Some People have the Nerve!?!?

[dwinters]

I think I have a potential answer to this question.

I frequent a local coin shop. I was informed by the owner that they get people coming in who like to buy coins off ebay. They will buy stuff that is sometimes not real or items that are greatly misrepresented to be more valuable than the reality of the market.

When asked why, the owners responded that a lot of these individuals are older or are on medications, lonely, mentally unstable, etc. They gave me one example of a lady who purchased $300k of items from qvc and ebay that had a market value of only $60k. Another lady who was buying supposedly rare 1 oz silver rounds at 5x inflated values.

The owners had a lot of sympathy for these people. Made me realize though the reason that people list this kind of stuff. It only takes one buyer.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by dwinters

I think I have a potential answer to this question.

I frequent a local coin shop. I was informed by the owner that they get people coming in who like to buy coins off ebay. They will buy stuff that is sometimes not real or items that are greatly misrepresented to be more valuable than the reality of the market.

When asked why, the owners responded that a lot of these individuals are older or are on medications, lonely, mentally unstable, etc. They gave me one example of a lady who purchased $300k of items from qvc and ebay that had a market value of only $60k. Another lady who was buying supposedly rare 1 oz silver rounds at 5x inflated values.

The owners had a lot of sympathy for these people. Made me realize though the reason that people list this kind of stuff. It only takes one buyer.

THANKS, DENNIS. SAD COMMENTARY TO A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF BUYERS THAT FIT THAT PROFILE. BRINGING IT TO OUR WORLD, ITEMS THAT COME TO MIND ARE GOLD-PLATED REPRODUCTIONS OF FAMOUS CARDS LIKE THE '52 TOPPS MANTLE, CERAMIC CARDS THAT AGAIN RECREATE FAMOUS ONES--- LIKE THE '52 TOPPS MANTLE. THEN THERE'S ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT BOUGHT UP JUNK WAX CASES, HOPING THEY MIGHT SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, BECOME VALUABLE AS THAT '52 TOPPS HIGH / SEMI-HIGH NUMBER CASE WITH ALL THOSE, HERE WE GO AGAIN, RARE AND BEAUTIFUL MICKEY MANTLE CARDS.

I REMEMBER BUYING ONE EACH OF THE 1987 MOTHER'S COOKIES MARK MCGWIRE SPECIAL FOUR-CARD SET, A QVC SPECIAL SET OF MCGWIRE AND SOSA THAT WAS RELEASED SHORTLY AFTER BIG MAC "BROKE" ROGER MARIS'S SINGLE-SEASON HR RECORD. I BOUGHT THEM BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL, AND I LIKED BIG MAC AT THE TIME. AFTER THE ALLEGATIONS OF STEROID USE BECAME CONFIRMED, AND HIS LYING TO A GRAND JURY, THOSE ITEMS ALSO BECAME JUNK. HOWEVER, THEY WERE ALREADY OVER-PRODUCED. THEY SURE WERE PRETTY CARDS.

THEN AGAIN, I HAVE HAD NO TROUBLE ENJOYING HIGH QUALITY REPRINTS AND VERY SELECTED FANTASY CARDS, NONE OF WHICH COST ME MUCH, AND GAVE ME SO MUCH MORE ENJOYMENT AS EYE CANDY.

I HAVE ALSO ENJOYED COLLECTING MODERN MICKEY MANTLE CARDS. AGAIN, NOT FOR INVESTMENT, BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE I LOVED HOW THE CARDS LOOK. AT BEST, ONLY 1 CARD IN 10 OR 25 IS WORTH HAVING BECAUSE THE OTHERS DO NOT STIR MY HEART. I'LL NEVER OWN A 1952 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE AGAIN, BUT THESE MODERN MANTLES THAT I MARVEL AT PLEASE ME VERY MUCH.

BACK TO THE POINT OF THE THREAD. IT IS INDEED DISTURBING WHAT SOME GULLIBLE PEOPLE WILL PLUNK DOWN GOOD MONEY FOR, THINKING WHAT THEY'RE BUYING IS THE REAL DEAL, OR BELIEVING THESE ITEMS WILL ACTUALLY SUBSTANTIALLY APPRECIATE IN VALUE. WHAT HAS WORKED AGAINST PEOPLE IN THE COIN, STAMP, FIGURINE, ETC. WORLD, WORKS TRAGICALLY WELL IN OUR WORLD.

CARPE DIEM----BUYER BEWARE. ---Brian Powell