Ebay auction sale dynamics.
 

this is a basketball card, but my question is on Ebay sales generally, and i think its appropriate here. if you disagree, please move the thread:

How does Ebay work with respect to registering sales? this card sold for $14k on 1 bid and it's showing up as the last sale for this card on pricing sites:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/-/184637917...2047675.l10137

on the same day, another copy sold for 9350. In the week before, 2 copies sold through PWCC for 7500.

How does a single bidder in an auction pay $5000 more than the most recent sale???? is this is a real sale?

I think you have to separate flipper/investors from PC collectors. It's much easier as a PC collector to decide on what you want your collection to look like and what your willing to pay for it. The challenge in an increasing market is where you allocate your money 1st before you get priced out of that particular segment.

Investor/flippers have a much harder time. There are a myriad of strategies to play but recent sales is one of the most important data points. The problem is the sales data can/is being manipulated so you have to revert to more instinctual strategies.

Edit: I'd be super interested to see how the prices of Mahomes vs Brady cards react to tonight's game in the next week.

Under normal circumstances this would be a greater cause for concern. But the market today defies logic. As someone pointed out in another thread the day before the 86 fleer jordans sold on Goldin for 720k, someone bought one on ebay for 350k. Heritage sold one a few days later for 600+.

Now that is not to say this sale is definitely legitimate. But the price alone is not enough to indicate it's not in my opinion.

Another example, same grade, sold for $12,500 today.

It is FOMO. Many of the early Star Jordan cards have tripled or more in the last three months. The Spanish Merchante issues also are on the rise (they've tripled since I sold mine last year: D'OH!); even those ridiculous 1985 Prism Jewel Jordan stickers are through the roof. I think there is a growing understanding among collectors that the 1985 Star and Merchante cards really are his true rookie cards and that the 1986 cards are same age as the 1986 Fleer, so if you are priced out of the Fleer you can still play...well, could have. Also, some of the scuttlebutt in basketball collecting is a hope that under new management PSA will rethink its ban on certain issues like the Star cards. I have heard some people suggest that PSA deciding to grade them may lead to the early Star Jordan cards running to heights like the 1986 Fleer. Add that to the already scorching market and you are basically adding gas to a fire.

The irony is that the card in the OP isn't a rookie year issue. That honor goes to the 1985 Star issues.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...k%20Jordan.jpg

Very pleased I picked this up last October; it's been a nice ride.

Also, basketball is an unusual market: lots of foreign fans and money as compared to baseball. The NBA is a truly global brand. Many collectors from overseas want the best examples and have the resources not to sweat an extra few thousand dollars.