BST . . . . as slow as Ebay?

BillyCoxDodgers3B · #1 09-05-2024, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leon

Put something really nice over there, for a decent price, and see how fast it gets snapped up.

You can list anything nice at a giveaway price anywhere and the same rule applies. Bargain hunters are like circling sharks.

To further this point, I once accidentally left a "9" out of the price of a card. It wasn't a very valuable card; $49.99 BIN. I mis-listed it at $4.99. Literally less than a minute later, it was bought by someone who clearly spends all day pressing the F5 key for such bargains. I just cancelled the sale due to my honest mistake. I'm not too concerned if anyone disagrees with what I did, because the mistake was truly that. The buyer sent me a paragraphs-long diatribe about his feelings, and how he's picked up so many rare signed cards at bargain basement prices, ending it with, "...if you truly did make a mistake and don't wish to sell me the card, that's between you and the Lord". Please don't bring religion into an error over a paltry card. To prove my point, I sent him a link to my previous attempt at listing the card...for $49.99. I'm pretty certain God has more important matters to deal with.

Leon · #2 09-05-2024, 09:39 AM

Where did I say giveaway prices?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

You can list anything nice at a giveaway price anywhere and the same rule applies. Bargain hunters are like circling sharks.

To further this point, I once accidentally left a "9" out of the price of a card. It wasn't a very valuable card; $49.99 BIN. I mis-listed it at $4.99. Literally less than a minute later, it was bought by someone who clearly spends all day pressing the F5 key for such bargains. I just cancelled the sale due to my honest mistake. I'm not too concerned if anyone disagrees with what I did, because the mistake was truly that. The buyer sent me a paragraphs-long diatribe about his feelings, and how he's picked up so many rare signed cards at bargain basement prices, ending it with, "...if you truly did make a mistake and don't wish to sell me the card, that's between you and the Lord". Please don't bring religion into an error over a paltry card. To prove my point, I sent him a link to my previous attempt at listing the card...for $49.99. I'm pretty certain God has more important matters to deal with.

BillyCoxDodgers3B · #3 09-05-2024, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leon

Where did I say giveaway prices?

You didn't, of course. Personal experience makes me equate a "decent" price to usually being a giveaway price, hence the fast sale.

BobbyStrawberry · #4 09-05-2024, 10:31 AM

I'll propose an alternative view: I think right now, across the hobby generally, there are more sellers than buyers.

parkplace33 · #5 09-05-2024, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

I'll propose an alternative view: I think right now, across the hobby generally, there are more sellers than buyers.

Bingo.

ajjohnsonsoxfan · #6 09-05-2024, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parkplace33

Bingo.

Yes AND I think we are in the middle of a pricing correction where sellers are slow to realize new reality.

raulus · #7 09-05-2024, 12:27 PM

Oddly enough, eBay has picked up for me a bit recently.

Over the last 90 days, I've sold 8 pieces for ~$20k. Typically my sales are much slower. Naturally, this could just be a small sample size fluke, so you never know.

I'm also not a dealer, so I have a pretty limited inventory. Just 162 active items at the moment. And they're almost entirely obscure oddball issues that very few people actually want. Plus, most of my prices are high retail, approaching or some might argue even exceeding museum pricing.

But for whatever reason lately, buyers have been willing to bite the bullet and pay my asking price, or something close enough to entice me to accept their offer.

Of course, I've never been a big lister on the BST. Almost all of my stuff is postwar, with very thin demand. That and most of the buyers here aren't looking to pay museum prices. So while I've listed a few things in the past, it just didn't seem like it was going to be a great venue for me based on my inventory.

At the same time, if someone here wants to buy something from my eBay listings offline, then I'm happy to offer an offline discount. And I've managed to sell a few pieces that way over the last several months too.

Exhibitman · #8 09-05-2024, 12:28 PM

I feel like this is an improv group...yes and

Yes, and the transaction costs on eBay have gone up and up to the point where they rival auction house BP for anything under $100, so it is hard for eBay sellers to discount the price knowing they will be taking a proportionately larger beating on the final value fees.

Yes, and prices are erratic, depending on what you are selling, who is selling it, and how apparently stupid the buyers are. Look at eBay listings for Greg Morris. The prices they get on raw cards are crazy, multiples of what most other sellers get. It makes it hard to price out a commodity card. Do you go with the GM price? The average other prices? Somewhere between?

brunswickreeves · #9 09-05-2024, 12:50 PM

eBay still has available options of vintage cards (eg Goudey Ruths, T-series Cobb�s, 50s Mick/Mays, 48 Leaf Jackie, etc.) however generally prices haven�t adjusted to current market valuations-hence the museum status and more sellers than ever seem to be brands/businesses vs individual sellers. BST does seem to have far fewer scarce gems (eg Wagner and Jackson) or $1K+ offerings, which may have been snapped up and are being held long term by collectors. Major auctions or card shows seem to be one of the best places to make a deal, which for scarce and unique items obviously requires a paid premium. Everything has an exception of course.

JustinD · #10 09-05-2024, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

The buyer sent me a paragraphs-long diatribe about his feelings, and how he's picked up so many rare signed cards at bargain basement prices, ending it with, "...if you truly did make a mistake and don't wish to sell me the card, that's between you and the Lord".

The Office Are You Kidding Me GIFfrom The Office GIFs

doug.goodman · #11 09-05-2024, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

...The buyer sent me a paragraphs-long diatribe about his feelings, and how he's picked up so many rare signed cards at bargain basement prices, ending it with, "...if you truly did make a mistake and don't wish to sell me the card, that's between you and the Lord"...

I would have replied that my Dark Lord and Master Satan was fully in favor of my decision.

jingram058 · #12 09-05-2024, 08:29 PM

Since I can only afford beater vintage cards, I can say that 80 percent of my purchases (and several trades) over the past couple of year have come about via the net54 BST. The other 20 percent eBay and yes, Amazon.

I can't afford to drop thousands of dollars on encapsulated baseball cards.

Snapolit1 · #13 09-05-2024, 08:34 PM

I enjoy seeing the high end stuff, even if I can�t afford it.

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