Collector frustration

[55koufax]

Like many old guard collectors, the modernization these days has me shaking my head at almost every turn. I thought I'd seen it all. Recently I won a nice PSA 9 slab on eBay for a fair price as an upgrade to my '64 Phil FB set. Won from GM Cards who is typically a solid seller. Never had a problem and I have consigned much with him in 2023. Anyway, the card was about $80. I paid little attention to the fine print details. Unbenounced to me, the listing said "eBay vault". (Since when did GM start listing eBay vault cards?). From the point I paid my 80 bucks the card took almost TWO weeks to arrive. Never mind I live 8 miles from Greg Morris' office. It seems the card went to PSA to be authenticated from eBay, I guess because it was an eBay vault item, as at $80 it is not near the normal eBay authenticate threshold. It was delivered to me via Fedex, so the card went to Memphis before being delivered to me back in Socal.

For $80 this card was such an overkill in the "modern" system of collecting and selling. It could have and should have traveled 8 miles to me in a day or so, instead of going 4000+ miles and taking a couple of weeks.

I wish it was 1980 again...