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CatI bought six cards from Mastro last year totalling $45,000. About a year ago, if my memory is correct, the vig went from 15% to 17.5% because of what they called "cost increases." Undoubtedly, part of these cost increases were for more and more catalogs that are being shipped. Most businesses have revenue goals and seek varying ways in order to attain those goals (at a minimum they have to offset their cost structure). If catalogs are being mailed to people that never buy, Mastro can either charge those people or continue to let the buyers pay for the catalogs of those that do not buy. That's an easy decision for me...let those that have the benefit (receipt of what has previously been free catalogs) pay their own way. I don't want to pay for them.
My only issue with Mastro's policy is that they only charge the new customers and seemingly give the old time lurkers (and catalog recipients) to their auctions a free pass. Hopefully, in the future, they will rethink this policy rather than raise the vig again. There is a law of diminishing return on raising that vig and in my view they have reached the ceiling or went beyond.