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eBay Sellers and False Population Advertising
PaulMaul
Posts: 4,709 ✭✭✭✭✭
Is there any eBay regulation against false advertising? It’s gotten to the point where I take any population claim with a grain of salt. Many are not even close:
Actually pop 3
Actually pop 22! I guess it was pop 16 at some point, but then again it was pop 1 at some point. It is the seller’s responsibility to have accurate numbers if using low population as an advertising point.
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when it was originally listed, that may have been the actual pop report. some sellers dont or forget to update it every time their card resists on ebay.
I understand how that’s possible, though I think it’s mostly used as a plausible excuse for exaggerating low pops. In these cases, the cert numbers seem a bit recent for that to be plausible.
I think set collectors who are buyers of $1000+ commons would have knowledge and access to the latest pop report figures and understand that pops can change any minute. They would base their interest and value on their own research and not simply rely on what the seller has the pop listed at as they understand pops can change. Barring any unintentional error I'm sure the pops were accurate when the titles were written. I think it's silly to expect that sellers should constantly monitor the pops on hundreds or thousands of cards and update the listings as pop changes occur.
You’re probably right that smart collectors are aware of the pops. However, if you are going to cite population numbers, make sure they are correct. If you can’t be bothered to do that, don’t cite them.
And by the way, it’s crazy how many PSA 9 McRaes have been graded in the last four years. Since February, 2015 the population of 9s has doubled from 11 to 22. Man, low pop commons were a bad investment in 2008-2011.
I agree with most of this. What I disagree with is the part in bold. Yes, the vast majority of the time this is probably true. I can say that I might list a current year card that is a pop 1 then in 2 weeks there are more. But, a 1972 Topps baseball checklist in a PSA 10?? Probstein auctions are 10 days, I believe. There is zero chance that after all this time that it went from a pop 1 to a pop 3 in 2 weeks.
If you're going to make a point as a seller and tout pop figures you should be expected to post accurate information.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I agree... title should be updated correctly... if I consign cards to a third party I expect them to do it right.
If the seller can’t be bothered to properly update the information what else are are they missing?
When I list for POP, I will screen shot the actual registry.
If I was selling a lot of graded cards I can guarantee I would not update the pop on a regular basis. Instead I would just say something like LOW POP in the title. In the description I might list the actual pop with the date I looked it up next to it.
Pop 2, 6 higher as of 4/12/19 or something like that.
Completely truthful and still gets the message across that it is a low pop item.
Kris
My 1971 Topps adventure - Davis Men in Black
False pop reports in the title is almost as good as listings which say “not PSA”. We know what you are doing....
Nic
Guides Authored - Graded Card Scanning Guide PDF | History of the PSA Label PDF
And then there's this snapperhead (I guess he gets an "A" for creativity):
https://ebay.com/itm/1971-Topps-Hank-Aaron-400-Becket-6-EXMT-PWCC/163638631519?hash=item26199f5c5f%3Ag%3AjLoAAOSw~-ZcjdK4&LH_Auction=1
Can’t even get the TPG company right
eBay Store
Greg Maddux #1 Master SetGreg Maddux #2 Basic Set
If eBay is not going to do anything about reprint cards being sold as authentic then they certainly will never do anything about this.