Frustrating Day Bidding on the "Bay"

[Bosox Blair]

Dunno what is going on, but I bid on about a dozen pre-war lots on Ebay today (some Es and a few Ts). Every lot went way beyond what I thought the value was...the lowest one was 50% above recent VCP...the rest were 200% to 500% VCP...I guess the economy is no longer a concern

(I won none of them.)

Oh well, I guess that's some good news for the values of our collections!

Cheers,

[jabiloxi]

Same experience here.

[mintacular]

been noticing this trend to, do you think eBay's moving to BINS/FIXED PRICED STORE (all too high) leads to more participating/bidding on the few no reserve auctions still in existence?

[AndyG09]

I was 0-3 tonight, and I thought I was being fairly aggressive. I didn't even bother on the fourth lot I was interested in.

[jabiloxi]

I think it is just the time of year. spring training, summers approaching...I don't think its anything to get too xcited about.

[SethY]

I bought a Comiskey N28 not too long ago for just a little over 200. It was an SGC 20. A 10 sold tonight for 356. Wow! Tough night!

0-3 also. Just got my butt handed to me. The cards sold for over 2x's normall. Maybe a hill before the next valley. Hope the hill turns into a mountain till after REA is over.

[Chicago206]

I went 2 for 2 tonight on a pair of Peidmont 42's.

[brass_rat]

Funny that you should post this, Blair...I was thinking the exact same thing earlier tonight...I was 1 for 6, and the one win was not anything special...just a common T206 I needed for my set...

Steve

[sox1903wschamp]

Got pounded on a few E91 C's. I thought we discussed on here that these are almost worthless because they are "generic" images

[Jantz]

I missed an auction tonight also and it wasn't because I got outbid. I got so involved in a movie that I forgot to bid. If I wouldn't have been so easily distracted I think I would have won the card because the winning bid was well below what I was willing to pay.

Oh well, maybe next time.

Jantz

[Cat]

.

[familytoad]

Maybe the spring training and nice weather coming has baseball cards back on the upswing!
If it's seasonal... (I have never thought about it, but it would be logical even though we are all bidding on pictures of dead guys) maybe it's time to bid on some old football and realize some bargains!
I can always find a home for Johnny Unitas, Norm Van Brocklin, Otto Graham, Gale Sayers and the boys if the prices are right!

[T206DK]

I haven't won a card in almost 2 weeks on Ebay. there is a lot of shill bidding going on in my opinion ...on legitimate cards and on reprints. I couldn't even bid on fake Old Judge cards without having the seller or one of his friends or relatives shill bid them the other day. I have stopped reporting all the shilling I find since nothing is usually done about it. All the trusted sellers on my list haven't had anything that has interested me lately for auction. Lots of BIN, but their prices are too high.
I think high buy it now listings makes for more competition amongst the real auctions on ebay now. that along with the strange feedback rules they use now. I actually had my feedback go down after getting positive feedback from a buyer once....go figure. I actually picked up 2 T3's at a local card show this month ( see pics in march pickup) for alot less than I would have paid on Ebay, and I didn't have to worry about the guy behind the table shill bidding me with one of his 10 ebay accounts or his sisters account either. It's too bad there are not a lot of vintage dealers in my area. I think I would start going to shows more like I used to back in the late 80's and early 90's.

[Wite3]

Agree with Dave...in the last week, I have been outbid on three cards...two of the cards had really odd bid histories when I checked...a bidder with a low feedback only bids on one seller and bids small increments up to the max and then goes one higher....One of the cards has already been relisted!!

Ebay is just letting people get away with scams now....

Please, when is Leon's site going to be active!

Joshua

[T206DK]

I took note that 3 cards that I had been watching about 2 weeks ago are now up for sale again....the sellers all have high feedback around or near 100% too. I stopped bidding on 2 different sellers Old Judge style reprints because I noticed a bidder with private feedback was bidding everyone else up for one seller and someone with a feedback of "0" was hiking up the prices for the other guy. I can't wait to see how Leon's site does. It could really keep me away from Ebay all together as far as cards and memorabilia goes. I think Ebay is going to the proverbial dogs. When the antique store owner down the road can have 12 seller accounts...something stinks !!

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by sox1903wschamp

Got pounded on a few E91 C's. I thought we discussed on here that these are almost worthless because they are "generic" images

Hi Michael,

I guess you were in for a couple I was trying for too...but when Joe Wood in SGC 10 goes for over $200 from that set, I'm out long before...

Cheers,
Blair

[chaddurbin]

Originally Posted by Cat

I've noticed this trend for a few weeks now. It seems like the auction format cards are doing quite well. I'm putting in very healthy snipes and not winning much.

cat,

you need to go back to that "retirement" angle...great strategy everybody lowered their snipes thinking you were away!

[Cat]

Originally Posted by chaddurbin

cat,

you need to go back to that "retirement" angle...great strategy everybody lowered their snipes thinking you were away!

I almost forgot...yeah, yeah...I am retired...yeah, that's the ticket.

[Fuddjcal]

yeah, the DEALERS are in TOP FORM, getting ready for the new E-bay selling Fee structures. So few GOOD auctions (10% Nice 90% fakes) that the dealers continue to overbid to get the decent item. Don't count on any feedback from these A-clowns or any acknowledgment that received your item. You'll see your item back in their store along with 5 other items just like the one they just bought from you with the exception of the item is now TRIPLE with a BUY IT NOW PRICE. THANKS E-BAY for the new business model.

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by Bosox Blair

Hi Michael,

I guess you were in for a couple I was trying for too...but when Joe Wood in SGC 10 goes for over $200 from that set, I'm out long before...

Cheers,
Blair

I had decent snipes as well and fell below. I didn't snipe the Wood because I picked up a raw one on Ebay a few weeks back for less than 1/4 of the SGC 10 that sold the other day. The raw one is going to grade about 20 or 30. Very strange...

[T206DK]

I think I agree with what some people on Fox business said about Ebay. It's slowly destroying itself from within. A lot of people think that's why the former CEO left the company and decided to run for political office. She doesn't want to be there when the whole thing comes crashing down. With Ebay downsizing and cutting about half it's employees I think this new business model that starts April 1 is a desperate attempt to generate more revenue. There are already competitors waiting in the wings. I think Ebay will be a different animal than it is today one year from now.
If they could ever figure out a way to weed out the unsavory sellers, con artists , and shill bidding enterprises they could restore confidence in their site again. I am used to getting shilled on baseball cards, but on a lava lamp and a BBC t.v. program on dvd..... C'mon Man !!

[M's_Fan]

My thoughts on recent spike in card prices:

• The economy is slowly emerging from its funk, and although its really tough for those without jobs, people with savings are beginning to feel okay about spending their money again.
• Spring is in the air, baseball season is beginning, and people start to reawaken their collecting pursuits
• The stock market has had a huge run in the past year, and I think a lot of folks (including myself) are wary of putting money into a market that doesn't seem like it can go much further
• More and more baby boomers retiring every day; with disposable time and income
• I think the "buy it now" push by eBay, as mentioned by another poster, has definitely increased demand for the few remaining true auctions. I think this is a big factor. As long as people don't buy overpriced BIN listings, these BIN listings will fade away or lower in price to meet the going rate for cards. But it seems that enough people are biting on BIN listings that dealers find them profitable, so I don't see that happening.

[tbob]

I sold several cards over the weekend and some sold for about what I thought they would, maybe a little higher and some sold for less, so I am not noticing any pattern of feverish bidding. As a mostly buyer on ebay I have noticed the weird swings on ebay. I won a nice Series 7 T210 in PSA 4 for around $42 when just a few weeks ago a raw Series 2 common in vg to vgex went for twice that amount. I think timing is more important than ever: when the card goes on and goes off, etc.

[barrysloate]

M's Fan- I think more baby boomers are getting out of the hobby than getting in. That's not scientific, just my observation.

[deadballera]

I wa fortunate to pick up a couple of the cards I wanted yesterday. My 7 year old daughter even counted down the final 25 seconds and I still won.

There were some others that I wish I had put in some higher bids...but oh well.

[T206DK]

I don't think dealers necessarily find the BIN's profitable. I think Ebay's super low listing fees make it possible for a lot of dealers to keep stuff on Ebay almost perpetually. I have seen the same cards for sale by some of the same dealers since 2007 now. That is ridiculous and tells me that few of their overpriced cards are selling. Dealers with reasonable BIN's are selling their cards fairly fast I have noticed. Add in the fact that most dealers have other jobs, so they really don't need to sell those cards anytime soon. If they sell one T206 for triple what it's worth that's just gravy on top for them.

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by tbob

I sold several cards over the weekend and some sold for about what I thought they would, maybe a little higher and some sold for less, so I am not noticing any pattern of feverish bidding.

Hi Bob,

One of the cards I was watching was your purple E94 Cicotte in SGC 10 - I thought you did real well on that one.

I know it is tough to compare (esp. with the different color backgrounds), but VCP had the last sale of a dark green one of these in this grade at $183, which is only 54% of what yours sold for. And the $183 was several months before the 2008 stock market crash.

Also, in 2009 an olive PSA 2 of this card went for a touch less than yours.

So I did view that as one of the ones that went significantly higher than I thought. (But I'm very happy for you...and for me as I already own that card.)

Cheers,
Blair

[pgellis]

I think the simple answer is "supply and demand". When I started collecting
T206s 4 years ago, there seemed like 40-50 SGC50 (or better) graded cards (if not more) ended almost every single week on eBay for months and months. Very few BINs back then.
Now with the scarcity of true auctions for those same criteria of cards, you will see some inflated prices. Some people (myself included) who have only picked up 1 or 2 cards on eBay over the last several months, start to get antsy and are willing to pay a little extra.
I know we aren't just talking about T206s in this thread, but I think it is comparable across different types.

[BlueDevil89]

Originally Posted by pgellis

I think the simple answer is "supply and demand". When I started collecting
T206s 4 years ago, there seemed like 40-50 SGC50 (or better) graded cards (if not more) ended almost every single week on eBay for months and months. Very few BINs back then.
Now with the scarcity of true auctions for those same criteria of cards, you will see some inflated prices. Some people (myself included) who have only picked up 1 or 2 cards on eBay over the last several months, start to get antsy and are willing to pay a little extra.
I know we aren't just talking about T206s in this thread, but I think it is comparable across different types.

I agree with Phil - Demand is there, but the supply seems to have dried up. The result is inflation. That, and the fact that the government keeps printing dollars but no more original T206 cards.

That's the problem with this hobby - all the new people who get interested in collecting and keep buying up the finite number of vintage cards!

[tbob]

Thanks Blair. The Cicotte did pretty well but I think the fact it was violet and had no creases helped with the price. The fact that E94s have really dried up didn't hurt either I noticed I had 27 ebayers watching that auction, a very large number.

[usernamealreadytaken]

Though I know this general theory will not apply to all auctions, I was FLOORED to see a T206 Breitenstein PSA 2.5 sell for $67 this past Sun. nite!!! That card could have easily sold for double, dare I say, triple that amount. Sorry I sat that one out...

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by usernamealreadytaken

Though I know this general theory will not apply to all auctions, I was FLOORED to see a T206 Breitenstein PSA 2.5 sell for $67 this past Sun. nite!!! That card could have easily sold for double, dare I say, triple that amount. Sorry I sat that one out...

Not sure I understand this. There are a ton of recorded sales of this card over the last few years in PSA 3 and SGC 40 (=3) for $105 or less...

Cheers,
Blair

[Kotton King]

Originally Posted by tbob

Thanks Blair. The Cicotte did pretty well but I think the fact it was violet and had no creases helped with the price. The fact that E94s have really dried up didn't hurt either I noticed I had 27 ebayers watching that auction, a very large number.

I was the underbidder......so it was frustrating for me . I thought I put in a very nice high bid. The Violet background on this tough E94 subject was a big reason I was interested. Next time I'll just have to go higher......