What is the one thing that has changed most since you started collecting?

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

People will finally learn/comprehend that eBay sucks (especially for sellers), and it will die as a venue/exchange for buying and selling cards. It’s a shame bc eBay was once, hands down, the best market place for cards.

eBay sucks in many ways. But what’s the alternative? There is none. Seen people post alternative venues in the past and when I go there there is like 147 cards for sale.

[Snapolit1]

I’d say the proliferation of auctions. Now it’s non stop. Used to be a huge event when big auctions were coming. Now it’s mostly a yawn. Massive auctions, one after another. Monthly. Weekly. Pop up. Missed that green Cobb? Don’t sweat it …
…. There will be a few hundred more coming. Heritage does massive auctions no even comments on. Even the REA cheering section seems to be down to it’s hard core members.
The non stop dumping of collections should tell you something about the demographics of the hobby and where it’s heading.

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

eBay sucks in many ways. But what’s the alternative? There is none. Seen people post alternative venues in the past and when I go there there is like 147 cards for sale.

Your second post (and Adam’s earlier post), answers the question - auction houses. The relative savings that eBay provides a seller no longer outweighs the risk, work, and poor treatment that EBay affords sellers today. I would rather give up that extra 5% and know that my job ends the minute I send my package to the AH (using their account and insurance). And, I think this is exactly why there are so many auctions today - they are absorbing all of the sellers that eBay has lost.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Your second post (and Adam’s earlier post), answers the question - auction houses. The relative savings that eBay provides a seller no longer outweighs the risk, work, and poor treatment that EBay affords sellers today. I would rather give up that extra 5% and know that my job ends the minute I send my package to the AH (using their account and insurance). And, I think this is exactly why there are so many auctions today - they are absorbing all of the sellers that eBay has lost.

If I had a nickel for every consignor who came to me complaining about Ebay I'd have a buck or two. Their seller unfriendly policies absolutely drive people to us.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Your second post (and Adam’s earlier post), answers the question - auction houses. The relative savings that eBay provides a seller no longer outweighs the risk, work, and poor treatment that EBay affords sellers today. I would rather give up that extra 5% and know that my job ends the minute I send my package to the AH (using their account and insurance). And, I think this is exactly why there are so many auctions today - they are absorbing all of the sellers that eBay has lost.

Maybe you are right. Too many maniacs for me to deal with. And when work is busy I have no time to deal with a lot of stupid question, special shipping instructions, sending payment reminders, etc. Much easier to send to an AH. Though I do like selling smaller items myself occasionally.

[doug.goodman]

I agree with, or at least don't disagree with, most of the previous posts, but in my mind most, if not all, of the things mentioned are a part of one over all encompassing change to 'the hobby' :

Very few of us collect for purely the FUN of it anymore.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I agree with, or at least don't disagree with, most of the previous posts, but in my mind most, if not all, of the things mentioned are a part of one over all encompassing change to 'the hobby' :

Very few of us collect for purely the FUN of it anymore.

This. Card discourse used to be mostly about cards, now it is mostly about profit margins. Compare money thread and pumper thread replies to research thread replies - almost nobody really cares about the cards themselves anymore. Most of the big changes are the result of this shift in approach.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by G1911

This. Card discourse used to be mostly about cards, now it is mostly about profit margins. Compare money thread and pumper thread replies to research thread replies - almost nobody really cares about the cards themselves anymore. Most of the big changes are the result of this shift in approach.

+1. We rarely talked so much about the money aspect 20+ yrs ago. I think the new age of flippers, big private equity buying into the hobby, and investors in the hobby have all changed it. And it's mostly for the worse for me...
.

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by Leon

+1. We rarely talked so much about the money aspect 20+ yrs ago. I think the new age of flippers, big private equity buying into the hobby, and investors in the hobby have all changed it. And it's mostly for the worse for me...
.

More money more problems....also the profiteers look at it like this...don't hate the player hate the game. The game is on the side of the profiteer not the collector...now to me that's what's changed the most. The deck has never been stacked more against the collector and less against the machine.

I have accepted it...it's just the way it is.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I agree with, or at least don't disagree with, most of the previous posts, but in my mind most, if not all, of the things mentioned are a part of one over all encompassing change to 'the hobby' :

Very few of us collect for purely the FUN of it anymore.

A lot of us spend way more for cards and photos, etc. that we would ever have imagined. It's nice at least to sell a few items once in a while at a profit to offset the costs that could have been deployed elsewhere. Unless you are insanely wealthy or don't really care about condition or rarity, it's hard not to have some interest in the economic side of things.

[brianp-beme]

If you don't watch out, Ed is going to Kargerize all your heads.

e90karger 001.jpg

Brian (I suggest more fun, and less doughy residue)

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Very few of us collect for purely the FUN of it anymore.

I'm happy being one of the "very few of us."

[Brian Van Horn]

I'm under the very few of us collector category. Outside of shill bidding, it's a ball.

[Snapolit1]

If you are truly happy, no need to spend any time worrying about what other people are doing.
There are all sorts of collectors. Jay Leno loves cars. So does my brother in law. One has dozens of rare cars. One has a Camaro he has been working on for years. Both are car collectors. But very different types of collectors. To each his own. I would never say Jay Leno is less of a true collector because he spends a fortune of cars.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

Your second post (and Adam’s earlier post), answers the question - auction houses. The relative savings that eBay provides a seller no longer outweighs the risk, work, and poor treatment that EBay affords sellers today. I would rather give up that extra 5% and know that my job ends the minute I send my package to the AH (using their account and insurance). And, I think this is exactly why there are so many auctions today - they are absorbing all of the sellers that eBay has lost.

I am convinced eBay is the source of a lot of the increased AH inventory. I did a column on eBay's seller punishment system last week. If you are unlucky enough to get caught in it (which I have due to accidentally double-listing some cards from a set break), you end up paying more to eBay than to an AH (19.25% of the entire sale including tax and shipping vs. 20% of the hammer price). I terminated 90% of my eBay listings this week and plan to populate my store with overpriced BINs until the subscription runs out in February. FWIW, anything you see in my eBay store (Exhibitman) as a BIN is available for the asking at a 20% discount (25% if you pay by Zelle) off eBay. Oh, and I sent over 100 cards to REA for this month's auction that i might otherwise have sold through my eBay store. All I can say to eBay is