Post national

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

To be fair I did see quite a few cards for sale at reasonable prices, they just weren't quite what I was looking for in terms of centering or grade. I almost bought a yellow 33 ruth at the last minute that was a fair price but was a little lower grade than I want. Some prices were high, but if I saw exactly what I wanted I think a deal could have been made.

Don Hontz in particular had several high quality cards at what I felt were fair prices.

Fair enough. Almost nothing I "looked at" indirectly was what I would consider fairly priced though, with one exception. Not even close.

[packs]

I see the same guys with the same cards at the same tables every time I go to the White Plains show. They never sell anything.

[scooter729]

For those who don't ever want to sell below their cost, does the same hold true when prices go up? You have to look at what the current market dictates.

If I bought a Ruth card 20 years ago for $1K and the going rate now is $5K, it doesn't matter that I paid $1K; I want to get $5K for it. But if you try that strategy with a McGwire rookie that you bought 20 years ago, the market has dropped and you can't make your cost back - too bad. You should sell at the fair market price, regardless of what your cost was.

For example, I have Red Sox season tickets, and sell them sometimes when I can't go or have extras. I sell them at the market price, regardless of face. For a crappy cold game in April, I realize no one will pay my cost, so I usually sell at half my cost. But if there's a big Yankees game on a Saturday in July, you bet I'll ask more than face value. I get people who complain that they only want to pay face for my tickets, to which I reply, "I have some tickets at face for a bad game on a Tuesday in September that might be of interest." Surprisingly, they never bite at that offer.

[Andrew1975]

Assuming that a dealer is sensible, and also actually motivated to move the items they have for sale, supply and demand will always dictate price. Perhaps the rationale is that for certain high end items, the demand is probably greater, and supply lower - in that room at that time, and therefore the higher price may be justified. I would guess that the rarer and more desirable the item, the more exaggerated the price differential is. Also, some dealers seem to be fine with setting up at shows and displaying their items, as if a museum, with little desire to actually sell anything. Like someone else said, I have seen the same items, at the same dealers tables, at show after show after show... This also happens on eBay. I hope to make it to Cleveland next year, even if my expectations on getting the deal of a lifetime (or even paying VCP for a card) are low. I hope everyone that went to Chicago had a great time and came home with good stuff.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Fair enough. Almost nothing I "looked at" indirectly was what I would consider fairly priced though, with one exception. Not even close.

High prices were definitely the norm. But I saw a couple Ryan RCs at one table for not much more than 3k in psa 8. A few red cobbs at reasonable prices. That yellow Ruth I mentioned was a psa 2.5 for 2800. About what I would expect to pay at auction. I saw plenty of deals being made, but unfortunately didn't make any my self. I am bidding on a few cards at auction that I got to see in person.

And I met quite a few people, some of which I had done business or chatted with online. Not a total loss. Plus I had a good time with my step dad and brother.

[Boccabella]

One huge benefit of a show is the ability to buy multiple cards at one time. Most dealers, if you buy more than one card, WILL provide a discount. eBay isn't set up for that. Pricing becomes more in line with online when quantity becomes part of the equation. I find it much more fulfilling to knock numerous cards off a list at one time or buy a few things that catch my eye at one really terrific show than buy from 14 different sellers on eBay over a period of days, weeks or months just to save a few bucks.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

I wouldn't trust opinions of those that didn't attend. And for those that have never been, I highly recommend you do. It's a sportscard nerd's Disneyland. You can literally look at every booth and see something new each day. Four football fields filled with eye candy. You're among "your people" too. So many chances to exchange hobby knowledge with card buddies around the globe. Sure there's some high priced stuff compared to vcp avg (especially at booths run by collectors). But plenty of deals to be had as well depending on what you're looking for. Most dealers I talked to thought it was the best show in many years, so I'm guessing most buyers found what they were looking for at agreeable prices. I went with a one card mission. To buy a 51 Bowman Mantle in a 4 grade. I saw some on the low end at $5200 and even one at $15k with a bunch in between.

[pokerplyr80]

I saw that one AJ. It was dead centered, as was the psa 5 for 20k at the same table. Those are the type of cards that shatter VCP records when they come up at auction. Unfortunately they rarely do.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I saw that one AJ. It was dead centered, as was the psa 5 for 20k at the same table. Those are the type of cards that shatter VCP records when they come up at auction. Unfortunately they rarely do.

Yea, but they wouldn't shatter them THAT much.....he was looking for a whale...the National is where he would have found one. Still, whales have their senses for the most part.