Do you feel like you are the only one not selling?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Agreed! I consigned my 51 bowman mantle a year or two ago only to find like six of them in the auction! To say I was pissed off was an understatement! In most of the big big auctions you will see multiple examples of red tea 206 Cobbs, 1952 Topps mantles, even cards like e95 Ty Cobbs it’s not uncommon to see two or three examples in a big auction.

These experiences made me think twice about the big auction houses sometimes smaller auctions are better where your item will be a headliner versus just one of many!

But then does it really even matter? There may not be more than one of that one particular card, in that one particular auction, but with the proliferation of auctions today, there's a great chance that there are at least two or three (or even more) other auctions or online sellers with multiple examples of that same card up for auction/sale at the exact same time anyway. The internet has truly changed this hobby into being more like an investment/business industry. While the internet has made it possible for collectors to much more easily now find and acquire cards they used to have to search diligently for in the past, it has done the exact same thing for everyone else as well!

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by BobC

But then does it really even matter...

Yes, it does matter.

If you're bidding in an auction, and there are multiple copies of the same card you want, are you going to spend time checking out each example? I imagine most people will. I certainly would.

Now, let's say the auction house only has one copy of that card. Would you go checking other auction house, eBay, etc. looking for similar examples currently for sale with the intention of bidding on one or more of them? Perhaps. I typically don't. There are certainly some auction houses with which I won't do business. There's also a value on my time. If I spend hours and hours researching all available copies to save (for example) $200, at what point have I crossed the "penny-wise, pound-foolish" threshold?

I'm sure there are others who, for whatever reasons, will only deal with a handful of auction houses. It helps, as a consignor, when those auction houses aren't competing with themselves.

Just my two cents...

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Yes, it does matter.

If you're bidding in an auction, and there are multiple copies of the same card you want, are you going to spend time checking out each example? I imagine most people will. I certainly would.

Now, let's say the auction house only has one copy of that card. Would you go checking other auction house, eBay, etc. looking for similar examples currently for sale with the intention of bidding on one or more of them? Perhaps. I typically don't. There are certainly some auction houses with which I won't do business. There's also a value on my time. If I spend hours and hours researching all available copies to save (for example) $200, at what point have I crossed the "penny-wise, pound-foolish" threshold?

I'm sure there are others who, for whatever reasons, will only deal with a handful of auction houses. It helps, as a consignor, when those auction houses aren't competing with themselves.

Just my two cents...

Yes! It absolutely matters! Some of these cards were not coming up for auction regularly because prices were escalating dramatically continuously. So when one example would appear it would go for a good price. Then all of a sudden people start consigning because of the prices and then all of a sudden it’s a different ball game a different landscape. Absolutely 100% matters!

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Yes, it does matter.
..

In my mind, it’s a question of how much of a difference it makes in terms of the final sales price. I think in the past it has made a bigger difference. In the current environment, with demand so strong, I suspect the impact of having multiple similar items in any given auction is muted.

Naturally, if having multiple similar items in the same auction costs you 5%, then that’s still probably enough to care. And if it costs you more, then you probably get mad enough to chew nails and spit rust.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Yes, it does matter.

If you're bidding in an auction, and there are multiple copies of the same card you want, are you going to spend time checking out each example? I imagine most people will. I certainly would.

Now, let's say the auction house only has one copy of that card. Would you go checking other auction house, eBay, etc. looking for similar examples currently for sale with the intention of bidding on one or more of them? Perhaps. I typically don't. There are certainly some auction houses with which I won't do business. There's also a value on my time. If I spend hours and hours researching all available copies to save (for example) $200, at what point have I crossed the "penny-wise, pound-foolish" threshold?

I'm sure there are others who, for whatever reasons, will only deal with a handful of auction houses. It helps, as a consignor, when those auction houses aren't competing with themselves.

Just my two cents...

I don't disagree with you at all and understand how seeing 2 - 3 - 5+ of the same card side by side in the same auction can be a turn-off, and possibly hinder bidding on some of them. But let's face it, the cards that typically would fall into this category and issue are already pretty widely known to the hobby to not be rare at all, and examples seemingly turn up in virtually every auction nowadays it seems. For cards such as '52 Topps Mantles, '33 Goudey Ruths, or '51 Bowman Mays, there really doesn't seem to be much of a FOMO issue for such cards. If you don't particularly like the grade or eye appeal of one in ABC's auction, XYZ will possibly have a nicer one in their auction next week.

The one really bad thing about multiples of the same card in one auction is that they then typically put them all together next to each other or on the same page in the auction listing. That way the potential bidders can easily see and compare side by side which copy of the card is best, with the nicest version usually always getting the highest FMV bids. The lesser condition ones will most likely suffer the most pricewise. And humans are generally lazy, so when you do have multiples of the same card across different auctions, potential bidders aren't likely to go viewing and comparing those cards from auction to auction. But put a bunch side by side in the same auction and the laziest of us can't help but easily compare them. I guess if an auction house were smart, and listing multiple copies of the same card in a single auction, they would make sure to at least break them up and scatter those listings throughout the auction, so they don't show any of them side by side for such easy comparisons.

Kind of like the mental trick played by AHs not showing bid amounts plus the BP during an auction. Despite all bidders being told up front and fully aware there is a BP to be added onto their bids, you know that some will disregard or forget about it in the midst of the auction, and end up spending more than they originally intended to. So don't put the slightly off-center VG 3 version of a card right next to a GD 2 version of the same card, but with better centering and nicer eye appeal, in the same auction listing.

And now that I'm looking back at what I was just saying, I have to agree with you even more in that it does matter somewhat when you put multiples of the same card in a single auction, especially when they are shown and listed side by side for easy comparison purposes. I guess my original, initial thought and thinking was that it really shouldn't matter, but forgot for a moment we're talking about humans, who are often anything but logical and sensible. LOL Good call and points!

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by BobC

...we're talking about humans, who are often anything but logical and sensible...

I completely agree.

"...definitely no logic to human behaviour..."
Bjork

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by Eric72

I completely agree.

"...definitely no logic to human behaviour..."
Bjork

...or the spelling of some people's names.

Brian (or Bryan, if you prefer)

[RCMcKenzie]

I'm selling. See Sterling's next auction for nice stuff.

[Exhibitman]

Some random thoughts:

The multiple cards thing doesn't bother me when each card is at a different level. I don't think the people in the market for a PSA 8 Hank Aaron RC pay any attention to the 3 in the same auction, and vice versa. Personally, I appreciate having cards at different price points available to me. I track about 100 vintage cards and even when there are multiples it does not seem to affect the prices unless there are multiples of the same grade.

The 1986 Fleer Jordan is a unique situation. I do not believe that those few outstanding results on the 10s were genuine sales, but setting those aside, the card is suffering from a unique problem: PSA is grading the Star cards. The 86 Fleer is really Jordan's third year card in a licensed set. He has multiple Star cards that age or older. Until recently, they could be ignored, but not with PSA adding them in. That has really driven down the sales on the 1986 Fleer.