Where is everyone?

[cardscardscards]

I've barely traded on here in the past two years. I don't know if I've sold anything on here in that time, and I definitely buy things when I see a nice deal, but for the most part I just lurk here now.

I don't see the issue as being a BV or SV thing. The main reason I really stepped back from trading is that a large percentage of people on this site try to "win" every trade. One of the things I collect is Ottawa Senators jerseys and autograph cards (any player, as long as they are in a Sens uniform), meaning I come across a number of low-end jerseys of guys like Peter Regin, Ilya Zubov, and Andrej Meszaros. I need these cards for my PC, so I check to see if we can work out a trade. It seems to result in a couple different scenarios:

1. Other trader likes a higher-end card I have, asks if we can work something out. I check their tradelist/bucket, it's filled with low value cards. At this point I realize I've wasted my time and say thanks but no thanks.

2. Other trader likes a higher-end card I have, asks if we can work something out. I check their tradelist/bucket, it has a bunch of comparable cards to my high-end. Now we're getting somewhere! I inquire about several cards I like that we should be able to work out a deal for. Other trader responds "Oh, those are all traded/PC/for sale only". At this point I realize I've wasted my time and say thanks but no thanks.

3. A scenario where the whole BV and SV thing actually does come into play. Let's say the card I like has a BV of $100 but routinely sells for $10. At this point the other trader chooses to quote BV as their preferred method of trading, yet conveniently says he's most interested in my $100 BV card that sells for $75. I know you just went and checked ebay. Not interested.

3. Part 2 - Flip that last scenario over. My $15 BV card is very inaccurately priced by Beckett and is a rare SP that sells for $50+ when it becomes available. Of course, the most the other trader can offer is a $20 BV Andrej Meszaros Black Diamond Jersey card, and will even go as far as saying they're giving me the edge in BV.



Of course, these things don't always happen, but it happens very frequently and really soured me on the whole trading thing. One of the few people I regularly trade with is actually piper1 (Peter) because we know what each other is comfortable with. He is a proponent of trading by BV, which I am ok with, but he will pick out a list of cards of mine he likes, and then say "let me know which of your cards you are comfortable with trading away" rather than trying to rob me blind like a lot of others on here. I don't necessarily agree with his views on ebay, but people were put on Earth to disagree with each other anyways.


About a month ago, I made a trade on another site (not sure if this fellow is a member here) and I could not have been more pleased with how it went. It was for a large collection of Patrick Lalime cards that he had available. When I first mentioned I was interested in the collection he had, I mentioned that I was looking to trade similar value/type cards for each other, as in base jersey valued at $10-15 for base jersey valued at $10-15, auto patch valued at $50 for auto patch valued at $50, etc. He agreed that this was the most reasonable way to go, and while it took a while to hammer out a deal, we both came away from the trade very happy. I could do trades like that all day.


And before you ask, no I will not trade my sweet MacKinnon patches /4 for your Lalime auto.

Great post and I agree that a lot of traders have to "win" the trade which sucks all the fun out of it.

[piper1]

Great post and I agree that a lot of traders have to "win" the trade which sucks all the fun out of it.

If I am getting a card that is on my want list I don't mind if the other trader wins the trade, but you are right there are too many who want to have their cake and eat it too.

[vikesfan40]

Well I know that I havn't been as active on the site just because Finals week for college was coming up and currently going on, as well as I was trying to find a place for the next semster to live as well as finding a new job and getting ready to transition to it. Just a lot of little things that added up to a lot of busy stuff so not much free time to enjoy the hobby, also there just hasn't been a ton of stuff that has caught my interest for items up for sale or trade, expecially on a college students buget.

[DagsJ]

Since joining the site I have been in one actual card trade and the rest have been me buying the seller's cards. I feel the same sentiment as @cygnusx1. I prefer to trade cards as I am not in the business of making money off my hobby and would like my good cards that I have no interest with in the hands of a collector who will actually be excited to have that card. All I ask for in return is something fair/comparable to the card(s) I am giving up (auto for auto, base cards for base cards, something along those lines).

[geschrocks33]

From a trading stand point, I enjoy helping people out to an extent. It usually comes back to me in a positive way. On another site there is a "pay it forward" type thread going on. Even though they are low-end GU's or inserts or RC's or base, I've sent out I think 4 packages for members and received 3 things myself, including something I needed for my Clutterbuck collection.

I'm usually pretty laid back when it comes to trades, but sometimes I just have to step back if I feel I'm really getting ripped

[mortuus]

I have just sold a few highend cards here over the years, and i thought it was not worth the time really, didnt like that i had to send a highend card first just because i had not enough feedback trading score but it went alright i guess since the cards didnt get lost in mail, would been a nice loss send out a card before your got pay atleast on ebay u get payed before u send out. I didnt join here to be a super trader anyways.

[jsokol1626]

I have just sold a few highend cards here over the years, and i thought it was not worth the time really, didnt like that i had to send a highend card first just because i had not enough feedback trading score but it went alright i guess since the cards didnt get lost in mail, would been a nice loss send out a card before your got pay atleast on ebay u get payed before u send out. I didnt join here to be a super trader anyways.

And if your cards got lost in the mail EBAY would debit your account as well. The must send first rule is on every site, we all dealt with it.

[piper1]

I think a lot of members don't bother visiting the trading pages anymore because they got tired of some of the nonsense. Today I tried to help a guy out with his Mario Lemieux collection. He sent me a trade link but in a follow up response added that he wouldn't trade any of his RCs towards them. Okay, so I wittled it down to an insert and a basic jersey card for BV that was still in his favour. Well I might as well have been trading him Sean Avery cards because in his follow up his cards were worth oh so much more than the cards being offered. So at the end of the day I did all the searching and listing to help this member out to get a speech about the value of the cards for the superstar he is trying to collect. There are some members who need a big time reality check.

[cygnusx1]

I think a lot of members don't bother visiting the trading pages anymore because they got tired of some of the nonsense. Today I tried to help a guy out with his Mario Lemieux collection. He sent me a trade link but in a follow up response added that he wouldn't trade any of his RCs towards them. Okay, so I wittled it down to an insert and a basic jersey card for BV that was still in his favour. Well I might as well have been trading him Sean Avery cards because in his follow up his cards were worth oh so much more than the cards being offered. So at the end of the day I did all the searching and listing to help this member out to get a speech about the value of the cards for the superstar he is trying to collect. There are some members who need a big time reality check.

Nailed it on the head, Pete. Back when I was more active, I would do just like you did: search through lists/buckets, offer up a number of options, basically do all the leg work. And the response you get is either a long-winded speech about why his cards are great and yours are trash, or no response at all.

[odjickfan]

I remember a time when I was doing 3-4 trades per week. Now it's per year.