Interesting Conversation Today at the Shop

jumbojohnny · Feb 8, 2010

The local shop in my town is a really nice store and aside form the appearance I have no clue how they are doing financially. When I was talking with the store owner, a man in his early sixties with failing health issues, he approached me with the topic of online card sales. He admits that he doesnt like the idea of the computer and that he doesnt feel as if he has the time to learn enough before he cant work anymore, but asked me a number of questions regarding how I sell stuff online.

I give him the run down on typical Ebay stuff, and I also mention a few other sites (FCB included). I tell him how most people hardly recognize price guides for values on cards and prefer to use a realistic value determined by what somebody else is willing to pay (ebay and other auction style sales). He seems interested in having me help him out, which I am more than happy to do. He is willing to pay me a percent of total sales for the scanning and selling of the cards.

This is where the problem comes in. As a store owner and many other old school collectors/sellers, he always asks BV for the cards. I know this is not always how sales are going to happen these days. I want to help him out and I have tried to explain that he is no longer competing with the store down the road, but instead he is competing with the World.

This man has some AMAZING cards, and a VERY large inventory. I mean Vintage, GU, Autos, 90s inserts, RCs, anything you can pick from really.

Basically what I am writing about is: Is it worth my time and efforts to help him if in the end I am only going to have to refuse sales because he refuses to accept a resonable offer or price simply because it doesnt equal BV? How can I help him realize that without using the internet to help supplement his stores income that he is losing out on a large viable market?

Watt · Feb 8, 2010

You just have to try to explain to him that BV is now obsolete in the world on online sales and show him some completed auctions to prove it. If he still is being stubborn and wants BV, it's going to be his loss

bmc398 · Feb 8, 2010

jumbojohnny said:
The local shop in my town is a really nice store and aside form the appearance I have no clue how they are doing financially. When I was talking with the store owner, a man in his early sixties with failing health issues, he approached me with the topic of online card sales. He admits that he doesnt like the idea of the computer and that he doesnt feel as if he has the time to learn enough before he cant work anymore, but asked me a number of questions regarding hoqw I sell stuff online.

I give him the run down on typical Ebay stuff, and I also mention a few other sites (FCB included). I tell him how most people hardly recognize price guides for values on cards and prefer to use a realistic value determined by what somebody else is willing to pay (ebay and other auction style sales). He seems intereseted in having me help him out, which I am more than happy to do. He is willing to pay me a percent of total sales for the scanning and selling of the cards.

This is where the problem comes in. As a store owner and many other old school collectors/sellers, he always asks BV for the cards. I know this is not always how sales are going to happen these days. I want to help him out and I have tried to explain that he is no longer competing with the store down the road, but instead he is competing with the World.

This man has some AMAZING cards, and a VERY large inventory. I mean Vintage, GU, Autos, 90s inserts, RCs, anything you can pick from really.

Basically what I am writing about is: Is it worth my time and efforts to help him if in the end I am only going to have to refuse sales because he refuses to accept a resonable offer or price simply because it doesnt equal BV? How can I help him realize that without using the internet to help supplement his stores income that he is losing out on a large viable market?

MY LCS has this issue too...and hes a younger guy. Even if I give him a good deal, he still insists on not selling until he gets full book on something. So basically...he's had a lot of stuff in his case for a long time lol. He runs a great business (as far as wax and incredible memorabilia goes) and since I am out of work now I offered to come in and help him move his boxes and boxes and boxes of singles. Instead he just says he wants to keep the stuff in store for his customers...90% of which won't pay twice ebay to get it.

He's not having money issues or anything but his income sure isn't what it used to be in 2005-2007 i'm sure. He literally has boxes of like 2001-2009 football autos he bought and hasn't touched. I spent several hours pulling out Miles Austins (he had like 30 of them), Aromoshodu, Mike Bell, Colston and a lot of guys he got in real cheap (like $2 a card for something that sells $15 or more now...) and won't put them up on ebay to cash in...he just keeps them in a box in the store to sell at book (which most get now). He offered me a Miles for $10 for my trouble which was totally worth it...but at the end of the day you can't help those who won't help themselves. I could literally go in there, spend a month on Ebay and help him pay off his house. THis guy is sitting on easily $75,000-$100,00 in football and baseball autos that get good money but obvously not what they book for.

Labratt21 · Feb 8, 2010

I think the best first step is to sit down with him and a beckett and look at cards that are in the guide as well as completed ebay auctions. Seeing that beckett has a particular auto for a $50 mid value sell for $12 on ebay will be an eye opening experience for this seasoned B&M seller. However, it maybe eye opening in a bad way in that he'll see more of a potential loss for online sales than if he sold them in the store. If this is the case you'll have to remind him about our friend "opportunity cost." If he decides not to sell that $50 auto for $12 then ok, but he can either have $12 in a sale or $0 with a card just sitting on the shelf.

Your other option is to put stuff up on ebay with BIN/BO at the mid level beckett price and just see what happens. Get an idea from him as to the bare minimum he's willing to sell something for and go from there.

It will be difficult to show a B&M guy the positive side of selling online, but also reinforce a fact that you've already stated....That he's no longer just selling to people in town, he's now selling to the world.

sportscardtheory · Feb 8, 2010

Just show him how to look at completed auctions to have a better idea what to sell something for. If a card "books" for $200 but regularly sells for $150, the $200 price-point is meaningless.

Zithy · Feb 8, 2010

I don't think you could--or should--convince him to list stuff at .99 and let it ride. That would give him a heart attack. But he could list his higher dollar items with Best Offers and at least he would have the option of accepting an instant sale at a probably less than book price.

Or ask him which 5-10 different items he would want to sell. Then research Ebay for past sales and print it all out and show him. Tell him that's the reality, that his customers can acquire the same card as the one in his shop with the same ease by click click click and it's at their door in a couple of days. And probably for less.

jumbojohnny · Feb 8, 2010

I thank you for your responses. All of these idea I have had in mind, but I wanted to make sure I wasnt leaving anything out.

Here is also the second problem, which i forgot to list in the OP.

He doesnt want to set up an account for the store. He asks if I could use my accounts, and I simply cannot. Thie money his for him and his business, where as if I sold thousands of dollars for him then I get screwed over in the end by the IRS. I can understand his reluctance to share any information on the web, but we all do it and we know its just as safe as the bank.

I want to help him out, but I just think he is too affraid of the world shoved into a computer.

jumbojohnny · Feb 8, 2010

This is the method that I believe would work best for him. Please believe me when I say that I would never think of doing anyhting to screw this man over. Many times has he and his wife (helps him run the store) been really good to me and even loaned me a couple hundred dollars when I was in a bad pinch. I think of these people as my friends, not just local business owners.

Zithy said:
I don't think you could--or should--convince him to list stuff at .99 and let it ride. That would give him a heart attack. But he could list his higher dollar items with Best Offers and at least he would have the option of accepting an instant sale at a probably less than book price.

Or ask him which 5-10 different items he would want to sell. Then research Ebay for past sales and print it all out and show him. Tell him that's the reality, that his customers can acquire the same card as the one in his shop with the same ease by click click click and it's at their door in a couple of days. And probably for less.

sportscardtheory · Feb 8, 2010

Don't forget to tell him that scarce Ken Griffey Jr. cards regularly sell for 2-5 times what they "book" for. lol

ChasHawk · Feb 8, 2010

Zithy said:
I don't think you could--or should--convince him to list stuff at .99 and let it ride. That would give him a heart attack. But he could list his higher dollar items with Best Offers and at least he would have the option of accepting an instant sale at a probably less than book price.

Or ask him which 5-10 different items he would want to sell. Then research Ebay for past sales and print it all out and show him. Tell him that's the reality, that his customers can acquire the same card as the one in his shop with the same ease by click click click and it's at their door in a couple of days. And probably for less.

I have actually tried this with some "older" sellers at shows. Several times I have gotten the reponse of:

"Oh, well that's just what it sold for that day. I don't care what a card sells for with only a few people bidding on it on the internet. This is what it books for, and that's what I need to get for it."

Been told this by one of my two LCS owners as well. There are 100s of 1,000s of people out there who
could care less about computers, the internet, or eBay.

i43770 · Feb 8, 2010

If he is so concerned about pricing off of Beckett prices, have him sell on the Beckett Marketplace. I want to say it is 250 a month, no listing fees, and a fee on the back end when a card sells. No scanning needed, they give you the database to list from, and you can set your prices based off of book value.

jumbojohnny · Feb 8, 2010

I think the major problem that he has is the Book Value aspect. I have told him that I am willing to work as a commission only sales rep. and that I wouldnt mind doing local card shows either to help sell the cheaper singles and such. I dont think its that he doesnt trust me (I am a local elected town official), but dumb ass Beckett is getting in his head too much. We all know those days have come and gone. Tonight after work I am going back to talk to him about it and I will see what he thinks.

Until then I would like to ask this of board members (only serious ones please). I will take the next few evenings of my time and go through his store looking for these wants. I will find out what he has, work on getting scans, and discuss pricing as a middle party. Maybe if he sees that it works then he would be interested in what else the internet can do.

Vintage (three people)
1- 1953 and 1954 Bowman, and complete Topps sets from the 70s - darrend505
2-
3-

Prospects (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Teams (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Players (six people)
1- Andre Dawson & Billy Williams -chashawk
2- Paul O'Niel - Labratt21
3- Frank Thomas - Cobra29svt
4-
5-
6-

Musial Collector · Feb 8, 2010

Just curious, if I were to walk into this shop with a Mint card that books for $100 and I want to sell it and the owner wants to buy it (I would imagine to resell), what would he give me for it? Book value? More? Less?

jumbojohnny · Feb 8, 2010

Interesting question, but I cannot answer that since I dont know what or how he makes those decisions.

Musial Collector said:
Just curious, if I were to walk into this shop with a Mint card that books for $100 and I want to sell it and the owner wants to buy it (I would imagine to resell), what would he give me for it? Book value? More? Less?

ChasHawk · Feb 8, 2010

jumbojohnny said:
I think the major problem that he has is the Book Value aspect. I have told him that I am willing to work as a commission only sales rep. and that I wouldnt mind doing local card shows either to help sell the cheaper singles and such. I dont think its that he doesnt trust me (I am a local elected town official), but dumb ass Beckett is getting in his head too much. We all know those days have come and gone. Tonight after work I am going back to talk to him about it and I will see what he thinks.

Until then I would like to ask this of board members (only serious ones please). I will take the next few evenings of my time and go through his store looking for these wants. I will find out what he has, work on getting scans, and discuss pricing as a middle party. Maybe if he sees that it works then he would be interested in what else the internet can do.

Vintage (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Prospects (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Teams (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Players (three people)
1- Andre Dawson & Billy Williams if you please
2-
3-

Sets (three people)
1-
2-
3-

darrend505 · Feb 8, 2010

chashawk said:
jumbojohnny said:

I think the major problem that he has is the Book Value aspect. I have told him that I am willing to work as a commission only sales rep. and that I wouldnt mind doing local card shows either to help sell the cheaper singles and such. I dont think its that he doesnt trust me (I am a local elected town official), but dumb ass Beckett is getting in his head too much. We all know those days have come and gone. Tonight after work I am going back to talk to him about it and I will see what he thinks.

Until then I would like to ask this of board members (only serious ones please). I will take the next few evenings of my time and go through his store looking for these wants. I will find out what he has, work on getting scans, and discuss pricing as a middle party. Maybe if he sees that it works then he would be interested in what else the internet can do.

Vintage (three people)
1-1953 and 1954 Bowman, and complete Topps sets from the 70s. Thanks!
2-
3-

Prospects (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Teams (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Players (three people)
1- Andre Dawson & Billy Williams if you please
2-
3-

Sets (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Click to expand...

cgilmo · Feb 8, 2010

technically the low column is book value as well

it's often closer to reality.

Labratt21 · Feb 8, 2010

jumbojohnny said:
I think the major problem that he has is the Book Value aspect. I have told him that I am willing to work as a commission only sales rep. and that I wouldnt mind doing local card shows either to help sell the cheaper singles and such. I dont think its that he doesnt trust me (I am a local elected town official), but dumb ass Beckett is getting in his head too much. We all know those days have come and gone. Tonight after work I am going back to talk to him about it and I will see what he thinks.

Until then I would like to ask this of board members (only serious ones please). I will take the next few evenings of my time and go through his store looking for these wants. I will find out what he has, work on getting scans, and discuss pricing as a middle party. Maybe if he sees that it works then he would be interested in what else the internet can do.

Vintage (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Prospects (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Teams (three people)
1-
2-
3-

Players (three people)
1- Andre Dawson & Billy Williams -CHASHAWK
2- Paul O'Neill - thank you sir
3-

Sets (three people)
1-
2-
3-

jumbojohnny · Feb 8, 2010

Hey Chris, tired of getting crap from Crash Davis...AKA- you dont have the human right to an opinion?/AKA- Turd Cutter.

cgilmo said:
technically the low column is book value as well

it's often closer to reality.

cgilmo · Feb 8, 2010

jumbojohnny said:
Hey Chris, tired of getting crap from Crash Davis...AKA- you dont have the human right to an opinion?/AKA- Turd Cutter.

cgilmo said:

technically the low column is book value as well

it's often closer to reality.

Click to expand...

eh, crash is a good guy

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