Frustrating Day Bidding on the "Bay"

[tbob]

I sold several cards over the weekend and some sold for about what I thought they would, maybe a little higher and some sold for less, so I am not noticing any pattern of feverish bidding. As a mostly buyer on ebay I have noticed the weird swings on ebay. I won a nice Series 7 T210 in PSA 4 for around $42 when just a few weeks ago a raw Series 2 common in vg to vgex went for twice that amount. I think timing is more important than ever: when the card goes on and goes off, etc.

[barrysloate]

M's Fan- I think more baby boomers are getting out of the hobby than getting in. That's not scientific, just my observation.

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by tbob

I sold several cards over the weekend and some sold for about what I thought they would, maybe a little higher and some sold for less, so I am not noticing any pattern of feverish bidding.

Hi Bob,

One of the cards I was watching was your purple E94 Cicotte in SGC 10 - I thought you did real well on that one.

I know it is tough to compare (esp. with the different color backgrounds), but VCP had the last sale of a dark green one of these in this grade at $183, which is only 54% of what yours sold for. And the $183 was several months before the 2008 stock market crash.

Also, in 2009 an olive PSA 2 of this card went for a touch less than yours.

So I did view that as one of the ones that went significantly higher than I thought. (But I'm very happy for you...and for me as I already own that card.)

Cheers,
Blair

[pgellis]

I think the simple answer is "supply and demand". When I started collecting
T206s 4 years ago, there seemed like 40-50 SGC50 (or better) graded cards (if not more) ended almost every single week on eBay for months and months. Very few BINs back then.
Now with the scarcity of true auctions for those same criteria of cards, you will see some inflated prices. Some people (myself included) who have only picked up 1 or 2 cards on eBay over the last several months, start to get antsy and are willing to pay a little extra.
I know we aren't just talking about T206s in this thread, but I think it is comparable across different types.

[BlueDevil89]

Originally Posted by pgellis

I think the simple answer is "supply and demand". When I started collecting
T206s 4 years ago, there seemed like 40-50 SGC50 (or better) graded cards (if not more) ended almost every single week on eBay for months and months. Very few BINs back then.
Now with the scarcity of true auctions for those same criteria of cards, you will see some inflated prices. Some people (myself included) who have only picked up 1 or 2 cards on eBay over the last several months, start to get antsy and are willing to pay a little extra.
I know we aren't just talking about T206s in this thread, but I think it is comparable across different types.

I agree with Phil - Demand is there, but the supply seems to have dried up. The result is inflation. That, and the fact that the government keeps printing dollars but no more original T206 cards.

That's the problem with this hobby - all the new people who get interested in collecting and keep buying up the finite number of vintage cards!

[tbob]

Thanks Blair. The Cicotte did pretty well but I think the fact it was violet and had no creases helped with the price. The fact that E94s have really dried up didn't hurt either I noticed I had 27 ebayers watching that auction, a very large number.

[usernamealreadytaken]

Though I know this general theory will not apply to all auctions, I was FLOORED to see a T206 Breitenstein PSA 2.5 sell for $67 this past Sun. nite!!! That card could have easily sold for double, dare I say, triple that amount. Sorry I sat that one out...

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by usernamealreadytaken

Though I know this general theory will not apply to all auctions, I was FLOORED to see a T206 Breitenstein PSA 2.5 sell for $67 this past Sun. nite!!! That card could have easily sold for double, dare I say, triple that amount. Sorry I sat that one out...

Not sure I understand this. There are a ton of recorded sales of this card over the last few years in PSA 3 and SGC 40 (=3) for $105 or less...

Cheers,
Blair

[Kotton King]

Originally Posted by tbob

Thanks Blair. The Cicotte did pretty well but I think the fact it was violet and had no creases helped with the price. The fact that E94s have really dried up didn't hurt either I noticed I had 27 ebayers watching that auction, a very large number.

I was the underbidder......so it was frustrating for me . I thought I put in a very nice high bid. The Violet background on this tough E94 subject was a big reason I was interested. Next time I'll just have to go higher......