Why I don't do wantlists

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Posted By: Hankron 

I start by saying that I own approx. 20,000 original/vintage photographs (each rare to unique) and over 10,000 sport and non sport autographs including 400 Pre-War baseball contracts. I am not a money grubber. While I specialize is rarities and unique items, I think most who follow what I have to sell know that my asking prices are more than reasonable. Having said that I commonly say, "Sorry, but I don't do wantlists."

The reason is quite simple. Firstly, it can take me minimally an hour to locate specific wants. After finding the item(s), 90 percent of the people either decide they don't want it anymore, or want to haggle me down to an unreasonably low price ("I saw one sell on eBay for $50. I'll give you $15"). It is not uncommon for the buyer beforehand says "I'll pay you $30 if you can find me a such and such", he will often, after you took a half hour to find it, offer you $7. Some won't even return your email of "I found it!"

This is why I commonly say to specific inquires, "Your best bet is to keep an eye on my eBay auctions, because I don't do wantlists. Sorry, I couldn't be of further help."

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Posted By: Mrc32

You must have one heck of a collection(and insurance bill).

I'm just curious....do you have a special warehouse or do you have a floor of you home dedicated to your collection? How much space does it take up.

I'd love to see some digital photos....

Congrats

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Posted By: Hankron

This is one of my favorite photos of the moment. Joe Louis (2nd from right, with his nearly all black dining guests) and his white servents in the background.

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Posted By: Hankon

(oops. Louis is third from right.)

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Posted By: Hankron

Obiously I was wrong again. I will leave it at that, and not try and point out which one is Joe Louis. However, you can follow my earlier directions while looking at your computer screen in a mirror, or if you're a really bad counter.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

It sounds pretty brash and rude but I certainly don't blame you. That always drove me nuts when I ran the card store when someone would ask for a card and then when you come up with the card the person isn't willing to pay the asking price. Too many people want something for nothing and not realistic when it comes to what they are willing to pay.

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Posted By: Marc S.

Hankron:

Since you obviously have a truly amazing collection -- I was wondering if you had a ballpark appraisal on an item that I particularly enjoy. It is an 1887 (1886?) contract, handwritten on Philadelphia National BallClub letterhead, completely handwritten by then manager Harry Wright. The contract is for Chas. Ferguson (unsigned by him), who was one of the best pitchers for the young Phillies organization before tuberculosis ended his career. The contract is in fairly extraordinary condition -- and as it is handwritten and signed by a HOFer, I think it has some interesting historic significance. If you have any time, shoot me an e-mail at the address above. I may be a tad incorrect on some of the details -- the contract is currently being storied in a different state.

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Posted By: Hankron

I wish to point out that I wasn't trying to brag about the financial value of my collection (I pick my photos based on quality rather than finacial value. This may seem oxymoronic, but it isn't as high quality photos aren't neccesarilly expensive). Rather I was trying to point out that, especially in photographs, I have extensive archives that have strangers asking me to find them this or that item. I also wasn't trying to be brash, I was merely stating what I found to be factualy correct from my personal experience. If someone asks me to spend a half hour looking for specific items, I don't do it, because 90 percent of the time they will renig, not return your email, change the predermined price or try to haggle you don't to an unreasonable price(for example, when the buyer wants it at 1/3 eBay price, I think 'Why don't I put it on eBay, then?'). Since I have found there's no way to predict how a stranger will act after I've spent the time to find the item, I simply don't bother.

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Posted By: Hankron

I add that almost all wantlists come from strangers out of the blue, and I don't act so boorishly to people I have dealt with before and know well. I don't say (at least more than once), "Tough luck, Mom, you know my rules."

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I have my cards (yes, in the thousands) indexed into Excel. If someone wants to know if I have something, or if I want to know whether to lay down the shekels for another item, its at my fingertips.

Simply telling a potential contact "sorry, I don't do want lists" is off-putting and isn't a real sharp business building strategy. Remember, you never know who or what someone who contacts you for one thing might know. The person you blow off today might come into contact with a mega-collection tomorrow. If you piss on them, they won't consider you later on. I've gotten some really great stuff simply by being nice, polite and helpful to people who asked questions. One of them handed me a stack of old signed movie contracts he found in an old house while doing a remodel.

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Posted By: Hankron

Adam I undersand what you are saying. However, looking at my 90 percent figure (my experience, not neccesarily matching others'), I don't understand what is my incentive to start doing wantlists again.

Realize that, since I'm have esoteric and often unique photographs, my requests are not on the order of "Do you have a T206 Neal Ball Vg to Ex?" or "Do you have a 1987 Topps Barry Bonds?" or "Do you have a Mickey Mantle signed baseball?" Most of my requests are on the order of, "Can you find images of Bob Williams, a 2nd basebaman, when he played for the 1919 Syracuse team" or "Can you help me find images of Lou Costello when he appeared at the Rocco Theatre?" or "My dad Billy Bob played backup linebacker for the 1952-7 Oklahoma Sooners. I'm not sure what number he wore. Can you locate me photos of him playing?" Meeting these types of requests often is something that you have to take the afternoon off for, or even the afternoon plus the next morning. Meeting many wantlists is literally a couple of hours of research. I hope that, considering these types of scenarios rather than the typical trading card wantlist, most will understand why I have choosen not to persue these types of wantlists.

At some point, I've considered entirely digitalizing the collection, both for show and for potential sales/wanlists (they could look it up themselves)-- but that would be quite the undertaking.

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Posted By: Hankron

One last point. The original post was not trying to be controversial. It was basically: "Some people do wantlists and some people don't do wantlists. This is the reason why I have choosen not to do wantlists." To me it was on the order of saying "This is why I quit selling at card shows," or "This is why I don't accpet paypal for my eBay auctions" or "I used to sell a lot of baseketball cards, but I quit totally about a year ago. This is why."