Right, but if the BIN gets a guy to offer 50%, it could still outsell a normal auction
Ebay listers scared to put items for bid?
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Right, but if the BIN gets a guy to offer 50%, it could still outsell a normal auction
As a buyer, I love ebay. I have purchased many, many quality cards at well below low book value when they are listed as auctions...particularly the further away from the release date as collectors have moved on to other things.
I also love ebay because I like to build numbered sets on occasion and I would not be able to do this without ebay and the huge marketplace it is.
As a buyer, I also sometimes wonder how sellers can make a go of it. After ebay fees and the paypal scalp, you better hope you're listing cards that collectors are interested in and willing to bid up.
I'll occasionally sell on ebay and will use the 30-day BIN option or, if the auction listing is free, I'll make the minimum bid the minimum amount I would be willing to sell the card for. No harm done if the card doesn't sell, plus you allow for some upside. If I'm selling a card that is no longer relevant to my collection and I just want it to go, I can just list it at 99¢ and let it go for what it goes for.
As a collector, I have concerns about the viability of selling cards on ebay. If someone is cracking a bunch of cases but can't cover the cost of what they paid out, then ebay is going to lose that seller.
And if Topps keeps cranking out as many cards as they do, then that dilutes the market too. I mean, when every release has numbered parallels, they're just not as big a deal anymore. That's a whole other issue though...
I also love ebay because I like to build numbered sets on occasion and I would not be able to do this without ebay and the huge marketplace it is.
As a buyer, I also sometimes wonder how sellers can make a go of it. After ebay fees and the paypal scalp, you better hope you're listing cards that collectors are interested in and willing to bid up.
I'll occasionally sell on ebay and will use the 30-day BIN option or, if the auction listing is free, I'll make the minimum bid the minimum amount I would be willing to sell the card for. No harm done if the card doesn't sell, plus you allow for some upside. If I'm selling a card that is no longer relevant to my collection and I just want it to go, I can just list it at 99¢ and let it go for what it goes for.
As a collector, I have concerns about the viability of selling cards on ebay. If someone is cracking a bunch of cases but can't cover the cost of what they paid out, then ebay is going to lose that seller.
And if Topps keeps cranking out as many cards as they do, then that dilutes the market too. I mean, when every release has numbered parallels, they're just not as big a deal anymore. That's a whole other issue though...
Everyone has different thoughts about ebay, and most are valid. Though the post mentioning someone having a BIN and accepting 50% of that is a great theory. The probem is the card I mentioned is a straight BIN, not BIN or best offer. So they either getting full price or nada. I also very often offer my max offers and at best I get counter offered 20% of BIN price when best offer available. As I mentioned in an earlier post, noone has ever accepted my best offer on an item, and believe me I've made alot of offers, sometimes 5-10 in a day. Never has someone accepted one. Most come back at some offer so close to BIN, its like why bother counter offering. If a card BIN $24.95 plus ship, I offer $17, they come back at $23.50, we still nowhere near each other on price and the card goes unsold. If people want to sell like one poster was saying, they start it at .99 and let it go for whatever it gets bid to. I basically feel like most collectors have cards that dont fit in their collection and would enjoy trading it for something they want, or selling it and buying something they want. The problem is most people want ateast X ammount and start bids too high to even get bidding, if you want to sell a card, sell it for what the market will give u for it. Not what you hope/want to get for it. The only way to do that is start bid low and see where it goes.
thats what ticks me off most about ebay BINs w BO. its like why even ask for best offers when your not going to take below your list price. ive had some offers accepted but when i was buying john gilmore people would have ridiculous prices on his stuff. like 20 for a bowman chrome auto which usually sells 2-3 and 50 for an xfractor auto which sells 6-12. when i offer fair market value like 12 for the xfractor i would get a counter offer back for 40. when i put BINs i put them for a 20-30 percent above market value hoping to get an offer at market value, and sometimes ill get lucky and the BIN will get hit but putting them at 5 times market value is just pointless.
In my experience, I've had best offers accepted, and I've also accepted reasonable counteroffers. If you want the card, it's nice to get it lower than the BIN, even if it's not lower by a lot.
Pricing at BV is a good way to scare off customers who aren't willing to ask or negotiate. I walked into a new store once and asked if the prices on the cards were asking price or catalog value. I was told both. I politely browsed for a few more minutes and walked out w/o spending a cent and have never been back.
I think the art of negotiating is disappearing, as evidenced by fewer BIN/BO listings and more BIN. People don't want to haggle and fixed pricing often comes across as take it or leave it, even if that is not the seller's intent.
Your better off pricing at a % of BV or indicating the prices are BV up front and the sell price varies from that price, in my opinion.
I think the art of negotiating is disappearing, as evidenced by fewer BIN/BO listings and more BIN. People don't want to haggle and fixed pricing often comes across as take it or leave it, even if that is not the seller's intent.
Your better off pricing at a % of BV or indicating the prices are BV up front and the sell price varies from that price, in my opinion.
A lot of factors play in BO listings. Are you trying to get something smoking hot and popular for 50% or is it something that has been around and everyone has?
The seller may have a lot into and has not figured out that the trend will not be to see that high of a price again. They may not be willing (yet) to let it go for cheaper than their price. It may take months or years, but maybe eventually it will sell.
Maybe they are just stubborn on the price for whatever their reason is...I made what I felt was a reasonable offer on a Garvey autograph card, #6/25 I believe. The seller wanted $50 and he wanted this because it was Garvey's jersey number. When the card was new, $50 probably would have been reasonable. He waited too long and the going rate was maybe $20. I asked about the card after my offer was either ignored or rejected and the guy told he that he didn't care if it took 10 years. He was going to get his $50 for it eventually. Now this is obviously not a motivated seller, but in his case, he didn't care. He is hoping for the crazy buyer who has to have it (unfortunately that was me and I wasn't paying his price) and will pay his price. I don't know if he gave up or sold it, but it disappeared.
I would not want to sell on ebay now, but I enjoy buying though.
The seller may have a lot into and has not figured out that the trend will not be to see that high of a price again. They may not be willing (yet) to let it go for cheaper than their price. It may take months or years, but maybe eventually it will sell.
Maybe they are just stubborn on the price for whatever their reason is...I made what I felt was a reasonable offer on a Garvey autograph card, #6/25 I believe. The seller wanted $50 and he wanted this because it was Garvey's jersey number. When the card was new, $50 probably would have been reasonable. He waited too long and the going rate was maybe $20. I asked about the card after my offer was either ignored or rejected and the guy told he that he didn't care if it took 10 years. He was going to get his $50 for it eventually. Now this is obviously not a motivated seller, but in his case, he didn't care. He is hoping for the crazy buyer who has to have it (unfortunately that was me and I wasn't paying his price) and will pay his price. I don't know if he gave up or sold it, but it disappeared.
I would not want to sell on ebay now, but I enjoy buying though.
When Im buying Im not looking for "hot" cards. Im looking for cards for myself, they are usually certs, but Im not looking for pujols, posey or any big name HOFers, just players that may charge $10 or more for their TTM auto. I try to offer at some price close to their TTM fee, shipped. So it's like Im getting my TTM auto, with certification and usually a cooler card then the card Id be sending anyway.
I have found a number of firm and unreasonable, in my opinion, sellers. However, I have had mixed luck with offers. I get some, I get rejected more, but I am also offering maybe 50% of the asking price, often much less. I figure if they are not auctioning it, they are probably asking too much at the BIN price.
Here is one that intrigues me, but $100??? C'mon. Unique...yes, Rare...perhaps? But a newspaper poster you can't even scan a proper picture of???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...4529680&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_922
I offered $20 plus s/h, knowing 1/5 of the BIN was probably not going to go over well, but also emailed and said I may pay more if I knew more and had a scan. Nothing back from the seller....
I'm guessing mine will be the only offer. The Garvey oddball stuff gets less action than the cards and autos and a number of former rivals have dropped off the face of the earth lately. I'd love to have it, regardless of what it looks like, but even 50% of the BIN is way too much. I'll probably never see another one offered, but unlike some other regrettable passes, I won't feel bad about this one.
Here is one that intrigues me, but $100??? C'mon. Unique...yes, Rare...perhaps? But a newspaper poster you can't even scan a proper picture of???
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...4529680&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_922
I offered $20 plus s/h, knowing 1/5 of the BIN was probably not going to go over well, but also emailed and said I may pay more if I knew more and had a scan. Nothing back from the seller....
I'm guessing mine will be the only offer. The Garvey oddball stuff gets less action than the cards and autos and a number of former rivals have dropped off the face of the earth lately. I'd love to have it, regardless of what it looks like, but even 50% of the BIN is way too much. I'll probably never see another one offered, but unlike some other regrettable passes, I won't feel bad about this one.
I don't agree....I just sold a card in my shop 20 minutes ago and the buyer saw the book price and said what can you come down to? I threw a # out there and he accepted. I have posted on my store wall "Cards are priced at current book value, and may or may not be negociable" Some cards I buy off of ebay to sell in my store, such as area specific cards and I have to make money or I can't stay in biz. The customers see the book price and buy at a precentage of that and are happy. I tell them what I paid for the card and they understand.
I am not saying nobody will negotiate. A shop has to be willing to negotiate with me or I won't frequent the place, because I have never found a shop that consistently priced cards to move at the marked prices.
No pricing structure or scheme will work for everyone or turn everyone off. My opinion is that sellers who start at book and don't advertise that they negotiate are less apt to succeed. They will sell things, but not as frequently as they could.
Now keep in mind I am not talking about highly popular superstars and the newest, hottest things (prospects who did something noteworthy, guys who unexpectedly win awards, lead the league, toss no-nos or hit 4 HRs in a game, etc). I always say good stuff will sell strongly most of the time. I am talking about things that would otherwise sit in inventory for a while (older inserts, fan favorites, common vintage stuff, etc). You will find those rare people who either don't know and pay what is asked or those who don't want to hassle with it. Most want a better deal, as evidenced by ebay and other online sellers. I buy at COMC, but I rarely have to pay close to half book for what I pick up. I frequently see decent things at 60% or more discounting.
I remember in the mid 90s, when inserts could bring double and triple digit sales. Even then, it was common for asking prices to be instantly 1/2 BV, with the BVs being proportionately higher, of course. A Frank Thomas card might book for $40 and most shops and show dealers were trying to sell them at $20.
No pricing structure or scheme will work for everyone or turn everyone off. My opinion is that sellers who start at book and don't advertise that they negotiate are less apt to succeed. They will sell things, but not as frequently as they could.
Now keep in mind I am not talking about highly popular superstars and the newest, hottest things (prospects who did something noteworthy, guys who unexpectedly win awards, lead the league, toss no-nos or hit 4 HRs in a game, etc). I always say good stuff will sell strongly most of the time. I am talking about things that would otherwise sit in inventory for a while (older inserts, fan favorites, common vintage stuff, etc). You will find those rare people who either don't know and pay what is asked or those who don't want to hassle with it. Most want a better deal, as evidenced by ebay and other online sellers. I buy at COMC, but I rarely have to pay close to half book for what I pick up. I frequently see decent things at 60% or more discounting.
I remember in the mid 90s, when inserts could bring double and triple digit sales. Even then, it was common for asking prices to be instantly 1/2 BV, with the BVs being proportionately higher, of course. A Frank Thomas card might book for $40 and most shops and show dealers were trying to sell them at $20.
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