Yankwood
07-26-2010, 01:12 PM
Do "inflated" BIN prices or similarly valued reserve prices on Ebay actually stifle the sports collecting hobby?
I ask this more of a discussion that a damnation of those on ebay who know the average "going" prices on items who list at 3 or more times the typical price. I know sometimes rarity of certain items or conditions could cause asking prices to go way up and that is accepted and understood.
I want to word this carefully as this is not meant to chastize anyone for what they believe an item to be worth as it is their item and they are entitled to ask whatever they want for it. My only question is, though, does this kind of pricing actually turn away new hobbyists because of the false belief that that's how much these things are normally sold for and thus, out of their budgets.
Because I have been in the hobby collecting bats for over 30 years, this is specifically what I am talking about.
It is common to go on ebay at any time and see that someone who has been around the hobby for as long as I have and many times even longer listing items at what they know to be exorbitant prices. I always wonder to myself if this person, or these people, are looking for the so called "sucker" who is ignorant of the more typical prices and out to make the occasional killing or if they are trying to dictate the market through pricing methods. And of course, I know the old stock line of "An item is only worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it". The thing is, I see these bats listed month after month after month...etc., etc., etc.....
Again, I want to make it clear that anyone who wants to sell something has the right, and in entitled to charge however much they want. My only question is, does this method of pricing chase away new potential hobbyists and buyers and therefore is this practice counterproductive to a good strong hobby? Now, go ahead and pick me apart.
I ask this more of a discussion that a damnation of those on ebay who know the average "going" prices on items who list at 3 or more times the typical price. I know sometimes rarity of certain items or conditions could cause asking prices to go way up and that is accepted and understood.
I want to word this carefully as this is not meant to chastize anyone for what they believe an item to be worth as it is their item and they are entitled to ask whatever they want for it. My only question is, though, does this kind of pricing actually turn away new hobbyists because of the false belief that that's how much these things are normally sold for and thus, out of their budgets.
Because I have been in the hobby collecting bats for over 30 years, this is specifically what I am talking about.
It is common to go on ebay at any time and see that someone who has been around the hobby for as long as I have and many times even longer listing items at what they know to be exorbitant prices. I always wonder to myself if this person, or these people, are looking for the so called "sucker" who is ignorant of the more typical prices and out to make the occasional killing or if they are trying to dictate the market through pricing methods. And of course, I know the old stock line of "An item is only worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it". The thing is, I see these bats listed month after month after month...etc., etc., etc.....
Again, I want to make it clear that anyone who wants to sell something has the right, and in entitled to charge however much they want. My only question is, does this method of pricing chase away new potential hobbyists and buyers and therefore is this practice counterproductive to a good strong hobby? Now, go ahead and pick me apart.