Hopelessly Overpriced On Ebay posted by john ivic

[CSJournals-migration]

Some Sellers Need To Wake Up

 

It never ceases to amaze me how some sellers on ebay set prices on their books and are convinced they will sell, no matter how many times they have to list them. Case in point: five CGC issues of the Neal Adams Tomahawks listed the other day graded at 9.4 or 9.6. The prices range from 499.95 to 649.95. This is the third time the seller has listed these books in the last four months. The prices have not changed, nor does he add the best offer option. Needless to say, he won't sell them this time around either. The books are all overpriced by $100 - $200, depending on the grade. One of these books I need, but not at the price he wants. Like I said, wake up and smell the coffee! Or just let your books sit until hell freezes over.

 

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[eMTe]

I have been watching 3 books on eBay that have been listed for the past 4 months and Im the only watcher and he wont lower the price. I even sent a message asking what the best price he can do is and never got a response. I think they think because it's the only one on eBay at this moment that the books are priceless!

[Alawson453]

I agree with you that if he really wants to sell them he should include the best offer

option. At least with that tool you can test the water to see how much demand there is and how much buyers are willing to pay. I am also guilty of pricing my books much higher than

I think I will get for them sometimes, but I am testing the water and always open to rationale offers. After all when I list books for sale that is the end result I am expecting. Relisting just adds to my cost unless there is a special for the month and its free.

 

I say take the books off your watch list, that way the seller sees there is one less person

interested. Who knows you may be the only person watching 1 or all of the items. If so

he knows it's only a matter of time until you breakdown and buy at

least one. It may also force him to lower the price of no one's else is interested.

 

Good luck and great post!

[David Swan]

4 months is nothing. I have seen items at ridiculous prices listed for years without budging. I went through an experience where I lost an auction to someone who bid over guide. Then the person listed the item at a dramatically inflated price on Comic Connect where it sat without a nibble. When that didn't work the item was then listed on Ebay with an even higher price. I guess a lot of people just don't care if their items sell.

[Jaylam]

These books are being held hostage and a ransom price is being asked. Don't deal with comic book terroists. Either that, they just want their books treated like they're in a comic book museum, look, but don't touch.

[Shivabali]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVEL-GRAPHIC-NOVEL-4-CGC-Graded-9-8-White-Pages-New-Mutants-1st-Appearances-/151245425993?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2336ee0d49

 

One word: insufficiently_thoughtful_person

 

The highest this book has ever sold for is $550. What's even stranger is this seller had this book listed at 1,500 for the longest time, then for some reason (insufficiently_thoughtful_person) raised it by $1,000 to its current $2,500.

[Ronnylama]

If someone wants a book bad enough, someone will pay. It is a business after all.

The seller should have a communicative agreement and receptive attitude. The seller wants to make a profit.

I hope sellers who play this way read this post. I can see if a book is a major key or "hot" book.....Make it a win/win....keep it real

 

[Griff]

I feel your pain, there are a books "ebay and elsewhere" that I see books I want that are outrageously over priced. I also have tried to contact the seller with no luck. yet the same book remains for sale weeks upon weeks later. I wonder if they really WANT to sell the book or not /sigh

[meshuggah]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVEL-GRAPHIC-NOVEL-4-CGC-Graded-9-8-White-Pages-New-Mutants-1st-Appearances-/151245425993?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2336ee0d49

 

One word: insufficiently_thoughtful_person

 

The highest this book has ever sold for is $550. What's even stranger is this seller had this book listed at 1,500 for the longest time, then for some reason (insufficiently_thoughtful_person) raised it by $1,000 to its current $2,500.

 

I like how they have $40 shipping also. Is an armored car delivering it?

What an

[ItsJustRyan]

A few thoughts:

 

Some people list books without really wanting to sell them. However, if someone wants to pay the "crazy price," they will let it go. Also, some peope can afford to just sit on inventory and wait for either (a) an uninformed buyer or (b) the one collector that HAS to have that issue in grade.

 

That's the free market for ya. Good luck with the hunt. (thumbs u

[jsilverjanet]

A few thoughts:

 

Some people list books without really wanting to sell them. However, if someone wants to pay the "crazy price," they will let it go. Also, some peope can afford to just sit on inventory and wait for either (a) an uninformed buyer or (b) the one collector that HAS to have that issue in grade.

 

That's the free market for ya. Good luck with the hunt. (thumbs u

+1

[MatterEaterLad]

I've seen some buyers bounce their prices. They'll be $500 for two weeks and then drop to $275 the next. Then back up to the original price. Maybe they're trying to create a "Look it's on sale!" kind of thing with the casual browser?

 

 

[Heronext]

Listings like these can be annoying. You do feel like a book is being held at ransom. Some of the most well-known, big-name dealers do this all the time, but the really deluded ones do seem to end up on eBay.

 

The way I look at it now, every listing is useful market information, no matter what the ask price. At least then, you know that copy of that book exists. You also know which sellers to avoid.

 

For books that trade frequently or hot keys likely to rise, an overpriced book on the market for eons tells you nobody in the world is willing to pay that price for it. It shows you a definite ceiling on the price when you are shopping elsewhere.

 

The best revenge is to source those books from wherever those guys are sourcing them from, and get there before they do.

[Mattk3447]

This is the bad part of eBay not changing for listing items anymore. Now people can list items for ridiculous prices and not worry about paying fees

[Marlocke]

While some people here have tentatively approached the argument from the perspective of the seller, I'll play devil's advocate and go all in. To be clear, not responding to a buyer's message is just unnecessarily rude and poor business practice, though it does happen on the boards as well. That being said, the old adage is true - it's the seller's book and he can list it at whatever price he likes, or just set fire to it. If a buyer won't pay an excessive price, he goes somewhere else - unless there isn't another copy available, which brings us to our current situation and the major reason for overpriced books - limited supply. I don't see the point in getting frustrated over not owning a book at an excessive expense, just makes it that much sweeter when you do find a copy at half the inflated price of the inflexible seller. Even if a seller is listing a book he has no intention of selling just to show it off, why sweat it? Frankly, that type of seller is just a little sad. I've seen listings for hard to find 9.8 copies, but the seller used his 9.9 copy for the main auction picture, and even went so far as to brag in the listing details that he owned the only 9.9 graded copy, then proceeded to extol the virtues of his 9.8 under copy. Bottom line is, it's the buyer's book and getting frustrated over his pricing doesn't make any sense. If I see an over priced book, I chuckle and move on. Do I price my books high? When I see it's a hot book I try to wring every penny out of it, because that cash is going right back into my collection. Do I take offers and even revise auctions to lower the price for a sale? Sure, when I need to make a sale or he buyer has a compelling reason. No one is being forced to buy anything. I say we save this kind of frustration for our car insurance premiums.

[Heronext]

A good example

 

http://m.ebay.com/itm/301143230410

 

Asking $1500, I think it was even higher last time I looked at it.

[Dr. Balls]

I've seen some buyers bounce their prices. They'll be $500 for two weeks and then drop to $275 the next. Then back up to the original price. Maybe they're trying to create a "Look it's on sale!" kind of thing with the casual browser?

 

 

+1

 

MCS does that on a lot of oddball books I have on my Watch List. They fluxuated Linsner's 'Sex and Death' from $450 to $1200 over a period of a few months. I think they want to get a guy to see it at $1200 and then when he comes back some time later and sees it for $450, he pulls the pin.

[Rockblazer]

Just a few things. Back in May of 2010 I bid on some early higher grade Turoks from Collectors Comics. A very well known dealer bid againest me on most of them. I won 3 he won 3. He turned around and listed them for 4 to 7x the price he paid for them. He also listed them as recently aquired from an original owner collection. Almost 4 years later they are still on Ebay but recently he did discount them and offered best offer. So he relisted them every month for almost four years. The listing wording has never changed.

On Meshuggah's comments on high shipping costs. I use the " Report Item" feature on Ebay to report excessive shipping. Sometimes they lower the cost within hours. It works. I see high shipping costs a lot on Key books but they are still using Media mail to ship them.

[surfer99]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVEL-GRAPHIC-NOVEL-4-CGC-Graded-9-8-White-Pages-New-Mutants-1st-Appearances-/151245425993?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2336ee0d49

 

One word: insufficiently_thoughtful_person

 

The highest this book has ever sold for is $550. What's even stranger is this seller had this book listed at 1,500 for the longest time, then for some reason (insufficiently_thoughtful_person) raised it by $1,000 to its current $2,500.

 

...and he is charging $40 shipping within the U.S. no less!! Who knew those New Mutants were in such demand? Quick Ronnylama, sell your copy, you'll make a fortune!!

 

Hey, I just realized this is my 1000th post. Guess I should say something profound..............nope, I got nothin.

 

Wait...............nah, still nothin.

 

 

[youmechooz]

Some Sellers Need To Wake Up

 

It never ceases to amaze me how some sellers on ebay set prices on their books and are convinced they will sell, no matter how many times they have to list them. Case in point: five CGC issues of the Neal Adams Tomahawks listed the other day graded at 9.4 or 9.6. The prices range from 499.95 to 649.95. This is the third time the seller has listed these books in the last four months. The prices have not changed, nor does he add the best offer option. Needless to say, he won't sell them this time around either. The books are all overpriced by $100 - $200, depending on the grade. One of these books I need, but not at the price he wants. Like I said, wake up and smell the coffee! Or just let your books sit until hell freezes over.

 

See more journals by john ivic

On certain books i keep, i overprice them and stick them on my ebay store. Gets eyes on the store and if someone wants to pay my ridiculous price, cool, if not, i keep it.