Utter Frustration:

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Obviously I imagine book price is insufficient and it should go for significantly more, but is 5x NM value for a FAIR card rational? In 2012 REA sold a common in 3 for $1600. A Whitt Wyatt SGC 60 went for $2250. A Bobby Morgan raw in VG sold by Huggins and Scott in 2015 went for $2800 the the same card popped up in an REA a year later in 2016 now actually graded SGC 40 and it sold for $2040. They don't come up often so that should help set the market, and they are all significantly nicer than the card in question. Also SGC has graded at least 2 Wyatts and PSA has graded 2. If you offer him the book NM price he should jump on it.

PWCC also sold a PSA 5 Felin's Franks of John Meyer for $2,150 last month. Felin's Franks cards are quite scarce, but it is a thin market once the price gets above a few hundred dollars. The Meyer card had only three bidders over $503 and just two bidders over $974.

That asking price is wildly optimistic. I can sympathize with the OP. I think many of us have cards that we have wanted for a long time that sit on eBay forever at insane BINs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-Felins-...p2047675.l2557

[Exhibitman]

As a frequent recipient of those sorts of emails from wannabe buyers on rare cards my response is right in my listing:

--I do not "have to" sell you my item for the price you dictate.* My wife is the only one who gets to say I "have to" do something, and she says it plenty.*

--I am well aware of what the market is for most anything I sell; trying to "educate" me on pricing is not a negotiation tool, it is just a tool tool.

--While I am certainly appreciative of your personal or familial connection to a particular item, it is not a reason for me to give you a discount.* A crasser person than I would even consider it a reason to raise the price.*

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

As a frequent recipient of those sorts of emails from wannabe buyers on rare cards my response is right in my listing:

--I do not "have to" sell you my item for the price you dictate.* My wife is the only one who gets to say I "have to" do something, and she says it plenty.*

--I am well aware of what the market is for most anything I sell; trying to "educate" me on pricing is not a negotiation tool, it is just a tool tool.

--While I am certainly appreciative of your personal or familial connection to a particular item, it is not a reason for me to give you a discount.* A crasser person than I would even consider it a reason to raise the price.*

Agreed and part of why I don't sell much anymore.

My personal guideline is that no matter what the card is, if cannot offer at least 80% of asking...I move on.

I will however toss it in my watch list and keep an eye on the listing to see if the seller revises anything. I have had one particular card in my watch list for over a year and a half, lol. If he ever comes down to earth on it i'll grab it...but I can wait.

[mattjc1983]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

As a frequent recipient of those sorts of emails from wannabe buyers on rare cards my response is right in my listing:



--I do not "have to" sell you my item for the price you dictate.* My wife is the only one who gets to say I "have to" do something, and she says it plenty.*



--I am well aware of what the market is for most anything I sell; trying to "educate" me on pricing is not a negotiation tool, it is just a tool tool.



--While I am certainly appreciative of your personal or familial connection to a particular item, it is not a reason for me to give you a discount.* A crasser person than I would even consider it a reason to raise the price.*

This is an interesting approach. Certainly they're your listings, and I'm not saying your wrong, but I wouldn't want to start off on an antagonistic note with my potential buyers before they've even placed a bid.

Personally, yours would not particularly offend me as a potential buyer, but I have avoided plenty of listings where the seller starts the description section with a laundry list of rules. If it takes me more than a few seconds to find the actual item's description within the mountain of rules the seller is stating, I move on, because that just sounds like a transaction begging to have issues.

But I also agree with the other poster that said the potential buyer should avoid the same by not sending a "take it or leave it" offer.

My best purchasing experiences have always been when both parties start the transaction assuming the best about the other. These tend to resolve to the mutual benefit of both.


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[Snapolit1]

I've had jerks on eBay give me some pitch with a low ball offer basically telling me they are doing me a favor and I would thank them. Crap like that. I always assume it it some twenty year old (no offense to any 20 year olds on the board, I wish I was one) who has no real life business experience under their belt and maybe read the Art of the Deal once in Cliffs Notes. Has happened a few times with modern era stuff.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I've had jerks on eBay give me some pitch with a low ball offer basically telling me they are doing me a favor and I would thank them. Crap like that. I always assume it it some twenty year old (no offense to any 20 year olds on the board, I wish I was one) who has no real life experience under their his and maybe read the Art of the Deal once in Cliffs Notes. Has happened a few times with modern era stuff.

no offense taken. i wish i was one as welll.


Basically the issue is if the card ever went to auction you would be the highest bidder guaranteed but the seller just refuses to list it at auction

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I've had jerks on eBay give me some pitch with a low ball offer basically telling me they are doing me a favor and I would thank them. Crap like that. I always assume it it some twenty year old (no offense to any 20 year olds on the board, I wish I was one) who has no real life experience under their his and maybe read the Art of the Deal once in Cliffs Notes. Has happened a few times with modern era stuff.

I hate my generation, and I personally apologize for them.


To the OP: I would absolutely mention your family connection. I have a dotted line connection to Grover Hartley, who was the manager of the minor league team my grandpa and uncle played on. He has a couple cards, including a Boston Store card. I've only ever found 1, and it was fairly expensive. The seller was very open to negotiating. Unfortunately, we couldn't get down to a price I was comfortable at, at the time. I kindly thanked him for his time, and told him I would keep this in mind going forward for when the funds are more abundant. Very positive interaction, and if the initial contact is done politely and respectfully, I don't see any problem in inquiring about price flexibility.

[Econteachert205]

I would not buy, like someone else said make a card using the scan. That card isn't worth 5 bucks to 99.95% of collectors.

[the-illini]

If the seller is asking 5500 for an SGC 20 when a PSA 5 sold recently for about 40% of that, then the card is not really for sale.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

I hate my generation, and I personally apologize for them.


To the OP: I would absolutely mention your family connection. I have a dotted line connection to Grover Hartley, who was the manager of the minor league team my grandpa and uncle played on. He has a couple cards, including a Boston Store card. I've only ever found 1, and it was fairly expensive. The seller was very open to negotiating. Unfortunately, we couldn't get down to a price I was comfortable at, at the time. I kindly thanked him for his time, and told him I would keep this in mind going forward for when the funds are more abundant. Very positive interaction, and if the initial contact is done politely and respectfully, I don't see any problem in inquiring about price flexibility.

I agree that the family connection is your strongest approach. Trying to rationalize the price is not likely to be as successful.

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[1952boyntoncollector]

We all take losses on things that we like. This is a hobby. Some people spend $5000 on other hobbys with zero chance of recouping that cost. Lets say someone likes to spend money traveling and spends $6000 on a cruise and not the cheaper one for $1000. Thats a $5,000 difference that is gone forever except the pictures you take on the cruise.

Someone may want to pay $5,000 more than someone ever would on a card. The answer just shouldnt always be 'what its worth'. If there was one 1983 topps signed card available of a guy that played for 1 year and it happened to be my brother, i know i would pay thousands more than the 'market' (market being other signed 1983 cards with POP of 1 with same type of player)

Anyway, the only issue i would have if i am going to pay thousands more than the next guy is the chances of seeing another one at auction in the next year or two or whatever time table i am good with. If i am confident another item wont come up for the next 10 years, that would allow me to pay more etc

[packs]

If this was Whit's ONLY card I could see going above board on it just to have it but knowing that's not the case I'd let the guy keep it. He'll never sell it for that and you can just hope he puts it up for auction.

[Section103]

Been there. As a player collector, one of the cards on my list is a 55 Bowman Sample card. The one with Willie -freaking- Mays on it too.

[mark evans]

I think many collectors of Jewish ballplayers ran into this dilemma with regard to the unique Baltimore News card of Guy Zinn. But the stakes were a bit higher (and light years beyond my reach) -- $125k.

What little I know of negotiating (took a course by an expert Herb Cohen), it is likely a mistake to make a 'take it or leave it' offer. No need to run the risk of offending the seller.

By the way, I went to college with a fellow named Whitlow Wyatt.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by mark evans

I think many collectors of Jewish ballplayers ran into this dilemma with regard to the unique Baltimore News card of Guy Zinn. But the stakes were a bit higher (and light years beyond my reach) -- $125k.

What little I know of negotiating (took a course by an expert Herb Cohen), it is likely a mistake to make a 'take it or leave it' offer. No need to run the risk of offending the seller.

By the way, I went to college with a fellow named Whitlow Wyatt.

...Probably Jr., his son, who passed away in 2001...just two years after his father. I do not recall ever meeting him.

[mark evans]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

...Probably Jr., his son, who passed away in 2001...just two years after his father. I do not recall ever meeting him.

I have my doubts. The Whitlow Wyatt I knew attended Washington and Lee U. from 1966-70. The ballplayer's son (per internet) was born in 1940 so likely another fellow.

By the way, I had another recollection from my course on negotiations. While the only certain method of acquiring the card is offering the asking price, one rule of thumb is to offer around 15% less than you are prepared to pay.