA, but you're searching for PSA"

"Please Read" in the description usually means "Please Skip Me" to me.


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Wait I figured it out:

Taking offers means I won't be making one

"God Bless" = "I'm going straight to hell for being a scam artist."

Found in the attic means I just finished aging this reprint.

"Selling as-is, no returns" means that something is seriously wrong with it.

I’m not an expert = it’s fake
According to eBay rules = it’s fake
1952 Mantle ungraded = its fake
T206 Wagner = it’s fake

Non-auto means I am putting that in my listing so that all you people looking for autographed cards will see my card also you suckers!!!!!

Must for a master set = maybe someday PSA will recognize this recurring print defect as a variation like they did with the 1961 Fairly

"Unsearched."

For those that don't deal full-time in cards, "Rare" I have found increasingly just means "old." Hey look at this "rare" 1953 Topps common in VG condition...

"Is this a new variation" means "help me sell my crappy card"

"CENTERED" = "well, not technically centered, per se, but not at least not terribly off-centered."

You beat me to the punch on this one - yes. "Centered" - uh, 60/40-ish? :eek:

"PQ OR HE" = Get ready to pay up considerably

Ha ha!! In looking at 1962 cards last night, I found a seller whose 'X' actually means 'X.' Virtually all of his listings have the card name/number/player/grade followed by the brief disclaimer, "Pics show my reflection."

If it's a marketing move, it's brilliant. Like looking for "Nina" in Hirschfeld drawings, he made me check out each of his auctions to see if I could find him in the photos!!

As a centering nut I can safely say 95%, or more, of cards that are listed as centered, aren't. They might have decent centering but most aren't very close to centered. This one is close but it too is not centered.

This very unique card is also well centered. :cool:

I feel you, Leon. I used to be a centering nut - around 15-ish years ago when even though I approached the hobby more with the mindset of a collector, I sold enough cards to be a dealer. I got to the point where I realized I had more issues with my cards (even nice, high-grade Hall of Famers) that I spent time fretting about than I did actually enjoying them.

Centering played a large part in this. I eventually had to give up my ways and go back to the mid-grade and often off-centered cards I had as a kid. I know it doesn't work for everyone, and if you have the means to do nothing but high grade that meets your requirements, then I would certainly encourage it - but I'm a much happier collector now just being pleased with the eye appeal of a card and not always worring about the minutia. :) I still ocassionally fall into my old traps - and let's be honest who does not love a really cherry, highly-graded vintage card - but on the whole I just found that to be kinda stressful.

Especially the back!

"You be the judge"

Means I'm hoping your wearing you wife's readers that are 2X less than your own and you can't see the mark I erased in the back.

had to LOL at that one.

"These are tough to come by" means check Ebay and you'll find 20 more that are less expensive.

"Invest now" means I'm overcharging you and expect it to crash and burn soon

"Buyer backed out" means my shiller got stuck with the item when we hoped it would just drive up the price

If we could hear them screaming while hawking their wares it would be more entertaining.

If private bidding then shenanigans will happen.