reasons for buying at an auction

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Posted By: peter chao

Guys,

I still consider myself new to this board and have only made a few minor auction purchases. After going through the comments on this board for about a week, it seems like buying at an auction is a real crapshoot and justifies only minor purchases. Come on guys, there must be some good reasons to buy at an auction. Let me hear them, thanks.

Peter

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Posted By: leon

Quality/rare cards that can not be found elsewhere....

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I agree that you are taking a risk in buying a card from a no-return, no-questions auction. That is the risk you take with any purchase from anyone but a retailer with a return policy.

Understand that the hyperbole on this board is swamping the reality, just as the wave of businessman kidnappings in Tijuana scares the hell out of any traveler to anywhere in Mexico. The reality of both situations is far different than the hype. The people panicking over card alterations are the ones spending $5,000 on PSA 1 of 1 commons and other mega-buck high grade stuff. No one is sitting back and systematically working over T206 commons to bump them from good to vg. Auctions offer a wide variety of materials, often ungraded, often that cannot be found elsewhere, and the vast majority of which has nothing to do with the current hysteria. I just got my winnings from the Burks' last auction and I am very pleased with the cards. I've got one of the best eyes and one of the better backgrounds in the world when it comes to old boxing cards and I buy with no hesitation from the major auctioneers. I just don't buy $5,000 commons for registry sets. If you are looking to create a top tier registry collection, be afraid. If your collecting goals and collecting habits are modest, I think you will be pretty safe in bidding with any established auctioneer.

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Posted By: peter chao

Adam,

That's reassuring and it makes sense in your case because you like boxing cards and memorabilia. But I'm starting to become fascinated with pre-war baseball cards, I could go to the National or a number of nearby baseball card shows, wouldn't that be better than bidding at an auction.

Peter

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Dealers at the National, etc typically over price their items. Better deals can be had at auction.

It's not an either/or situation. You can buy straight from dealers AND bid in auctions. No sense in omitting either avenue of buying, and most collectors do both.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I really don't think you have to worry about collector grade cards in either sport.

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Posted By: E, Daniel

...whilst sitting in their car, my wife's two bosses were robbed at gunpoint in mexico city 2 weeks ago? One had his rolex that his wife had given him for a 20th anniversary present stolen, the other his watch (a wittnauer i believe...) and his wallet. What's the chances you'd make that analogy

daniel

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I made the analogy because a friend is working for a US company that opened a plant down there and he is scared to death about things, which we discussed over dinner the other night. The consensus from security firms he consulted was that if he stays low key and gets in and gets out he will be fine. My point was simply that the Mexican crime situation is one of those things where everyone panics when they see the headlines but the actual odds of being kidnapped in TJ are very low.

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Posted By: E, Daniel

edited as I realized I had completely left the topic.
I apologize.

daniel


uhm...on topic, I definitely think alot of the material assembled by the auction houses would otherwise never see our eyes. it's incredible, really, just to wade through the catalogs.

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Posted By: anthony

peter, it seems that you want things to be and/or go your way in every transaction you make, whether buying a card from ebay or auction house or buying a suit from wal-mart...and thats fine in some cases. but unfortunately the real world makes people take risks that not every person is willing to take. i can say without embarrassment that i (and i'm sure there's others here) have made a few mistakes in buying from ebay or even at the local shop...its called "risk" and i doubt there will ever be a perfect situation for you when it comes to buying cards.

and based on your previous posts and/or comments and questions, you obviously dont play the stock market or you would know what risk really is. just pretend that the card you want to buy from that seller with low feedback on ebay is the stockbroker who just started yesterday and is selling you a penny stock on a hunch he has...you're gonna win some and lose some, hopefully its more winning.

and like a lot of people here will tell you "if it doesnt feel right, dont bid"...good luck!

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Posted By: peter chao

Anthony,

With the accounting scandals, and the dot.com bubble burst, I lost a lot of money in the stock market. So I'm trying to play it safe in my old age. Laugh out loud. I'm out of the stock market and into real estate. But on the side, like many of you I put a little money into Vintage baseball cards...and hopefully that market doesn't crash like the stock market did.

Peter

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Posted By: Dave Williams

As stated elegantly by others already....

If your goal is to be the #1 guy on the registry, and you pay thousands for your cards, you might be in trouble.

If you are like 99% of the rest of us, just buying what we like, not trying to compete with the mega rich, enjoying the hobby, not using pieces of cardboard to fund the 401K, you've got little or nothing to worry about.

So enjoy the auction catalogs, bid on what you want, and if you're goal is to be number 1 guy on the registry, then you're concerned about altered cards.

I'm not, because they aren't what I collect.