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NGWH Sports Cards
Begin Rant: ranting.gif blowup.gif

Ok, there is a guy on Trader Retreat that wanted to buy some cards from me. I offered him the prices and he said "Well, I think I will have to pass. Those prices are steep, and I can find them on Ebay for a lot less."

NO KIDDING! YOU CAN GET ANYTHING CHEAP ON EBAY

I am beginning to think I should leave the hobby because on idiots like him!

End Rant! ranting.gif blowup.gif
Luke2411
Why?

If you could get something on eBay for a lot cheaper wouldn't you do it? I understand you're mad because you can't get what you want for your cards, but if the shoe were on the other foot, would you pay more to him for the same cards you could get on eBay for cheaper?

Just because you can get everything on eBay for cheaper doesn't mean eBay is bad. Ebay is a market and whatever the demand for the cards is dictates what they sell for. Gone are the days of Beckett arbitrarily setting some price on what a card is worth. It's only worth what people will pay for it and eBay has proven so far to be the best source for finding that out. I have a couple of cards in my collection that are "priceless" to me (like my Ruben Sierra bat card--thanks HOFerAutoCollector), but on eBay they aren't very expensive, and if I was to sell them, it wouldn't matter what value I place on them, it only matters what value others place on them. If they don't think my Sierra bat card is worth the $1,000,000 I think it is wink.gif they aren't going to pay that for it, period.

Do you ever just go into Best Buy and buy a expensive electronic gadget without looking for a sale or comparing prices with other stores? Would you deliberately go into Best Buy and pay $3000 for a plasma television that you could get at Wal-Mart for $1500? Of course not, that would be really stupid. So why is this person bad for the hobby when they follow that same logic when it comes to buying cards?

I used to have the same attitude as you. I would be so mad when I would pull a card that would book for $100 and see it selling on eBay for $25. It took me a while to realize that book value, etc. are ridiculous. You can only get what someone is willing to pay. Somedays it might be alot. Somedays it might not be. But, eBay, even with all it's problems is a blessing to the collecting community. How hard do you think it would be to complete autograph sets and game-used sets if not for eBay? Would people have such large player collections without eBay? Without TCC and eBay, I would never complete my 2007 Finest Moments Auto set, because I would have to buy hundreds of boxes from my local hobby store hoping to get one of every auto in that set. I could never do it. I would go broke and still not get every one I need. I'd have to travel the country going from show to show trying to find every one. It would never happen. I just don't have the resources.

Perhaps that's why many hobby shop owners do not like eBay, but every hobby shop owner I know sells sells and sells on eBay. They recognize that it's the best outlet for letting the most people see their product. Otherwise, all those cards of people that no one who visits their store cares about, would never sell, but on eBay they can, because somewhere in Alaska, there's a guy with a computer who loves to collect Mike Gallego cards.

You can be mad at that guy all you want, but that's not going to sell your cards. If they aren't valuable enough to you for you to keep, then the longer you go without selling them, the longer they aren't worth any money in your pocket.
aceecards
Nick,

Did you counter by asking him what he would be willing to pay?

and then negotiate the chasm if not too wide?
bufbillsstlcards
Jeremy provides a very long and truthful point tongue.gif
dd316
It doesn't hurt anyone to see if another trader would sell at Ebay prices, which most of the time are well below book value. The best thing I find about Ebay is the good deals you can find on a card, then you can trade "up" on them. Like if you buy a card the books $20 for $5, you can trade that card off for another $20 card you need, and it only cost you $5!
bob_TCC
Great reply, Jeremy. thumbsup.gif

Nick,

Why do you believe that you should be able to sell your cards on trading card sites for more than you could sell them for on eBay? Isn't the set of potential buyers (trading card collectors) the same in both cases?

Also, if this is causing you to consider leaving the hobby, then I would suggest that an underlying issue is that you're viewing your "hobby" too much like a business where profit margins are one of the primary concerns. wink.gif

-Bob
NGWH Sports Cards
Yeah, but if you can get it on Ebay for cheaper, why do people waste time asking what you have?
bob_TCC
QUOTE(NGWH Sports Cards @ Mar 28 2007, 12:07 PM)
Yeah, but if you can get it on Ebay for cheaper, why do people waste time asking what you have?
*



You can't always get it on eBay for cheaper. In fact, I would suggest that sellers should simply adjust their asking prices to be more comparable to eBay prices. Why? Because those prices are closer to current market values. Plus, you also don't have the fees that you do on eBay. So, you actually have a better profit margin than the same sale on eBay. wink.gif

-Bob
thesobons
Well stated Jeremy and Bob!

I understand the frustration of selling and the prices on ebay, but my collection is were it is because of ebay.

I don't have 700+ feedback from selling. It's buying mostly. Living 50 miles from the nearest hobby store...it is a way to access sellers everywere. And when I go into my local (closest) hobby store their Aaron Rodgers cards include a Rookie Premiere & Topps.

I think ebay is a marketplace...like what has been stated. We love it when were getting deals, but hate it when our $40 BV card sells for 3.99.

Does it all work out in the wash???
NGWH Sports Cards
Does anyone want to buy my cards? Thanks!
bob_TCC
QUOTE(NGWH Sports Cards @ Mar 28 2007, 12:20 PM)
Does anyone want to buy my cards? Thanks!
*



laugh.gif

It depends on the price. tongue.gif

-Bob
artyman60
QUOTE(bob_TCC @ Mar 28 2007, 11:11 AM)
You can't always get it on eBay for cheaper.  In fact, I would suggest that sellers should simply adjust their asking prices to be more comparable to eBay prices.  Why?  Because those prices are closer to current market values.  Plus, you also don't have the fees that you do on eBay.  So, you actually have a better profit margin than the same sale on eBay.  wink.gif

-Bob
*




Couldnt have said it better if i tried ! Nice job bob
NGWH Sports Cards
www.freewebs.com/biggiodiogufreakman759/myteacherscards.htm
beanschat
I agree that the prices have to be at least comparable, but I also think there are some other distinctions to be made. If I am putting the cards on Ebay, I am ready to get rid of the cards. I want them out. But if I am willing to hold on to them (mostly because I know Ebay fees are going to eat up anything I sold the card for anyway), I will list on Naxcom. However, if someone wants to buy some of my cards that I am listing as tradeable, I have to at least listen, but keep in mind that I didn't have these cards "for sale", I expect more for them.
Luke2411
Bob's answer is one reason exactly why I would rather buy or sell to TCC members rather than on eBay. I don't have to pay fees. Every time I list an item for sale on eBay, I get charged a listing fee and then a final value fee. Those add up. So, if I can sell to someone on TCC for the same price without worrying about those fees, I will every time.

Why would I want to buy from somone on TCC rather than eBay? Because it's a community. Ebay likes to say they are, but they aren't to most people. I have no idea who I'm buying from on eBay half the time. The only thing I have to go on is feedback, which can only be so many characters long. Have you ever tried to read feedback on eBay, it's hard sometimes to even tell what happened. But, not on TCC. I can go to your transaction page and check out every transaction you've ever done through TCC and find out what exactly happend, why someone didn't get their cards or payment, whether someone is always taking too long to ship, and more importantly, I can see whose fault it really was as to why a transaction fails or takes too long. It gives me a much better idea as to who I want to trade with and who I do not. That description doesn't even take into account all the "feedback" I get by reading your posts and comments on threads. So, given the opportunity I would much rather buy from a TCC member that I trust than some unknown on eBay.
NGWH Sports Cards
Cards for sale.

Click on My Teachers Cards
bob_TCC
Nick,

You don't have any prices listed for those cards and you've already established that you don't believe that eBay prices are "fair" offers, so I'd suggest providing some guidance on what you believe the offers should be for these cards.

-Bob
dviv17
How much do you need for the 70 Maravich?
bufbillsstlcards
Let your teacher sell his/her own cards!
StroBro
looks like someone needs to update his site.
bufbillsstlcards
QUOTE(StroBro @ Mar 28 2007, 07:18 PM)
looks like someone needs to update his site.
*


Shortest Statbro post, ever tongue.gif
The Ripper
no prices on your cards. Not only that, but there are no football.
NGWH Sports Cards
Prices are coming soon.
DeltaPi1049
Here is my rant on eBay:

I dont care that it has killed the secondary market outside of the site itself, because really, it makes things cheaper for me. But I am EXTREMELY angry about the culture it has bred.

Ebay has cultivated a feeling that screwing people is okay within this hobby. This means, hot packs, fake patches, fake autographs. I hate that I have to watch my back, because there are a lot of people out there who are not opposed to taking my money in fraudlent ways - yet they are collectors too. They know how they would want to be treated.

In the end, its all about money, not about the joy of collecting. Ebay wont shut people down because they make less money. UD is okay with unhappy customers because their bottom line is still great. Someday, I hope that people understand what they are doing.
NGWH Sports Cards
Prices are on site-Cards for sale

Click on My Teachers Cards
bob_TCC
I'm beginning to wonder what the real purpose of this topic was... Please post your selling topics in the appropriate Marketplace forums, Nick. wink.gif

-Bob
jaderock
Luke2411 sums it up pretty well. If that reply by the other collector upsets THAT MUCH, then you NEED another HOBBY!!! Emphasis on HOBBY!

I know as a player collector (such as yourself), you want to pick up Biggios as CHEAP as possible...hope you've never said to some one else "I can get if for cheaper on ebay" either!
NGWH Sports Cards
Cool. Thanks everyone.
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