[raulus]

We can always dream!

Retail always seems to mean the price is a bit more than you might pay at auction. The trade-off is that you don’t have to deal with the hassle of an auction, and the possibility that it might go even higher. For the seller, they get to skip the uncertainty of the process and lock in a price that’s good enough while potentially giving up some upside if it goes into a complete bidding war at auction.

My guess is that your best bet to get a deal on major stars is going to be on lower graded stuff. Once you get into the higher grades, especially for the earlier issues for the major postwar stars, it’s hard to imagine that a dealer will be willing to come down by very much. Maybe a little, but getting a serious deal seems unlikely.