quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
If I understand your example correctly, a BIN was available for $3.90, while the same card from the same seller went for $9 plus shipping. There are many reasons why this could happen starting with whether on not you love an auction and just who is estimating the card value. Sometimes price guides contribute to both buyers and sellers thinking cards are worth more than they should be.

I have found BINs to be the best way to buy on eBay, provided you know what the card should cost and how likely it is that other buy opportunities will come along. Perhaps this is because I don't really fare well in auctions. Going after autograph cards means that few are really, really cheap and many other people may be looking for them too. As a result, auctions on my interests generally run higher than true BIN value and are not bargains. I have often missed them because they got too high or, even worse, won them too high. Yet the lure of auctions, and that you could get that card close to starting bid, is what makes them attractive for some buyers.

While I have soured on auctions, many buyers just set maximums and leave them. Then someone comes along who runs you up to the too high maximum you have set. Bingo, a BIN would have been cheaper. Also as cardaddict noted, there are gullible buyers who sometimes want things so badly or just have so much money to burn, that they don't look or don't care.

If it is not cards from the same seller, there are good reasons why you might want to pay more. Sometimes things look too good and you know something is off. If the seller has few sales or has bad feedback, you might want to pay more for a card and feel secure. If the card could be in a lesser condition, or the details indicate some issue, you might want to avoid that.

With autographs you have to look at the actual card, not a stock photo. Certified autograph cards can be very different between copies depending on how the person was signing when he/she got to that card. So a nice clean signature on early cards might be worth way more than the sloppy ones from the later cards. With autographs it's more than just the card, it's placement and clarity, to be the best version you can get out of however they person may sign. Always insist on seeing the actual card you are buying.

So not everyone goes for the cheapest card or should go for the cheapest card. The main thing is that you know you have a reason for paying more on a card and that you don't regret it when you see the next BIN or auction closing price. If you are consistently paying more than 20% over average you are doing it wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:

I saw an ebay seller with multiples of the same card, but with a $ 2 or 3 difference in the initial asking bid for each item. Not sure why he'd ask $ 3 for one card, and $ 5 for the identical card in a second auction.