Heritage Buyers Premium

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I think this is 100% the result of consignors having leverage and taking larger and larger pieces of the BP. Over the past 3-4 years, for high quality stuff most AHs would give -5% to -10% of the hammer (a quarter to half the BP); really great stuff gets even better terms. I think in order to compete, that amount has recently shifted to -7% to -12% and now that’s being passed through. So I am not sure it comes out of the consignors pocket, but the AH certainly ain’t taking the hit.

Nobody says you have to consign. Plus, it’s noteworthy that the BP on almost every other type of auction is 25%…

I think this is bad for the hobby overall, though. We need to see transaction costs come down, to make it easier for collectors to buy and sell cards. Effectively telling consigners "If you don't like it, keep your cards" is not a good message.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Gorditadogg

I think this is bad for the hobby overall, though. We need to see transaction costs come down, to make it easier for collectors to buy and sell cards. Effectively telling consigners "If you don't like it, keep your cards" is not a good message.

There are alternatives to consigning with a major AH for most cards.

[BigfootIsReal]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There are alternatives to consigning with a major AH for most cards.

and I'll be looking at the alts. AH doesn't charge the consignor but the consignor really pays a ghost fee of now 22%.....ghost meaning if a card is valued at 24K more than likely the buyer is only going to bid 20K to make up for the 22%

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There are alternatives to consigning with a major AH for most cards.

Fair. So it's more like "If you don't like it, find some other way to sell your cards."

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[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There are alternatives to consigning with a major AH for most cards.

What do you think are the best?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

What do you think are the best?

There is no one best. It depends on your situation. Do you need to sell fast, what is in your collection, do you want cash, selling part(s) or whole collection, plus many many more things that make the "best" different for everyone.

[sb1]

Not all auctions charge 20-22% many are still at 15-18% which is less than you can sell it yourself for on ebay...

As someone else mentioned, the consignor and buyer premiums in our hobby/business are actually pretty low. Coins, Art, Exotic Hand bags, and many other items garner a 25% consignment fee AND 25% buyers fee.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by sb1

Not all auctions charge 20-22% many are still at 15-18% which is less than you can sell it yourself for on ebay...

As someone else mentioned, the consignor and buyer premiums in our hobby/business are actually pretty low. Coins, Art, Exotic Hand bags, and many other items garner a 25% consignment fee AND 25% buyers fee.

Well okay, sure. I have a friend who sells my old Tommy Bahama shirts on consignment and gives me half. I guess baseball cards are a better deal than that.

But I can sell my house for 8% or my car for $200. I am amazed it is so expensive to sell a baseball card. With all the improvements in technology it is easier than ever to take a picture of a card, post it online and get views.

[Snapolit1]

Other than auctions, in 2024 I found it very hard to sell anything for a # I was happy with. Including here. Most of my BST listings didn't get one offer.

You can see from much of the anecdotal evidence posted here that prices are fluid and unpredictable. One auction a card sells for $5200 and at an auction a month later the same card sells for $3300. Or it sells for $3300 and a month later it sells for $5200. Take your pick. Seems like the only way to figure out what the going rate is on any day/month is to put it in an auction and see what the market will bear.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

What do you think are the best?

Selling on the BST here seems to be a popular option. For stuff that is widely collected and desirable for this crowd, my guess is that you’ll routinely get full value for it here relatively quickly, and without selling costs, although some buyers will ask to share in those savings.

Seems like a lot of people also tout FB marketplace. I don’t have a FB account, so have never tried it, but I hear good things.

Working with a dealer for a private commission also seems like a decent option, particularly for stuff that has a more niche audience. I’m not familiar with the cost to sell this way, and I suspect it can vary widely depending on the dealer, depending on the piece and the volume of stuff you bring to the dealer. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you can often get a lower selling cost this way. And for stuff that is more exotic and not widely collected, your odds of getting your desired price are probably as good or maybe even better than rolling the dice on an auction.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by raulus

Selling on the BST here seems to be a popular option. For stuff that is widely collected and desirable for this crowd, my guess is that you’ll routinely get full value for it here relatively quickly, and without selling costs, although some buyers will ask to share in those savings.

Seems like a lot of people also tout FB marketplace. I don’t have a FB account, so have never tried it, but I hear good things.

Working with a dealer for a private commission also seems like a decent option, particularly for stuff that has a more niche audience. I’m not familiar with the cost to sell this way, and I suspect it can vary widely depending on the dealer, depending on the piece and the volume of stuff you bring to the dealer. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you can often get a lower selling cost this way. And for stuff that is more exotic and not widely collected, your odds of getting your desired price are probably as good or maybe even better than rolling the dice on an auction.

I don't do social media but I agree B/S/T, especially if you don't need to make a quick sale and have a good understanding of where a card should sell, can be a very good option. Much as people hate ebay, IMO there are some ebay sellers to whom consignment of non-elite cards can be a very convenient and attractive option. Let's face it, your typical commodity card is just not going to get, usually, some super premium price in an auction house that will offset the hit from the consignment premium and the delays in listing and payment.

[glchen]

The thing about everyone saying that they'll just adjust their max bids to take into account the extra 2% BP is that pretty much every time folks bid, they just bid the next minimum bid increment. Nobody is adjusting their next bid to be ~2% less. Therefore, in most cases, you will be paying an extra 2% for your winning bids.

[parkplace33]

25 and even 30 percent aren’t far behind. Man, auction houses have all the power these days.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by glchen

The thing about everyone saying that they'll just adjust their max bids to take into account the extra 2% BP is that pretty much every time folks bid, they just bid the next minimum bid increment. Nobody is adjusting their next bid to be ~2% less. Therefore, in most cases, you will be paying an extra 2% for your winning bids.

Good point; I think what people mean is that they will not make that next bid. Me, personally, I know that is BS. If I really want it for the personal collection, 2% is not a meaningful deterrent, especially at the relatively modest spending levels where I lurk. An extra $50 in context, BFD.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by raulus

Selling on the BST here seems to be a popular option. For stuff that is widely collected and desirable for this crowd, my guess is that you’ll routinely get full value for it here relatively quickly, and without selling costs, although some buyers will ask to share in those savings.

Seems like a lot of people also tout FB marketplace. I don’t have a FB account, so have never tried it, but I hear good things.

Working with a dealer for a private commission also seems like a decent option, particularly for stuff that has a more niche audience. I’m not familiar with the cost to sell this way, and I suspect it can vary widely depending on the dealer, depending on the piece and the volume of stuff you bring to the dealer. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you can often get a lower selling cost this way. And for stuff that is more exotic and not widely collected, your odds of getting your desired price are probably as good or maybe even better than rolling the dice on an auction.

There are definitely other options. I tend to sell card privately and have no issues selling.