Why list if you don't want to sell??

artistlost · April 18, 2008 2:06AM

I am always confused by a lot of Ebay Stores. If you have a card and list it in your Ebay store do you not want to sell?

I'll expand...

If you have a card that books for $60.00 but has sold steadily on Ebay auctions for 25-30 why would you put it on your ebay store for $90 and then decline an offer for $40? I just don't get it.

mathew

yankeeno7 · April 18, 2008 2:17AM

Mathew, they are waiting for a sucker to offer them more than 50% of the original asking price.

Karb · April 18, 2008 2:17AM

They're probably waiting for that one sucker that wants it bad and is haste in decision making.

sagard · April 18, 2008 2:17AM

It seems like 80-90% of Ebay auctions sell for the minimum a card is capable of selling for. If it's a card that comes out frequently then I'm sure you'll get it at your price the next time via auction. This guy wants a premium sale.

VitoCo1972 · April 18, 2008 2:24AM

Because there's a sucker born every minute and if he has a store, he's probably not in any hurry to sell. He's not counting on informed buyers. eBay store owners are counting on impulse buyers. 98% of the time you can get the card cheaper by auction not in the store - why? because one of the bidders would have already bought it from the store.

artistlost · April 18, 2008 2:29AM

OK...here comes the change-up...

I have watched 3 auctions end in the last week with the final bids ending like this

Card one sold for 61.00 by auction when it could have been purchased from an Ebay store for $50.00
Card two sells for 176.00 by auction when it could have been bought for $120 in an Ebay store
Cards 3 sells for 62.00 by auction when again it coudl have been purchased for $45.00 in an Ebay store

Guess it's true...a new sucker is born everyday

mathew

yankeeno7 · April 18, 2008 2:33AM

It's the lack of researching. People are often lazy. Sometimes I think there are some who NEVER look in Ebay stores then there are those who dont want to be bothered with auctions and 90+% of their business is through an Ebay store. But that is what they count on...buyers who dont educate themselves.

nam812 · April 18, 2008 2:39AM

Centering could be the reason as well. Maybe the cards in the eBay store aren't very well centered, but are of equal PSA grade.

nightcrawler · April 18, 2008 2:42AM

<< If you have a card that books for $60.00 but has sold steadily on Ebay auctions for 25-30 why would you put it on your ebay store for $90 and then decline an offer for $40? I just don't get it.

mathew >>

Why would you offer $40 if they go for $25 to $30? Is it exceptionally nice?

I've seen sellers with 2 of the same card, same grade, but wanted way more for one than the other.

clydecoolidge · April 18, 2008 2:52AM

Another mystery of the ebay! I always check for BIN's (or store inventory) before I bid on something, to compare pricing. Although I find that stuff in stores is priced way to high nine times out of ten. Maybe that's whey people are missing the lower priced store items. Another mystery that I will never understand is how people make money selling a graded card for $0.99.

nightcrawler · April 18, 2008 3:05AM

<< Another mystery that I will never understand is how people make money selling a graded card for $0.99. >>

They don't... I just left feedback this morning for a PSA 8 card I sold for $0.99. I took my chances on some cards, ooops.

Leiascards · April 18, 2008 3:18AM

One of the many Ebay mysteries.

I have listed auctions with the same identical item for a 99 cent opening bid at the exact same time. Item number 1 will sell for 25.00 with 15 to 20 bids. Item number 2 will not sell. I have had items in my store with watchers on them so I go in and RAISE the price slightly and the item almost always seem to sell within 24 hours.

Leiascards · April 18, 2008 3:23AM

Another mystery that I will never understand is how people make money selling a graded card for $0.99.

Its all about volume.

Say I submit 100 cards for grading for 650.00(after shipping etc), I have another 350 in those cards. For a total of 1,000

Of those hundred 30 come back 10s. Of those 30 10 of them are cards that sell for crazy prices in 10. Like the 1986 Topps Ryan. I sell those 10 for 3,000. I am in the black for the whole sub at this point selling the rest with a 99 cent opening bid is nothing but more profit added to the pot.

artistlost · April 18, 2008 3:24AM

Why would you offer $40 if they go for $25 to $30? Is it exceptionally nice?

I've seen sellers with 2 of the same card, same grade, but wanted way more for one than the other. >>

The seller had other items that I was interested and was hoping to make a deal with them. I started with this card in question to feel them out on other items. After the declined offer I just moved on.

mathew

artistlost · April 18, 2008 3:25AM

<< Centering could be the reason as well. Maybe the cards in the eBay store aren't very well centered, but are of equal PSA grade. >>

all cards where centered the same (as they all came from 2006 Allen and Ginter's autograph subset).

mathew

Bosox1976 · April 18, 2008 3:27AM

Which makes more sense - sell 50 cards per month with $20 margins or sell 200 cards per month with $5 margins? Either way you make a grand. Some sellers prefer the certainty of sure sales, some would rather try to make the same monthly net via less work. Works for some.

clayshooter22 · April 18, 2008 3:55AM

Mathew,

If true you wanted more than just that card, I think you missed an oppurtunity.

I'm always willing to deal, especially out of my store, when someone wants more than a couple cards. I typicaly give 5-10% off when they buy about 10 items. When someone is spending $100 I treat them much differently than the casual buyer. Maybe that's why I have a coupe guys that would buy a $100-200 a month.

Go back and tell him everything you want and ask for a range of prices or shoot him a price for all of it.

As an example, I sold $800 worth of cards to one guy last week and I "let" him talk me down to $500 delivered. I think we both made out great.

Mike

storm888 · April 18, 2008 4:02AM

"Which makes more sense - sell 50 cards per month with $20 margins or sell 200 cards per month with $5 margins? "

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Gross margins seldom tell the whole story.

It costs me ALOT more to sell the 200 items than it does to sell the 50 items;
and, it is ALOT more work.

IF we ONLY look at the price of gasoline, it is clearly more profitable for
me to sell/ship the 50 example items than it is to sell/ship the 200 items.
Fewer postal runs is good.

Not every EBAYer is interested in getting the lowest price on the site.
Some folks care about convenience; some like the idea that storekeepers
appear "more stable and less likely to be scamsters."

Gift-buyers are really not that interested in auctions. They like fixed-price;
either in CORE or store. Saving money is not their top priority. They want
to buy the item and move on.

Eventually, everything you throw into a store will sell; usually, at a much
higher price than you woud get in CORE.

For whatever reason, stores are popular among ALOT of shoppers.

artistlost · April 18, 2008 4:07AM

<< Mathew,

If true you wanted more than just that card, I think you missed an oppurtunity.

I'm always willing to deal, especially out of my store, when someone wants more than a couple cards. I typicaly give 5-10% off when they buy about 10 items. When someone is spending $100 I treat them much differently than the casual buyer. Maybe that's why I have a coupe guys that would buy a $100-200 a month.

Go back and tell him everything you want and ask for a range of prices or shoot him a price for all of it.

As an example, I sold $800 worth of cards to one guy last week and I "let" him talk me down to $500 delivered. I think we both made out great.

Mike >>

Thanks Mike...but I did send an email after letting the seller know that I was interested in numerous items and I am still waiting for a response. That was almost 2 weeks ago.

mathew

muchuckwagon · April 18, 2008 4:09AM

Let me turn the tables on you.....why do I get 20 different best offers in the $40 range for a card that sells for $80 on a consistent basis?

By the way, those 20 people with low ball offers all of them tell me my card is worthless and quote some made up book value....and no two low ball offers provided the same "BV". If my card is worthless, why do you want it so badly?

Leiascards · April 18, 2008 4:10AM

There are some very sucessful sellers who never list an auction at all.

artistlost · April 18, 2008 4:23AM

<< Let me turn the tables on you.....why do I get 20 different best offers in the $40 range for a card that sells for $80 on a consistent basis?

By the way, those 20 people with low ball offers all of them tell me my card is worthless and quote some made up book value....and no two low ball offers provided the same "BV". If my card is worthless, why do you want it so badly? >>

Very good point. I use the odd buy it now with best offer on some items and I get the same thing. Now, let me clarify that I am not one of those people that throw out low ball offers on an item. I do my research...see what a card sells for....and if i want the item I will gladly pay that price or a bit more (depending on how badly I want it).

Case in point...I recently bid on a 2006 Vlad Guerrero A&G framed auto card. It books for 250.00. I researched the card found that it sells for around $200 with only 50 made and not very many have actually changed hands recently. I then contacted the seller asking if they would take offers on the item and close early. They said yes and asked what my offer was...so I made an offer of $250.00 to the seller. They declined so i waited until the last 5 seconds and sniped my bid set at 300+ as I really wanted the card. However, someone wanted it more and I lost.

mathew

storm888 · April 18, 2008 4:32AM

"There are some very sucessful sellers who never list an auction at all. "

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Correct.

If we follow what the NYT just reported to its logical conclusion,
the new "leadership" at EBAY will soon dump the auction format
almost entirely. There may be a new site that does auctions only,
but the main site will be devoted to fixed price.

He says he wants the largest strip-mall in the world.

Clearly, collectible-sellers do not play much of a role in his future plans.
Maybe a new site that ONLY does collectibles will spring up; either
run by EBAY or some other gang.

The cracking of the Best-Match code last weekend is pretty telling.
The most advantaged search word is: NEW.

11235813 · April 18, 2008 4:46AM

I think you have to consider that both buyers and sellers have very different motivations in different situations.

If a seller has strong cash flow and does not immediately need the money, they are much more likely to list an item at a above-market price even if it means waiting months for a buyer.

Although many people on here meticulously research pricing trends, most Ebay buyers do not. Also consider that wealthier buyers are much less likely to be price-sensitive than most other people and more likely to make impulse buys.

Every auction involves buyers and sellers with different motivations, which is why things sometimes sell for prices that seem on the surface to be illogical.

KbKards · April 18, 2008 5:10AM

"If you have a card that books for $60.00 but has sold steadily on Ebay auctions for 25-30 why would you put it on your ebay store for $90 and then decline an offer for $40? I just don't get it."

If something sells steadily for 25-30 then I'm buying one for 25-30. Why would anybody offer 40 knowing this information?

clydecoolidge · April 18, 2008 5:12AM

<< Another mystery that I will never understand is how people make money selling a graded card for $0.99.

Its all about volume.

Say I submit 100 cards for grading for 650.00(after shipping etc), I have another 350 in those cards. For a total of 1,000

Of those hundred 30 come back 10s. Of those 30 10 of them are cards that sell for crazy prices in 10. Like the 1986 Topps Ryan. I sell those 10 for 3,000. I am in the black for the whole sub at this point selling the rest with a 99 cent opening bid is nothing but more profit added to the pot. >>

Mystery solved.

artistlost · April 18, 2008 5:16AM

<< "If you have a card that books for $60.00 but has sold steadily on Ebay auctions for 25-30 why would you put it on your ebay store for $90 and then decline an offer for $40? I just don't get it."

If something sells steadily for 25-30 then I'm buying one for 25-30. Why would anybody offer 40 knowing this information? >>

I answered this question on the first page already...thanks

mathew

RonBurgundy · April 18, 2008 5:51AM

The day that Ebay does away with auctions as the centerpiece of its business model is the day its viable competitor will be conceived.

Ron

stown · April 18, 2008 5:55AM

<< Mathew, they are waiting for a sucker to offer them more than 50% of the original asking price. >>

I've been guilty of doing that more times than I care to admit.

Sometimes it's worth the couple extra bucks to guarantee the win than waiting for an auction to end.

Leiascards · April 18, 2008 5:57AM

<< 

<< Mathew, they are waiting for a sucker to offer them more than 50% of the original asking price. >>

I've been guilty of doing that more times than I care to admit.

Sometimes it's worth the couple extra bucks to guarantee the win than waiting for an auction to end. >>

Same here, I bought my Reggie Jackson rookie for about 25.00 more than I would have paid through an auction, but I had already won some auctions from the seller and have always wanted the card.

storm888 · April 18, 2008 6:00AM

"The day that Ebay does away with auctions as the centerpiece of its business model is the day its viable competitor will be conceived."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

That's what I am thinking, too.

Leiascards · April 18, 2008 6:03AM

Well problem is there are already many fixed price sites that are possibly just as viable as Ebay like Amazon, Naxcom and Sportlots. However it is the auction format that sets Ebay apart if they do away with that they will fall back into the pack.

WinPitcher · April 18, 2008 6:04AM

If the seller sold it to you for what it normally sells for at auction how would he replace the item?

He would then have to replace it for basically what you bought it for making nothing in the process.

Not everyone sells a card and then moves on. People that do this for a living consider things that many

buyers do not.

Steve

storm888 · April 18, 2008 6:10AM

"Well problem is there are already many fixed price sites that are possibly just as viable as Ebay like Amazon,..."

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The new nitwit sees AMZN as the correct model.

The buyers/sellers that leave EBAY are going to AMZN.
He thinks that means EBAY needs to be made into an
AMZN.

artistlost · April 18, 2008 6:13AM

<< If the seller sold it to you for what it normally sells for at auction how would he replace the item?

He would then have to replace it for basically what you bought it for making nothing in the process.

Not everyone sells a card and then moves on. People that do this for a living consider things that many

buyers do not.

Steve >>

Why would they need to replace the same card? I am a bit confused (not unusual for me though). I would think they either

a) bought the card in a collection
b) pulled the card from a pack
c) traded for it

mathew

Leiascards · April 18, 2008 6:15AM

<< "Well problem is there are already many fixed price sites that are possibly just as viable as Ebay like Amazon,..."

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The new nitwit sees AMZN as the correct model.

The buyers/sellers that leave EBAY are going to AMZN.
He thinks that means EBAY needs to be made into an
AMZN. >>

What the new nitwit is not taking into account is that people are going to Amazon because they are tired of EBAY altogether. I do alot of buying and selling on Amazon as well. Many items I get better prices on Amazon than on Ebay.

WinPitcher · April 18, 2008 6:55AM

Mathew many dealers like having stock, if they sell to you they have to replace it in inventory.

That is one reason why many dealers sell for more then 'book'

I am speaking in general not specifically to your situation.

Steve

Why list if you don't want to sell??

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