<< <i>Probstein123 probably has the best rates. That is who I use.
Dave >>
+1. I highly recommend Rick. Great rates, great communication, top notch customer service, and quick payment with all expenses detailed out. I've done a lot of business with Rick lately and can't say enough good things about the job they do.
Thanks everyone for your help and especially for providing the link. I may be looking to unload partial PSA graded sets that include '34 Goudey, '57 Topps Baseball, '57 Topps, Football, '61 Fleer Basketball, and 1969 Topps Basketball. The sets are anywhere from 25-50% complete. Would it make more sense to sell them individually or as a partial set? My guess would be individually as a "set break." That is how I often see them sold on ebay.
Also, do people cosign to Rick b/c of the time factor to list everything or b/c he usually gets better prices? Would the prices be better than the average Joe with 100% feedback after the fees are paid to him?
<< <i>Also, do people cosign to Rick b/c of the time factor to list everything or b/c he usually gets better prices? Would the prices be better than the average Joe with 100% feedback after the fees are paid to him?
The only problem that I have with probstein is that the photo's that are posted are not the best in my opinion. I always send my items to PWCC as the scans that they use there are awesome quality and think that just due to the photos that are taken you get higher bids for your cards.
I would like to know what kind of scanner, system that Brent uses. Would really like to learn how to put those kind of pics on eBay myself....
<< <i>Thanks everyone for your help and especially for providing the link. I may be looking to unload partial PSA graded sets that include '34 Goudey, '57 Topps Baseball, '57 Topps, Football, '61 Fleer Basketball, and 1969 Topps Basketball. The sets are anywhere from 25-50% complete. Would it make more sense to sell them individually or as a partial set? My guess would be individually as a "set break." That is how I often see them sold on ebay.
Also, do people cosign to Rick b/c of the time factor to list everything or b/c he usually gets better prices? Would the prices be better than the average Joe with 100% feedback after the fees are paid to him?
Thanks for all of your help in advance. >>
Rick lists Sunday through Thursday. His following of buyers brings top dollar on almost all auctions. There's been plenty of threads on here about that.
Also I ship USPS to Rick Priority. About 70% of the time my items are put up on that 2nd day, the rest the day following. You can request certain things if need be. Big card that you want longer exposure on. If I have that I like Thurs-following Sunday. That way there is two full weekends.
After the auctions end, you'll get a spreadsheet next day with all details, fees, and final price I think I average around 83% of the final price. Depending upon amount, Paypal usually same day, or check in the mail.
PWCC does a great job from what I hear. I just am a creature of habit when I find something good. Good luck in your sales.
IMHO, PWCC has the best scans in the business. High end, well centered, cards do outrageously well with PWCC due to the scans. Listings are very detailed/descriptive. Probstein123 typically has a 1 line entry, then advertisements for consignment services. I send items under $500 to Rick, over to PWCC. You pay a maximum of 10% of Final Price for items over $1,000 with PWCC. That is outrageously awesome !!
Ricks fees are more than fair. The fact that he generally gets a premium for his sales also helps offset the fees. I took several cards off my Unisquare site and Rick sold them for a bit more than I was asking.
I've used both Rick and PWCC. I agree with using PWCC on higher priced cards. I think the rates of Rick and PWCC are great and that they get higher prices than if you list them yourself.
I took a huge consignment to Rick at the National last year, and the sales were great. My only complaint was that he broke a 1954 Topps set and sold it in lots without checking with me (he may have done the right thing in doing this) and that he apparently didn't check the inventory sheet I gave him and lost a Julius Erving rookie that PSA had rejected as trimmed and failed to account for a few other cards, all of which weren't worth a great deal. I believe he is honest and a good businessman, but I think he (or his employees) got a little sloppy with my consignment.
Always looking for Mantle cards such as Stahl Meyer, 1954 Dan Dee, 1959 Bazooka, 1960 Post, 1952 Star Cal Decal, 1952 Tip Top Bread Labels, 1953-54 Briggs Meat, and other Topps, Bowman, and oddball Mantles.
I believe PWCC requires auctions rather than buy it nows. Depending on what you are trying to sell that might not maximize your profit. I was very happy with Lee's service and fees.
I believe PWCC requires auctions rather than buy it nows. Depending on what you are trying to sell that might not maximize your profit. I was very happy with Lee's service and fees.
<< <i>I believe PWCC requires auctions rather than buy it nows. Depending on what you are trying to sell that might not maximize your profit. I was very happy with Lee's service and fees.
Correct, auction only. Brent does allow you to place a single bid on your own item to simulate a reserve price. For example, if you want a minimum of $2500 out of a card, you can place a bid for $2500. If you happen to win, it's a 4% charge and you get the card back. I've done this, but the final price always blows past my minimum number. >>
It's a shill to us, but probably not by Ebay's definition To be a shill, the seller (or a related account) has to place a bid, not the consignor
Edited to add, I'd bet Brent allows this because there is really no way to prevent it. I doubt that he could keep track of all of his consignor's Ebay IDs anyway. He can't block the IDs from his auctions, because they may want to bid on something else he has listed.
Shill bidding happens when anyone—including family, friends, roommates, employees, or online connections—bids on an item with the intent to artificially increase its price or desirability. In addition, members cannot bid on or buy items in order to artificially increase a seller's Feedback or to improve the item's search standing.
If an Ebay auction item is to be offered with a reserve price then Ebay has the reserve price feature and you enter the reserve price when listing the item. All bidders see that the item has a reserve price and when the reserve is met they know the item will be sold to the highest bidder. If an item is offered with no reserve price, and the consignor then places a bid representing his hidden reserve price then it's a shill bid. You can argue that both ways of setting a reserve price accomplish the same thing, but Ebay would not see it the same way.
<< <i>If an Ebay auction item is to be offered with a reserve price then Ebay has the reserve price feature and you enter the reserve price when listing the item. All bidders see that the item has a reserve price and when the reserve is met they know the item will be sold to the highest bidder. If an item is offered with no reserve price, and the consignor then places a bid representing his hidden reserve price then it's a shill bid. You can argue that both ways of setting a reserve price accomplish the same thing, but Ebay would not see it the same way. >>
<< <i>I believe PWCC requires auctions rather than buy it nows. Depending on what you are trying to sell that might not maximize your profit. I was very happy with Lee's service and fees.
Correct, auction only. Brent does allow you to place a single bid on your own item to simulate a reserve price. For example, if you want a minimum of $2500 out of a card, you can place a bid for $2500. If you happen to win, it's a 4% charge and you get the card back. I've done this, but the final price always blows past my minimum number. >>
so he allows one shill bid? >>
I've consigned with Brent in the past and I've never heard of him allowing any bidding on your own stuff. I know of lots of other guys who have used Brent before, has anyone ever been told by Brent that this is acceptable. I hope other guys will chime in to nip this in the bud.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting: Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
It would be very against ebay policy when the sellers do win their own consigned auctions and then both parties agree to cancel said auction so they can avoid ebay fees. Yea sounds like a way for ebay buyers to pay higher prices to me.
I'm a big fan of both Brent and Rick. I have only bought from PWCC and have both bought and sold with Rick.
My most recent sale experience with Rick closed last night. I had about 300 individual cards (more than 90% PSA 8s & 9s). Gross results were roughly VCP average on everything except the 1960 PSA 8s (they averaged 81% of VCP).
Commissions averaged about 8% (5% on items selling above $25 and 10% on items below $25). Very fair.
I dropped off the cards with Rick last Tuesday morning and they were up and listed by 1130pm Wednesday evening. Very quick in my opinion. Rick also set me up with a sub-store on his site do I could put a link up on the b/s/t board. That was available immediately.
By noon today I had an emailed spreadsheet from Rick with all of the details and net proceeds info.
Not sure why the 1960s were a bit weak. Perhaps not as much interest in this year right now. They all ended at exactly the same time. That was a concern but when I asked Rick about it he said their experience is it yields best this way. Someone did comment on my b/s/t thread that they wished each card had ended separately, but it's hard to say if that would have made much of a difference.
Even with the unexpected weakness in the 1960 PSA 8s I'd have to rate Rick's work as 100/100 on this consignment (even with some lingering questions about using a common end time).
Beware of hidden fees with certain major consignors.
I consigned a number of items from my collection to a major consignor recently and I was very disappointed with the process. I regret that I hadn’t asked more questions before deciding to consign, so hopefully anyone who is on the fence about using a consignor will benefit from my point of view. If I had read issues such as I am about to share, I may not have used a consignor at all.
My main issue is with the consignor beefing up the fees that he charges before determining net profit. Here are some examples:
The consignor listed 123 of my items which all closed and sold on the same night. There were a total of 21 unique buyers of those 123 items, still I was charged the Paypal transaction fee of $.30 for each of those 123 items (total charge of $36.90) instead of just the 21 times that Paypal charged the consignor (total charge of $6.30). That’s only a $30.60 overcharge by the consignor, but that was only 1 night of closed auctions. He listed and sold other items that closed across 2 other nights as well where this same issue arose.
When I asked about this after the fact, I was told, “We charge this per item.....” No additional explanation. He just matter-of-factly stated that they overcharge on fees. Apparently I was supposed to be okay with that. This overcharge was not disclosed up front when I was told the fee structure.
There was also the issue of a $.28 shipping final value fee that the consignor took out of the final sale price of each listing, rather than taking it from the $3.50 he charges for shipping a single graded card. If the profit on the shipping charge wasn’t passed through to me, the consignor shouldn’t be passing along the associated fees to me.
When I asked about this, I was told, “It takes time to process orders...each mailing label is 10 cents , each jiffylite is 10 cents, each piece of bubble wrap is 10 cents...ink per each item is another 10 cents...my shipper average being around $13 an hour and some days we ship only 10 orders per hour depends on how complex they are...each flip needs to be double checked before we ship....and yes then we drive to the post office... I'm NOT making money on the shipping...” Yep, I got the “we drive to the post office” answer from a major consignor. I thought only dirt bag eBay sellers use that excuse for padding their bottom line. But I digress.
In addition to the lackluster responses I got for my simple questions about the additional fees he subtracted from the final sale price of each listing, I was also told that he is "not in business to put up items that sell for $6.00". That's fine. However, if that’s the case, then he should say so up front. There was no disclaimer about minimum values in any of this particular consignor’s free advertisements on this site. I would agree, though, that it’s not worth sending anything too unique or oddball to him (even if a PSA 10) because if it sells for the $.99 opening bid plus his $3.50 shipping charge, you only get a thin dime back for your trouble.
Don't even get me started about the lazy job that was done when listing my items in the first place. I had to request multiple changes even though I had sent very clear instructions on how certain things were to be sold. Even some of the revisions were done very poorly. Not at all what I expected from this particular consignor based on all of the glowing reviews he gets from many people here.
My first inquiry to this consignor was “how would this all work? I would send the stuff to you and then get a % of the sale price. If you could give me all of those particulars including where to send, I would appreciate it.” His response was, “I take 5% of the net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark...” Nowhere did he state that he takes out extra fees before determining “net profit”.
In the end, when a consignor tells you they “take 5% of net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark…", be sure to ask what "net profit" means. Apparently "net profit" includes jacked up additional fees that the consignor takes from the net to pad their take. The net profit shouldn’t be determined after paying his people (or himself). If the 5-10% he claims to charge isn’t enough to pay his people, then he should raise his rates and be transparent about the process from the start.
We all make a point to out bad sellers, so I didn't want to be the guy who didn't suggest that people do plenty of their own research about consignors and ask a LOT of questions before consigning your collection with someone. Especially if you have a bottom-feeding collection like mine apparently was in the eyes of this consignor.
Thought we should comment on the concerns raised in prior posts. We rarely engage directly with the message boards because, as an auction house, we feel the collecting community has the right to communicate freely without constant oversight. We accept that not all posts will be 100% positive and constructive criticism is a healthy thing. That said, we only try to intervene when communication becomes particularly heated, or when incorrect information arises.
In this case, a prior user made reference to reserves placed by consignors in place of a traditional eBay reserve. This is an ancient policy that we experimented with years ago but quickly abandoned. In total there were fewer than a dozen items that we approved for such reserves, and in all cases the reserve was met by a considerable margin. The practice was abandoned for a whole host of reasons, mostly logistical. The statement in the prior post by another member that 'we approved consignors placing reserves on any/all items' is completely false. It was only in highly unique situations, with highly volatile cards, that we approved this practice.
In recent times, the issue of fraudulent bidding (shill bidding) has become a common concern. We take the issue of shill bidding extremely seriously and it was the reference to this activity in prior posts that spurred our response here. Times have changed, and a greater level of discipline and conservatism is required to keep the bidding environment honest. We would not approve the reserve policy of the past in today's market because it lacks the transparency we now feel is a prerequisite to running our company.
Thanks to all to contribute to the message boards. As collectors, this is a best check-and-balance the hobby has going.
<< <i>Beware of hidden fees with certain major consignors.
I consigned a number of items from my collection to a major consignor recently and I was very disappointed with the process. I regret that I hadn’t asked more questions before deciding to consign, so hopefully anyone who is on the fence about using a consignor will benefit from my point of view. If I had read issues such as I am about to share, I may not have used a consignor at all.
My main issue is with the consignor beefing up the fees that he charges before determining net profit. Here are some examples:
The consignor listed 123 of my items which all closed and sold on the same night. There were a total of 21 unique buyers of those 123 items, still I was charged the Paypal transaction fee of $.30 for each of those 123 items (total charge of $36.90) instead of just the 21 times that Paypal charged the consignor (total charge of $6.30). That’s only a $30.60 overcharge by the consignor, but that was only 1 night of closed auctions. He listed and sold other items that closed across 2 other nights as well where this same issue arose.
When I asked about this after the fact, I was told, “We charge this per item.....” No additional explanation. He just matter-of-factly stated that they overcharge on fees. Apparently I was supposed to be okay with that. This overcharge was not disclosed up front when I was told the fee structure.
There was also the issue of a $.28 shipping final value fee that the consignor took out of the final sale price of each listing, rather than taking it from the $3.50 he charges for shipping a single graded card. If the profit on the shipping charge wasn’t passed through to me, the consignor shouldn’t be passing along the associated fees to me.
When I asked about this, I was told, “It takes time to process orders...each mailing label is 10 cents , each jiffylite is 10 cents, each piece of bubble wrap is 10 cents...ink per each item is another 10 cents...my shipper average being around $13 an hour and some days we ship only 10 orders per hour depends on how complex they are...each flip needs to be double checked before we ship....and yes then we drive to the post office... I'm NOT making money on the shipping...” Yep, I got the “we drive to the post office” answer from a major consignor. I thought only dirt bag eBay sellers use that excuse for padding their bottom line. But I digress.
In addition to the lackluster responses I got for my simple questions about the additional fees he subtracted from the final sale price of each listing, I was also told that he is "not in business to put up items that sell for $6.00". That's fine. However, if that’s the case, then he should say so up front. There was no disclaimer about minimum values in any of this particular consignor’s free advertisements on this site. I would agree, though, that it’s not worth sending anything too unique or oddball to him (even if a PSA 10) because if it sells for the $.99 opening bid plus his $3.50 shipping charge, you only get a thin dime back for your trouble.
Don't even get me started about the lazy job that was done when listing my items in the first place. I had to request multiple changes even though I had sent very clear instructions on how certain things were to be sold. Even some of the revisions were done very poorly. Not at all what I expected from this particular consignor based on all of the glowing reviews he gets from many people here.
My first inquiry to this consignor was “how would this all work? I would send the stuff to you and then get a % of the sale price. If you could give me all of those particulars including where to send, I would appreciate it.” His response was, “I take 5% of the net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark...” Nowhere did he state that he takes out extra fees before determining “net profit”.
In the end, when a consignor tells you they “take 5% of net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark…", be sure to ask what "net profit" means. Apparently "net profit" includes jacked up additional fees that the consignor takes from the net to pad their take. The net profit shouldn’t be determined after paying his people (or himself). If the 5-10% he claims to charge isn’t enough to pay his people, then he should raise his rates and be transparent about the process from the start.
We all make a point to out bad sellers, so I didn't want to be the guy who didn't suggest that people do plenty of their own research about consignors and ask a LOT of questions before consigning your collection with someone. Especially if you have a bottom-feeding collection like mine apparently was in the eyes of this consignor.
edited to fix typo >>
What consignor are you talking about? Why not out them?
<< <i>His response was, “I take 5% of the net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark...” >>
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, as an accountant for a million years, the above sentence would of had me asking lots of questions. Its why I won't consign some stuff where in the end my net is one thin dime.
I would have wanted the above sentence to read "I take 5% of those that sell above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark." Of course at that price you would need to add a flat fee for the cheaper items. Brent does something like that and I like it as it tells me exactly what to expect to pay. Takes a lot of the guess work of what I net out which for me leads to a smooth deal. Can't comment on anyone else as I have only used Brent a few times. I like how he scans the front and back of the cards too.
Tough break gumbyfan. Ashame you were not happy with consignment experience.
JAG85
Posts: 64 ✭
Comments
same price range.
Dave
<< <i>Probstein123 probably has the best rates. That is who I use.
Dave >>
+1. I highly recommend Rick. Great rates, great communication, top notch customer service, and quick payment with all expenses detailed out. I've done a lot of business with Rick lately and can't say enough good things about the job they do.
Link
Mike
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
Also, do people cosign to Rick b/c of the time factor to list everything or b/c he usually gets better prices? Would the prices be better than the average Joe with 100% feedback after the fees are paid to him?
Thanks for all of your help in advance.
<< <i>Also, do people cosign to Rick b/c of the time factor to list everything or b/c he usually gets better prices? Would the prices be better than the average Joe with 100% feedback after the fees are paid to him?
Thanks for all of your help in advance. >>
From my experience, yes, yes, and yes.
I would like to know what kind of scanner, system that Brent uses. Would really like to learn how to put those kind of pics on eBay myself....
just to my cents worth here...
<< <i>Thanks everyone for your help and especially for providing the link. I may be looking to unload partial PSA graded sets that include '34 Goudey, '57 Topps Baseball, '57 Topps, Football, '61 Fleer Basketball, and 1969 Topps Basketball. The sets are anywhere from 25-50% complete. Would it make more sense to sell them individually or as a partial set? My guess would be individually as a "set break." That is how I often see them sold on ebay.
Also, do people cosign to Rick b/c of the time factor to list everything or b/c he usually gets better prices? Would the prices be better than the average Joe with 100% feedback after the fees are paid to him?
Thanks for all of your help in advance. >>
Rick lists Sunday through Thursday.
His following of buyers brings top dollar on almost all auctions. There's been plenty of threads on here about that.
Also I ship USPS to Rick Priority. About 70% of the time my items are put up on that 2nd day, the rest the day following. You can request certain things if need be. Big card that you want longer exposure on. If I have that I like Thurs-following Sunday. That way there is two full weekends.
After the auctions end, you'll get a spreadsheet next day with all details, fees, and final price I think I average around 83% of the final price. Depending upon amount, Paypal usually same day, or check in the mail.
PWCC does a great job from what I hear. I just am a creature of habit when I find something good. Good luck in your sales.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
PWCC Consignment Rates
IMHO, PWCC has the best scans in the business. High end, well centered, cards do outrageously well
with PWCC due to the scans. Listings are very detailed/descriptive. Probstein123 typically has a 1 line entry,
then advertisements for consignment services. I send items under $500 to Rick, over to PWCC. You pay a maximum
of 10% of Final Price for items over $1,000 with PWCC. That is outrageously awesome !!
Bosox1976
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
I took a huge consignment to Rick at the National last year, and the sales were great. My only complaint was that he broke a 1954 Topps set and sold it in lots without checking with me (he may have done the right thing in doing this) and that he apparently didn't check the inventory sheet I gave him and lost a Julius Erving rookie that PSA had rejected as trimmed and failed to account for a few other cards, all of which weren't worth a great deal. I believe he is honest and a good businessman, but I think he (or his employees) got a little sloppy with my consignment.
Always looking for Mantle cards such as Stahl Meyer, 1954 Dan Dee, 1959 Bazooka, 1960 Post, 1952 Star Cal Decal, 1952 Tip Top Bread Labels, 1953-54 Briggs Meat, and other Topps, Bowman, and oddball Mantles.
<< <i>I believe PWCC requires auctions rather than buy it nows. Depending on what you are trying to sell that might not maximize your profit. I was very happy with Lee's service and fees.
Correct, auction only. Brent does allow you to place a single bid on your own item to simulate a reserve price. For example, if you want a minimum of $2500 out of a card, you can place a bid for $2500. If you happen to win, it's a 4% charge and you get the card back. I've done this, but the final price always blows past my minimum number. >>
so he allows one shill bid?
That is horrible. That is not "simulating a reserve." That's a shill bid and it's illegal I believe. Is it not!?
To be a shill, the seller (or a related account) has to place a bid, not the consignor
Edited to add, I'd bet Brent allows this because there is really no way to prevent it. I doubt that he could keep track of all of his consignor's Ebay IDs anyway.
He can't block the IDs from his auctions, because they may want to bid on something else he has listed.
<< <i>Sorry, I disagree >>
I think it's a shill, I'm just not sure it technically fits ebay's definition.
<< <i> think it's a shill, I'm just not sure it technically fits ebay's definition >>
To play devil's advocate, a shill has no intention of ever paying. This person is paying to get his own card back?
Policy overview
Shill bidding happens when anyone—including family, friends, roommates, employees, or online connections—bids on an item with the intent to artificially increase its price or desirability. In addition, members cannot bid on or buy items in order to artificially increase a seller's Feedback or to improve the item's search standing.
PWCC Web Page
this has all the making of going sideways
not sure if that is a true shill though..
<< <i>If an Ebay auction item is to be offered with a reserve price then Ebay has the reserve price feature and you enter the reserve price when listing the item. All bidders see that the item has a reserve price and when the reserve is met they know the item will be sold to the highest bidder. If an item is offered with no reserve price, and the consignor then places a bid representing his hidden reserve price then it's a shill bid. You can argue that both ways of setting a reserve price accomplish the same thing, but Ebay would not see it the same way. >>
Some people dont bid on reserve auctions
<< <i>
<< <i>I believe PWCC requires auctions rather than buy it nows. Depending on what you are trying to sell that might not maximize your profit. I was very happy with Lee's service and fees.
Correct, auction only. Brent does allow you to place a single bid on your own item to simulate a reserve price. For example, if you want a minimum of $2500 out of a card, you can place a bid for $2500. If you happen to win, it's a 4% charge and you get the card back. I've done this, but the final price always blows past my minimum number. >>
so he allows one shill bid? >>
I've consigned with Brent in the past and I've never heard of him allowing any bidding on your own stuff. I know of lots of other guys who have used Brent before, has anyone ever been told by Brent that this is acceptable. I hope other guys will chime in to nip this in the bud.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>anyone here ever grab a tiger by the tail? i mean a real tiger. >>
Does a cat count? It looked like a real tiger.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
<< <i>Welcome to the board "Maurice." Amazing how a newbie jumps right in to this particular thread. >>
Lots of alt's, um I mean new faces around here the last couple of months.
<< <i>
<< <i>Welcome to the board "Maurice." Amazing how a newbie jumps right in to this particular thread. >>
Lots of alt's, um I mean new faces around here the last couple of months. >>
Only one brianwintersfan though.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Collecting:
Any unopened Baseball cello and rack packs and boxes from the 1970's and early 1980s.
PWCC and have both bought and sold with Rick.
My most recent sale experience with Rick closed last night. I had
about 300 individual cards (more than 90% PSA 8s & 9s). Gross
results were roughly VCP average on everything except the 1960
PSA 8s (they averaged 81% of VCP).
Commissions averaged about 8% (5% on items selling above $25
and 10% on items below $25). Very fair.
I dropped off the cards with Rick last Tuesday morning and they were
up and listed by 1130pm Wednesday evening. Very quick in my opinion.
Rick also set me up with a sub-store on his site do I could put a link up
on the b/s/t board. That was available immediately.
By noon today I had an emailed spreadsheet from Rick with all of the
details and net proceeds info.
Not sure why the 1960s were a bit weak. Perhaps not as much interest
in this year right now. They all ended at exactly the same time. That was
a concern but when I asked Rick about it he said their experience is it yields
best this way. Someone did comment on my b/s/t thread that they wished
each card had ended separately, but it's hard to say if that would have made
much of a difference.
Even with the unexpected weakness in the 1960 PSA 8s I'd have to rate Rick's
work as 100/100 on this consignment (even with some lingering questions about
using a common end time).
Bottom Line: IMO you cannot go wrong with Rick.
Dave
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Welcome to the board "Maurice." Amazing how a newbie jumps right in to this particular thread. >>
Lots of alt's, um I mean new faces around here the last couple of months. >>
Only one brianwintersfan though.
Very true! Never saw the need or understood why people do that.
I consigned a number of items from my collection to a major consignor recently and I was very disappointed with the process. I regret that I hadn’t asked more questions before deciding to consign, so hopefully anyone who is on the fence about using a consignor will benefit from my point of view. If I had read issues such as I am about to share, I may not have used a consignor at all.
My main issue is with the consignor beefing up the fees that he charges before determining net profit. Here are some examples:
The consignor listed 123 of my items which all closed and sold on the same night. There were a total of 21 unique buyers of those 123 items, still I was charged the Paypal transaction fee of $.30 for each of those 123 items (total charge of $36.90) instead of just the 21 times that Paypal charged the consignor (total charge of $6.30). That’s only a $30.60 overcharge by the consignor, but that was only 1 night of closed auctions. He listed and sold other items that closed across 2 other nights as well where this same issue arose.
When I asked about this after the fact, I was told, “We charge this per item.....” No additional explanation. He just matter-of-factly stated that they overcharge on fees. Apparently I was supposed to be okay with that. This overcharge was not disclosed up front when I was told the fee structure.
There was also the issue of a $.28 shipping final value fee that the consignor took out of the final sale price of each listing, rather than taking it from the $3.50 he charges for shipping a single graded card. If the profit on the shipping charge wasn’t passed through to me, the consignor shouldn’t be passing along the associated fees to me.
When I asked about this, I was told, “It takes time to process orders...each mailing label is 10 cents , each jiffylite is 10 cents, each piece of bubble wrap is 10 cents...ink per each item is another 10 cents...my shipper average being around $13 an hour and some days we ship only 10 orders per hour depends on how complex they are...each flip needs to be double checked before we ship....and yes then we drive to the post office... I'm NOT making money on the shipping...” Yep, I got the “we drive to the post office” answer from a major consignor. I thought only dirt bag eBay sellers use that excuse for padding their bottom line. But I digress.
In addition to the lackluster responses I got for my simple questions about the additional fees he subtracted from the final sale price of each listing, I was also told that he is "not in business to put up items that sell for $6.00". That's fine. However, if that’s the case, then he should say so up front. There was no disclaimer about minimum values in any of this particular consignor’s free advertisements on this site. I would agree, though, that it’s not worth sending anything too unique or oddball to him (even if a PSA 10) because if it sells for the $.99 opening bid plus his $3.50 shipping charge, you only get a thin dime back for your trouble.
Don't even get me started about the lazy job that was done when listing my items in the first place. I had to request multiple changes even though I had sent very clear instructions on how certain things were to be sold. Even some of the revisions were done very poorly. Not at all what I expected from this particular consignor based on all of the glowing reviews he gets from many people here.
My first inquiry to this consignor was “how would this all work? I would send the stuff to you and then get a % of the sale price. If you could give me all of those particulars including where to send, I would appreciate it.” His response was, “I take 5% of the net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark...” Nowhere did he state that he takes out extra fees before determining “net profit”.
In the end, when a consignor tells you they “take 5% of net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark…", be sure to ask what "net profit" means. Apparently "net profit" includes jacked up additional fees that the consignor takes from the net to pad their take. The net profit shouldn’t be determined after paying his people (or himself). If the 5-10% he claims to charge isn’t enough to pay his people, then he should raise his rates and be transparent about the process from the start.
We all make a point to out bad sellers, so I didn't want to be the guy who didn't suggest that people do plenty of their own research about consignors and ask a LOT of questions before consigning your collection with someone. Especially if you have a bottom-feeding collection like mine apparently was in the eyes of this consignor.
edited to fix typo
Just another example of the incredibly intelligent comments made by the 20 year old self proclaimed card guru
<< <i>Craig, I thought I told you to stop consigning with WhereTheyAint. Why won't you ever listen? >>
Now from them, I would expect this type of service.
Hi, sorry your experience was not what you expected.
In this case, a prior user made reference to reserves placed by consignors in place of a traditional eBay reserve. This is an ancient policy that we experimented with years ago but quickly abandoned. In total there were fewer than a dozen items that we approved for such reserves, and in all cases the reserve was met by a considerable margin. The practice was abandoned for a whole host of reasons, mostly logistical. The statement in the prior post by another member that 'we approved consignors placing reserves on any/all items' is completely false. It was only in highly unique situations, with highly volatile cards, that we approved this practice.
In recent times, the issue of fraudulent bidding (shill bidding) has become a common concern. We take the issue of shill bidding extremely seriously and it was the reference to this activity in prior posts that spurred our response here. Times have changed, and a greater level of discipline and conservatism is required to keep the bidding environment honest. We would not approve the reserve policy of the past in today's market because it lacks the transparency we now feel is a prerequisite to running our company.
Thanks to all to contribute to the message boards. As collectors, this is a best check-and-balance the hobby has going.
Best Regards,
Brent, PWCC
PWCC Marketplace
market@pwccmarketplace.com
833-333-7922
<< <i>Beware of hidden fees with certain major consignors.
I consigned a number of items from my collection to a major consignor recently and I was very disappointed with the process. I regret that I hadn’t asked more questions before deciding to consign, so hopefully anyone who is on the fence about using a consignor will benefit from my point of view. If I had read issues such as I am about to share, I may not have used a consignor at all.
My main issue is with the consignor beefing up the fees that he charges before determining net profit. Here are some examples:
The consignor listed 123 of my items which all closed and sold on the same night. There were a total of 21 unique buyers of those 123 items, still I was charged the Paypal transaction fee of $.30 for each of those 123 items (total charge of $36.90) instead of just the 21 times that Paypal charged the consignor (total charge of $6.30). That’s only a $30.60 overcharge by the consignor, but that was only 1 night of closed auctions. He listed and sold other items that closed across 2 other nights as well where this same issue arose.
When I asked about this after the fact, I was told, “We charge this per item.....” No additional explanation. He just matter-of-factly stated that they overcharge on fees. Apparently I was supposed to be okay with that. This overcharge was not disclosed up front when I was told the fee structure.
There was also the issue of a $.28 shipping final value fee that the consignor took out of the final sale price of each listing, rather than taking it from the $3.50 he charges for shipping a single graded card. If the profit on the shipping charge wasn’t passed through to me, the consignor shouldn’t be passing along the associated fees to me.
When I asked about this, I was told, “It takes time to process orders...each mailing label is 10 cents , each jiffylite is 10 cents, each piece of bubble wrap is 10 cents...ink per each item is another 10 cents...my shipper average being around $13 an hour and some days we ship only 10 orders per hour depends on how complex they are...each flip needs to be double checked before we ship....and yes then we drive to the post office... I'm NOT making money on the shipping...” Yep, I got the “we drive to the post office” answer from a major consignor. I thought only dirt bag eBay sellers use that excuse for padding their bottom line. But I digress.
In addition to the lackluster responses I got for my simple questions about the additional fees he subtracted from the final sale price of each listing, I was also told that he is "not in business to put up items that sell for $6.00". That's fine. However, if that’s the case, then he should say so up front. There was no disclaimer about minimum values in any of this particular consignor’s free advertisements on this site. I would agree, though, that it’s not worth sending anything too unique or oddball to him (even if a PSA 10) because if it sells for the $.99 opening bid plus his $3.50 shipping charge, you only get a thin dime back for your trouble.
Don't even get me started about the lazy job that was done when listing my items in the first place. I had to request multiple changes even though I had sent very clear instructions on how certain things were to be sold. Even some of the revisions were done very poorly. Not at all what I expected from this particular consignor based on all of the glowing reviews he gets from many people here.
My first inquiry to this consignor was “how would this all work? I would send the stuff to you and then get a % of the sale price. If you could give me all of those particulars including where to send, I would appreciate it.” His response was, “I take 5% of the net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark...” Nowhere did he state that he takes out extra fees before determining “net profit”.
In the end, when a consignor tells you they “take 5% of net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark…", be sure to ask what "net profit" means. Apparently "net profit" includes jacked up additional fees that the consignor takes from the net to pad their take. The net profit shouldn’t be determined after paying his people (or himself). If the 5-10% he claims to charge isn’t enough to pay his people, then he should raise his rates and be transparent about the process from the start.
We all make a point to out bad sellers, so I didn't want to be the guy who didn't suggest that people do plenty of their own research about consignors and ask a LOT of questions before consigning your collection with someone. Especially if you have a bottom-feeding collection like mine apparently was in the eyes of this consignor.
edited to fix typo >>
What consignor are you talking about? Why not out them?
^^^^
I think he already did unless they all charge 5% above $25 and 10% below $25.
<< <i>
What consignor are you talking about? Why not out them? >>
It's the patron saint of consigners around here! It should be as easy as "123" to figure out.
<< <i>His response was, “I take 5% of the net profit above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark...” >>
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, as an accountant for a million years, the above sentence would of had me asking lots of questions. Its why I won't consign some stuff where in the end my net
is one thin dime.
I would have wanted the above sentence to read "I take 5% of those that sell above $25 and 10% if it falls below the $25 mark." Of course at that price you would need to add a flat fee for the cheaper items. Brent does
something like that and I like it as it tells me exactly what to expect to pay. Takes a lot of the guess work of what I net out which for me leads to a smooth deal. Can't comment on anyone else as I have only used Brent a
few times. I like how he scans the front and back of the cards too.
Tough break gumbyfan. Ashame you were not happy with consignment experience.
aconte