Question on pricing a complete PSA set.
Yankees70
Posts: 480 ✭✭✭
How is a selling price usually determined for a complete PSA set? Example let's say a collector has the entire 1978 Topps Baseball set in PSA 9 condition. Do you add the current market value for every card up and that's usually the selling price? Or is there usually a discount if you buy the entire set at one time or is there a premium added since you are getting the entire set at one time?
I'm sure there's different answers for different sets but for the sake of this conversation let's stick with Topps Baseball sets from 1977-1980 to make it more specific. Usually I check EBAY for recent sales to come up with an idea on a cards value but there's no information on EBAY regarding this type of information. Is there a website that offers this information?
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Great info thanks.
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I'm looking at the PSA registry right now and I don't see the value of the sets like it indicates on your example above.
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I would put no stock in how PSA values them. If the cards from the set are widely available EBay can help for vintage VCP is my favorite. The fact that on some of the above APR is higher and some PSA is an indication of the level of inaccuracy.
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I think this is a good question. Countdouglas mentions there should be a premium on keeping it together and I think that makes a lot of sense and I feel it should work that way, given all the effort to assemble, but in practice it seems like it doesn't.
The parts do seem to be worth more than the whole. So much at times I have considered buying a collection or group of cards and selling them as individual pieces. I sold off a TCG complete set years ago where everything was PSA 10 or 9 and it was shocking to see how much each card went for.
Felt like some had a 30 to 70% increase over the average price. I'm sure there are many theories on why it plays out this way. Maybe its yes, there are x amount of people who have the finances to buy the 20K set and want to approach it that way. Not build. Not enjoy collecting piece by piece and checking the mailbox. Just get it all in one fell swoop. But there might be 20x or 50x more people who want to collect the set and are 10% there or 50% there or maybe just collecting the HOFers, etc.
I think the set breaks bring out the crowd. Like there is blood in the water and the sea creatures who care about that all appear. More than if there was just one two three cards from the set. Think it lends itself to enthusiasm euphoria animal spirits and people have to have certain cards and pay above the average sale price.
I think part of why its hard to find something on what the price should be is because it's not a standard sale so its just whatever someone will pay. Kind of like a POP 3 Nolan Ryan card. Could be projected to get 2,000 but final gavel 7,800. It only takes one person, hence all the 50,000 BIN or Best Offer. In an auction just takes two.
What happened to all your comments?
While it’s been a minute - and in totally different market conditions - I have built and sold two complete PSA sets (72T & 75T baseball).
So while I can’t give up to date answers, as someone who has walked that path I might be able to provide some things to think about.
So here goes. . .
If you assembled the set yourself, generally through a combination of submissions & purchases, your finger should be on the pulse of the market enough to have a feel for what is fair market value. Get a feel for what your stars/HOFers and super-tough (low pop) cards go for now. Then get a sense of what commons go for. Now do the math. That will give you a starting point.
Could you get more selling each card individually? Maybe. But don’t underestimate the amount of time & work it takes to scan, list, watch, & fulfill all those sales. So be willing to negotiate if someone gives you a fair offer that saves you from all that.
Identify your rock bottom price and balance your willingness to negotiate against what’s driving you to sell. If you need the cash ASAP, you may make a different decision than if you’re just selling to do something else.
Be up front with the people you’re negotiating with that no deal is agreed/final until the money is received. When I sold my 72 set, I agreed a price with someone. But someone came in at the last minute with a better offer. As I was using that cash for my wedding, I felt like I had to take it. I just wish I was more up front with the other guy. It took a couple years to rebuild that bridge.
Talk to the reputable auction houses & balance their cut against their ability to get you absolute top dollar. Because let’s face it, you’re not usually going to find a complete PSA-graded full-sized set on eBay. And if you do, it tends to be mid-grade.
Hoping this helps, at least a little.
MC
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I agree with other comments on the validity of PSA pricing.
I would probably start by looking at auction prices for similar sets and use those to set my expectations and determine a starting point.
Good luck!