Several years ago, I remember being approached online by a guy who had just pulled a Ranford Auto / Jersey limited to 5 copies. Set was brand new that week. Did I have one already? Did I want it?
Of course I was interested, and the conversation went something like this:
Yes, I'd be very interested. What were you looking for on it?
Make me an offer
Okay, I'd pay you $80 for it
Well, I've had another offer of $250 for it, but I really think it belongs in your collection. I'd sell it to you for $230, and that will include express / tracked delivery from the USA
Thanks, but I'm going to have to pass. That's a lot more money than I'm willing to spend, and a lot more money than I've seen any comparable Ranford stuff sell for in the last year. Great offer though, I'd jump all over that if I were you, before the other guy changes his mind.
That was the last I heard from him for about a week. About a week later I get a message telling me that I can have it for $150, but that's as low as he'd go. My reply was something like:
"Sorry. Not really interested anymore. I already picked up another copy. That sucks that your other offer fell through."
Of course there was no $250 offer. I never believe there was for even a second. Why did a price drop so much? Because one sold on eBay for $65 (to me).
What happens next? It was listed on eBay for $250 for a while, I think may have been relisted a few times under different prices, and eventually went up for a cheap start bid auction, and it sold for less than $40.
There's lots of people out there that do it though. If they have a 1/1 card, it's worth a ton. If they have something really rare... their prices will reflect that. Who is pictured on the card doesn't seem to matter. $200 for a Lee Stempniak Victory Black? That's a joke. Maybe if Stempniak collects his own cards, he might not care and pull the trigger? That's about it though.
For me though - I stopped caring about this kind of thing (for myself) a long time ago. Anytime I've seen a Ranford really overpriced, it either eventually comes down in price.... or another copy (at a reasonable price) shows up, and I get it then. If a card is released in the fall of 2015, and I have to wait until the summer of 2016 to own a copy.... I'll survive. I promise. If I never own a copy? I'll probably survive too, lol.
Of course, this is the flip side to "Sorry, your low numbered card I want is only worth $5, and that's all I'm paying." (not saying this is the case with the OP, or anyone in particular..... but we all know it's a thing).
I bought a ITG parallel of a common player the other day.... it was numbered /10. I was more interested in the crest on the player's jersey than the player himself. I paid the opening bid of 99 cents. Does that mean it's "worth" 99 cents? I guess?? I know it would take more than $5 to pry it from my collection though.
Because there's a lot of rip & flip people out there, there's a lot of sellers that will blow their cards out for rock bottom prices.... and cards limited to 25 copies (or less) often sell for a couple of bucks: I think too many of us expect that $2 or $5 or something like that is an appropriate price to pay for that kind of stuff.... and I will admit that I can't blame sellers for holding out for a better return than that.
My brother collects a fair amount (not active online at all though, other than eBay) and last year had a line that I think had a pretty good perspective on the topic. He's been slowly picking away at SPGU Jersey #ed Rookie Cards (using auto'd parallels for cards he can't track down, or the price is too high for his liking).
We were @ the Expo in Toronto, and a dealer was selling a Mike Kostka SPGU RC. Not exactly a big name player, and limited to 6 (I think) copies. "How much do you want for it?" (it was one he needed) "I'd take $140". He agreed, and paid the guy $140.
I made a comment about that being a lot of money for a card of Mike Kostka. His reply?
"If I busted a box, for $140, and pulled it I'd be thrilled to actually pull a card this rare, that I need - even if everything else I got was junk. I don't mind paying for his box, at all, to get this card."
Now, I'm not saying an Artifacts Parallel /25 should pay for the box.... but I think too often (and I include myself in this) we expect that we'll get that card for next to nothing, despite it being pretty rare. If we genuinely don't care if we get it or not.... I guess that's one thing..... but when we're actively searing for a card that's fairly limited, and then aren't willing to pay something that's worth seller's while..... that's probably just as frustrating.
"If this was a 99 cent auction, I'd win it for less than $5." It might be true, but if there are no 99 cent auctions available now.... or going to be in the foreseeable future... does it matter, if we really want that card and have been searching for a while already?
Of course I still think $200 for a tough to find parallel of a common player is a complete joke, and anyone actually asking that much should be ashamed of themselves.... but if more people were willing to plunk down $25 for cards like that, instead of $5, we might see less crazy pricing out there.
