Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards
If you mean me, while we aren't a major player, we're not looking for $10 cards. We take them as a courtesy to consignors who provide us with better items as well, but we start them at $1. We have less than 1% no sales, and typically move the few we have into a future auction for the original consignor. If someone wants them back we send them back, our dime.
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I like this approach better than PWCC's. Definitely more personable and better customer service. But I also think you guys are likely dealing with a more sophisticated consignor base. I could see a situation where it becomes problematic though if it gets to the point where your user base expands and you get people taking advantage of this courtesy by just sending you all of their junk cards and having you do all the work required to list/sell them. There is surely a dollar figure below which consigning a card cannot be done at a profit for the auction houses, and I'd wager good money that this amount is likely much higher than $10. But, as you say, it's a courtesy to take those low-value cards, and I assume one that is offered strategically so as not to lose a customer to a competing auction house who accepts both their junk and their Ty Cobbs.
I think if I were starting an auction house, I would probably take this approach as well. Just be overly generous with your resources and time and offer the best customer service possible. However, I also realize that at scale, there likely would come a point where a company often outgrows this personal relationship with most of their clients and where preventing consigners from taking advantage of your generosity (whether knowingly or not) becomes something that's necessary to guard against.