Prices rising ?
 

Has anyone noticed that prices at auction seem to be rising a bit? Since the beginning of the year it seems prices were staying fairly consistent . The last couple of months from what I've noticed is people bidding items a little higher . Maybe it is just the stuff I have bid on in the past and keep track of if they are going higher or lower. Was wondering about thoughts from the crowd on there observations of what is happening in the current auction market . Thanks, Brett

It's an annual thing. Interest in baseball cards go up every year around the start of spring training. That, combined with people getting their tax returns, will usually result in higher prices this time of year. Prices usually go down before Christmas, with more people selling their cards, and others simply not buying because they're paying for presents.

I agree
 

I agree about prices spiking near spring training but disagree with the X-mas thing. I find that during X-mas people shop for themselves and splurge a little or that significant others get involved with a bidding war...The worst time to tell is Jan-Feb

With all due respect to Patrick I have come to the realization of just the opposite. I do agree that some prices of cards will go up comming into the Christmas season but it seems to be specific cards that people would buy for themselves or significant others (e rookie cards, certain big names like Mantle). I find alot of good deals at that season for myself of "set fillers". Such as semi big names or lots of cards lumped together.

I also have found that the first two weeks in February to be a great time to sell. There are a certain amount of people getting thier tax refunds back as soon as they can and a fairly decent percentage of them spend it all like free money within a few weeks. They usually will buy lower conditioned cards in bidding wars because of the influx of money they aren't used to having. Unfortunatly, within a few weeks the extra splurge money has dissapated and they are back to normal week to week checks to make ends meet.

Of course maybe people just buy my cards low and I try to buy when they are high.... at least that's the way it seems.

Drew

Unpredictable market? Prices rising?
 

I've found that it's pretty hard to predict prices seasonally, that the market often changes from year to year.

In response to Brett, yes, it does seem to me that prices have been rising on everything in general, on T206's in particular; I've haven't bought much over the last several weeks, due to a combination of high prices and being outbid in the end.

Doug