low value Ewing w mascot (N172)?

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Posted By: runscott

Dealers are cognizant of the fact that there are some "high disposable income" collectors out there, who will pay close to whatever it takes to get a card they want. Next time you get a dealer catalog in the mail, check it out and you will see that there are loads of cards prices well above guide price, AND well above true market value. Does the fact that 2% (or whatever - some small number) of the collecting population is willing to pay these inflated prices mean that they are market value? In my opinion, no. If a card hangs around in a catalog for long enough at the inflated prices (no collectors with too much disposable income want it), and you offer the seller market value or below, you will usually become the new owner.

So let's say that Julie and I both really wanted a particular card, and we were each willing to pay $5K for it - does that make $5K the market value? What if no one else on the planet is willing to pay more than $2K for the same card? Or what if I was the ONLY collector on the planet willing to pay $5K for it and I was totally unaware of price guide prices - is $5K the market value? Or did I simply get ripped off?

Is it stupid for the seller to offer the card at $5K, hoping some "card value challenged" collector like me wanders into his web? Obviously not;however, I think it is morally reprehensible for a seller to repeatedly take advantage of someone like this who trusts them to offer fair prices.