Reasonable BIN w/BO Quagmire

[ls7plus]

Hi, Patrick. I think it depends on how tough the card is (are there others likely to surface several/numerous times per year?), how badly you want it, how well it fits into your collecting niche, and how long you've been looking for an example without success.

I passed on a raw '56 Kahn's Frank Robinson (true rookie) about 12 years ago that was being offered by Fritsch as being in excellent condition, but with back damage for $375. This was a very tough card, but at that time I really did not realize how seldom it would be offered by itself in an auction--I saw perhaps 2 or three as parts of much larger lots in the ensuing years, but no opportunity to buy the single card until last year, when a saved e-bay search popped an example up. Ironically, I have the wierd feeling that it was the very same card, as it presents as Ex+, but with back damage, probably due to having been glued into a scrapbook and removed without sufficient care. According to the seller, whom I believe is part of this board, he received 10-12 calls on the card after I arranged to purchase it.

Bottom line, tough card having been sought for long period of time without success with potentially a lot of other interest, JUMP ON IT! If you pay a little too much, time will probably make you whole as to value and then some, whereas if you're bent on getting a bargain, with a rare card, it may take quite awhile before you're able to procure one!

Best always,

Larry

[53Browns]

I actually love it when the seller sets up the auction to immediately accept/reject offers "real time". So you don't have the dreaded wait.

[Exhibitman]

That is the best circumstance, Bill. When I sell w/BIN-BO I set a floor below which all offers are rejected, a range at which I want to be contacted, and an automatic acceptance level at or above which the offer will be accepted instantly. IMO the BIN-BO tool is one of the few really useful things Ebay has come up with.

As for the original issue, I agree w/Larry that it depends. I'm usually going to try and shave a % off the price when there is a BIN-BO but I've also jumped on specific items at the BIN when I know they are very difficult to find and I am afraid they will sell and I never look back when that happens w/any price regrets. A very wise collector [well, Leon, anyway ] once told me that for a rare card it isn't worth sweating over a hundred bucks. This Israeli Cassius Clay card is rare and had a BIN that was probably reasonable but I was nervous as to whether it would ever get here (my luck w/foreign sellers has been crappy) so I offered 25% on it instead:



This thing, on the other hand, just as rare, offered by a domestic seller had a very reasonable BIN and I didn't bother with the offer since I knew what it was and how hard they are to find (nearly impossible, actually, as it is a proof sheet and ESCo typically saved only a set or two of proof sheets in its art file for each issue):

[novakjr]

I've had that happen at least three times. Two times were with complete sets, and the other was with a DVD Boxed set. Ebay let's you know whether there are other offers or not, two times I bit the bullet and just hit the BIN. The other time with a set, I knew I had a really lowball offer and there were 3 other offers, but I didn't like the BIN price, so I just wrote it off as a loss, 2 days later I won the set... That came as a nice surprise.

[sportscardpete]

My philosophy is if you want it and it's at a reasonable price, buy it. There was one time the seller and I were about $50 dollars apart and the deal didn't go through. Looking back I would have been more than happy to just buy it outright and enjoy the card. If it's a card you can live without than it might be worth the risk. But not for something you really want to buy. There are a lot of people on ebay and who knows, they might come in with a better offer. Stranger things have happened! Good luck with it though.

[glchen]

What I've gotten annoyed with a couple times recently is the seller puts out an auction for a rare card or auction w/ BIN that is reasonable, and I set a snipe for the card. However, before the auction ends, the seller ends the auction because he has sold this card to someone else off ebay, often at a lower price than I was willing to pay! Speaking of Leon's Heading Home Ruth's thread, here was one that ended early: Link

[Leon]

Originally Posted by glchen

What I've gotten annoyed with a couple times recently is the seller puts out an auction for a rare card or auction w/ BIN that is reasonable, and I set a snipe for the card. However, before the auction ends, the seller ends the auction because he has sold this card to someone else off ebay, often at a lower price than I was willing to pay! Speaking of Leon's Heading Home Ruth's thread, here was one that ended early: Link

Sorry about that...This started out as one of those Ebay BIN museum pieces per the price. The seller had it up at an original price of around $4000+.....I emailed him, told him I was very interested, and let him know he was not anywhere close to the market and that I own 5, gave him a link to my site and so forth. I made an offer and he declined. In the meantime he put it up again with a more realistic BIN and opener. I made another offer and he took it. I only make those offers on cards I really want and wanted to add that one to my collection. I have lost a many a card with this kind of scenario so tried my best to make a deal with him, which I did. He did tell me, after the fact, that he had an offer that was going to be at the starting price of the card. He had already shipped the card to me, overnight. Please see BST tomorrow for a $3500 Headin' Home card . Once again, sorry about having a frustrating situation for you Gary. Been there done that.

[nebboy]

Ive had a offer in a few time and had to wait for the 48 reply time. Then of course I find a better card or price pop up on a new listing that Ive had to miss out on because Ive all my funds are tied up.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by nebboy

Ive had a offer in a few time and had to wait for the 48 reply time. Then of course I find a better card or price pop up on a new listing that Ive had to miss out on because Ive all my funds are tied up.

Same here, that happened to me on the offer that I'd written off as a loss. I'd already spent my allotted money elsewhere because I thought I wasn't getting it. Anyways, it wasn't a huge deal. Luckily, I had the money anyways. I just ended up spending more that week than I'd originally planned, and took it out of my future allowances. Lesson learned though, If I've got something pending, I've gotta treat it as money spent, even if I don't think I'm gonna win. I've been working really hard to keep this addiction on a budget. I tend to get a little out of control sometimes, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this regard.