EBay. Destroyed the Market, no??

[cardcollectorman]

I mean if anything really screwed up the sport card market it is Ebay. Before Ebay there were sports card shops. There are none in my area. Before Ebay people had to sell cards for near bv and buy them for near bv. Now everything goes for cheap, or if it is hot for some reason periodically and very temporary goes for unusually high amounts. I guess its free market, but before cards actually held real value and had to be bought on local markets. Am I full of it, or do I have a point?

[bballcardheaven]

Ebay is the market of today. Prices are probably lower because there is such a greater selection on ebay whereas there is not much in local card shops.

[tarheelsnipe]

I'm all for Ebay. There's no way I could complete some of my sets without it. The truly special cards in the hobby will hold value. In my 20+ years in the hobby, collectors have been buying into the card company hype every year only to have the values plummet with the next year's releases. It has less to do with Ebay, and more to do with supply and demand.

Ebay has also exposed the volatility of the market. Beckett used to be the only source for determining card value. Ebay has given us another resource for determining market trends.

[whalechaser]

I think Ebay did not destroy the market but revealed the market for what it is on a global scale.

Like the person above said, the price of the card in a hobby shop only reflects the value of the card in a local level.

However, the value of the card on a global level shifts and most likely decreases as many people in the world already has such a card versus not that many people in Phoenix, Arizona owning such a card.

Of course there are problems with ebay and the prices and such, but honestly we really shouldn't be surprised when we find out that most of the times a little piece of cardboard, even with a piece of cut up cloth or scribbles is not worth all that much.

Edit: I am also for ebay because my collection could not be where it is without ebay!

[Juvenile404]

EBay changed the market, it didn't ruin it. Markets are always changing, this was just one change in this market.

[Jaded]

EBay changed the market, it didn't ruin it. Markets are always changing, this was just one change in this market.

Agree 100%, Op, you like paying BV prices or something?

[cardcollectorman]

Agree 100%, Op, you like paying BV prices or something?

No I don't like buying bv prices but I just think that had there been no ebay cards would hold more value and local card shops would still exist. Therefore making the cards more elusive.

[DAVE30]

I think ebay is bad on the selling stand point but that is about it. I don't let ebay set the prices of my cards i use the Beckett. It is a good for people to use as a reference to rip others off and that is about all people use the sports card section for other than pc items.

[Juvenile404]

No I don't like buying bv prices but I just think that had there been no ebay cards would hold more value and local card shops would still exist. Therefore making the cards more elusive.

You can't blame EBay for that, though. Globalization is occurring faster and faster due to increased technology. This was an inevitability that if not capitalized on by EBay would have been by someone or something else.

[cardcollectorman]

You can't blame EBay for that, though. Globalization is occurring faster and faster due to increased technology. This was an inevitability that if not capitalized on by EBay would have been by someone or something else.

Yeah you are right there would be a napster of cards, I guess.