Dealer Prices are crazy!

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Posted By: Bryan Long

I am going to break my own rule here . . . but, I decided to search some of the dealers listed on this site in order to track down a few cards that I need to complete my 1948 Bowman set and to get some more for t201 set. After seeing what dealers are asking for these cards it makes me wonder if they ever sell anything through their website! Now I know that there are a few people with reasonable prices, but sadly enough they don't have what I need - but who in their right mind think that they can get over $100 for raw 1948 bowman card - not a HOFer mind you. Even the t201 cards that I need right now people are asking crazy prices. The only thing that I can think of is that they are selling everything on ebay, because unless they have that one card that you need and can't find anywhere - why would you pay that kind of money? OK - I am done ranting, I just had to get that off my chest. This is what I get for trying to give some business to dealers instead of collectors.

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Posted By: rob

yeah, its pretty painful, but nothing new. I just went to the WP show again and its the same cards with the same dealers year after year and the cards are all egregiously overpriced. You would think they would come down some just to shuffle their inventory, but they really dont seem to care that much.

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Posted By: Bryan Long

I am not asking for major cuts here - just some common sense. I don't think that is too much to ask. In the mean time I will just buy from Ebay and my friends on the board.

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Posted By: Jason L

I think that is what the dealer pricing is telling you to do!

those are their Buy it Now prices, I guess

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Well I've only bought directly from one dealer through this website and I think I got a heckuva deal. Bought a tough Zeenut card from Mark Macrae and I'm sure the price was about the same that it would have went for on ebay, or maybe not as I've never seen one on ebay. I also get Mark's periodical price lists through email and it seems his prices are pretty good to me.

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Posted By: Matt M

I've seen some dealers coming down a bit on prices. At least if you start to email them to inquire about a card, they most always email you back with a lower price. And I think that has to do with the present times we are in.

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Posted By: JK

I think dealers believe that their pre war cards are recession proof

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Posted By: Chris Counts

Dan,

I didn't realize Mark sold cards online. I just met him at a Bay Area show a month ago, and I picked up some nice stuff, mostly PCL cards. Do you have a web or email address for him?

Bryan,

I agree with you on the prices of most dealers. There's one guy on eBay that really drives me nuts. His overpriced cards clog up many of my searches. I finally figured out that he only sells PSA cards. Now when I search, I simply add "-PSA" to my searches. I wish I could just delete him from my searches.

I don't understand why some of these guys list their cards for sale if they're not willing to sell them at a reasonable price. They're just paying listing fees to display their collection ...

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Chris email me and I'll pass Mark's email addy on to you.

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Posted By: JimB

I wish dealers would just put their reasonable bottom line prices out there. I can't tell you how many times I have not even bothered because the prices were so outrageous. If they were actually willing to sell for a reasonable price, I would never know.
JimB

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Posted By: Seth B.

Brian, I'm right there with you. I had one experience with a guy at a show in Raleigh trying to sell G/VG E92 dockman commons for $400 that made me quit collecting for a month I was so angry. He was griping about how he had to pay for the booth set up, but I don't see that as my fault. I don't look to rip anyone off, but I just want a dealer not to treat me like a rich idiot from the get-go.

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi Guys,
Don't worry about the Buy it now prices... Make them an offer and haggle a little... and most of the time you will get to a fair price. We all know certain dealers that will never haggle, but almost everyone else will.
Be well Brian

PS I haggled over the weekend with a seller for several days before we agreed on a price.


PS 2 Leon is really bad... he never comes down.... smiley..

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Posted By: T206Collector

I guess I understand why one particular ebay seller has been listing the same SGC 60 T206 Johnson portrait for $2,200 for at least the past 9 months, but with the market moving downwards, what purpose is served by sticking to this rate? Is he a collector that likes showing off his cards? It's not like the card wouldn't sell for at least $1,500 in an auction format. Why bother holding it and listing it day after day after week after month?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Visit http://www.t206collector.com for my blog, interviews, articles, card galleries and more!

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Posted By: Steve

I wish dealers would just put their reasonable bottom line prices out there.


Jim if they did that then some buyers would ask for an even better price. To the OP, if you see a card you like on a web site that is the dealers starting point. If you see a card that you like and he wants 100.00 and you feel it is worth 75 to you why not ask? He may very well sell it for that price or perhaps a lil more. At worse he will say no I can't lower it


JMO

Steve


edited Typos

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Posted By: Bryan Long

Steve,
My gripe is that the card may be worth $75, but the dealer is asking $750.

.

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Posted By: Matt

Bryan - I agree - there are a few cards from dealers on ebay that I've inquired about, making an offer based on VCP data only to get turned down with no counter offer. I think the dealer really believes someone will eventually buy it at their asking price.

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Posted By: Jason

I for one am a collector that has a large amount of inventory. I opened up an ebay store to liquidate this and have been selling both in auction format and store format ever since. I do put my store inventory in at more of a retail price, but alot of collectors do pay it. It is only the higher end material. The auctions I run at $0.99 no reserve ususally, unless its a major set like the 52 Topps and Parkhurst Hockey I have on right now which is reserve auction. My experience is that I get alot of stupid rediculous offers from buyers so it works both ways. I do understand that many dealers or sellers are overinflated to say the least, but I ususally put items in at 20% over what I paid and let them sit (which is usually close to market or under). If I get an offer close to that I take it. Some items that are tougher etc., I cant, but I do the best I can. I think there are alot of overpriced items but that is the seller's perrogative. Alot of these guys have inventory sitting for years abd that is why. My point is to just make an offer and see what happens. I sold some OJs this week from store......one I took like 70% for and the other I couldnt go under 90% of what I had listed. You never know what you can buy these items for.


Jason

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Posted By: Steve

y gripe is that the card may be worth $75, but the dealer is asking $750.


Well if that is the case (and by the way) that was not mentioned in your OP, then something is skewed. Either dealer knows something you do not or he has made a mistake. If for some reason he is living in a dream world and thinks his cards are worth 10x the going rate then I agree he is crazy.


I would think though the pricing you have now just claimed is the exception not the rule.


Steve

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Posted By: Matt

Steve - I don't know about 10X, but dealers regularly list stuff on dump day at 2X the going rate, e.g. listing $2400 for a card that sells in the $1000-$1300 range.

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Posted By: JimB

My frustration is with offering a fair price in response to unreasonable asking prices and then just counter-offerred up to another unreasonable price. For example if a card is worth $500 and the dealer is asking $1,000, if I offer $500, they will inevitably counter with $850. I may mention in my offer that the three most recent sales were between $450 and $525 and that my offer is my best offer. None of this matters. So now I don't bother when an asking price is that unreasonably high. The worst is when a long-time dealer tries to claim they actually paid $700 for that card that has never sold for that much in a public forum. I have no problem with a good dealer who provides a service making a profit. But the extreme greed I see is frustrating.
jimB

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Posted By: Shawn Chambers

I hate it when a dealer tells me "I paid blah blah for this card".

So you made a bad purchase and now you expect ME to bail you out with an even more outlandish buy. Frankly, I'd be just as likely to pay full amount on a reasonable price if he said he found it in his front yard.

The biggest mistake, though, is for the dealers who tie up money in their inventory hoping to lure the sucker with a bad price. Meanwhile, the more saavy dealer has made his lesser profit, but already steamrolled that money into other lucrative deals. It truly is all about volume!

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Posted By: Tony Galovich

It seems the new business model today is to sell everything for top dollar no matter how long it takes to sell the card
On ebay when you do searches at the end they list Store inventories, just check out the price spreads on cards for sale there.
It's common to see spreads of 100% to 500% on cards in the same grade.
How can a dealer expect to sell a card for $500 when another dealer has the same card in the same grade for 80% less?
Or go to Naxcom, see the asking prices & then see the best offers, IF there any
What a joke!!
So many items have NO offers at all
Many items have offers of 10% or 20% of the asking price
It's rare to see offers of 80% or more of the asking price
it's amazing anything sells there
Asking prices are sky high on some items
& the buyers want to pay 1/2 of wholesale if that
In a era where collectors are so price conscious I guess some sellers are so filthy rich turning inventory over is not a factor
When I hear a dealer bitch he can't sell his cards, 1st thing I say is lower your prices,
But dealers asking crazy prices will never go away