60's and 70's raw craziness

[nolemmings]

Well, sorry to rant again, but I may put my return to buying nice raw post-war cards on hold. GM had a nice 1967 Kaline a week or two ago, which mostly sells for under $100 in PSA 8 and has one sale at 8.5 for $155. My snipe didn't even register and the ungraded card sold for $193.50.

The kicker, though, was a high-number 1966 Dick Bertell. Nice but far from scarce and not so distinguishable from those in recent sales. The ungraded GM card sold for $115. This is about double what it sells for in PSA 9 MINT. Surely no one is buying in hopes of a 10?

I can see the odd card earning more when really well centered, especially if it is notoriously found off center, and likewise for cards usually subject to print dots or snow. But c'mon man. This is just nuts and I'm not cherry picking sales to make my point, unless everyone just happens to want the same cards that I bid.

[Suitntieguy]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Well, sorry to rant again, but I may put my return to buying nice raw post-war cards on hold. GM had a nice 1967 Kaline a week or two ago, which mostly sells for under $100 in PSA 8 and has one sale at 8.5 for $155. My snipe didn't even register and the ungraded card sold for $193.50.

The kicker, though, was a high-number 1966 Dick Bertell. Nice but far from scarce and not so distinguishable from those in recent sales. The ungraded GM card sold for $115. This is about double what it sells for in PSA 9 MINT. Surely no one is buying in hopes of a 10?

I can see the odd card earning more when really well centered, especially if it is notoriously found off center, and likewise for cards usually subject to print dots or snow. But c'mon man. This is just nuts and I'm not cherry picking sales to make my point, unless everyone just happens to want the same cards that I bid.

I just don’t get it either. It makes no sense.

[jchcollins]

Seems odd to me as well, I'm hoping the mania extents to mid-grade raw that is nice and centered too. I have a '56 Clemente up on ebay right now that is perfectly centered, would be about a 5. If it sells for exorbitantly more than I paid for it, that would be just fine with me...

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Suitntieguy

I just don’t get it either. It makes no sense.

what does make perfect sense is to not by a thing from Garret Morris and their 10% sales tax from CA on top of it. NO NEED.

[JollyElm]

I said it before and I'll say it again. There seems to be something at play with GM Cards. Without casting aspersions, because I am not leveling any actual accusations, anyone who used to buy from them a couple of years ago (to take advantage of the $3 shipping total, no matter how many cards you purchased) sees how things have changed. I used to purchase a lot of stuff at nice prices (and I fell a little short a thousand times, so clearly there were other people bidding, too) to upgrade my sets, but then their whole existence suddenly flip flopped. Instead of being an inexpensive go-to ebay seller - a convenient place to get cards at fair prices - their sales prices soared and everything they had started going through the roof (like anecdotes from this thread show). It made absolutely no sense. Now the first thing I think of when I see a GM auction is, "How high am I going to have to bid to even have a chance of winning that one??" and skip it entirely. Again, I'm not accusing them of anything, but now I scroll past their stuff the same way I do with frickin' Dean...and I'm sure they couldn't care less.

People will say the reason for their growth into an incredible revenue-grabbing success is great customer service, or that they grade their items accurately, or ship fast and whatever else. Apologist stuff. Blah blah blah, come on, 99% of the ebayers I buy from do the exact same things. Why pay 200% of what the 'same' card is selling for from a different seller????? Pure lunacy!!!

[avalanche2006]

Ok.
So besides what's going on with Greg Morris and Dean's, what is the opinion on paying more for a well centered raw card with sharp corners? Personally, I have no problem paying more for an ungraded card that is well centered with sharp corners. I have no need for a psa 7 that is off center.
I have 3 sets where centering is the main focus. 1958,1959 and 1960. I have probably paid too much at times for cards that are very hard to find centered.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by avalanche2006

Ok.
So besides what's going on with Greg Morris and Dean's, what is the opinion on paying more for a well centered raw card with sharp corners? Personally, I have no problem paying more for an ungraded card that is well centered with sharp corners. I have no need for a psa 7 that is off center.
I have 3 sets where centering is the main focus. 1958,1959 and 1960. I have probably paid too much at times for cards that are very hard to find centered.

If centering is the key factor for your sets, then absolutely grab ungraded ones that really work for you, and pay what you must.

[BruceinGa]

I've been bidding on GM cards for past three weeks but only win about 10% of my bids. I too wonder why the high winning bid on some.