[jchcollins]

Interesting conversation. On the whole, I hate selling cards - but looking back at my history over the past two years, I've actually done quite a lot of it given the boom, my ability to make profit, and then to turn that profit into more / different cardboard that I still want / "need" for my various collecting endeavors.

I quit selling on eBay probably sometime in early 2019. The numerous hassles there just got quickly outweighed by other venues to sell which had none of the same problems. On eBay you have to deal with their fees; elsewhere such as FB groups and the BST here (an option I will admit I forget about way too often...) you of course don't. eBay also especially in recent years is notorious for standing behind buyers no matter what on disputes and problems, and rarely backing up the seller. The "DND" Deal No Deal format groups on Facebook got a hold of me about a year ago, and I made some strong sales there. The format has its downsides though, and lowball bidders exist there in droves just as they do on eBay. No, I will not take $150 delivered for my EX-MT+ and nicely centered Reggie Jackson RC; thank you for playing. "We don't do eBay prices here, buddy" I was once told by a lowball surfer who apparently expected me to gift a HOF RC to him. Amusing, as my LCS dealer has been known to quip that he "cannot compete" with eBay prices. I guess every type of collector has a perception. But I digress.

As to the offer format on eBay, when I sold there regularly I would set a floor, below which the platform would auto reject offers. When making offers myself, my policy was to offer in combination what I thought was fair with what I could pay, and not to get offended when I was rejected. eBay really pushes the Offer format now; it's a default. So if you don't turn it off, it will be on, and sometimes if your item has not sold for a few days or a week, they will turn it on FOR you without your permission, which to me was super annoying and another reason I grew to hate selling on eBay. The point however is that some sellers who rush through listings don't even KNOW they have offers enabled, and are therefore offended when you send them what they perceive as a lowball offer, even though it may be 85% of their asking price.

The Offer format for buyers can be great if you are patient and don't get offended. Before the real start of the boom, I made what was admittedly a lowball offer for a PSA 8 '65 Topps Richie Allen rookie cup card. The card is a short print in the semi-high number series. To my utter surprise, the seller accepted. He had had the card out there forever, and it was overpriced to begin with, so my assumption was that he was frustrated and washing his hands of it. So that was cool, and then maybe 18 months later I sold the card at close to $200 profit after everyone had been stuck at home in pandemic mode for months and were pouring cash without regard into nice vintage like that.

Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. At least I'm mostly past my old habit of busting slabbed cards that I was considering PC for life, only to change my mind and sell later at a loss - of course because they were no longer graded.