How do other traders interpret EBAY sales as a way to determine proper trade value ?

[sports4-ever]

Just wondering how other more experienced traders use EBAY past sales, as a way to determine a fair trade value for cards ?

If a card sold for $3.00 yet the buyer paid $17.15 for shipping , ( when we all know that a card can be easily mailed for $3 ) , does that still make the card worth only $3.00 in trade value .
Hope I'm making myself clear, as it is a little hard to explain. I would like to trade , buy and sell fairly , but I'm unsure how to interpret past sale values on EBAY , and I refuse to purchase the overpriced on-line Beckett , which has gotten brutal for inaccuracies and omissions .

[creasecollector]

It really depends on the card.

To use your example, lets say I see a specific card that usually goes for around $20 (with little to no shipping cost) and then see the same card go for $3 with a crazy shipping cost to "make up" the difference and still sell for around $20 in total. In this case, the sold at prices would be different, but I would still value both card at around $20. The listings were just structured differently.

If there is a large sale sample to look at, I would take the average of that to determine the rough cost of the card. If the majority of cards are selling (BIN or Auction style) for $20, then I'd assume $20 is fair value.

I wouldn't let one $3 sale listing with upped shipping cost devalue a card just because one 'sold at' $3 or the auction time ended at 1am on a monday morning or something like that. I would take sales like that with a grain of salt and look at similar cards to determine the value of a card.

[mooneyes]

Yeah what he said. Most people are not going to pay 17$ shipping for a 3$ card. Most likely the card is worth 20$ or at least close to it.

[doniceage]

Concur with what was said above!

Don

[sports4-ever]

I'm on board with your rationalization , as this makes perfect sense to me ..... but I still encounter many a trader , who will point out that, one and only final sale auction where the card sold $3.00 and ignore the shipping cost factor, and then tell me that the value of my card should also be considered to be $3 trade value...... ughhhhhhh

Would it be accurate to assume , that if you add the total sales of a card which recently sold on ten different auctions and divide by 10 ... a fair trade value would be the result ?

It really depends on the card.

To use your example, lets say I see a specific card that usually goes for around $20 (with little to no shipping cost) and then see the same card go for $3 with a crazy shipping cost to "make up" the difference and still sell for around $20 in total. In this case, the sold at prices would be different, but I would still value both card at around $20. The listings were just structured differently.

If there is a large sale sample to look at, I would take the average of that to determine the rough cost of the card. If the majority of cards are selling (BIN or Auction style) for $20, then I'd assume $20 is fair value.

I wouldn't let one $3 sale listing with upped shipping cost devalue a card just because one 'sold at' $3 or the auction time ended at 1am on a monday morning or something like that. I would take sales like that with a grain of salt and look at similar cards to determine the value of a card.

[mooneyes]

I'm on board with your rationalization , as this makes perfect sense to me ..... but I still encounter many a trader , who will point out that, one and only final sale auction where the card sold $3.00 and ignore the shipping cost factor, and then tell me that the value of my card should also be considered to be $3 trade value...... ughhhhhhh

Would it be accurate to assume , that if you add the total sales of a card which recently sold on ten different auctions and divide by 10 ... a fair trade value would be the result ?

Yeah that is fair.
When I deal with a trader that is being unfair I just walk and don't bother to deal with them again. Don't like to deal with people who are trying to rip me off.
I haven't traded in a while but from what I remember most guys here are easy to deal with.
I guess there are always a few exceptions.

[breitling]

Note that sometimes when you see a $17 shipping charge on a sold item and the seller is located in the US and you are in Canada (or vice versa), they may have sold the card to someone in the US and the buyer may have only paid $3 shipping. So if there is only 2 comps available either could be correct in this case. But I have gotten what I thought were really good deals on cards when the Canadian shipping was high and I shipped them to my PO Box in the US because maybe scared off half the potential buyers (in Canada). Like was stated above, I think some common sense has to be used.

[sports4-ever]

Yeah that is fair.
When I deal with a trader that is being unfair I just walk and don't bother to deal with them again. Don't like to deal with people who are trying to rip me off.
I haven't traded in a while but from what I remember most guys here are easy to deal with.
I guess there are always a few exceptions.

Totally agree with you .... without a doubt, this site has the fairest and most respected traders . If I were to look back, I'm sure 90% of my trades have happened right here on SCF

[Dolphins 77]

However regardless of what you determine is the value of said cards at the end of the day I'm buying the cheapest listing. Remember a cards value is determined by what someone will pay for it not what you think it's worth.

[sports4-ever]

However regardless of what you determine is the value of said cards at the end of the day I'm buying the cheapest listing. Remember a cards value is determined by what someone will pay for it not what you think it's worth.

Agreed , just as it is every seller or traders prerogative to retain a card(s) until he\she has received an offer that their comfortable with . Unfortunately there is no universal system to determine card value , and we all have our own opinions and impressions. That being said , we either choose to negotiate on a mutually agreed value , or we move on , without any hard feelings.