Mike Wheat... setting new futility record on e-bay

murcerfan · February 6, 2003 4:22PM

Under their various ID's Mike Wheat (aka home opener MW cards, 1, 2 and 3) has listed some 10,000 cards today. basically the whole inventory and then some. taking full advantage of the freebie day of buy it now. Swamping my daily searches with overgraded and overpriced crap that will have a 1-2% sell percentage. how can I filter these "dealers" out (klepper, Kit Young et,al. too)??
the funny thing is these are the same guys that told me e-bay would ruin the hobby and only big dealers like them could steer the hobby's "ship" properly. Now these clowns don't even post scans, just a "trust us, we wouldn't charge 1.5x book if it wasn't just a fantabulous card".

AlanAllen · February 6, 2003 4:46PM

Go to the bottom of this page and list them under excluded sellers.

murcerfan · February 6, 2003 5:00PM

thanks for the link, as i have a hundred or so searches saved it will be a task.
I do have a few sellers blocked from them already (PC32 for one, whom has inexplicably blocked me from bidding on his auctions, despite our successful completion of a handful of transactions) I hope e-bay puts a cap on sellers when they do these promos.
It does bug me though, so maybe it serves a purpose after all ?? In the end, e-bays what you make of it. maybe I just need a vacation somewhere warm... and possibly fuzzy.

mikeschmidt · February 6, 2003 9:27PM

Murcerfan:

Wheat has been doing this for a while -- he has automated software that allows this to happen. I personally have a distaste for the whole process, as I am sure do many other Ebay regulars. However -- it probably works very well for Ebay. It a) gives something back to their sellers, b) it gives Ebay the opportunity to earn sales fees on items that might otherwise not make it to Ebay and c) it allows Ebay to (somewhat artificially) inflate the number of listings when their quarterly numbers come out.

Works for everyone -- but pretty much sucks for us, the regular Ebay bidders...

aro13 · February 6, 2003 9:59PM

`"Now these clowns don't even post scans, just a "trust us, we wouldn't charge 1.5x book if it wasn't just a fantabulous card"."~

Actually, 1.5 X book would be a bargain from some of them.

rw2win · February 6, 2003 10:06PM

I take a break from ebay for the 7 days after free listing day.

braves72078 · February 6, 2003 10:17PM

An earlier post mentioned Kit Young, and I have to laugh. Several years ago when I was just getting into the online ting I bought a 74-75 Topps Basketball set from that guy. I will honestly say that I paid over book for what was described as a "Mint" set. I received the most overgraded set that I have seen to date. The set I received was EX at best and Mr. Young's respone "It is mint per my standards". It was a costly lesson but one I will not soon forget. That is exactly the kind of dealer we need "steering the ship".

qualitycards · February 6, 2003 10:43PM

In my never ending quest to complete the 1965 set, I welcome the free listing day, so perhaps there are more cards to pick from, so its not at all a bad thing...jay

Basilone · February 6, 2003 10:59PM

<< <i>the funny thing is these are the same guys that told me e-bay would ruin the hobby and only big dealers like them could steer the hobby's "ship" properly. >>

Quote of the Year....Murcerfan...you are my hero.

Also...with most auction programs...you can have batches saved (with scans if you want) and just saved to your hard drive. So whenever a special arises...all you need to do is click the upload button and have your whole inventory uploaded to eBay. If I were a dealer I would do the same....just price everthing at full retail in my "free listing batch".

BTW...how come cards do not sell at full retail like they used to? If these dealers are selling this stuff at their catalog prices...how come only a few sell ?

John

murcerfan · February 6, 2003 11:29PM

Let me restate that I love the free listing day (as both a buyer and seller) and it serves as a great motivator for me to empty out those boxes and boxes of dupes. I have had great success in putting out 20-30 items that don't show up every day. Unfortunatly they get lost in this stream of flotsam. I listed a '51 current all-star yesterday, went to a search to see if it "took" and it was already buried under 3 pages of red backs and blue backs at double book.

Guess I have to pull up my pink socks and deal with it
....maybe I'll throw a whine and cheese party !

mrc32 · February 7, 2003 1:10AM

I saw a bunch of Mike Wheat's cards today too. The guy is so over priced I thought he was a cousin of Mr. Mint.

I have also seen a ton of buy it now only auctions

On the other hand, I hope that with all the junk people are putting on at inflated prices, I hope there will be some deals to be found!

crazysc · February 7, 2003 1:23AM

It's amazing - someone posts a large quantity of items, states exactly what they want for the stuff, and people get upset. Flip it over, someone starts everything at zero, shills the items up to his acceptable price, and people are upset they got outbid.

I guess the old axiom is true - if you're giving good deals, everyone loves you. If not...

Bingo33 · February 7, 2003 2:40AM

Crazysc

I completely agree with you.

Some of these guys just b***h and moan about everything that they want and can not afford.

murcerfan · February 7, 2003 3:38AM

and some guys just like to b***h and moan about what they percieve as b***hing and moaning.
(where it is clearly whining... not b***hing)

and the original whine was over "swamping" e-bay with endless inventory, all of which the entire hobby just passed on when it was listed last month. My view is there should be some type of limit, this gets rediculous IN MY OPINION.

Re-freakin-gosh-darn-diculous

mrc32 · February 7, 2003 3:39AM

Here is the type of thing I think some of us were talking about

$120 for a 1954 Topps #250 Ted Williams FR/GD
or
$70 for a 1954 Jackie Robinson FR/GD

I have no problem with people putting lots of things up for bid. The more of one item up for bid makes it a buyers market, I just hate wading through the over priced (way high min. bids) or over graded (I bet PSA wouldn't even grade that Williams).

Those are my thoughts

pc · February 7, 2003 6:23AM

i tend to block shill bidders zero feedbackers whiners
and anyone who associates with the spineless useless
shane leonards of the world.

waitilltheytrytosell · February 7, 2003 7:05AM

Right now there are 254,842 items listed in MLB trading cards. Most people have no interest in at least 254,000 of those items. To see the 842 items that interest you, simply use the Ebay search tools. I've heard they've even trained some chimps to do it. Be thankful that you have 254,842 items to choose from. Think about the poor starving pog collectors. They only have 456 items to choose from.

LloydsBaseballCards · February 7, 2003 7:30AM

great point WTTTTS!!

Rocco67 · February 8, 2003 12:10PM

Thank you Murcer Fan, I am glad someone finally said something.

murcerfan · February 8, 2003 12:35PM

Rocco,
Thanks (i guess), but I think the other thread you started is a bit off my point here.
I was whining about ebay being swamped during free listing day. Don't worry Crazy SC and my friend PC..........I'm over it now
My opinion is that e-bay needs limits on these crazy free days. Mike was used as an example (which by now I regret), there are many others, whom dumped thier entire inventory out on a hobby (at least the e-bay addicted) that just saw every item only a month ago.
Heck, I listed 17 items myself so "my bad". You can't really blame these dealers, it's how they make a living. We could however limit them to say 500 items, perhaps even serving as motivation for more "competitive" pricing.
My opinion is also that Mike Wheat and his staff are knowledgable, friendly and honest.
His prices are really irrelevant to my point, except that they have already proved too high to actually sell on e-bay. I have gotten good deals from him in the past and he did show flexibility.
Mike has a nice web site and a very decent auction

Plug for Mike Wheat Cards

Rocco67 · February 8, 2003 12:42PM

I started a seperate thread to "vent" my frustrations with MW so as not to confuse it with this thread. I probably should have used a different title than this thread.

Not even sure if my venting is appropriate here...but where else can other collectors hear and share experience?

Enough said.

Thanks for the reply Murcer.

murcerfan · February 8, 2003 12:50PM

well that's another good point.
this chatter should not be taken too literally nor seriously.
................don't let it bounce your cheese!

Caramels · February 8, 2003 1:36PM

[ CHEESE YOU ROCKED ON THIS ONE! LOL Can't we all just collect and have fun and bring the prices back down for the sake of collecting!

murcerfan · February 8, 2003 3:11PM

OK, let's start with those d359's you have under your mattress.

iconductor · February 8, 2003 5:27PM

Murcerfan...are you sure you want to filter out Kit Young. Check out this bargain:

1971 Topps McCovey PSA 7 for $3.00. I may resubmit it and try for an 8. Not sure if it was a mistake. Most likely he intended to list it for $30.00. However, I this is my first purchase from this company. Did I purchase insurance. You better believe it!1971 McCovey PSA 7....or maybe 8

I find that some of these dealers try to save a $ but in reality sometime blow it big time in the over zeallousness (wow...that was a big word...hope it is spelled correctly).

Anyone have any Garbage Pail Kids wax cases for sale? How about some 1st Series cards?

I am so stoked for the San Francisco Cow Palace card show next weekend. Hopefully PSA shows up this year unlike bailing last year. That really bummed me out and I submitted some to Beckett. Have about (200) to submit but may mail them in because are the cards insured in transit. For $15, do I really want the monkees at the card show handling and shipping or transportin my little babies?

Enough rambling...happy collecting all. Peace, David

SlappyHappy · February 8, 2003 7:59PM

iconductor, just so you know. babies are not suitable grading material for most companies that provide onsite service.

murcerfan · February 9, 2003 12:40AM

doesn't global slab them yet?

Wabittwax · February 9, 2003 9:42AM

lol, good one murcer

Mike Wheat... setting new futility record on e-bay

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