Shillers, Shenanigans & Shibboleths - The Elusive Underbidder

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Wisely you review recent auction data to see what you might ask for the card. You find a recent auction with a price that surprises you on the "high" side. You surmise that if some one paid that much for the card, there must be an underbidder out there that would happily pay almost that much. If that underbidder sees your listing, then both you and he would consummate a successful deal, a true win-win.

So you set your price below the recent auction sale in hopes that the underbidder appears as your buyer. Days pass with nary a whisper regarding your listing. You may even be maligned by some for your "museum" pricing. But is this fair. You have done your homework. Somewhere out there someone out there bought the same card for more and another also wanted it, yet your sought underbidder remains elusive.

Hello Frank,
This is the smoke and mirrors effect I see time after time in the hobby that sometimes defies a conclusive or rational explanation. It would be easy to assume the high price point was the result of nefarious bidding however I think sometimes, it is as innocent as a collector, or two (because it takes two to tango), getting caught up in the moment.

I do consult recent sales before I decide to sell something and it now requires effort and reasoning to be able to interpret the data provided because so many factors can influence the final price. Maybe it was a very high end example and someone thought they could get a grade bump. Maybe the card had exceptional centering as we know the hobby loves centered card. Maybe this was the first time in a couple years this card was sold and sadly maybe it just was someone tinkering with the sale's process.

Just my thoughts...

Chase