The Supercollector On New Release Day - A Short (Printed) Story

[bigunitcards]

Buy It Now. ORRRRRR...Best Offer.

Great.

My true/false decision just got turned into a fill-in-the-blank.

It's the day after the release of 201X [Brand X]. My player, my guy, my dude, Xxxx Xxxx of the Xxxxx's, the center of my baseball card collecting career has a new card! I'm in, flop the river yahtzee gimme gimme gimme!

You want how much? Eh, yeah right.

Oh so savy eBay seller you. You're all too familiar with my type. PC guys like me are impulsive come release day. So willing to pay a premium for the new hotness and secure our next trophy are we. I know you game as well as you know mine.

So here's an offer about 60% of your BIN. You'll probably snort in disgust as that insult of an offer and counter with something closer to 80%.

GOTCHA

I knew you'd do that and that's what I was willing to pay all along. Check. And. Mate. I knew you'd think I didn't know you'd know I didn't know you'd say no!

Well shucks, you're a LCS front and it's after 5. You won't see my offer until morning and it'll be brunch before step into my clever trap. So impatient am I! I'll refresh this page ever so oft hoping for a late night smart phone warrior of a LCS 2014 business man.

"History: 2 Offers"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This isn't happening. This isn't happening. Some inferior collector thinks they're going to take MY card? Hah, the nerve. Take it loser, whatever I don't even care. This product has only been out a day! There will be 30 more listed by the weekend! Ha, you're going to get worked and I'm gonna steal one of the other ones!

But crap it's only numbered out of 10. Super sighfractor.

Am I going to do this, am I really going to do this? Pay THAT much for that card? Can I really show self discipline an hobby restraint and WAIT for another one? What if this price is actually a steal? What if I'm setting the market price by buying this right now?

But what if I hit that big blue buy button and my offer would have been enough? Ah, decisions are so hard!

Yes, no, yes, no, maybe so, what to do I don't know! Eeenie Meenie Minie Moe!

(stares at auction page) "mmmm....uhhhhh..eeeehhhhhh...AHHHHHHH.......

?

================================================================

What did you do?

 

[jeff_bichel]

Get a shrink. Weird....

 

[AmishDave]

I put it on my helmet, because it looks like it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

 

[IUjapander]

Buy It Now. ORRRRRR...Best Offer.

Great.

My true/false decision just got turned into a fill-in-the-blank.

It's the day after the release of 201X [Brand X]. My player, my guy, my dude, Xxxx Xxxx of the Xxxxx's, the center of my baseball card collecting career has a new card! I'm in, flop the river yahtzee gimme gimme gimme!

You want how much? Eh, yeah right.

Oh so savy eBay seller you. You're all too familiar with my type. PC guys like me are impulsive come release day. So willing to pay a premium for the new hotness and secure our next trophy are we. I know you game as well as you know mine.

So here's an offer about 60% of your BIN. You'll probably snort in disgust as that insult of an offer and counter with something closer to 80%.

GOTCHA

I knew you'd do that and that's what I was willing to pay all along. Check. And. Mate. I knew you'd think I didn't know you'd know I didn't know you'd say no!

Well shucks, you're a LCS front and it's after 5. You won't see my offer until morning and it'll be brunch before step into my clever trap. So impatient am I! I'll refresh this page ever so oft hoping for a late night smart phone warrior of a LCS 2014 business man.

"History: 2 Offers"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This isn't happening. This isn't happening. Some inferior collector thinks they're going to take MY card? Hah, the nerve. Take it loser, whatever I don't even care. This product has only been out a day! There will be 30 more listed by the weekend! Ha, you're going to get worked and I'm gonna steal one of the other ones!

But crap it's only numbered out of 10. Super sighfractor.

Am I going to do this, am I really going to do this? Pay THAT much for that card? Can I really show self discipline an hobby restraint and WAIT for another one? What if this price is actually a steal? What if I'm setting the market price by buying this right now?

But what if I hit that big blue buy button and my offer would have been enough? Ah, decisions are so hard!

Yes, no, yes, no, maybe so, what to do I don't know! Eeenie Meenie Minie Moe!

(stares at auction page) "mmmm....uhhhhh..eeeehhhhhh...AHHHHHHH.......

?

================================================================

What did you do?

$253 for a redemption is a lot. I'd wait, but if you've got the cash and can still feed the family, go for it.

Or better yet, I've got a RJ #/8 in my Ebay for $20. Buy it instead.

 

[ChasHawk]

1. I still abhor the term "supercollector" (but we've been down that road)
2. There is not now, nor will there ever be a card I " have to have"

 

[gracecollector]

Haiku for you, Daniel San:

Stay still like serpent
Only strike for one of one
Other prey can wait

 

[gradedeflator]

I followed this advice last year for 2013 Topps Series 1. Here is my own cautionary experience:

There was a Pedro Martinez The Greats auto redemption on ebay last January (i do like how this year it's "Before They Were Great"). I got heavily outbid, think it sold for $275-300. I figured, "Hey, it's numbered to 10, I'll see another pop up."

Well, a year later I have never seen another redemption hit ebay or any of the message boards I frequent. One live card did hit ebay about 7-8 months after product release and it sold for over $500. So, in 12 months I have seen one redemption and one live card. I imagine the rest is buried in Topps sealed wax, and who knows how many of the remaining redemptions will get pulled after the expiration date in 2016 or whenever.

additionally, the 2013 Topps Series 1 checklist featured a "Greats" auto /10 and a "Greats" auto relic /5. I have never seen the redemptions or live version of the latter. I have followed 2013 Topps The Greats autos (from Series 1) and The Elite (from Series 2) and so few every hit ebay it is ridiculous. I have seen maybe 1-2 of a given player but certainly not the entire checklist.

SO--I don't know how 2014 will play out, but if 2013 is any indication, these "Before They Were Great" cards will come few and far between...

 

[bigunitcards]

I followed this advice last year for 2013 Topps Series 1. Here is my own cautionary experience:

There was a Pedro Martinez The Greats auto redemption on ebay last January (i do like how this year it's "Before They Were Great"). I got heavily outbid, think it sold for $275-300. I figured, "Hey, it's numbered to 10, I'll see another pop up."

Well, a year later I have never seen another redemption hit ebay or any of the message boards I frequent. One live card did hit ebay about 7-8 months after product release and it sold for over $500. So, in 12 months I have seen one redemption and one live card. I imagine the rest is buried in Topps sealed wax, and who knows how many of the remaining redemptions will get pulled after the expiration date in 2016 or whenever.

additionally, the 2013 Topps Series 1 checklist featured a "Greats" auto /10 and a "Greats" auto relic /5. I have never seen the redemptions or live version of the latter. I have followed 2013 Topps The Greats autos (from Series 1) and The Elite (from Series 2) and so few every hit ebay it is ridiculous. I have seen maybe 1-2 of a given player but certainly not the entire checklist.

SO--I don't know how 2014 will play out, but if 2013 is any indication, these "Before They Were Great" cards will come few and far between...

I appreciate the cautionary tale, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on $250 this morning when I woke up to see 4 other people had offers put in on the card. I was ready to pay $200 if countered so I feel I overpaid ~$50 but considering the situation I can live with it.

- On Card Autograph (not a sticker supposedly)
- Topps Card (w/ Team Logos)
- #/10 with only 1 parallel #/5
- Big Release (Topps Series 1) so /10 will be tough to come across many more.
- Redemption card, the odds of all 10 actually getting redeemed & into collections/auctions is not good.

I messaged the seller after I paid and asked, for curiosity sake, what he would have accepted. Said he had offers for $185 & $200, and probably would have countered for $225.

 

[mlbsalltimegreats]

I appreciate the cautionary tale, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on $250 this morning when I woke up to see 4 other people had offers put in on the card. I was ready to pay $200 if countered so I feel I overpaid ~$50 but considering the situation I can live with it.

- On Card Autograph (not a sticker supposedly)
- Topps Card (w/ Team Logos)
- #/10 with only 1 parallel #/5
- Big Release (Topps Series 1) so /10 will be tough to come across many more.
- Redemption card, the odds of all 10 actually getting redeemed & into collections/auctions is not good.

I messaged the seller after I paid and asked, for curiosity sake, what he would have accepted. Said he had offers for $185 & $200, and probably would have countered for $225.

Awsome pick up but the seller lied (Unless those offer were offline deals). The 4 offers he received were $175, $165, $75 and $75. Personally I thought the 175 was too much.

 

[gradedeflator]

1) Congrats OP! if a Pedro comes on ebay with a $250 BIN, I am going to hit it, based on my experience with 2013 Topps.

2) [MENTION=1927]mlbsalltimegreats[/MENTION], how can you check the offers? I was not aware that that was possible...please share!

Awsome pick up but the seller lied (Unless those offer were offline deals). The 4 offers he received were $175, $165, $75 and $75. Personally I thought the 175 was too much.

 

[MansGame]

Been down this road A LOT


---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

 

[gradedeflator]

not sure I get it...was this intended to be constructive?

Been down this road A LOT


---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

 

[MansGame]

not sure I get it...was this intended to be constructive?

Meaning?

I have been down the road of the OP a lot. Seeing high BIN and offers is a slippery slope depending on the BIN and how large it is, etc. Sometimes you play the offer game and sometimes you just hit it because you don't want to lose it.

As a buyer, hate it. I guess as a seller, have to love it?



---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

 

[ChasHawk]

@mlbsalltimegreats, how can you check the offers? I was not aware that that was possible...please share!

THIS