Thought from the 'Selling Cards' thread

[MilBraves]

I was reading through the 'Selling Cards' thread where the OP raised a question as to why folks use current sale prices on ebay when trying to deal a price for a card. While reading, a question I have had for a long time popped back in my head and that is.....why do some sellers on Ebay list BIN prices that are so high they will never sell the cards?

I collect mainly post war cards, especially Milwaukee Braves players. I've seen the same Hank Aaron PSA 5s/6s sitting on Ebay for months with BIN prices that are 50 to 100 bucks higher than other sellers BINs. Do they really expect to sell the cards? Most people in retail want to move inventory. These sellers obviously don't care if their cards sell. Is it because the cards take up very little space that they don't price to move? Or are they looking for deals on the side where they wont have to pay ebay fees?

[Exhibitman]

Don't forget wishful thinking. Some Ebay sellers aren't really in it to sell unless they get their price. Others have 'inventory' that looks a lot like a collection. That way they can tell the wife it is inventory but still enjoy a collection. Not that I would know anyone who does that.

[MilBraves]

LoL. Sounds similar to what I'm doing with my new found interest in prewar cards. I tell the wife I'm buying them low to flip them, but really have no intentions of selling them at all nor will they ever see ebay as long as I'm still able to enjoy them.......and they're kept well hidden from the wife.

[Doug]

I don't get how any of these dealers make money when they have had the same cards listed on eBay, literally for years, because their Buy It Now prices are about 50% higher than what the card would actually sell for. Even more confusing is when they have the Best Offer option available and they will decline fair market value offers only to counter with an offer of their own that's a only 1%-2% lower than the already absurdly high BIN price.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Originally Posted by Doug

I don't get how any of these dealers make money when they have had the same cards listed on eBay, literally for years, because their Buy It Now prices are about 50% higher than what the card would actually sell for. Even more confusing is when they have the Best Offer option available and they will decline fair market value offers only to counter with an offer of their own that's a only 1%-2% lower than the already absurdly high BIN price.

I guess they are going to die with a lot of cards because they will never sell them at the prices they have listed, it may take years or decades to reach the prices they have and with the trend on many items esp post war on the slide the bin is even more insane. The good news for buyers is that there are thousands of other options and for sellers it is much easier to sell at a fair price.

[Doug]

I have a heck of a time selling anything with Buy It Now, even at a fair price. I think there are so many of these overpriced cards on there that buyers just skip over BIN cards or filter them out of their searches altogether.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by Doug

Even more confusing is when they have the Best Offer option available and they will decline fair market value offers only to counter with an offer of their own that's a only 1%-2% lower than the already absurdly high BIN price.

I had this happen last night. There was a card with a BIN of $1250 with a BO option. VCP for the card in a PSA is $681 and SGC $688 (it was SGC graded). I offered $700 and received a counter offer for $1240 - $10 less than the BIN. Ridiculous douchebag!

[scmavl]

I had the same thing happen. I made a reasonable offer on a card with a $400 BIN and was countered with (get this)... $399.95

They took a nickel off. Gee, thanks.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I had this happen last night. There was a card with a BIN of $1250 with a BO option. VCP for the card in a PSA is $681 and SGC $688 (it was SGC graded). I offered $700 and received a counter offer for $1240 - $10 less than the BIN. Ridiculous douchebag!

Sounds similar to my experience. There was a card listed for $6500 (or best offer) and I offered $4500 which seemed like a perfectly reasonable price considering it was slightly nicer than a card in the same grade that had recently sold for $3850. My $4500 offer got rejected and I get a counter offer for $6400. Lowering the price 1.5% isn't much of a compromise.

[Volod]

I used to store the collection in a locker in the garage, where there was a sizeable population of wolf spiders. The wife, who had no qualms about rifling through my indoor desks and files, wouldn't go near the arachnoid-guarded vault.