Ebay vs Card Shows

[deadballera]

cheaper on ebay


But if want to talk pre-war cards....dealers at the shows are usually willing to talk as long as there is time. You can't have this extra service on ebay


That's what makes this forum so great !!

[pow323]

The only thing bad about Ebay is that there are alot of Shillers that sell on Ebay! AND!! Pepole you would not think that would do such a thing!!!!!

[Robextend]

Definitely Ebay most of the time will have the better deal. But there is still something to be said for being able to walk through aisle after aisle of cardboard and hold the cards in your hand. Sometimes if the $ differnece isn't much, to me it is worth making a card show pickup.

[rdixon1208]

I love going to shows. I get to see other collectors that I never see otherwise, catch up with a couple of dealers that I know, talking cards, etc.

And you don't always get a better deal on ebay. I bought a nice T206 common in about VG/EX at a show a couple of months ago for $15. I could never get that deal in an auction. I know it's not a big deal, but it was still cool. I usually go around to every modern dealer and ask them if they have any pre war cards. They usually don't know what they have if they do, so if they do happen to have a T206 or something similar, they'll either say $15 or $200...you never know.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Robextend

...there is still something to be said for being able to walk through aisle after aisle of cardboard and hold the cards in your hand.

+1

I was overwhelmed last year at the National (my first), and am super excited for this year's. It's just mouth-watering to see all of that vintage cardboard.

[Jewish-collector]

Shows are FANTASTIC, especially the National !!! You can't have dinner with other collectors after the end of the eBay auction as you can after the show.

[CowboysGuide]

I've found better deals on commons at shows, and better deals on stars or high-dollar cards on eBay (with patience). Sellers on eBay want too much for common singles because it's not worth while listing them unless they get a certain amount. You can find decent deals on eBay for lots of commons on the other hand, but again, it takes patience.

[bcbgcbrcb]

If you are looking for the more mainstream cards (T206, Goudey, etc.), you can probably do okay at shows but the more esoteric you get, it becomes very one-sided towards e-bay.

[BigDan502]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

+1

I was overwhelmed last year at the National (my first), and am super excited for this year's. It's just mouth-watering to see all of that vintage cardboard.

as cool as the national was, some of the bloated prices on pre war stuff is a turn off and the sh**y dealer attitude which unfortunately i've had to see since i was 5 years old keeps me from wanting to take the trip out this year.