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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

Perhaps Bobby could quantify this with an actual number, but I would venture to guess that the weekly volume and dollar amount of low to mid-grade cards sold on eBay would come pretty close to the total annual volume and dollar amount of high-grade material sold by any single auction house. I'd bet that within the first quarter of the year, eBay sells more dollars in low and mid-grade vintage material than all the auction houses combined sell in high-grade cards in an entire year. I'd be shocked if I were off-base in that guess.

There are, of course, a number of auction houses that specialize in high-grade material. But, for example, the last REA auction had a low-grade Baltimore News Ruth and T210 Jackson that sold for more money combined, I believe, than all the high-grade material in that auction.

I respect what you collect, Jim, and think your collection is outstanding and your passion for the hobby is equal to just about anyone else I've met. But the market for low and mid-grade material is just not something that you watch closely, I don't think. It's an enormous market, and growing by the year, it seems.

-Al