Unpopular opinion on VCP an other "comp apps"

[molenick]

I think there is a spectrum and everyone draws the line at a different place.

There is the "old lady" example where you are taking advantage of someone else's ignorance who has no reason to know better. I wouldn't tell someone what to do in this case, but I think some of us would tell the old lady what the card was worth and that she should auction it off somewhere (or offer her fair market value). But only up to a point. For a '52 Mantle maybe. For a '52 Forrest Main, we would probably just buy the card. Anyway, if this actually happened, the card would probably be a a reprint!

Then there is the example of going to a card or mall show, sifting through a group of 1957 commons, and pulling out an Ashburn because either the seller didn't know he was a HOFer or didn't want to search through a pile of cards looking for the better players. I think most of us would just buy the card at the price offered because the seller "should have" known better.

There is also the case of something being offered at auction as a generic cabinet or postcard and you, as the bidder, knowing or suspecting that a better player was pictured...say Joe McGinnity on a factory team. I think most of us would just bid on the item and not tell the AH to update their listing. Because they and the consignor should have done some research, and because we like the idea that our knowledge/research is going to be put to practical use.

I haven't experienced these, so I can't say what I would do. But I do have a flexible approach to getting too much change. If I am at a farmer's market that I go to regularly, and someone gives me an extra $5 in change and I notice it, I will tell them. But if I am at a McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts, I tend to keep it. My justification is that I am dealing with a big company and I like the idea that I am benefiting because I can do simple math in my head. But whatever the justification, I am stealing their money. Not that anyone still uses cash.

Similarly, if I am at a supermarket and I notice that something rang up at a higher price, I will tell them (sometimes to the annoyance of the people behind me on line). But if I notice that something rang up at a lower price...not so much.