eBay 2022 - Less auctions, more high buy it nows

[parkplace33]

eBay in 2022 - I have noticed less auctions on sports cards and more museum priced buy it now. Is it now just a showcase for some sellers?

[raulus]

You can probably add eBay auctions with an initial bid that is basically a high retail buy it now price as an example of this phenomenon.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by raulus

You can probably add eBay auctions with an initial bid that is basically a high retail buy it now price as an example of this phenomenon.

It makes you wonder if they even want to sell.

[1952boyntoncollector]

well a lot of cards did sell this year for prices in 2021 you would of said are never going to sell for that price

its their card they can do what you want....go and bid on auctions..but you can always get outbid and card may go up between auctions..

the only way to knock down card prices is to see ebay auction prices continually go under their prices on ebay.. yeah i know that will be true for some cards and the prices still dont go down but for many that you dont see many auctions..thats why they can keep their asking prices with a straight face.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

eBay in 2022 - I have noticed less auctions on sports cards and more museum priced buy it now. Is it now just a showcase for some sellers?

This has been the case for years, but probably worse than ever now. Especially with PWCC gone.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Yep. EBay seems increasingly like a wasteland these days. I never thought I'd say it, but I get nostalgic for those PWCC Sunday night prewar 99¢ auction drops...

[Lucas00]

The new $600 Threshold has driven many casual sellers away.
In my experience 50-75% of casual sellers do auctions. While 90% of dealers only do insane bin prices and don’t give any kind of offers or deals (having to buy 30 cards for free shipping isn’t a deal).
This isn’t a big issue for cards with massive volume say ‘60 mantle or a ‘58 koufax, they will always have running auctions, almost 24/7.
But when you get into even the slightest obscurity you hardly see auctions anymore. It’s seemingly Bi-monthly or worse for even a more common food issue. And the ones you do see listed are just sitting on 10,000+ feedback accounts priced 5x too high. Never answering messages or sending any offers, It’s very annoying. I know it’s hard to send an offer when you have 5000 items listed and you get 250 watches a day, but check your items that have been on ebay for 2+ years and maybe give 10% or 20% off your 5x retail price.

Auction houses with 20% bps are becoming more affordable.

[Johnny630]

The Market is Down and they’re afraid to roll the dice on mediocre stuff that was rocket ship over the past two years in the auction. It no longer is rocket ship people are being smart with their money. Unless it’s top tier. Middle-level stuff is not being risked anymore by giving to auction houses.

[raulus]

As one of the guilty parties here, with a handful of items for sale on eBay for generous prices, while you could certainly ascribe pejorative motives to my actions, the fact is that for most of the items that I have listed, I’m not really motivated to sell them. They’re available if someone really wants them so badly to pay a lot for them, but otherwise I’m happy to continue to enjoy them in my own collection.

Most of the items that I have listed are also not easy to find, so if someone wants it badly enough, and doesn’t want to wait for months or years for another one to come up for sale, my item might be their only viable option to pick it up.

And I’m okay with waiting years to sell them. I’m also fine with never selling them at all.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by raulus

As one of the guilty parties here, with a handful of items for sale on eBay for generous prices, while you could certainly ascribe pejorative motives to my actions, the fact is that for most of the items that I have listed, I’m not really motivated to sell them. They’re available if someone really wants them so badly to pay a lot for them, but otherwise I’m happy to continue to enjoy them in my own collection.

Most of the items that I have listed are also not easy to find, so if someone wants it badly enough, and doesn’t want to wait for months or years for another one to come up for sale, my item might be their only viable option to pick it up.

And I’m okay with waiting years to sell them. I’m also fine with never selling them at all.

I think this explains quite a few listings. Personally I'm more binary, either I want to sell a card or I want to keep it, but it makes sense.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I think this explains quite a few listings. Personally I'm more binary, either I want to sell a card or I want to keep it, but it makes sense.

99.997% of my collection isn’t for sale. Just a small slice that I enjoy greatly but don’t love to bits.

In addition to being rather difficult to find, the market for the items that I’m willing to sell is often also very thin. So selling in an auction typically is a poor mechanism to reach the handful of people that might be interested in buying them, at least at the highest price, since only 1 or 2 of those people might be in the market and paying attention during the window for my auction, whereas it can stay open for years until the right person comes along through the BIN feature.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by raulus

As one of the guilty parties here, with a handful of items for sale on eBay for generous prices, while you could certainly ascribe pejorative motives to my actions, the fact is that for most of the items that I have listed, I’m not really motivated to sell them. They’re available if someone really wants them so badly to pay a lot for them, but otherwise I’m happy to continue to enjoy them in my own collection.

Most of the items that I have listed are also not easy to find, so if someone wants it badly enough, and doesn’t want to wait for months or years for another one to come up for sale, my item might be their only viable option to pick it up.

And I’m okay with waiting years to sell them. I’m also fine with never selling them at all.

Wish I had taken this stance. I have given away a slew of monsters I would loved to have had back. I remember BEGGING in here for someone to buy my Hank Aaron PSA 4...lol

[parkplace33]

One of my favorite stories......A Dealer in the early 2000s told me that cards don't sell for one of three reasons:

1. They are overpriced

2. They are not desirable

3. They are overpriced and not desirable

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by raulus

As one of the guilty parties here, with a handful of items for sale on eBay for generous prices, while you could certainly ascribe pejorative motives to my actions, the fact is that for most of the items that I have listed, I’m not really motivated to sell them. They’re available if someone really wants them so badly to pay a lot for them, but otherwise I’m happy to continue to enjoy them in my own collection.

Most of the items that I have listed are also not easy to find, so if someone wants it badly enough, and doesn’t want to wait for months or years for another one to come up for sale, my item might be their only viable option to pick it up.

And I’m okay with waiting years to sell them. I’m also fine with never selling them at all.

I totally get this. I have things that aren't for sale but can be bought. Sometimes I'll throw a line in the water and see if anything bites. But I generally leave it up for a couple weeks. There are things on ebay I've seen in my search results for 5 years. One high priced item in particular, the seller doesn't even respond to offers (and I've sent offers that were within $200 of his $1800 asking price, so I'm not trying to lowball him). Some sellers treat eBay like their virtual man cave.

The $600 threshold has definitely hurt ebay. To the point that they're now touting faster payouts on their home page, trying to draw sellers back. But right now I can go five hours between searches and there will be one or two new hits in a search that brings 42,000 largely old stale results. That was never the case before, as recently as a year or so ago.

[JollyElm]

You said it!! It's tough to find any eBay bargains these days...or even 'normally' priced items, so you have to decide if it's worth it to overpay to secure a card you desire. I just bought an oddball Mantle in ungraded, mid-range condition, but they almost never come up for sale, so as much as I hated doing it, I plunked down the money to make the grab. Now, I'll be forced to eat nothing but ramen for a while.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

I just bought an oddball Mantle in ungraded, mid-range condition, but they almost never come up for sale, so as much as I hated doing it, I plunked down the money to make the grab. Now, I'll be forced to eat nothing but ramen for a while.

Is there a "collectorism" for that? "Oodles of Noodles"? I'll see myself out ..

[jingram058]

No more bargains on eBay. None of the old stuff I like shows up on eBay anymore, and when it does, it's way out of my price range. Not just cards, but everything. And every category seems filled with modern, useless repro trinkets and gee gaws that are never going to be desirable.

[obiwan1129]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

The new $600 Threshold has driven many casual sellers away.

I think this has had a chilling effect on casual sales. There are many collectors who finance their buying with stuff they no longer need/want or extra stuff they picked up along the way. I have a handful of things that I would love to list, but frankly won't do it because of the $600 limit. It is ridiculously low. It also impacts Paypal transactions.

I've been looking at Mercari and Twitter (set up a new handle just baseball card related) to try and source stuff. I can't abide the book of face. I also scroll through Sportlots, COMC, Beckett, Reddit, and Blowout.

I saw Alt mentioned the other day, looked into it. I was redirected to a .xyz domain. I immediately exited out. No good has ever come of an .xyz domain.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Lucas00

The new $600 Threshold has driven many casual sellers away.

I think this is why we have a further reduction in auctions this year. I expect it to plummet next year; a lot of casuals do not really realize they will be getting 1099's that assume 100% of the sale was profit.

[RCFire82]

Originally Posted by G1911

I think this is why we have a further reduction in auctions this year. I expect it to plummet next year; a lot of casuals do not really realize they will be getting 1099's that assume 100% of the sale was profit.

Great point.

[JimmyC]

Yeah - the 1099 era for ebay is definitely driving Sellers away....I'll be getting a 1099 for sure this year, but will have documentation to back up my overall net losses on those sales that are legitimate....

I still find and have bought a few high end cards and game used memorabilia at what I would consider market price.....but there are so many items, if not the majority that are way - way over priced.....Bargains as most of you have said, are almost impossible to find....

If you are patient, you can still set build relatively cheaply off of ebay.....but you have to be patient for sure......

eBay is definitely not what it was years ago....

[jamest206]

I listed some T202’s on here, and nobody bothered to contact me. I then sold at auction on eBay for well over my asking prices on here, after fees. I have found it is much better to do a 10 day auction, and get what you are hoping for, and not asking for some astronomical number that just isn’t going to happen. There are deals to be found on eBay.

I will also say, EBay is getting more difficult in some aspects. They are currently holding on to cash of mine, even though everything is delivered. They also had a card I am waiting on arrive at their “hub” to verify authenticity in Sarasota last Monday. So I am out the cash, and God knows if the card will ever show up. So, all in all, eBay is holding 2k in cash since the 19th, and a card valued at 2k as well.

Then again, you have some guys on here do the Goods & Service on PayPal after being clearly told not to when i sell, and i have to go through quite the hassle of getting my money from PayPal.

[anchorednw]

As someone who has begun using eBay quite frequently this year due to getting back into collecting, I'm thankful even for the little bit that is out there in auctions.

I enjoy $50-$500 rare-ish or low pop prewar items so I can't imagine what you all must be comparing it to previous. Sounds like days of old on eBay, a guy who collects like me might have had even better action.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Arent there times you wish someone would just name a price for certain items...as you are willing to pay way over market

at least some people who may not really want to sell something are naming a price that will make them sell it..nothing wrong with that

[raulus]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

Arent there times you wish someone would just name a price for certain items...as you are willing to pay way over market

at least some people who may not really want to sell something are naming a price that will make them sell it..nothing wrong with that

Precisely. I figure the worst that can happen is people tell me to bugger off and keep my overpriced pieces.

[Snapolit1]

Why is the eBay verification program discouraging casual sellers? I’m just not making the connection. I’m a casual seller. What’s the difference for if I send it to Joe Blow at PSA or Dick Jones in Topeka. I just print out a label and send it to whoever is on the label. People may not like the program for a number of reasons, but why would it bother me as a seller. Maybe I’m missing something obvious.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Why is the eBay verification program discouraging casual sellers? I’m just not making the connection. I’m a casual seller. What’s the difference for if I send it to Joe Blow at PSA or Dick Jones in Topeka. I just print out a label and send it to whoever is on the label. People may not like the program for a number of reasons, but why would it bother me as a seller. Maybe I’m missing something obvious.

For me, as a seller, sending it out to a 3rd party just increases the chances that it will be lost or damaged.

[Bcwcardz]

I don’t know what it is but anything at auction is usually low grade cards. I guess some people are ok with it but for some issues especially 1970s I’d rather have some nicer cards. Anything that’s in nicer shape at auction is from Greg Morris and those go beyond what a reasonable price should be. If it’s a single the bidding goes beyond what a graded card would go for. Lots even more ridiculous. I have been able to pick up some decent stuff at auction but it’s very rare now. Most stuff is high priced card BINs with rounded corners listed as mint. I don’t know if these people are just new collectors that don’t know what NM means or it’s someone being deceptive. It’s really frustrating these days trying to build sets cheaply.


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[G1911]

Originally Posted by Bcwcardz

I don’t know what it is but anything at auction is usually low grade cards. I guess some people are ok with it but for some issues especially 1970s I’d rather have some nicer cards. Anything that’s in nicer shape at auction is from Greg Morris and those go beyond what a reasonable price should be. If it’s a single the bidding goes beyond what a graded card would go for. Lots even more ridiculous. I have been able to pick up some decent stuff at auction but it’s very rare now. Most stuff is high priced card BINs with rounded corners listed as mint. I don’t know if these people are just new collectors that don’t know what NM means or it’s someone being deceptive. It’s really frustrating these days trying to build sets cheaply.


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Vintage, high grade, and cheap are not really a cross-section I think one will find with any frequency with any avenue of buying.

[Leon]

I still lurk ebay to buy but haven't sold there in a long time. I imagine the 1099s will hurt sales even more next year. It's way different than it was in the old days but every now and then a nugget can be found. They are just few and far between.

and yes, a lot less auctions than a long time ago.
.