The simple thing to do is when you set your search parameters is to ask to look at auction listings only. That way all the BINs don't clog up your viewing. It is amazing to me how small a percentage of pre-war cards on Ebay are still sold via auction as opposed to BINs.
Yes, I know I may be missing out on items that also state OBO but, my experience is that most don't allow for reasonable offers and quickly turn them down or counter by knocking off maybe a nominal amount through a counter-offer and hoping you'll take it. Also, on those odd occasions I do look through the BINs and OBOs for particular items, when I do make an OBO offer, I make what I feel is a reasonable offer based on my comfort level, experience, tastes and pocketbook. I don't give a crap about VCP or any other pricing services and don't care what the supposed "current market" looks like.
Am I often looking to buy at a decent price, yes. But I don't buy to resell or flip though and probably haven't sold anything in at least 10-15 years. I'm strictly a collector and am insulted when a seller insinuates I'm trying to rip them off or just looking to make a buck off of them. To me this is strictly a hobby. And as is human nature, most sellers think what they have is worth more than it really is, or that at least if someone supposedly just sold a similar item off Ebay for a new all-time high price, that is exactly what their item should now sell for, or even more.
To me, the idea that the "all boats rise with the tide" mentality that almost all dealers seem to rely on as an excuse to bump up prices of lower end cards when the high-end versions of those cards start to jump in prices is asinine. And that includes 1952 Topps Mantle cards. I'm sorry but a '52 Mantle with a hole punched in it still selling for a 5+ figure amount to me is just ridiculous. It isn't like you can't find a Mantle out there for sale so it isn't the rarity. The idiots who in my mind pay these ridiculous prices aren't true collectors, they're just speculators who are counting on doubling, tripling, quadrupling, whatever with their money by buying and holding these cards till some new astronomical price jump happens again in what they hope for them is the near future. Just ask all those people that were hoarding rookie cards back on the 1980's, expecting to hold them a few years and then cash in and sell them for enough money to retire on how that all worked out?
Also, with all the talk and debate that occasionally occurs on this site about how there is shill bidding and attempts at price manipulation across the hobby, that just serves to show me that pricing services like VCP aren't necessarily going to be that accurate, or even reasonable in some/many cases. So again, why tell me I don't know what I'm talking about when quoting prices and spewing out figures from VCP or Beckett. I seem to remember these are referred to as "guides" not gospel!!!! Personally, I don't care what a dealer or anyone else paid for a card. It is not my obligation and responsibility to insure that you make a profit on selling it to me or anyone else for that matter.
Sorry for the rant but, this one touches a nerve with me, I can't stand all the ridiculous BINs either and just hate the idea that dealers will buy up these cards we collect and then hold them hostage till we give them the price they want, whether it is reasonable or not. And if as a dealer you feel you're getting low OBO offers, then don't offer the option. But if you still decide to, don't complain about getting them, instead you should be happy to be getting any offers at all. By the way, isn't there a way on Ebay you can set a low limit on OBO offers so if it doesn't meet your expectations it just automatically declines the OBO offer and you don't have to deal with it? if so, then do that and as a dealer quit complaining about low ball offers. Or better yet, why not just sell your item on Ebay via a regular auction and set the reserve/opening price at the minimum you'll take? That way you don't have to deal with anything you think is a low ball offer at all. Oh wait, Ebay charges extra for things like that and you can't make as much money? Go back to my comment where I said it isn't my responsibility to insure a dealer makes a living from selling cards.
Whatever happened to the old adage, "the customer is always right"? In this technologically advanced age of internet sales and loss of personal interaction, we've really lost a lot, especially when you think that this is supposed to be a hobby for fun, not necessarily profit. In the end though, I don't rip on any dealer and call them names if they won't sell me a card for what I believe is a fair price. I'll just say "thanks but, no thanks", and smile and walk away. Have good luck and fun collecting guys (and gals), I think there are still more of us true collectors out there than you can imagine.
BobC
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