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Posted By: barrysloate

King- I think you are correct that ebay has separated the truly rare from the overrated. To use the example of stamps, when I was young your options were to go to a live auction, which occurred maybe once or twice a year and was certainly out of bounds for a kid, or get a retail catalog from one of the mail order companies. Yes, I am sure prices in catalogs were artificially high, but there were so few opportunities to buy rare stamps that you had little choice. Today, the rare stamps still are rare but many of the pretenders have lost both their mystique and a chunk of their value. I guess ebay is the most democratic of venues if for no other reason than the sheer number of items available proves to be the most accurate barometer we have ever had to assess true rarity. The first two American stamps, of Ben Franklin and George Washington issued in 1847, are really not that rare at all. This is something we may not have known 20 years ago but we now know today. As such, both are relatively cheap. The same can not be said of an E107 or an E97 or a nice T204 or an OJ HOF. There is a true rarity factor and a high demand. Ebay taught us this better than any catalog or price guide.