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Question for those who attended the National

DniceDnice Posts: 848
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
For all those who attended the show this past week - How did you feel about the dealer prices? I have heard from everyone so far that prices were at least 20% above VCP. When you come across bigger cards, should you still consider VCP prices or do you feel that VCP goes out the window at that point? I can understand when you come across a card like an 8.5 that doesn't sell often, its very difficult to pin point a price, especially if the last sale was reflected over a year ago but on more of the common stuff like a Aaron rookie a even a regular base issued Mantle card, is it still fair or are dealers simply taking advantage because they know you are there to spend and by pricing high but then after taking a little off the top, you feel like you are getting a good deal although you still paid above average current cost. I know they have to make table but I bring it up because everyone seemed to echo the same opinion on that or at least from what I've read so far.

Did anyone feel that prices were fair at some tables?

Comments

  • belzbelz Posts: 1,217 ✭✭✭
    I thought the rare high grade cards were over priced but still were purchased. The more common graded cards were fair pricing.
    "Wots Uh The Deal" by Pink Floyd
  • bouncebounce Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭
    There were definitely fair tables, it just took some time to find them. There were many other tables that were expensive in everything including more common grade 5s and 6s.

    Prices softened as the show went on in some instances, in others they started and remained high - unless you were spending say $4/5k all with one person.
  • fur72fur72 Posts: 2,348 ✭✭
    From my experience its always mixed. Dealers know what they have and they know what the market is. If a dealer is stubborn and dont want to move something, chanches are 2 tables down there is a dealer who will with the same stuff.
    Cory @iamfur72 https://twitter.com/iamfur72

    My Sandberg topps basic set
    My Sandberg Topps Master set
    image
  • mikelowell25mikelowell25 Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭
    Dnice, I picked up about 30 psa graded cards over the four days I was there (mostly 8's with a few 7's) for a few of the eight or so sets I'm working on (55 and 59 topps baseball, 61, 69 and 70 basketball and 57 topps hockey). Bought 10 of the 11 hockey from a dealer out of Canada (great guy); nine 8's and one 7 and many of the 8's were low pop cards with very few sales in the last five years according to vcp. The vcp average for the 10 cards was around $1960 and he gave em to me for $1645 which I thought was very fair considering most of the cards had a vcp average that was much less than the price the card usually sold for (ie one card had a vcp average of around 300 although that was really misleading because that was the only one that sold in the past year and most of the prior examples all sold for 500-600). And all the cards were very clean, high end examples for the grade. This was the most psa cards I've ever picked up at any national; usually I do better on ebay so I don't come home with much graded cards-wise but this year it was different. It was a great show overall and my best one in chicago thus far of the five we've been to there.

    Hope that helps!
  • Bicey10Bicey10 Posts: 11
    think you needed to walk away form some item priced to high and look for good deals on high end cards
  • AC000000AC000000 Posts: 257 ✭✭✭
    The I see it, I look at The National like going to the Ballgame: if you were at the local Piggly Wiggly and saw your Coors or Lagunitas at $54 a six pack, you'd bust out laughing (or maybe crying!). But at the ballpark, you don't think twice about nine bucks for a brewski and even kicking in some extra for the pourer.

    At The National, I expect the higher prices, and will pay it for many reasons. Often that's where I obtain my harder to find items, or larger purchase I do not trust any shipping company to handle. And it also feels good to go to a big show with big dealers and big time cards and buy some great cards no matter the price. It's the show, the setting and atmosphere, all the great items, and the buzz of the crowd. And very likely in six months, if not sooner, the regret of passing on a card you wanted to buy will outweigh the joy of being a sharp buyer and "saving" that extra money of that card.

  • begsu1013begsu1013 Posts: 1,943 ✭✭
    ^^^^

    don't know how to put it any better than that.
  • 19541954 Posts: 2,901 ✭✭✭
    I thought some dealers had pricing a little high however there were some very good buys last week. Best one I have seen in 10 years.

    Shane
    Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
  • bouncebounce Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I thought some dealers had pricing a little high however there were some very good buys last week. Best one I have seen in 10 years.

    Shane >>



    Were you there all week?
  • basketballcollectorbasketballcollector Posts: 340 ✭✭✭
    Prices are always high at the National. But, you gotta do what Joel (Tom Cruise) says in the movie "Risky Business". He says, "Sometimes you gotta say WTF" image
  • PM770PM770 Posts: 320 ✭✭


    << <i>Bought 10 of the 11 hockey from a dealer out of Canada (great guy) >>



    Was this Len at Platinum Promotions by any chance? He's usually THE "hockey guy" at the National. Always nice to talk to Len. He is a great guy.
  • mikelowell25mikelowell25 Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Bought 10 of the 11 hockey from a dealer out of Canada (great guy) >>



    Was this Len at Platinum Promotions by any chance? He's usually THE "hockey guy" at the National. Always nice to talk to Len. He is a great guy. >>



    Paul, thanks for reading my post; i'm glad someone did!!! Until I saw your post this morning I thought I wasted my time yet again writing a long, detailed response answering an OP'S question that ends up not even being acknowledged by the OP which has happened to me too many times to count over the years and which can be extremely frustrating.

    No, it wasn't Len; it was Dan Kubin of AJ Sportsworld in Vaughan, Ontario aka Toronto.
  • DniceDnice Posts: 848
    ^^I'm sorry. Of course I read it. I read everything everyone writes in the threads I create. I just like to read everyone's experience. Seems like you did quite well actually. I guess the general consensus is that for the super high end cards that don't come up often, its hard to pinpoint a price as you mentioned so VCP kinda goes out the window.

    But thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully I'll make it out next year.
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Until I saw your post this morning I thought I wasted my time yet again writing a long, detailed response answering an OP'S question that ends up not even being acknowledged by the OP which has happened to me too many times to count over the years and which can be extremely frustrating. >>


    Why would you find this frustrating? There are thousands of views a day on what goes on over here in this corner of the world, many/most from people who aren't even members here. Everything typed here is read, if not acknowledged. I don't understand the need to be recognized and am sure I haven't acknowledged every well-thought response to every thread that I found useful (Sincerest apologies to all those posters if I have offended you, including you, sir). Personally, I appreciate all the times my posts have been recognized, but take no offense to the many when they are not.
    Who is the Golf Card Guy?
  • mikelowell25mikelowell25 Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭


    << <i>^^I'm sorry. Of course I read it. I read everything everyone writes in the threads I create. I just like to read everyone's experience. Seems like you did quite well actually. I guess the general consensus is that for the super high end cards that don't come up often, its hard to pinpoint a price as you mentioned so VCP kinda goes out the window.

    But thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully I'll make it out next year. >>



    No worries buddy, thanks for the response and some great points, sorry for the rant and look forward to meeting you next year! image
  • flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭
    Paul, thanks for reading my post; i'm glad someone did!!! Until I saw your post this morning I thought I wasted my time yet again writing a long, detailed response answering an OP'S question that ends up not even being acknowledged by the OP which has happened to me too many times to count over the years and which can be extremely frustrating.

    Know what you mean David--how about POSTING a thread about an important issue--and it's gone within 24 hours.

    BTW--does PSA have enough of the 1st page locked up already????
  • KendallCatKendallCat Posts: 3,002 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>The I see it, I look at The National like going to the Ballgame: if you were at the local Piggly Wiggly and saw your Coors or Lagunitas at $54 a six pack, you'd bust out laughing (or maybe crying!). But at the ballpark, you don't think twice about nine bucks for a brewski and even kicking in some extra for the pourer.

    At The National, I expect the higher prices, and will pay it for many reasons. Often that's where I obtain my harder to find items, or larger purchase I do not trust any shipping company to handle. And it also feels good to go to a big show with big dealers and big time cards and buy some great cards no matter the price. It's the show, the setting and atmosphere, all the great items, and the buzz of the crowd. And very likely in six months, if not sooner, the regret of passing on a card you wanted to buy will outweigh the joy of being a sharp buyer and "saving" that extra money of that card. >>



    X2. Very accurate statement and well said. If you look at prices on Ebay the last 6-9 months they reflect a growing demand for high graded cards of HOF players - specifically Mantle, Aaron rookies, Clemente rookies, Nolan Ryan, Jordan.... Aaron and Clemente rookie prices cannot even keep up with VCP. While that seems like an incorrect statement what it means is every time one sells in a high grade(PSA 8 or above) the price not only increases for that card, but dealers anticipate where it will go in the near future and price accordingly. Last year at this time if someone offered you an Aaron rookie for $16-18k you would have told them they were crazy and overpriced; however, today you would be lucky to find one for under $20-22k in average condition let alone a high end example. Clemente is the same. When his rookie sold for $15k through PWCC two years ago people lamented that it was too high, but now sales of his rookie card are in the mid to high $20k range.

    Will this bubble pop and prices come back down, or will the card at $20k today which seems unreasonable hit $30-35k and be out of reach for most? The inventory at the National was down considerably compared to last year, and except for a few dealers not much was there to be had in high end vintage stuff. Part is that dealers cannot keep it in stock and it sells quickly, and replacing cards has been tough for all of them. Definitely a sellers market right now, but I always remember what Warren Buffett said at one of his shareholder meetings that sticks with me today - when others are greedy be fearful, and when others are fearful be greedy."
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