Card prices marked on holders,or not

BLUEJAYWAY

Through the years having attended sports cards shows/visited shops have noticed some dealers post the prices on the card holder, some don't. Price is not listed on the card,one has to inquire. Which is the more preferable procedure or accepted policy? Any reason why a dealer/shop would not post the price on the card? I know some people will not even deal with someone who does not price the cards on the holder,or anywhere else. That is unless the card is a "must have". So in these cases a price "guide" is helpful despite many negative opinions about refering to a price guide. The guides do serve a purpose at least from a starting point in negotiations, especially if the price is not posted on the card, but keeping in mind it should only be that-a guide. I have personally not been bothered by this and will ask if the item is not priced, but I've often wondered how many potential sales may have been lost by unpriced stock. Your opinions?

TheMick6

It doesn't turn me off to have to ask about a price after all your gonna have to talk to someone to purchase a card anyway. What turns me off are dealers that refuse to haggle on price. If they have cards marked I pretty much always ask if they can take a little less. Don't get me wrong I never insult anyone by offering half of what they marked it as or anything ( I hate that crap to ). I just kind of expect the haggle part of the buy. Staying firm on big stuff I understand it's the guys that seem irritated if you even ask that bug me

coachnip13

<< <i>It doesn't turn me off to have to ask about a price after all your gonna have to talk to someone to purchase a card anyway. What turns me off are dealers that refuse to haggle on price. If they have cards marked I pretty much always ask if they can take a little less. Don't get me wrong I never insult anyone by offering half of what they marked it as or anything ( I hate that crap to ). I just kind of expect the haggle part of the buy. Staying firm on big stuff I understand it's the guys that seem irritated if you even ask that bug me >>



I don't mind asking the dealer about one or two cards, but if I'm interested in buying a lot of stuff, it gets old asking him over and over. I would rather go to a booth where it's marked.

byronscott4ever

When I see no prices, I think two things:
1. Dealer's prices are high and they aren't listed because they know people will quickly pass by if they saw them
2. Dealer's prices are flexible but if I seem interested, that price will be flexed to gouge me

I'm not saying that's true, just what I think.

KendallCat

I look at card pricing from both sides of the table since I have been on both sides. I think marking lower priced items moves them quicker, and you have to account for the percentage of people who are either shy or introverted that will barely speak up. I think setting up your case(s) in such a way that groups them by decade, by price, or some other logical method makes it easier to self serve to the point where folks can look and help themselves until they need something.

I think with big ticket items some like to leave them unmarked so people will inquire and the owner can then state the price and tell why it is marked as such for that card. It is the same as with Ebay with BIN prices versus auction prices, and at the National Probstein was telling me what makes him auction a card versus a BIN. Mainly has to do with the perceived amount of people who will be interested in the card determines whether or not they auction it.

Main thing either way whether or not you are selling at a show or on Ebay is make the other party enjoy the transaction even if they DON'T buy from you. Give advice, be friendly, be courteous, answer questions promptly and be polite. While they may not be a customer today down the road they might be, and your actions might influence whether or not they come back when they do have the money for a purchase.

Allen

I started pricing my cards after reading a few similar threads on here. It seems that a lot of people are really turned off by cards not being priced, I can relate. Very few if any dealers at the show I attend price their cards. One of the guys I deal with at shows has to get his Beckett out for everything and it takes seemingly forever. I have also gone through dealer's boxes and picked out 12-15 cards I would hypothetically pay about $100 for and the dealer looks them over a few times, flips through a Beckett, pulls out his phone and pursues eBay, all while I patiently wait to be quoted a $400 price on the cards and then have to put them all back. Many local dealers know that I am fairly sharp on my prospects and obscure issues and they will puzzle over cards I ask about trying to figure out what they missed about it.

Since I started pricing my cards I have had more people pull a stack and hand me the money or point to something in the showcase and say I will take that. I guess the downside is when people make comments like "oh, is that your asking price on them?" "Are the stickers what they book for?" "How did you come up with that price?" This is usually when asking about either a hot card like a Bumgarner or Demarco Murray that "Only books $60" then I have to explain that book price was a snap shot in time taken over a month ago before that player was dominating the sports world and the card is increasing on eBay with every sell. Sometimes I use "BOOKS $ SELL $" stickers, but it is annoying on cards like a Topps SP variation that books $50 but all the completeds are $60+. I am also flexible on my prices, especially if it has been a good show and I have cleared my goal and moved a lot of junk or if the buyer is buying multiple items.

begsu1013

my opinion:

prices should always be on the holder and on the front to be even more precise.

I don't want to even try to interrupt an in depth convo between said dealer and perspective customer on their 1973 del unser psa 6(oc) just to be told that the price on my 70 phil niekro psa 9 "is only $550".

walk on.