Ebay vs Card Shows

[mintacular]

I find shows are best for set building/picking up commons ($1-5 cards). If you factor in the shipping costs/listing fees (especially now that eBay stores charge .20 per item) these cards are hard to find online for a buck or two anymore. Likewise, being able to flip through a binder and pick out 10 or so cards that I can see with my own eyes is much better than buying a lot on eBay where you will inevitably be sent a couple "sliders" in the group....

In terms of mid-grade stars, I find that eBay is usually the better option. Show dealers tend to want a % of book that is just not the realistic value of that card and so eBay auctions are the way to go.

As for some big cards/high $ stuff I think if you are willing to make a reasonable offer you can get a good card for what you might pay on eBay, so long as you find the right dealer. I think also if dealers start to recognize you over the years they start to give you some better deals...