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Winning auctions when bidding with the auction houses..

The last few years I have been building a set registry. During this period, I have accumulated the set in various ways, buy-it-now's, auctions, self-grading, and asking other set registry collectors if they are willing to part with some of their cards. I have concluded that you will never build a set if you are banking on winning an auction with "the bigger sellers" on ebay. I lose practically every time. The funny thing is that the cards I lose on, almost never get put into someone else's set registry. I would guess most people aren't interested in paying $100 for common psa 10's unless they are collecting the set.

Now when the cards are listed at this $100 level or a little lower as a buy-it-now, maybe $75-$100, I get them practically everytime. They can even sit on ebay for a month or two and no one ever buys them, even with pop 1's or pop 2's. Since, i have been collecting the set for so long, I kind of know who I am up against on the registry. But when the above auctions take place, never am I competing against another set registry member. Very frustrating, but predictable. In fact, I can never win when bidding with one of these sellers. I'm probably 0 - 100.

Just thought I would get that of my chest.

Work hard and you will succeed!!

Comments

  • olb31olb31 Posts: 2,900 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @new again collector said:
    but you would win more if you bid higher, no? or are you suggesting the big boys shill it higher and win it back no matter the cost to inflate the auction values?

    -at what price over ~$100 do those examples you mention win at?

    the last auction I was 2nd highest in 3 out the 4, and usually that's about the norm. when a set registry guy auctioned his partial set last summer, I won every card I needed, mostly 9's but pop 1 and pop 2 items with no 10's, so very rare items. I got them for about $12 per card. I bid against the guy who is currently 2nd on the registry, which makes sense. no dudes with 50 bid retractions, or 95% bid activity with the seller.

    there is a common psa 10 listed as a buy-it-now currently pop 2 that no one has bought currently, $80. its been up for a month. the star cards in this set rarely go for over $175 in psa 10.

    Work hard and you will succeed!!
  • maddux69maddux69 Posts: 2,130 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Or better yet, when collections are sold to auction houses or eBay resellers and the prices are far from reasonable. A reseller listed cards from someone's Greg Maddux basic set all in PSA 10. Base cards from 1998 Upper Deck, 1997 Ultra, 1997 Score, 1996 Donruss, 1995 Ultra and 1995 Bowman to name a few, all BINs for $74.99. :D

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