ebay feedback, too low for folks here to trust?

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave

Got in a discussion with someone today that told me my feedback score (48) is too low for any of the board members here to feel comfortable buying from on ebay. I thought this was a little ridicilous but am curious to hear opinons. By the way, no, I dont have anything for sale right now, so not trying to doing a marketing job. I'm really just curious if my feedback score would keep knowledgeable collectors away, even though USUALLY what I try to sell are graded cards. ebay handle pretty easy to figure out by the way.

[Archive]

Posted By: Sean

I wouldn't think anything less of a seller with a feedback of 48 (assuming you don't have any negative feedbacks), anything over 30 is good in my eyes.

Sean BH

[Archive]

Posted By: T206Collector

...is less important than the context. 48, with 100% positive, would be great -- unless all you have a history of selling was $3.00 flashlights, or something akin, and you tried to sell a PSA 6 Cobb Green Portrait. That would raise some eyebrows for me. But an 8, with 100% positives, is just fine for that Green Cobb if the feedbacks were all high grade PSA graded T206 cards and from collectors/bidders I recognized as legitimate.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave

unfortunately, for arguements sake, I don't have the Cobby PSA 6 to put up. mostly mid grades- 4's. But your saying even with that, if I were to put up a Cobb 6 or a Crawford in a 7, you'd be hesitant, interesting.

[Archive]

Posted By: T206Collector

...if you've been selling mid-grade 4's and have gotten good feedback, that should be sufficient.

It all factors into the equation.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jonathan Cadien

If the seller in question had perfect feedback, 50 and over would be a no brainer. But depending on the quality of the item in question, I would either insure my paypal payment or send the money order with alot of insurance w/delivery confirmation. Ripping somone off on ebay is one thing, mail fraud is another thing.

[Archive]

Posted By: Keith O'Leary

I think if you post in the appropriate BST area after listing your items, you'll do fine (especially if you see tbob bidding ).

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

I checked your feedback, and it looks good to me. 100% rating and have sold many Pre-War cards, including graded. For an expensive card, many potential bidders will check your past sales to see if you have experience with the material, and your sales show that you have that experience. I'm sure some bidders would like a few more numbers padded to your 48, but I'd rather bid on a Cobb from you than from a 2,000 84% feedback who sells rubber duckies.

The key is the price of the item being offered. With your feedback and sales history, I don't know why anyone would hesitate to bid on a $100 or $200 card. If the price is $5,000 or $10,000, some will hesitate because that's a lot of money to be sending to a stranger.

[Archive]

Posted By: andy becker

when i first started selling on ebay, i was very concerned about the same thing.
so, i built my feedback up to 100 before i started selling anything of higher value.
it's worth the time to sell some low $ cards to get your feedback into the three digit range.
remember, in any auction, if you loose one bidder (the underbidder or the winner) the consequences can be pretty large.

good luck.

[Archive]

Posted By: barrysloate

You should note that every one of us at one time had a zero feedback, and built it up by buying and selling. To penalize someone with a feedback of 48 is silly. If he came through 48 times do you think he will rip off the 49th guy?

[Archive]

Posted By: Cobby33

I agree with everyone.
David makes a good point bringing up the fact that you apparently have Vintage cards in your feedback. I would have no problem with that, but might have a problem if you were selling blankets and legos with no Vintage cards...

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave

the point to begin with, (I wont single out the other person in the discussion unless he decides to do so himself), was that he woudln't bid on a high dollar item (over $500), with less than 500 or so feedbacks. For me thats ridicilious, I don't have a card shop where I can list hundreds of cards at one time, I also have a full-time job, sucks, but that in itself keeps me from spending hours a day on ebay. (too much of my time has been spent here recently) ha ha Also, it seems with my experience anyway, when selling items, I'm about 70% for receiving feedback afterwards, or else would be a bit higher. Also when selling, I don't wait to receive feedback like most on ebay seem to do, I leave feedback immediately after payment, which is what should be done, as the buyer at that point has done everything needed for good feedback. I guess it boils down to the fact, if someone looks at my handle and thinks it's shady, then so be it, I guess it leaves the door open for someone else to get a card a little cheaper.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

It should be noted that it's not only what a seller has sold, but bought that can give confidence to bidders. If a seller has a history of buying quality cards and memorabilia from reputable sellers, that suggests the seller buys legitimate stuff and has some knowledge about the material. On the other hand, if a seller has a history of buying PRO and NASA graded cards, many bidders will hesitate to purchase raw cards from them.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave

Honestly, at this point (being young and not having cash reserves set aside, only diaper and formula reserves), my ebay practices are pretty much, buy raw, get them graded and stick them back on ebay, at least until I get to a financial point of being able to keep all the graded cards. The raw cards I've stuck back on ebay to sell, are either in just too crappy of condition to warrant grading, or like the last batch I sold, were rejected for grading, which I did list on the cards when putting them up. And yes, I feel thats being honest, otherwise could have put "hey near-mint t206, will grade high", but I didn't do that, hence why I just got $20 bucks out of it.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

I wasn't criticizing your raw card buys or sells, and didn't look at any of them closely. My post was mostly an in general post for those who buy only, and are concerned how they get gain a reputation for when they want to sell.

One reason to be a buyer in good standing with auction houses like Mastro, REA and Lelands, is that if you are involved in an expensive sale, they will vouch for your charector as a buyer.

[Archive]

Posted By: Al C.risafulli

With a low-feedback seller, I generally look to see what they've sold in the past (and to whom), as well as who's bidding on their present auctions. If I see eBay IDs I recognize, I feel I'm safe to bid.

-Al

[Archive]

Posted By: Cobby33

As Barry pointed out, we've all been there. This is why I don't automatically delete a low-feedback buyer bidding on my stuff (though I get kinda nervous when the bidding gets high)...So far, aside from one fraudulent ID, I've never had a problem buying or selling from low feedbacks.

If you're really concerned about not getting the most for your card, maybe a Board member with high feedback could consign it on his/her ID for you?

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave

I guess if it comes down to a card being a high dollar card, than I may have to see about getting someone to consign. Although, with most being PSA 3-5's, not a huge issue. I'm waiting on another four cards to come back from PSA now, but I highly doubt any of them will be high grade either.

[Archive]

Posted By: Cobby33

Best of luck, Dave. I don't see your feedback being a major issue here.

[Archive]

Posted By: Gilbert Maines

I do see your feedback affecting both your ability to sell ungraded cards and the price that you will achieve with them. Of course, Im not saying that it can not be done. You are doing it.

What I am saying is that collectors get burned. If some knowledgable collectors employ a philosophy of erring on the side of caution; a great many more less knowledgable collectors do as well.

It is not so much a question of "does a seller with a feedback of 48 present a situation of questionable legitimacy" as much as it is "does a seller with a feedback of 48 present a situation of questionable knowledge".

Although I have encountered sellers with good feedback totalling over 1000 who did not have the knowledge necessary to distinguish a good (infrequently traded) card from a bad one. I believe that with increased experience of the seller, a buyer is less likely to be exposed to unsound offerings.