Why are auctions so popular?

barrysloate · #1 01-14-2015, 07:27 AM

Please understand I'm not saying that auction houses shouldn't exist. There are occasional bargains to be had, and there often are amazingly rare items that can't be found anywhere else.

There just appears to be so many auctions, more even than the market can support (I have to assume they aren't all profitable). But so many dealers who has retail businesses gave them up to start auction houses. I think a good retail business could be really successful. If I ask a dollar and you agree to pay a dollar, we can't shill it up from there. It's a clean transaction.

It just seems to me that bidders would be pretty fed up with all the crap that goes on and would be looking to buy cards in a different manner.

sportscardtheory · #2 01-14-2015, 07:36 AM

It's a near-guaranteed sale. That's why people use it. They may not want/like to sit and wait for weeks/months/years, they want the sale/money ASAP. Plain and simple.

1952boyntoncollector · #3 01-14-2015, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Please understand I'm not saying that auction houses shouldn't exist. There are occasional bargains to be had, and there often are amazingly rare items that can't be found anywhere else.

There just appears to be so many auctions, more even than the market can support (I have to assume they aren't all profitable). But so many dealers who has retail businesses gave them up to start auction houses. I think a good retail business could be really successful. If I ask a dollar and you agree to pay a dollar, we can't shill it up from there. It's a clean transaction.

It just seems to me that bidders would be pretty fed up with all the crap that goes on and would be looking to buy cards in a different manner.

You would be surprised how hard it is to do person to person sales on decent value cards. The buyer all of the sudden has bills to pay and cant pay..lots of headaches that can be avoided with an auction house.....I have had it occur on more than one occasion when a buyer tells me he cant pay a certain price then I see the same buyer bid higher on my item when its listed on ebay a few days later....even winning the item where now the buyer pays more than I asked off ebay and I net less after fees....

I also keep hearing how everyone saying prices are real high on auctions....you forget all the people on net54 that have complained their cards have sold less than market or 'cheap' at auction houses...it cant go both ways.

Leon · #4 01-14-2015, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Please understand I'm not saying that auction houses shouldn't exist. There are occasional bargains to be had, and there often are amazingly rare items that can't be found anywhere else.

There just appears to be so many auctions, more even than the market can support (I have to assume they aren't all profitable). But so many dealers who has retail businesses gave them up to start auction houses. I think a good retail business could be really successful. If I ask a dollar and you agree to pay a dollar, we can't shill it up from there. It's a clean transaction.

It just seems to me that bidders would be pretty fed up with all the crap that goes on and would be looking to buy cards in a different manner.

I made a good 4 figure deal with a good friend of yours yesterday Barry. He reads the board but has never posted. We emailed back and forth and I eventually sent it to him on approval. He got it and loves it. It's just not so easy to make individual sales anymore as most people want a steal and a direct sale might not be the steal they hoped for. As for our bargaining, I was asking one price, he wanted another, we met in the middle and both are happy.

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