Is Heritage that much better than EBay?

[chriskim]

I feel bad to those people who still think they can buy things from AH and make a profit on eBay. Prices on AH always jerk up but I have no doubt people can still find "good deals" there. Well, at least u can set your own reserve price on eBay but those fees add up selling on eBay and troubles dealing with buyers and potential returns etc making eBay is a buyer's platform.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by chriskim

I feel bad to those people who still think they can buy things from AH and make a profit on eBay. Prices on AH always jerk up but I have no doubt people can still find "good deals" there. Well, at least u can set your own reserve price on eBay but those fees add up selling on eBay and troubles dealing with buyers and potential returns etc making eBay is a buyer's platform.

Some people like to buy high end cards from auction houses and "display" them on eBay.

[icurnmedic]

Too soon and time of year. I personally try not to sell during the Holidays. Maybe only marginal difference in prices but there seem to be less under bidders. My experience only.

[chriskim]

Seeing all those shinely cards sold for record high in the millions but tobacco cards' prices aren't moving much really make me feel I should had collected pokemons/Gretzky/Jordan/Kobe/LeBron/Trout RCs.

The only exception that keep making new highs are T206 Wagners regardless of conditions. Even prices of nice condition Plank and Cobb backs aren't moving much.

[Vintageclout]

Ryan - JoeT here. FYI, piggybacking off of Connor’s very accurate response, I would like to add that when a card is re-auctioned, you immediately lose the winning bidder (assuming they are the new consignor). Thus, the most aggressive bidder has been lost in the new auction. We surely know that it takes two to tango, and losing one of those two can severely reduce the price of the card the second go-around.

[Rhotchkiss]

Joe, I agree with you and Conner on the one-less bidder theory, but I think there is more to it than that. The exact same 33 Goudey Lajoie sold in Heritage for a 20% premium over what the same exact card sold for in Heritage in May. I know it’s a small sample, but that is an example of a major card being immediately relisted with better results (in Heritage). So while I think that may be a factor, I am thinking the following are equally applicable:

1. Heritage (and memory lane, REA, etc) get more eyes on stud cards than eBay, especially a Greg Morris auction on eBay (as opposed to pwcc, no offense to Greg Morris); and

2. I agree that the extended bidding format of Heritage (and REA and all other lot by lot closings), likely create a few extra bids, whereas the close at one-time, set -a-snipe format of eBay auctions may leave bids (and money) on the table.

[sb1]

The biggest difference in the example of the T206's vs. the 33 Lajoie, is the fact that the Lajoie is a major milestone collectible. The T206 are commodity cards, readily available in all grades at nearly all times. One can pick and choose which T206 to buy, the Lajoie was very clean and likely someone who missed out the first go around decided to own the card in the recent auction. I don't have one and seriously considered throwing a bid in the mix at the ending night.

[bounce]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Joe, I agree with you and Conner on the one-less bidder theory, but I think there is more to it than that. The exact same 33 Goudey Lajoie sold in Heritage for a 20% premium over what the same exact card sold for in Heritage in May. I know it’s a small sample, but that is an example of a major card being immediately relisted with better results (in Heritage). So while I think that may be a factor, I am thinking the following are equally applicable:

1. Heritage (and memory lane, REA, etc) get more eyes on stud cards than eBay, especially a Greg Morris auction on eBay (as opposed to pwcc, no offense to Greg Morris); and

2. I agree that the extended bidding format of Heritage (and REA and all other lot by lot closings), likely create a few extra bids, whereas the close at one-time, set -a-snipe format of eBay auctions may leave bids (and money) on the table.

Couple things I think..

The auction companies make sure you get paid. It seems quite rare that when you consign to one of the auction houses someone backs out on their bid. This happens ALL THE TIME on eBay, because they protect buyers interests first. This is also why some of what we see at Probstein and PWCC may not be able to be trusted - because the buyers didn't ultimately pay.

The other reason someone else pointed out, there are sometimes just not as many eyes on eBay. I actually was in the market for that specific Hindu Wajo, as I was one of the underbidders at Heritage the first time around. I would have definitely been after this card had I seen it, but I don't search eBay that frequently for T cards (my fault obviously this time) and didn't know it was even out there.

For five and six figure cards, though, I really do think it has as much to do with the auction houses getting you paid than anything else. There's just too many shenanigans that eBay let's buyers play with you and people who are selling cards at this level I assume want their money, lots of times because they're using it to fund something else.