under pricing

[rice80fan2]

What about a card that you had to pay $110 to get after finding a card that was 1:360 packs to get just to be able to get it?
I have a Pujols card from the 2001 Donruss Baseball's best Silver set.
It cost me $110 to redeem it after pulling the redemption card 1:360 for a set.
The Pujols BV is $80 and going up and people are not even willnig to pay 1/2 BV on a card that is limited to 499 and was VERY hard to get because the redemption cards were 1 per case!
Is it not a good price if you can get a card only available that way for 1/2 BV of a guy like Pujols who is burning up?
What is your take on this?

[ACBaseball30]

I'm under 21, but I'm still able to gamble through packs/boxes. That's what it is - a gamble. Paying $100 for a box, or sometimes even $100 for a pack provides a chance at pulling a rare Auto, perhaps a Gehrig or Ruth.

Personally, I can't stand card shops. My local guy gouged me for years, and I paid way too much for his stuff since his was the only store in town. He even sold his commons for book price. I remember when I was 8 or so, I spent $50 on Inserts that might have booked $60. Now that I realize what an ™™™ this guy was, I don't feel bad that his store is going under.

People say ebay has destroyed the market, but in fact it has made this hobby stronger. Now I don't have to deal with the "middleman" (Card shops) and I can buy directly from the source. Why should I feel remorse because I'm getting a good deal?

In fact, every card shop owner I know hates Ebay because it cuts in to their profits. But I only knew one person who could have been able to stay in business because of his relationships with his customers. That's what the hobby is all about. If I had a store (someday I might) I'd build relationships at a young age, giving kids and perhaps even adults free stuff, sharing our thoughts on cards/sports/life, and instead of just making money, I'd make a friend for life. I don't know about them, but I know I'd pay an extra few bucks if I was able to support my friend in the process.

[phantomkid21]

acbaseball- i agree, opening boxes is gamblin

[podstock]

everything in the card business boils down to one factor

SUPPLY & DEMAND.


There are literally thousands, if not millions, of a card made. And these days, unlike the 1950s, everyone (including the 6-y/o kid who can't even spell the player's name) keeps the card in near-mint to mint condition.

If fewer cards were made, and less of them in near-mint condition (a la Mickey Mantle cards), the cards would be worth a bundle.

Just look at a 1987 Topps Barry Bonds...for all the things that Bonds has done, you can get a mint one for under $10

[csanders9520]

I agree, but for instance, I have a sammy sosa gold autographed jersey card....there are only 25 made and I havent gotten a really decent offer on it, which is fine, I dont mind keeping the card because when he goes to the hall of fame it will be worth a ton....but people actually get mad because I wont take $50 for it....I think that is rediculous....I agree about some cards, especially commons...but think about it....if you pay $4 for a pack with 7 cards in it...then those commons should still be worth more than 10 cent!!!! Hell, the cardboard and ink is worth that....I think people are just cheap, but that's my opinion

[bootydaddy]

There are some great opinions in this thread...I've enjoyed reading it.

No doubt, Ebay has changed the hobby...mainly, I think, because it makes everyone a potential "seller" of cards, not just dealers. If you have cards you want to sell, you don't have to sell or trade them to a dealer, you can sell them yourself on Ebay or something similar. Perhaps all of this competition for everyones dollars is what forced prices down to pennies on the "BV" dollar.

Right now, I amazed by the Ultimate Collection from UD. Nice cards, no doubt, and I am currently buying some of the players I like from the 03 NFL set. These packs sell for around $90-$100 each (4 cards) and boxes of 4 packs (16 cards total) sell for around $350. But, today alone, I bought a few of the cards on Ebay from this set...a Peyton Manning auto for around $22, a Marshall Faulk GU for $5, and a Randy Moss GU for $7. Now, I realize I am not buying the crazy expensive stuff, but the chance of me getting something like that if I bought a few packs is slim anyway. So, for a lot less, I just buy the single cards I like, and let someone else take the hit of opening the box. Don't get me wrong, I still am a sucker for buying wax (I also busted two SP Authentic Baseball boxes this week, and got bupkus), but maybe buying the single cards is the smarter way to go. Boxes don't seem to be a great gamble these days...

[BlackDiam0nd66]

Well here is my 2 cents on the issue:

I am one of those people who love ebay. If it weren't for ebay I probably would not collect at all. We have 1 card shop within 45 min of us, thats it. Otherwise it's trading online, but, I get the cards I trade online from...ebay!

I can understand your frustration about the Sosa Jersey/auto.....but, there are so many other Sosa autos out there, that people will pay a fraction for them as oppossed to what type of price your card would command. Also, with the low serial #d stuff, yes...there may be only 25 of a certain players card.... but, how many #d/25 cards from different sets does he have out there? Tons....so while the card is a low print run, there are so many to choose from they aren't the novilty they once were.

I myself, will pay what I feel like paying for something, or I don't buy it. BV does not come into play with me. I have paid $5 for an auto with a BV of $8, and I have paid $5 for an auto with a BV of $40. If I want the card, I will get it, period. I don't think to myself "ok...I am paying $5...is it worth it...what will the resale value be down the road...am I getting hosed??" I don't worry about it. I am happy with collecting the way I collect. I collect a couple no name players, but have shelled out a pretty penny to get the cards I needed. I got into a bidding war with someone on ebay for a Prentice auto/helmet #d/25....I ended up paying about $42 with the S&H /ins. Way more than I expected to, but hey, I wanted it, I needed it, I got it! BV I think is like $50 or $60. IMO I think collecting would be alot more fun w/o price guides. Tons of folks get pissy when the "down arrows" start appearing....me, I am a happy camper...that means those cards are usually on the way to being dumped. I always look for the best bargain I can get, and I also sell for the best bargain I can. I am happy to do so, since I don't pay alot for the cards to begin with!

Not to blow my own horn, this might get off the track a little, but it really irks me to see people need 3 commons from someone, then they are shot down because the person with the cards can't "find anything they need" from a trade list. Geeze....I have given away probably close to $500 + in cards to folks here on this site alone. Do I regret it?? Not a bit. I am not saying e1 should just start giving away their stuff....it's my thing I do, and I don't down anyone for not doing it, but I will tell you, people remember stuff like that. I don't do it for what I can get later, I do it because I love the hobby.

As far as buying packs, I don't get caught up in that madness. I buy exactly what I know I am getting, no surprises.

The card shop I go to is somewhat of a rarity. They will trade straight up, no strings attatched. I have never been to a card shop that did that, nor, I suspect, that I will see one again. We buy our supplies and stuff from there because they are honest and caring dealers.

The hobby has been kicked in the gut with all the GU crap that has flooded it in the last 5 years. I hate GU stuff, and the ONLY gu stuff in my PC are cards of the guys I collect. I dont get them because of being GU, I get them because they are a part of the players checklist. I think the GU fad is going to go the way of inserts, if the gu card does not have an auto on it, it will be as hard to trade/sell as inserts are! You can see the difference already from a few years ago!!

Please understand, this entire rant/post/however you see it is not directed at anyone here, just my own 2 cents worth. Every one here has made good and valid points!!

Happy collecting :)

Peace,
Rima

[csanders9520]

I agree with alot of your points Rima....but if noone is going by the price guides, then why do they make them?? The way I see it, Beckett or whatever should price realistically (which they're supposed to be basing the prices on an average of national sales) then it would be a great tool. But I also have a feeling, if they started pricing the way cards are actually selling, some people would still say "I'm not paying BV" and then the value would drop even more. I think people have a bad disposition about BV from dealers. Cards these days dont seem to be worth what they're printed on, and something needs to be done about this. The companies making the cards are charging too much and collectors aren't paying enough (compared to what you spend from the companies).

Sometimes I begin to wonder why any of us collect cardboard pictures of guys who go on strike and will not play the game "they love" because they're not making enough millions of dollars....

[j.e.lew]

They still make the Price Guides because people buy them.
Notice over the last 4=5 years the Beckett guides have become more informative .. Less pricing and more articles/features on Manufactuers and sets.
I also, Have not bought a beckett since the april hockey beckett.
I do not subscribe on-line to beckett price guides, and rarely investigate prices on e-bay. Why..? I dont care about the prices.
Like Rima said.. "If I want it I'll get it". Thats the same for me.
There are too many people that see low #'d cards as the savoir of the hobby. First it was Refractors... They fell off drastically after 3 years, Then It was GU... you can get HoF's and Todays stars for less than 10 Everywhere, E-bay, shows, stores.. Then it's auto's.. Auto's are nice, but with sets such as BAP.. One oer pack.. Stars are easily found for 10-20. Now it's Low #'d.. How long is it going to last...? Remember when A card #'d out of 5,000 was a steal if you could find it for less than 25? Now they are priced out of the pack at 1-2. Your Sosa card is very nice, but you originally had it at 999.99, Now, 699.99 You had 10-12 Bids when I looked at it and A high bid of 51.00. That should tell you something of where it's going. Every single Spezza and Zetterberg SPX auto/GU sold for 250+ the first 2 weeks they where out. Not you can find them for 80-120 (if you look enough).
I have a 1999 Fleer tradition Starting 9 Dan Plesac #'d 5/9. I cant get more than 5 bucks for it. Now I realize that it's Plesac, But come on! Theres only 9 made!.
Your Sosa would probably be better staying in your collection and waiting the years out.

[csanders9520]

I agree with you j.e.....when sosa retires it will be worth alot then....