[Vintageloz]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

I usually get to either the Philly Show or Westchester NY shows and it really depends. A couple things to think about. At a show, the dealer has to bring all their inventory, pay their table fees, buy food, possibly a hotel room, worry about theft, spend 1-3 days confined to the table, etc. In short, before even selling a thing, dealers can easily be into a show for several hundred dollars with no guarantee to make any money and can't spend that time doing anything else. Conversely, as the customer, you get to see the card in hand to judge the condition and immediately have the card.

In addition, an auction is not the same as a retail environment. In an auction you are only paying a little more than what somewhat else is willing to pay. So another person, other than the seller, decides how much you will spend. At a show, the dealer is not required to sell (and often they don't) unless they get what they want. Therefore, I really don't think it is fair to expect to spend the same amount on a straight auction as you would at a show. I think a better comparison is can you find the prices better then the BIN on Ebay. Of course that depends. Sometimes you can. Sometimes you can't. But at least you can talk prices with the dealer face to face and judge their willingness to negotiate. I know there are certainly some dealers I basically just skip over as I know their prices are outrageous and they won't budge, and others I will spend a lot of time looking at almost every card as I know they will be fair with the prices. One other thing you can do at shows is learn about different issues, chat with other collectors, and of course, occasionally find a really good buy.

DJ

Well said!