Dealers' Pricing at the National

[CardsMax]

Part of what I love about net54 is that it's is own bubble and completely sheltered from the non-vintage hobby, but concurrently expects the pricing of 5 years ago.

Do buyers ever think about where an item is sourced from? If not from private collection buys--which are more infrequent now more than ever--it's from online, or more specifically, an auction house.

Modern cards sell below comps because people fundamentally do not want them. It's all buying and selling and it's commonly accepted that there will always be someone selling the same card cheaper. This is simply not the case for most vintage, especially examples that scarcely come to market.

It's all on perspective. I agree most vintage "dealers" are way more out of touch, but ultimately the remark of "what I'm into it for" stands true. They're the one sourcing absolutely everything, and on items where they have the leverage to sell high, they're going to maximize their dollar both out of their own self interest and that it cost them a pretty penny in the first place (nobody is selling Mantle's at 85% of their going rate).

If a dealer is paying top dollar at an auction house, why should you be entitled to it for less? By that same token, net54 forum readers are some of the most passionate about vintage and collecting and general, and are often putting in the same amount of time digging for deals as "dealers." The ultimate buyers are people who invest less time in digging for deals themselves and are willing to get access for a high end card actually available for sale, even if its at a god forbid 10-15% premium.