Overpriced cards

[glynparson]

I do not have my searches set so broadly that a few of the same listings really do not bother me. Not hard to look past a few cards. Never understood the complaints in all honesty.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by glynparson

I do not have my searches set so broadly that a few of the same listings really do not bother me. Not hard to look past a few cards. Never understood the complaints in all honesty.

Plus, there are times when a seller with a wild list price will accept a reasonable offer.

[4815162342]

What gets my goat is that every time I buy a card it's way overpriced, but when I sell a card it's way underpriced.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

What gets my goat is that every time I buy a card it's way overpriced, but when I sell a card it's way underpriced.

You obviously haven't mastered the art of shill bidding...(me neither and me too, on your statement)

I have seen things on ebay for years and years....made offers and no acceptance. So they sit....

[pbspelly]

I think it would be great if eBay had an automatic markdown system like Filene's used to have. After 14 days, the price drops. Another 14 days, another drop. Etc. Or perhaps eBay could start increasing the listing fee the longer something has remained unsold. I know there are some logistical issues to these ideas (what's to stop someone from just starting a listing all over again), but I just find it really annoying when sellers use eBay as a perpetual show window for overpriced items they really don't have much interest in selling. I don't see how it is in eBay's interest, either.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by pbspelly

I think it would be great if eBay had an automatic markdown system like Filene's used to have. After 14 days, the price drops. Another 14 days, another drop. Etc. Or perhaps eBay could start increasing the listing fee the longer something has remained unsold. I know there are some logistical issues to these ideas (what's to stop someone from just starting a listing all over again), but I just find it really annoying when sellers use eBay as a perpetual show window for overpriced items they really don't have much interest in selling. I don't see how it is in eBay's interest, either.

If dealer's could stay in business with such a system, I'm sure they would be fine with it. But if they could not, they would leave ebay.

All anyone is looking for is a fair playing field with a fee structure that allows a reasonable profit. You also need to keep in mind that not all sellers possess the same business sense or skills - some have hit on workable formulas, while some have not. I don't know if the guys with 100% mark-ups are making money or not. I know that some accept very discounted offers and I know that some do not. I also know that some who do not have been in business for many, many, many years, so they are doing something right.

[Luke]

A lot of the problem is that ebay's fees are way too high. It doesn't really make much sense to do all the work (scanning, pricing, packing, shipping) and pay ebay 10% and then take your chances with an auction listing on ebay. You're just not going to recoup your money very often and you're out your time. I also scratch my head when I see cards priced at like 10x retail, but as a guy who sells on ebay, I understand it to some degree.

A simple business model of selling nice vintage cards at auction on ebay would result in the seller going broke eventually. This doesn't apply to guys like just_collect who are buying collections at massive discounts. But a weekend warrior type seller who gets some good buys here and there, and tries to sell at a small profit to feed their card habit just can't do it on ebay with market value (the prices realized on the BST for example) retail prices.

[LEHR]

I probably have 20-25 items on my eBay watch list that have sat there for over a year at the same price. Or the seller may occasionally lower there $300-$500 item $10-$20 for a "sale". I keep thinking that someday maybe one of the sellers will wake up and realize that there item is obviously overpriced. No luck yet.

[pbspelly]

In my opinion, eBay needs to do something about the high prices if it wants to regain its popularity. From a buyer's perspective, the whole point of eBay is to get a good deal. There's always a certain amount of risk involved in an eBay transaction, so if you are not going to get a good deal--a discount off of retail market price--there's little point to using eBay. It is usually safer to buy somewhere else. Nowadays, though, there are so few bargains on eBay that a lot of buyers, myself included, don't even bother looking all that often. Which is a big reason that eBay's growth has stalled apart from its paypal unit.

Let me give you an example. Let's say you go on eBay and search for Mach 3 razors. A bunch of sellers come up listing an 8-pack at a BIN price of $15.99. Why on earth would I buy from them when I could get the same thing from Amazon for $15.25? And not have to worry who they're coming from, whether they are defective, and whether I have recourse if they are. Yet eBay doesn't seem to do anything to encourage those sellers to lower their price.

EBay, and those who sell on it, need to understand that it is a discount marketplace and buyers are not going to use it if they don't get a discount.

I sell things on eBay sometimes, but I understand beforehand that I am not likely to get the same price that I would if I sold it in a store. At the same time, I am likely to get a much higher price than I would selling it in a yard sale on my lawn.

Now, obviously vintage baseball cards are different than razors, since you can't just go get what you want at your neighborhood supermarket. But still, if eBay wants to attract buyers, it needs to encourage discounts more than it does, in my opinion. Instead, it seems to encourage people to list things at BIN prices and even recommends a market price for them. Which is why it's so hard to find good deals, and why eBay is becoming less and less popular.

Just my two cents.

[toledo_mudhen]

Originally Posted by pbspelly

I think it would be great if eBay had an automatic markdown system like Filene's used to have. After 14 days, the price drops. Another 14 days, another drop. Etc. Or perhaps eBay could start increasing the listing fee the longer something has remained unsold. I know there are some logistical issues to these ideas (what's to stop someone from just starting a listing all over again), but I just find it really annoying when sellers use eBay as a perpetual show window for overpriced items they really don't have much interest in selling. I don't see how it is in eBay's interest, either.

Yes more ePay rules for Sellers would be awesome!

[swarmee]

I have bought two 1969 Mantles recently...both on eBay. One in a lot with 10 other 1969 Topps Hall of Famers for $35 and one in a lot with two other Mantle cards and a Musial for $66. How did I get them that cheap? Neither lot had Mickey Mantle in the title. One of the listings got 17 different bidders, while the other probably had 4. Very few people actually saw these listings. One of the lots had Mantle spelled "Mantel" and the other didn't even show that the card was in the lot (except for his hands gripping the bat and the Louisville Slugger logo further up the card). eBay and even REA/major auction houses are places where imperfect knowledge reigns. Not everything is listed accurately, and many sellers suffer from poor/incomplete information. There is definitely a place to turn a profit just by reselling on eBay.
The real trick, for most people, isn't buying low and selling high. It's doing those and not siphoning profits off into a personal collection. ;-)

[Sean1125]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Plus, there are times when a seller with a wild list price will accept a reasonable offer.

That is how I am, I put wild asks, but off e-bay will knock off as much as 25-30%, which brings it well within reason.