Question about making offers on eBay

[brjohnston1985]

If someone has a card outrageously priced on eBay - let’s say a $20-30 card that’s listed for $200 - would you make an offer that’s much closer to the actual price? Or would that be considered rude?

[NYRE2PECT]

Offer what you would pay - never any harm in that. I think sometimes people are separated from reality in their pricing, sometimes I think that they don't know, and lastly sometimes I think that they are attempting to catch a new buyer who doesn't have experience or know how to use the tools to check pricing.

Never know until you try.

[wood minis]

It's always nice to pay less for a card you want. Some sellers are more motivated than others.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

You’re free to offer whatever. If sellers have the OBO option turned on, they should also set a min offer.

[danthemansstore]

Offer what you would pay - never any harm in that. I think sometimes people are separated from reality in their pricing, sometimes I think that they don't know, and lastly sometimes I think that they are attempting to catch a new buyer who doesn't have experience or know how to use the tools to check pricing.

Never know until you try.


I believe prices are truly hard to set unless you are in the upper echelon of cards. Facts and buyers set the price. With so many cards available on the market a $20 card really doesn’t know the market like many other lesser cards. The market is controlled by buyers who have money to sit on a card or collect. Collectors buy low as possible when they can as they need to get their collection where they aren’t afraid of “burying” the money. People who sit on cards are risk buyers. They will buy closer to premium or above because of foresight of the cards’ chance of growing. Knowing your buyers is very complicated when get outside the trending cards and getting eyes on your card is almost impossible unless you are under perceived value. Just my opinion of course.


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[Allen Ginter 99]

Perfect example is a Pele Ronaldo auto in eyeing … buyer asking 350,000…… OBO

If they have on there OBO then I don’t see the hurt offering an amount your comfortable with.

Worse case they say no and move on


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[ThoseBackPages]

always offer at most, what you are willing to pay.

[DynaEtch]

It's very possible the seller might have an offer as low as 10% auto-declined, so it might not matter either way.

Obviously not a ton to lose by making the offer- maybe just annoying the seller possibly to the point of blocking you is the only thing I can think of, plus using up one of the 5 offers for that item. Besides that, not much to lose.

There is one thing I would not recommend, and that is to attach a message in the offer explaining why the card is only worth $20-$30ish- sellers generally dont like being told by buyers why a card should sell for only $X.

It this were me personally, and I saw an asking price so high above market price, I would probably just pass it by and wait for one to pop up at a more reasonable price. Even though with best offer, the base buy it now price does mean something, it's the ballpark of what the seller wants. If the card is so rare that another one never comes up in a long while, then maybe the price isnt that high after all.

[panamamyers]

What's up with these folks that private message you asking what's the best price you can do? How about you just make an offer and we will find out the old fashioned way.

[DynaEtch]

What's up with these folks that private message you asking what's the best price you can do? How about you just make an offer and we will find out the old fashioned way.

I get this constantly as a seller, daily.

I also get constant offers in messages for items with strict buy it now's (no best offer listed).

[thenightman]

What's up with these folks that private message you asking what's the best price you can do? How about you just make an offer and we will find out the old fashioned way.

100% this. I always tell them that if they aren't going to make an offer then my list price is the best price I can do.

[pewe]

What's up with these folks that private message you asking what's the best price you can do? How about you just make an offer and we will find out the old fashioned way.


If I’m doing a BO at more than maybe 30% discount, with real rational / logic, I do PM the person first.

With a note that says something like “I’m worried we may be too far apart, but this is how I’m thinking about the card value. How are you thinking about it”

Some responses have been “totally agree - happy to take 80% discount” or “I had no real idea, and your logic sounds fair - I’ll accept xxx that seems in range”

There are some other responses that say “I think he’s going to do awesome and this card will be worth 5x by mid-season… you’d be crazy not to overpay now because it will look cheap later”

Those latter I respond saying “cool! I agree he’s going to be exciting. If you ever want to chat again in the future I’d still be willing to honor my offer”

I’ve even had a couple boomerang on this latter strategy into the zone I’d be comfortable with after they stew on it and are getting no offers because it’s overpriced.


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[mfw13]

I usually send them a message first asking them if they are aware that the price they are asking is way above market and if they are willing to consider a "market level" offer.

If they respond yes, I then make an offer......if they don't, then I take the item off my Watchlist and forget about it.

A lot of it depends on the card....since for many cards there are not a lot of comps out there, if any.

[87toppsproject]

I’m an eBay seller and always price my cards according to the most recent sold and what people are asking. I also try to check prices on my unsold cards every week to make sure I’m current. With that said, there have been times when a card I list for $xxx.xx is now selling for 1/2 that and I neglected to adjust the price. What tends to happen is I’ll get an offer that is way below what I’ve listed and check to see that in fact the price has decreased; however, more often than not, I’ll have someone offer me $17.00 for a $100 card that is actually selling for $100 or $110. I don’t take it personally because maybe that’s all they want to spend and the best I can do is send a counter offer.

As a buyer, I won’t send an offer like the example above, but that’s just me.

[CardboardCombat]

The pricing spreads on Ebay make no sense at all.

Same card same grade and depending on who you buy it from you could spend literally thousands more in some cases.

I think a lot of these guys are just looking for suckers who aren't paying attention and or they have a high cost basis in the card and are looking to flip it.

[bloodwings19]

I think a lot of these guys are just looking for suckers who aren't paying attention and or they have a high cost basis in the card and are looking to flip it.

For me, I list my some of my cards at high prices because it is a very low pop (less than 5), or I don't want to sell it unless the buyer want it more than I do. If I have a BGS 9.5 with only .5 from Pristine, I'm not going to sell at the going rate. I have a Prizm RC lots that are all-numbered, I'm not going by each cards last completed comp. I took the time to put it together. And the typical buyers that buys those lot are looking to put into COMC. The people that are suckered are those that buy lots without description, just using pictures. Or people that list Bowman Chrome color refractors that aren't refractors, but color border cards (non-refractors). Or people selling Prizm Silver when they are base cards. Those are the seller you should curse at.

By the way, in my long history at eBay. I have 0 negative feedbacks on buyers that have bought cards at high pricing.

[RL 1953]

when I make a offer, I offer my max amount I will pay. sometimes the seller accepts, sometimes not.

I buy the card from a different seller.

a few days later the first seller sends me a offer for less than my original offer.

[Dbacksbaseball]

If the seller has an OBO offer away.

If the seller does not have an OBO and you aren’t close probably not worth your time or the sellers to offer.

I stopped using OBO outside of cards I genuinely find tough to comp. I get maybe close to 500 messages a month on offers with those cards. I might respond to 5 of those messages where people were in the ballpark of a reasonable offer.

[Stifle]

I believe prices are truly hard to set unless you are in the upper echelon of cards. Facts and buyers set the price. With so many cards available on the market a $20 card really doesn’t know the market like many other lesser cards. The market is controlled by buyers who have money to sit on a card or collect. Collectors buy low as possible when they can as they need to get their collection where they aren’t afraid of “burying” the money. People who sit on cards are risk buyers. They will buy closer to premium or above because of foresight of the cards’ chance of growing. Knowing your buyers is very complicated when get outside the trending cards and getting eyes on your card is almost impossible unless you are under perceived value. Just my opinion of course.


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This is what the current hobby has come to.

I’m not sure what the seller may have into the card, nor does anybody else. I have purchased boxes and cases and it’s a gamble. Could the seller be attempting to gain back a portion of a purchase?

Today’s collectors risk very little because they wait for others to risk “break product” and then take the time to list. I’ve become one of them because I don’t wish to gamble on opening a box that costs $200, pull the only card worth listing that is valued at $20.

[somethingclever]

I usually don’t have offers on any of my items, if someone sends me a message with a reasonable price I will send an offer back. Seems to work well.

10 plus years ago I used to have offers on all my items, but it was not worth the hassle. Usually all the offers were low ball, or if I had a minimum set I would get messages telling me to stop smoking crack etc. It kinda soured me on the offer option and I quit using it.


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[unclemonkey]

Had a guy trying to talk me down on a Superfractor of Andrew Painter.

His logic seemed reasonable, but my price is my price. More to it than just the card. My mindset was the cost of the entire break.

On something that is common my ability to negotiate is better.

Had a guy with low number feedback whittle me down on a graded 9.5 BGS Vlad RC.... yea here ya go.

"Can I see a picture of the reverse?"

Come on man....

I never resent these offers because at least they are looking.