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Dave SBeing my 1st post, would like to intoduce myself; friends and family call me Dave, Ebayer's know me as Cubman23. Think there are a few members here who have bought/sold cards with me over the years. And hopefully some can attest to the fact that I am SEMI-knowledgable of the hobby, and in no means claim to be an expert or remotely close to one! But, like I imagine a few on here, have been shuffling cardboard longer than a few have been breathing!
I received an e-mail the other day from a member here, related to a post here to which I felt compelled to reply. Some of you may have seen my 10 E254's sold on Ebay last week, in particular a Wagner, #170092678593, that ended in a "head-scratching" $853,and "unbelievably" reserve was not met. That card, following Auction end, was sold (as were the Cobb and Young which also didn't hit reserve) for CONSIDERABLY HIGHER than the final bid. And amazingly the buyer is a widely known, respected vintage dealer! NOT a rookie! So was he a fool for paying what he paid?
My point here....so often overlooked...is quite simple! What is ANY card worth? WHO KNOWS! Very simply, whatever it is worth to someone who wants/needs that card; isn't that the preface of any auction...whether for real estate, auto's, or old cardboard? A card that is worth $100 to me may be worth $1000 to your moderator...or vice versa. Does that mean neither of us have any idea what a card is worth?
SIMPLY..As hobbyists, we often overlook the simple rules of supply & demand. You can't compare Wagner's, Matty's, and Cobb's with Jeter's, Clemens', and Griffey's! And lastly, to those who live and die by SMR's and price guides, remember..they indeed ARE guides and not Bible's! Think maybe if you base your expenditures on them, you'll lose a helluva lot of nice cards...and overpay for just as many...
Apologies for the lengthiness...