Ebay Frustration

ElvisP

Ebay is becoming less and less an option to find what you are looking for IMHO unless money is no object which is probably not the case for most of us. I searched "topps PSA 8" which found 63,000+ listings but only app. 4,300 were auctions. If it weren't for a couple of big dealers it would be closer to 2,000 auctions. I would say just about all the BIN's are overpriced. So you can see finding what you are looking for at a fair price is becoming very difficult. An individual example is a '57 Unitas RC in PSA 7. The VCP is $730 and there are currently no auctions and 3 BIN's from $999 to $1,180. The Unitas example is the norm 99 percent of the time. So unless you want to pay well over what it's worth you are not going to get it. I would be interested in knowing where you go for vintage besides ebay? To me the only options are auction houses and shows. I don't usually go to auction houses because I don't want to pay 20% for the privilege to buy something. I like shows but it's difficult to find what you want a lot of the times and good shows don't come around too often. Remember the days when you could go to ebay and find several auction listings for whatever you were looking for? Now ebay is just a store. Very frustrating!!!

grote15

Sellers got tired of getting hammered on prices for most items. Of course, there's always the consignment route..

belz

<< <i>Ebay is becoming less and less an option to find what you are looking for IMHO unless money is no object which is probably not the case for most of us. I searched "topps PSA 8" which found 63,000+ listings but only app. 4,300 were auctions. If it weren't for a couple of big dealers it would be closer to 2,000 auctions. I would say just about all the BIN's are overpriced. So you can see finding what you are looking for at a fair price is becoming very difficult. An individual example is a '57 Unitas RC in PSA 7. The VCP is $730 and there are currently no auctions and 3 BIN's from $999 to $1,180. The Unitas example is the norm 99 percent of the time. So unless you want to pay well over what it's worth you are not going to get it. I would be interested in knowing where you go for vintage besides ebay? To me the only options are auction houses and shows. I don't usually go to auction houses because I don't want to pay 20% for the privilege to buy something. I like shows but it's difficult to find what you want a lot of the times and good shows don't come around too often. Remember the days when you could go to ebay and find several auction listings for whatever you were looking for? Now ebay is just a store. Very frustrating!!! >>



I overpay. Love the auction format over BIN. Good luck.

dennis07

I share your frustration. In my quest to complete my 1970 baseball graded set I have had to be more patient than I would like.
I stick to my price discipline and it seems there is always someone willing to bid higher. Oh well!
I will say though that without ebay I can't imagine ever being able to put the set together.

JasonM32

I hear you Elvis. At a certain point everyone just decided to quit auctioning cards and start listing them with obscenely inflated buy-it-now prices. Many reasons for this.

It's just one of several factors that have created phony appreciation in the card market. People treating every card like a 1952 Topps Mantle now.

sportscardstop

If every seller priced their cards at what the previous one sold for, cards would never go up in value. That Unitas would be a $730 card forever.

ElvisP

<< <i>If every seller priced their cards at what the previous one sold for, cards would never go up in value. That Unitas would be a $730 card forever. >>



What you say is true but if they auction the card chances are they will get more than the $730 average. In fact the last 2 ebay auctions for this card have went for $760 and $815 which is fair market but no one wants to pay 20-40 percent over what the card generally sells for which is what the current BIN's are.

MULLINS5

I realize sports cards are a bit of a different beast, but in general the auction format on eBay is more of a reflection of a wholesale market, whereas BINs are more of a retail/dealer market. Dealers have to factor in fees (like everyone else) plus overhead (unlike everyone else). As mentioned, may be able to strike a slightly better deal through their own website as an off-eBay transaction.

Just have patience. I understand the frustration. One of those sellers has some nice Superman cards but with way, way, way unrealistic prices. Kinda surprised based on their markup they aren't asking more for the Unitas, lol.

Best of luck.

mtcards

I understand what the OP is talking about, but also see it from a sellers standpoint. Consider that $700 card.....if someone actually wants to get $700 out of it, they have to price it closer to $800 once you throw in ebay fees, then you add on taxes that would be paid in many cases and thats another chunk on the profit. Also, add in the fact that the ebay hassle alone is worth a little change in the pocket and I can see where a $700 card becomes an $850 card.

Bottom line is, if they WANT to sell it, they will eventually lower the price...if they dont, then you will have to come UP on what you are willing to pay. Supply and demand at its finest and why things go up and down in value.

I just paid $250 for a Peyton Manning card I needed to finish a set....hadnt seen one online in a while, other than a PSA 10 of one being offered at 3k and a PSA 9 of one being offered at $750. I leaped at the BGS 8.5 and made an offer outside of ebay for it. Pretty sure the last 3 ungraded ones all fell at $200 or slightly under, also pretty sure the next few at auction go for more that the $250 I paid. Again, supply and demand.

packCollector

I don't know .......

What I have found recently is if a card is priced anywhere in reason in a fixed price format, it is more likely to sell at that price than at auction. Seems buyers just want to buy it immediately and have it in a couple days instead of find it in an auction format and wait 7 days to bid .

Meatloaf

<< <i>If every seller priced their cards at what the previous one sold for, cards would never go up in value. That Unitas would be a $730 card forever. >>



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