Sticker price at card shows

Exhibitman · #1 10-22-2022, 11:27 PM

Don't offer anything. Ask the dealer to make the offer. Make him bid against himself. You will be surprised how many dealers will knock off a substantial sum from the sticker price, especially if prices on the card are stagnant and the card is relatively easy to find. I like to go with "what is the absolute lowest price you will accept for this card?" See what happens. Better than dickering.

That said, don't expect much movement on a card that is iconic, soaring in price or a rare one. No need to discount those. Last show I did some guy wanted me to discount a rare boxing card. No thanks. I can't just find another one on eBay. I think many dealers will hold a genuinely rare card until they get their price. I know I will.

Jewish-collector · #2 10-23-2022, 12:21 AM

I just love when the dealer says, "Let me look to see what I have into it". If I wasn't such a nice guy, I would respond back, "I don't care WTF you have into it.

chalupacollects · #3 10-23-2022, 11:43 AM

Even if cards are marked, I'll always ask the price. Sometimes those stickers have been there for years and if the dealer says as marked then we can start a conversation. Most times I'll get a better number than the sticker price...

Johnny630 · #4 10-23-2022, 12:47 PM

I heard from a few predominantly raw dealers this weekend who are set up at Chantilly show. I was told that raw vintage is selling really well to collectors, cards $75 bucks and lower. He further said when he walked around and looked at others tables with graded, they had little to no business. Way over priced.

Rhotchkiss · #5 10-23-2022, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny630

I heard from a few predominantly raw dealers this weekend who are set up at Chantilly show. I was told that raw vintage is selling really well to collectors, cards $75 bucks and lower. He further said when he walked around and looked at others tables with graded, they had little to no business. Way over priced.

I was at Chantilly Saturday. In speaking with some dealers and watching the tables/traffic, it appears that it was a slow show for most pre-war and vintage dealers selling graded cards. One dealer-friend, who has an amazing assortment of 1950-60 key-cards, told me Chantilly was very slow, coming off a Philly show he thought was slow. He said he may take some shows off in this economy. I do think things at shows may indeed be slowing.

I collect exclusively prewar. Almost everything pre war I saw at Chantilly (and Philly before that) was overpriced to stupid-overpriced. No wonder dealers appear to be having slow shows. Sometimes I wonder if dealers are really actually trying to sell cards. Some are for sure, but others have sticker-prices that are so ludicrous that I wonder if they are just fishing for suckers. When I walk by the table and see a stupid price on a card, I don't even bother to ask. I imagine I am not alone.

Juxtapose card shows to AHs, which seem to be business and usual when it comes to solid prewar sales results. I dont think most things are still setting records with each new auction, but there are many bidders and prices are solid. Perhaps prewar collectors are deciding to forgo shows and obnoxious sticker/asking prices for acquisitions from the comfort of their homes.

raulus · #6 10-23-2022, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I was at Chantilly Saturday. In speaking with some dealers and watching the tables/traffic, it appears that it was a slow show for most pre-war and vintage dealers selling graded cards. One dealer-friend, who has an amazing assortment of 1950-60 key-cards, told me Chantilly was very slow, coming off a Philly show he thought was slow. He said he may take some shows off in this economy. I do think things at shows may indeed be slowing.

I collect exclusively prewar. Almost everything pre war I saw at Chantilly (and Philly before that) was overpriced to stupid-overpriced. No wonder dealers appear to be having slow shows. Sometimes I wonder if dealers are really actually trying to sell cards. Some are for sure, but others have sticker-prices that are so ludicrous that I wonder if they are just fishing for suckers. When I walk by the table and see a stupid price on a card, I don't even bother to ask. I imagine I am not alone.

Juxtapose card shows to AHs, which seem to be business and usual when it comes to solid prewar sales results. I dont think most things are still setting records with each new auction, but there are many bidders and prices are solid. Perhaps prewar collectors are deciding to forgo shows and obnoxious sticker/asking prices for acquisitions from the comfort of their homes.

Not having been at the show, it's hard for me to imagine. But you mentioned items being overpriced to stupid-overpriced. And then you talked about the AHs and their brisk business. My experience these days with the AHs is that final hammer prices tend to be overpriced to stupid-overpriced. I guess one clear difference is that stuff is actually selling for those prices at the AHs, instead of merely asking for it at the shows.

But maybe the asking prices at shows are even a step beyond the stupid-overpriced that we're seeing at AHs these days?

Rhotchkiss · #7 10-23-2022, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raulus

But maybe the asking prices at shows are even a step beyond the stupid-overpriced that we're seeing at AHs these days?

This

It seems to me that you can often get better “deals” at auction than from many dealers at shows.

There are many dealers I know from shows who have good stuff and are reasonable (many are on this site). But lately I feel like many dealers are asking “museum prices”, often on non-museum pieces. And I am starting to see the same cards show after show

Eric72 · #8 10-23-2022, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

...When I walk by the table and see a stupid price on a card, I don't even bother to ask. I imagine I am not alone...

You are most certainly not alone.

Outrageous sticker prices are easy to translate. They really read, "looking to have someone talk me down from 3x to 2x and think they got a steal."

Huck · #9 10-23-2022, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny630

I heard from a few predominantly raw dealers this weekend who are set up at Chantilly show. I was told that raw vintage is selling really well to collectors, cards $75 bucks and lower. He further said when he walked around and looked at others tables with graded, they had little to no business. Way over priced.

Prices were high. Perhaps dealers are still on the high of a blowout National. Dealers have to know the price range of a given grade and card on Ebay. The America's Pastime table seemed to be making sales. He would come down on his price. Dealers have to move cards. As I mentioned in the post above, a dealer stated "I have $2K in expenses before making a sale." This dealer sold vintage, so $2K over three days, it would not be difficult to break even. It is interesting $2K man had two tables, a guy down from him had at least 5-10 tables. A $1 table, $5 table, $10 and I believe $15 with nothing but a hodgepodge of complete crap (IMHO) on every table. The inventory looked like the leftovers from a bad garage sale.

Are dealers in the game to get rich? If you read Tony Gordon's blog, he makes some buys more and just seems to be having a great time! https://www.fatdaddyssports.com/blog

Johnny630 · #10 10-23-2022, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huck

Prices were high. Perhaps dealers are still on the high of a blowout National. Dealers have to know the price range of a given grade and card on Ebay. The America's Pastime table seemed to be making sales. He would come down on his price. Dealers have to move cards. As I mentioned in the post above, a dealer stated "I have $2K in expenses before making a sale." This dealer sold vintage, so $2K over three days, it would not be difficult to break even. It is interesting $2K man had two tables, a guy down from him had at least 5-10 tables. A $1 table, $5 table, $10 and I believe $15 with nothing but a hodgepodge of complete crap (IMHO) on every table. The inventory looked like the leftovers from a bad garage sale.

Are dealers in the game to get rich? If you read Tony Gordon's blog, he makes some buys more and just seems to be having a great time! https://www.fatdaddyssports.com/blog

Did you notice more customers at dealers tables who were set up with more raw cards or graded?

Huck · #11 10-23-2022, 08:02 PM

Saw far more new stuff than vintage. There were some different vendors as well. A cut the cable cord booth. (only one lifetime payment!) A guy near the autograph area sat at a lone table and was drawing/sketching, no sign, nothing. I could not figure out what the table closest to the autograph area was even selling. There must have been at least 3-4 authentication booths. Very little memorabilia (basically Mendy's). The pennant guy returned. One vendor, nothing but hockey cards. I was actually surprised at the amount of raw cards in cases. The vintage tables were mixed, (1) all graded (2) nothing graded and (3) a bit of both. Quite a bit of psa 6 and below in the cases. I don't think the show was as crowded today (Sunday). I could not say whether raw out drew graded or vice versa. I no longer buy raw. I am not knocking those that like raw, to each his own. Back in the 90's I purchased a 70 and 71 Clemente. Nice looking cards. Awhile back I piggybacked on one of Bobby's submissions. One card came back as "altered". I would have guessed it was the 71 but it was the 70. I can't say that the dealer knew the card was altered and decades later there is no recourse. If I am dropping iron on vintage, it is going to be graded.

Huck · #12 10-23-2022, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Don't offer anything. Ask the dealer to make the offer. Make him bid against himself. You will be surprised how many dealers will knock off a substantial sum from the sticker price, especially if prices on the card are stagnant and the card is relatively easy to find. I like to go with "what is the absolute lowest price you will accept for this card?" See what happens. Better than dickering.

That said, don't expect much movement on a card that is iconic, soaring in price or a rare one. No need to discount those. Last show I did some guy wanted me to discount a rare boxing card. No thanks. I can't just find another one on eBay. I think many dealers will hold a genuinely rare card until they get their price. I know I will.

Agreed. At the CSA show this weekend, I asked dealers with reasonable starting prices, "What is your best price on this card?" I was looking for 1969 Topps Mantle (yellow letter) graded PSA 7. Before the show, I did some research on Ebay and found the price to be around $1,300. I found a few examples on the floor. Two dealers had the card at $2K. Like others on the thread, I didn't even open my mouth. I believe dealers hate to hear "I can get a better price on Ebay or the consensus Ebay price is XXX." One dealer had the card for $1,465. I thought there was some room left on that card, and planned to return to the table after getting autographs. I have been kicking around the idea of collecting the 1961 Topps AS subset and the same dealer had a 1961 Maris AS card for $225, so his prices were not outrageous. If the country is headed for a recession in 2023, it will be interesting to see if card prices fall.

CSA seems to be trying to cram more dealers into a smaller space. Mail order is clearly king. It might have just been me but the floor seemed pretty cramped. I overheard two dealers chatting and although business seemed good (Sunday, much better than Saturday from my polling) the dealer said to the other - "I have two tables and with costs, I am $2K in the hole before making a sale. I could simply avoid the hassle and sell on Ebay. Of course, I will have to pay the fees, but I can just ship it out and be done with it." I have always thought that CSA is more of an autograph show than a card show.

Oh, in the event you are wondering, I did not get the 1969 Mantle or !961 AS Maris. On Saturday, I had purchased a 1958 AS Mantle and was happy with the purchase.

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