Utter Frustration:

[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.

[Timbegs]

Ask the buyer if he is willing to negotiate or if he wants to know the most you can pay. If he'll negotiate, make sure the first offer is credible. If no negotiations are possible, my advice is to make the absolute best offer you can for the card - hold nothing back - and state it as such "hey, this is the best I can offer for the card.' Mention the family connection to the card and hope for the best. If you actually put the offer up and he turns you down you can rest easy knowing for sure.

While I don't own any really rare or super high vale cards, I imagine those that do appreciate serious offers. Id say at LEAST better than 65% of ask...

[Exhibitman]

The description is always at the top; the boilerplate is in a section I actually caption "the fine print". Hey, I'm a lawyer, that's what I do. That is also why I (try to) put jokes and puns into it, so the people who read it might enjoy it.

As for offers and such, I cover that too in the fine print:

1. Please don't email me with lowball offers; the minimum bid or the floor below which offers are automatically rejected represents the minimum I am willing to take for the item.

2. I do not end listings early unless I screwed up the listing so if you absolutely, positively gotta have it, please use the BIN or the fixed price. Also, when I use the Best Offer option I am actually looking for reasonable offers, so don't hesitate to make a reasonable offer because you never know... That said, please note that I nearly always put an automatic rejection floor on any listing where I use a best offer option. That means that lowball offers are automatically rejected; I never even see them. If your offer is below the automatic rejection floor I have established, it means I am not interested in selling the item for your offer. Not that I don't respect you, not that I am offended, just that your offer is too low...

As for antagonistic, there is a difference between a clear, polite statement of the terms of a transaction and an antagonistic one. "Please don't email me with lowball offers" is a polite request not to do so. I prefer it when a seller states terms and conditions of sale up front where I can read them before I decide to bid or buy. That's why I devote a paragraph to shipping and explain that I do not ship outside eBay's system and I do not lie on customs forms. You live in Croatia and want the item, you are going to pay for eBay global shipping and I will declare it at full value, and you should know that up-front, before you bid.

Sorry for the slight thread-jacking. Returning to the OP, I collect a cousin's stuff (my avatar, Ray Miller) and I have definitely overpaid for certain "Ray" items. Not the level this seller is asking, but still way over 'market' so that I could be sure to get the item. If you have the money and you want it, make your best offer. Don't whine, don't tell the seller how you gotta have it or how much it means to your family, just make the offer clearly and politely and see what happens.

[mattjc1983]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

The description is always at the top; the boilerplate is in a section I actually caption "the fine print". Hey, I'm a lawyer, that's what I do. That is also why I (try to) put jokes and puns into it, so the people who read it might enjoy it.

As for offers and such, I cover that too in the fine print:

1. Please don't email me with lowball offers; the minimum bid or the floor below which offers are automatically rejected represents the minimum I am willing to take for the item.

2. I do not end listings early unless I screwed up the listing so if you absolutely, positively gotta have it, please use the BIN or the fixed price. Also, when I use the Best Offer option I am actually looking for reasonable offers, so don't hesitate to make a reasonable offer because you never know... That said, please note that I nearly always put an automatic rejection floor on any listing where I use a best offer option. That means that lowball offers are automatically rejected; I never even see them. If your offer is below the automatic rejection floor I have established, it means I am not interested in selling the item for your offer. Not that I don't respect you, not that I am offended, just that your offer is too low...

As for antagonistic, there is a difference between a clear, polite statement of the terms of a transaction and an antagonistic one. "Please don't email me with lowball offers" is a polite request not to do so. I prefer it when a seller states terms and conditions of sale up front where I can read them before I decide to bid or buy. That's why I devote a paragraph to shipping and explain that I do not ship outside eBay's system and I do not lie on customs forms. You live in Croatia and want the item, you are going to pay for eBay global shipping and I will declare it at full value, and you should know that up-front, before you bid.

Sorry for the slight thread-jacking. Returning to the OP, I collect a cousin's stuff (my avatar, Ray Miller) and I have definitely overpaid for certain "Ray" items. Not the level this seller is asking, but still way over 'market' so that I could be sure to get the item. If you have the money and you want it, make your best offer. Don't whine, don't tell the seller how you gotta have it or how much it means to your family, just make the offer clearly and politely and see what happens.

Fair enough. God knows there are enough eBay horror stories that I certainly don't assume the worst of the seller when a listing gets legalistic. I don't want to personally mess with it as a potential buyer, but I definitely see why sellers get to that point, and it has its place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[iwantitiwinit]

It's only a predicament if you buy it. 5500 is nuts, probably more than he ever made in a year. Take that 5500 and buy something you can interact with and will give you some type of physical enjoyment like a used motorcycle, several cases of relatively fine wine, a vacation, etc. Its a piece of cardboard. If the money was of totally no consequence I could see it but since it would make a dent then. Let it go. Just my opinion.

[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.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk