Pet Peeve: Dealers who pull out Beckett at a card show? Opinions wanted!

[Rich Klein]

"Here is an experience that I posted on another forum 5 years ago . . .

I took my son to a card show last weekend, and got a dealer mad at me.

I asked about a 1997 Pinnacle Artist Proof Derek Jeter card that he had in his case. Now this guy has had this in his case for at least the last two years. I've seen it many times before, but never asked him about it because he was protecting so much in the case that I figured he thought it was worth more than it was.

So the guy takes it out and starts going on about how much the card used to book for, and turns it over and he has a sticker on the back of it that says $125, and that is crossed out and below it is $60. He says "See that 's what it used to book for and it came down and probably books for less yet now. Let me look it up."

So I stand there waiting while this guy finds his book, then starts looking, and turning through pages of Beckett, and finally finds it and says "It says 15 times the base card, so it books for $60. I'll take $35 for it."

So I just stood there waiting on him to have him tell me I can have it for 60% of book value. Now the cards in this set can be had for about 25% of book value, but it is Jeter, so he would command a premium and should be able to be had for 1/3 of book. So I tell him, "I'm not interested at $35, but I would be interested at $20."

This lazy ass whose just been sitting behind his table for the last half hour selling absolutely nothing, doesn't say a word. He just puts the card back in the case, closes it, and turns away. I'm thinking to myself WTF? He can't even have the decency to tell me that he won't sell it for that?

So I proceed to another set of tables with a guy that I often buy wax from, and I hear this guy behind telling someone, "I'm really biting my tongue right now" and complaining about me wasting HIS time."

Well that won't happen again, because I will NEVER do business with him. "


Honestly, as a dealer, I have done the same thing to customers who frustrate me.

I had a pretty new card recently at a show, marked it at $50, customer comes up and asks where I got my prices from. I explained hi book was $60, so I marked it at $50.

Next words out of his mouth was, I'll give you $25 for that.

Card went back to where it was from (and was later sold the same day for $45)

Sometimes, it is how you deliver the counter-offer. Frankly as a dealer, if I had a Jeter card such as that -- even if I had it for a while. I'd probably take $30 if I said I'd take $35 but the $20 offer would be a non-starter for me.

MOO

Rich