Is "market pushing" ethical or not?

[TheNightmanCometh]

Peter, your point is very solid and in fact I would not be surprised if that is what is actually happening. The bidding dozens of times at the minimum amount screams to me someone who A) doesn't really want to win the auction and B) wants to drive up the price. Initially, I just thought that type of bidding was due to cheap buyers, but considering everything that's going on in the high-end market, your argument has validity.

[Exhibitman]

Ethics are irrelevant. This is arms length commerce between strangers. There is legal and illegal. The rest is meaningless.

As long as you have the risk of paying if you win you aren't doing anything wrong.

I sometimes will bid into a card I have up to a point where I wouldn't mind owning a dupe. I suspect that is a lot of what people do when they bid into cards then stop short of the top.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by TheNightmanCometh

Peter, your point is very solid and in fact I would not be surprised if that is what is actually happening. The bidding dozens of times at the minimum amount screams to me someone who A) doesn't really want to win the auction and B) wants to drive up the price. Initially, I just thought that type of bidding was due to cheap buyers, but considering everything that's going on in the high-end market, your argument has validity.

To be clear, this IS actually happening, I am not speculating and if you read my post you can see at least one place where I am getting my information.

Ethics are irrelevant, interesting perspective.

[Iron Horse]

I feel it is unethical and should not be done. Even if they are willing to pay for the inflated bids that does not make it ok. Just because they have deep pockets and can afford to over pay for these card/s does not make it ok and it hurts the rest of us collectors who do not have $$$$.
These crazy prices have not only and affect on high end cards but i think we can see that even mid grade cards are influenced by these practices.
I hope this insanity will come to an end soon so the real collectors can continue to enjoy this great "Hobby".

[ALR-bishop]

Been collecting since 1957. With a couple of minor exceptions involving dupes, I do not sell. I have and still enjoy the hobby in all of it's evolutions The "hobby" is certainly different today then the 50s-70s, but I don't pine for the old days, and find it fascinating to watch it all unfold in the present, both the good and the bad. That's just me. I understand everyone has their own perspective

[aloondilana]

I've read this whole thread, wow.
The problem you got is many of you look at card collecting as a hobby.
Sadly, we got to start looking at this for what it really is and that's a billion dollar a year business.
If someone is willing to spend higher than what our little VCP says, who are we to judge? You can't have it both ways, I'm sure when you want to sell a card you want as much as you can get.
Same scenario, just with a larger budget.

[Jantz]

Originally Posted by aloondilana

I've read this whole thread, wow.
The problem you got is many of you look at card collecting as a hobby.
Sadly, we got to start looking at this for what it really is and that's a billion dollar a year business.
If someone is willing to spend higher than what our little VCP says, who are we to judge? You can't have it both ways, I'm sure when you want to sell a card you want as much as you can get.
Same scenario, just with a larger budget.

I don't see a problem. I still look at card collecting as a hobby. It is something that I enjoy. If the time ever comes when collecting cards is no longer enjoyable, I will walk away from the hobby just as easily as I walked into it.

As far as a card selling for more or less than VCP, maybe no one has the right to judge that, but myself and others do have the right to judge the means at which the price was reached.

So back to topic. Whether or not the buyer is willing to pay for the card or not, "pushing" the price is just another form of manipulating/controlling the final sale price. A new word for another word that already exists.

Baseball cards as a hobby and or investments is getting more like the penny stock market with the market makers and manipulation of the up and down prices