You're turn: BV vs. SV

[Velvet Hoop]

Trading or selling at book value doesn't really make sense. You're using a third-party's estimate on what a fair price of a card should be. Book value isn't a market-based price, and doesn't reflect the true value of a card at all. It's just a guide or reference point for collectors to get a general idea of how strong the card is that they just pulled. Book value is more for entertainment purposes that practical, real world purposes. Then you throw in the fact that there are different publications with different ideas of what is worth what.

Sale value is a reference point based on what people are actually willing to pay. It's not a hard number, but gives buyers/sellers/traders a fairly accurate gauge of what the card is worth. In my opinion, sale value is all that should matter in terms of what's fair when trading.

Some people may say, "we're trading, not buying/selling." That point really doesn't matter. Whether you're trading or buying/selling, you want to (and should) get a fair and accurate market price for your card. If the SV's match up, that doesn't mean you HAVE to trade. You should still only make trades that you want to complete.

Also, I've heard other people say, "well this card is only selling at X, and I think it's going to go to Y, so I will only trade it at Y." Well, that's all well and good, but you shouldn't expect other people to pay off your long-term investment in the short-term. They'd be paying for all of the risk in the card at a premium. If you think your cards are on the rise, then you have two reasonable options. Trade/sell them at the going rate, or wait for that rise to happen and then trade/sell them at the higher going rate.

[cubsarelife]

I only care about SV, that is the only REAL value. Why should anyone care about a value some group of people slaps on a card anyways? To me, the only thing that determines a cards value, is what people are willing to pay for it.

[capthowdy]

Explain how you can put so much faith into sell value. I have frequently seen auctions end for the exact same card within minutes of each other, and the final selling price was almost 50% different. How is this more stable? Sell value is based on luck and just having the right person want the card your selling. Sale value also varies my location and the market for the local team. I typically will not even talk to someone who wants to go by sale value. If you want to try and tell me your 50.00 card is worth more than my 50.00, then don't waste my time to begin with.

I think it comes down to what you are in the hobby for, if you are trying to just make money or you enjoy collecting. Book value may not be the best, but it certainly is more stable when it comes to trading.

[natsfan]

i use both, they are both tools used in tradeing

[aharner55]

Let me pose this question to you as well.

Obviously shipping on eBay is inflated and there are additional seller fees, but how much of eBay's shipping costs do you reflect in SV? As a buyer, I explain purchases on eBay by saying it was $4 even if the cards was $1 and shipping was $3. To me, the SV on that card can be construed as $4 instead of $1 because that is what the buyer paid for it. Thoughts?

[gladdyontherise]

i think shipping goes into sell value. because, when you purchase something on ebay, you will factor in how much shipping will be, and it affects your bid. if i want to get a card that usually is between $4-8, and i see it, i will factor shipping with what i want to bid.

i think sv is used with more mid to highend cards, most of the cards i own are very lowend like 6-15bv. so sv for the most part, doesnt help or hurt, except in a case like josh hamilton.

i agree with some where sv is becoming more popular, and easier than the whole beckett disaster stuff. though to use sv, if theres only 1 recent auction of something, i wouldnt say thats the value since theres no median in that one auction

[Juvenile404]

i think ebay is a flawed market when it comes to sv. there are too many ways a seller can manufacture, or falsely produce a high or low sell value there. bv may be flawed, but how much does that matter. because if i'm trading card a, with a flawed bv of let's say $20, the card i am trading for also has a flawed bv of $20. both cards are priced poorly, so what? if both of us are using bv, then it's far. so what if bv is only a general idea of how strong the card is or if it is determined by a group of people in a room. my card's value was determined by the same group of people with the same flawed system of how strong the card is compared to the other guy's. neither bv or sv is perfect, but it seems to me that there is less room for manipulation in bv, so thats what i use most of the time. but i understand how sv can become a part of trading when im trading for an andrew declerq auto, which would sell for about $0.25 but books $12 and the guy wants a card of a current rookie auto that also books $12. because bv stays mostly the same forever and ever it makes it hard to trade older cards for current ones when an older player becomes obsolete. that's where sv could come in for me.

[williams51]

I bought a BGS 9.5 UD all star line up Koby Bryant auto SP @152.00 on ebay. A raw copy "non-graded" sold for 225.00 so do I trade my BGS 9.5 at 152 cause it sold at that price? I don't think so ebay is all about luck and hitting it at the right time you may get a deal. Hope this make sense I just woke up USA #1

[cubsarelife]

capthowdy- that is why I take the average sale price...it is still better than beckett where a brady quinn refractor card books more than a Geovany Soto auto...that is the reason I can't stand beckett

[palantri]

ive done quite the 180 on my view with this- I used to think that BV was the only way to go, and I would trade and sell exclusively by BV. However, as I switch my main method of collecting from trading to buying and selling, I find myself relying more on sell value now- it seems to be more fair, especially since beckett is an absolute crock. One thing that still bothers me is people who claim to use SV, but try to use it advantageously- ie, they quote the lowest sell price when they are buying, and use the highest one when they are trying to trade or sell

Ed