Sunk Costs in the Hobby Video

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Then, you have an even smaller cohort of the truly OCD-centering-obsessed collectors like myself who even cringe at a 55/45 copy and that have been looking for a dead-centered Hank Aaron RC for years to replace their "off-centered" 51/49 copy, knowing that there are only a few dozen of these to have ever surfaced. Those buyers will gladly pay $10k for it because they'd MUCH rather have it than an off-centered PSA 6, 7, 8, or 9 and $10k sure seems like a bargain in contrast.

Curious about how you differentiate between true 50/50 and 51/49 centered cards. Are you using lasers and high-def cameras? Maybe I'm just old with bad eyes, but it seems like it would be challenging to identify the 1% shift based just on the eyeball test.

[rhettyeakley]

Buyers get annoyed by sellers talking about what they have into the item.

I know as a seller I get annoyed by buyers bringing up “comps” (especially on rare or thinly traded items)

Each of those approaches are simple negotiating tactics that are only brought up when it benefits the person bringing them up

[raulus]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

Buyers get annoyed by sellers talking about what they have into the item.

I know as a seller I get annoyed by buyers bringing up “comps” (especially on rare or thinly traded items)

Each of those approaches are simple negotiating tactics that are only brought up when it benefits the person bringing them up

Maybe we need to move to a system where negotiations are entirely non-verbal, like something out of Gulliver's Travels:

"We next went to the School of Languages, where three Professors sate in Consultation upon improving that of their own country. The first Project was to shorten Discourse by cutting Polysyllables into one, and leaving out Verbs and Participles, because in reality all things imaginable are but Nouns. The other, was a Scheme for entirely abolishing all Words whatsoever; and this was urged as a great Advantage in Point of Health as well as Brevity. For it is plain, that every Word we speak is in some Degree a Diminution of our Lungs by Corrosion, and consequently contributes to the shortning of our Lives. An Expedient was therefore offered, that since Words are only Names for Things, it would be more convenient for all Men to carry about them, such Things as were necessary to express the particular Business they are to discourse on. And this Invention would certainly have taken Place, to the great Ease as well as Health of the Subject, if the Women in conjunction with the Vulgar and Illiterate had not threatned to raise a Rebellion, unless they might be allowed the Liberty to speak with their Tongues, after the manner of their Ancestors; such constant irreconcilable Enemies to Science are the common People. However, many of the most Learned and Wise adhere to the New Scheme of expressing themselves by Things, which hath only this Inconvenience attending it, that if a Man's Business be very great, and of various kinds, he must be obliged in Proportion to carry a greater bundle of Things upon his Back, unless he can afford one or two strong Servants to attend him. I have often beheld two of those Sages almost sinking under the Weight of their Packs, like Pedlars among us; who, when they met in the Streets, would lay down their Loads, open their Sacks, and hold Conversation for an Hour together; then put up their Implements, help each other to resume their Burthens, and take their Leave.

But for short Conversations a Man may carry Implements in his Pockets and under his Arms, enough to supply him, and in his House he cannot be at a loss: Therefore the Room where Company meet who practise this Art, is full of all Things ready at Hand, requisite to furnish Matter for this kind of artificial Converse.

Another great Advantage proposed by this Invention, was that it would serve as a Universal Language to be understood in all civilized Nations, whose Goods and Utensils are generally of the same kind, or nearly resembling, so that their Uses might easily be comprehended. And thus Embassadors would be qualified to treat with foreign Princes or Ministers of State to whose Tongues they were utter Strangers."

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by raulus

Curious about how you differentiate between true 50/50 and 51/49 centered cards. Are you using lasers and high-def cameras? Maybe I'm just old with bad eyes, but it seems like it would be challenging to identify the 1% shift based just on the eyeball test.

I can spot a 51/49 card from across the room lol. I don't know why or how, but it bugs the hell out of me. I'm extremely OCD with centering (and many other things in life). Perhaps it's because I'm neurodivergent, I'm not sure. But I consistently pass on cards that are 48/52 or 49/51 because they don't cut the mustard for me. I will occasionally allow myself to go upwards of 45/55 in one direction for a high-end key card that is notorious for centering issues, but I'm never happy about it.

As far as measuring the shift goes, it's easy to do on your screen. I just count the pixels of the borders. But I've done it so many times that I can tell what the exact number will be with fairly alarming accuracy. I think it's similar to how I used to be able to pick up a package by hand and know exactly how much it weighed to the ounce (for packages less than 1 lb) without needing a scale simply because I had weighed and handled so many packages.

[todeen]

I was at an antique show in early October. There were two baseball games (cardboard mat and paper mat) I was interested in buying. The paper mat was also associated with a gas station. I had already spent my budget for the day, and I told the dealer I was willing to meet his price + shipping if he would give me his business card and I could contact him later. He told me he refused to ship because he was retired and didn't want that hassle in his life. I walked away without them, and he missed a sale because he valued his "free time" more than the shipping cost. I was completely blown away by that decision.

[JollyElm]

For me, the 'A seller saying "I have this much into it" debate' can be assessed thusly (can't believe I just used "thusly"):

• If his number is a true evaluation like, "I bought this graded Aaron card for XX dollars recently, and would like to make a bit of a profit on it," then it is a reasonable 'request' in a two-sided negotiation. No problems whatsoever.

• When a seller has a stupid price, saying I have this and this and this into it, so I need to get a king's ransom for it, I'll walk away and talk to someone else who has the same card available.