How much are you "into it"? Should it matter....

D. Bergin · #1 03-06-2021, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintacular

Been fighting with this "issue" when determining how much to sell a card for. So, how much should the price $ you paid for/acquired a card influence your flexibility on price when selling it? Do you find yourself selling something cheaper if you acquired at a low price vs. the same card that was more expensive? Thanks in advance for your response. -Pat

Absolutely. I think anybody who flippantly denies going through that process isn't being honest with themselves.

In the end however, it all comes down to how attached you are to that card, and how badly you want to move on from that card.

Sometimes you just need to cut your losses so you can move on to that next thing.

I've cut my losses on a whole slew of cards that have seemingly rocketed to the moon in the last six to 12 months. You kick yourself in the ass............but I've also sold a ton of stuff over the years, that is so absolutely niche............that I'm amazed I was ever able to sell those things at all. Sometimes the timing works out for you, and sometimes it doesn't.

Exhibitman · #2 03-06-2021, 02:03 PM

It makes a difference. What makes more of a difference is how happy I am with the card for my PC. Even if the card is greatly appreciated, if I really like a card, I am not going to discount it. Why should I? My Hank Aaron RC has quintupled in value since I bought it. Could be a nice cash-out. But I like the card and want to own it for another 20 years or whatever, so nope.

Republicaninmass · #3 03-06-2021, 02:05 PM

Yes, I only can show a loss, when I sell. Whereas, I have all this "unrealized profit" when I buy. Albeit the same card

packs · #4 03-06-2021, 02:27 PM

I stop listening to a seller who tells me what they paid for something they're trying to sell me. I'm not going to cover your losses. You can keep the card for the rest of your life.

RCMcKenzie · #5 03-06-2021, 02:36 PM

Around 1980, I was at a card show with my Dad and he bought a Leaf Jackie Robinson for me for $45. Around 2000, or whenever slabbing became popular, I sent it to PSA and it came back a PSA 3. I sold it on eBay for around $200. It never occurred to me that 21 years later it would be a card that sells for more than I would dream of paying for a car.

Fred · #6 03-06-2021, 03:10 PM

I would think that most people would not consider discounting a card just because they attained it at a much lower price. If a card was purchased at a much lower price, then the seller has to negotiate in the sale of the card.

If the buyer is a known flipper, then I'd make sure they got the good guy discount of about 0% because if they're willing to pay full bore on a card, then they're probably looking to flip it for more.

Perhaps one reason to discount the card would be to help out a fellow collector that could really use the card. But it would be disappointing to see that fellow collector sell the card shortly after claiming they wanted it for their collection.

nat · #7 03-06-2021, 03:29 PM

"how much should the price $ you paid for/acquired a card influence your flexibility on price when selling it?"

None. To think otherwise is the Sunk Cost Fallacy. The basic idea is that money that you've spent is gone, and irrelevant to the current value of something. If you paid $X for something, and it's now worth $(X - Y), that you paid more for it than its currently worth doesn't make a difference to what its currently worth.

The inverse of all this is that the fact that you got a deal on a card shouldn't lead you to sell it for less than you would otherwise.

It's probably not a good idea to think of yourself as having made a loss or a profit on any given card. Since the money that you used to buy the card is gone, the only question that you face is "how can I maximize what this card sells for now?". And that price might end up being higher or lower than you bought it for.

Now, it probably is a good idea to ask if you're making money selling cards in general (if not, you might want to stop), but it doesn't make sense on any given transaction.

Of course, people fall for the sunk cost fallacy all the time. So it wouldn't surprise me if folks do take this into consideration. But the question was about what one ought to do, and it's not rational to take retrospective costs into consideration when making decisions.

Aquarian Sports Cards · #8 03-06-2021, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packs

I stop listening to a seller who tells me what they paid for something they're trying to sell me. I'm not going to cover your losses. You can keep the card for the rest of your life.

Not as militant but I sorta feel this way. It's important to ME what I paid, but it's not YOUR problem so I try not to bring it up.

pokerplyr80 · #9 03-06-2021, 06:49 PM

I don't sell cards very often, but when I do what I paid is irrelevant. I sell for what I feel the card is worth. If no one wants to pay me that I consign it and hope for the best.

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