Offering A Fair Price For Cards [Archive]

HadWayTooMuch

03-29-2015, 07:38 PM

I have no issue making offers on cards when someone walks in my store and no issue looking up on ebay and making a determination of value, but how do you guys buy (wholesale) from someone you know and want to take good care of?

I have a relative of a buddy of mine who is going to drive 2 hours to sell me his mid 70s (mostly) baseball card collection with some G-VG 1960s including a couple of VG (at best) Mantles.

Any suggestions as the fairest way to make him an offer that works for both parties? Normally, I have to take into consideration the length of time it's going to take me to move the items, especially mid 70s baseball which is nice and all, but far from hot.

But with him, I really need to take care of him as not only is his cousin a buddy, but someone I owe for multiple reasons.

Any thoughts? We're looking at a few thousand cards with many 1974-1978 Topps commons with stars and rookies, but again, those aren't that hot on the market right now.

Any opinions, good or bad, welcome.

bethanyb1201

03-29-2015, 07:54 PM

well I always pull an example up on ebay and show them the final sales price. I them tell them about ebay fees and shipping ect. 90% of the time I get for 60% or less of ebay. I almost always make them tell me what they want after we look up prices and I explain my costs. Some people even sell to me for 40% or less. Honesty is the best way to go and people refer me all the time.

Hess687

03-29-2015, 07:57 PM

I'm not sure there's much to add to this, besides asking him what price he is looking for then stating where you are in price and then stating your reason why (which was listed above) and then coming to terms on either A) your price or B) a price that may be higher than your offer, but lower than his but is beneficial to both.

Best of luck!

NickM

03-29-2015, 07:57 PM

What percentage of expected resale price would you offer a stranger on G-VG playing-days Mantles?
I'd offer that percentage for the whole collection.

kyle1707

03-29-2015, 07:59 PM

Time is money.. If you spend 4-5-10 hours of work selling shipping posting etc..

your risk after you buy them..

Ebay paypal takes 13%

HadWayTooMuch

03-29-2015, 08:09 PM

Time is money.. If you spend 4-5-10 hours of work selling shipping posting etc..

your risk after you buy them..

Ebay paypal takes 13%

This is exactly what concerns me.

Here's a basic philosophy not taking time into consideration.

Ebay plus fees is 13%, give or take a penny.

If I offer someone 40% off ebay sell value (realistic, not 1 single card sold for that price) then in theory, we are splitting the profits and paying the fees, give or take a point or two.

But then you have to take into consideration the time it will take to list hundreds of cards. If you are buying 5 cards, who cares? But if you are buying a thousand or so including commons, then what?

I don't mind offering 40-50% on the Mantles whether that means $10 or $50 or $100, but on a 1977 Topps Gary Carter, you can't even offer a percentage. It's a $1 card. Then you have to make an offer on say 500 1977 Topps baseball commons and minor stars. What do you offer? 10 cents a card? 5 cents a card? Remember, I'm trying to be more fair with him than I usually am and I think I'm quite fair.

Crazybella8

03-29-2015, 08:24 PM

Ask him what he is looking for for everything! See how close you are and go from there!

HadWayTooMuch

03-29-2015, 08:40 PM

Ask him what he is looking for for everything! See how close you are and go from there!

The person has no knowledge of cards. If I was a jerk, I could steal them. I don't want to do that. I want to give him a fair offer. I'm just trying to figure out how to determine that when dealing with a friend compared to the general public.

linderaaron

03-29-2015, 08:49 PM

You wont need to steal them from him but its possible that if he doesnt know ANYTHING about cards or the market then it should be easy to explain the way the market is fairly quickly and easily. After explaing that to him ask him what he wanted for them and if he says (like alot of people do who are trying to sell their cards with no knowledge of the market) well I dont know I was kind of hoping you could make me an offer, then make him your normal offer as if he was any other person who came in. If it all goes to hell, just make offers on all of the nicer stuff so he might feel like he didnt go in there for nothing...

GOWIFB

03-29-2015, 08:54 PM

Maybe give him an amount you really feel comfortable paying (which could be perceived by him as a low offer) but note it can take a lot of time to list and sort and maybe offer to give him a cut after you recoup your initial investment. That way you don't overpay since you don't want to insult him with a low offer. So say ill give you $100 now and then I will give you 30 or 40% of sales after that. That way you still get like 50% profit off every card after ebay fees are taken out and his cut.

TarjetasBéisbol

03-29-2015, 08:56 PM

You know the market so offer him what you think is fair, if he doesn't take your offer don't feel bad at all. Don't overpay just because he is a relative of a close friend and don't feel obligated to buy just because he drove 2 hours. I would not go the route of offering additional money after sales, close the deal with him one time.

HadWayTooMuch

03-29-2015, 09:03 PM

Thanks for all the thoughts guys and please keep them coming.

garyg21

03-29-2015, 09:12 PM

Try and work out a deal where you agree on a certain % of sales... example:

Ebay/paypal get 13%, you get 20%, and he gets the rest.

Just a thought... good luck

ricksam

03-29-2015, 09:45 PM

explain how u arrive at offer .. before u offer

dont be tempted by greed like some who will rename nameless fans

joey_peapod

03-29-2015, 09:56 PM

I find it harder sometimes to deal with people who know nothing about cards because they think all of the stuff the have is priceless.

I had a friend father that had a fairly large collection and he thought every card would sell for at least $1, when he wouldn't even get 20 for $1. I didn't even offer because I didn't want to insult him with my $100 offer. Needless to
Say he's still got this large collection of mostly commons

mattsey9

03-29-2015, 10:24 PM

Try and work out a deal where you agree on a certain % of sales... example:

Ebay/paypal get 13%, you get 20%, and he gets the rest.

Just a thought... good luck

Since you're helping out a buddy in this case, rather than trying to maximize your sales, a deal like this might be the best solution.

nmculbreth

03-29-2015, 11:37 PM

Thanks for all the thoughts guys and please keep them coming.

More than anything, just be honest and upfront with him. Explain all of the variables that go into determining value (condition, rarity, etc.) and give him an honest assessment of what the cards are actually worth. If you think they're something you can sell, make him an offer which still allows you to turn a bit of profit and explain all of the reasons why you're only able to pay X% of fair market value. If he's uncomfortable with the price you're offering, help educate him on some of the alternatives and explain the pros and cons of going that route.

bbcardsrgreat

03-29-2015, 11:54 PM

This is exactly what concerns me.

Here's a basic philosophy not taking time into consideration.

Ebay plus fees is 13%, give or take a penny.

If I offer someone 40% off ebay sell value (realistic, not 1 single card sold for that price) then in theory, we are splitting the profits and paying the fees, give or take a point or two.

But then you have to take into consideration the time it will take to list hundreds of cards. If you are buying 5 cards, who cares? But if you are buying a thousand or so including commons, then what?

I don't mind offering 40-50% on the Mantles whether that means $10 or $50 or $100, but on a 1977 Topps Gary Carter, you can't even offer a percentage. It's a $1 card. Then you have to make an offer on say 500 1977 Topps baseball commons and minor stars. What do you offer? 10 cents a card? 5 cents a card? Remember, I'm trying to be more fair with him than I usually am and I think I'm quite fair.
If its nice stuff condition wise gradable type stuff you have to come correct if its trash you have to point out all of the flaws in the total collection. If the mantles are trashed 10% is the most I pay generally I pay less and sell for 10% its a slippery slope which ever way it goes its never easy to deal with friends of friends

HadWayTooMuch

03-30-2015, 07:44 AM

Since you're helping out a buddy in this case, rather than trying to maximize your sales, a deal like this might be the best solution.

If I had the time to put them all on ebay, I agree, something like this is best.

Two problems. One, most of the cards would be $1-$5 on ebay which would take me way too much time to make $.25-$1.00 per card.

Second, most of the cards would just go into my inventory and I'll get to them eventually. No time to dedicate to someone else's $1 cards (plus a few of course) on ebay.

Some great thoughts. Keep them coming!

rcgdodge

03-30-2015, 08:49 AM

People like round numbers......Give him what you think is fair. $500, $750..........$1,000.

If he's not a collector he'll be happy to get what he can.

A friend compared to the general public should get the same level of professionalism......at least thats what I think.

jmscoggin

03-30-2015, 08:59 AM

A friend compared to the general public should get the same level of professionalism......at least thats what I think.

100% agree, you (OP) should be doing the same offer regardless, otherwise you are doing a disservice to one group or the other.

trixstar

03-30-2015, 09:29 AM

HadWayTooMuch

03-30-2015, 09:05 PM

In my opinion you don't do anything different for friends or family when it comes to business as you would do for any other person. Only bad things can happen in my experience. Show him ebay sales, make him an honest offer you would make any other customer. Maybe cut him a little bit of slack for the distance he drove but again he's the one who chose to do that.

Interesting. Here's the problem I'm dealing with. If someone has say 250 cards that are ebay sellable at say $5 each, then in theory his cards are worth $1250. In theory, I should offer 40% if they are liquid (half minus fees) so I should offer around $550ish. But what if I don't have time to list 250 cards on ebay anytime soon? Do I not buy at all, or offer a lower price? That's a lot of labor for say $500 profit if you think about it.

He has very little that will sell quickly that I don't already have in inventory. I will gladly add to my inventory. I'll buy anything pre-1980 at the right price. I don't think another guy is going to pay him 40% (using it as a rough number) so it will be tough for him to sell to anyone.

Am I helping him or not helping him (using the $1250 formula) offering him a lower amount than say 40% if we're talking low end cards and lots of $1-$5 cards?

yanksfan0134

03-30-2015, 09:15 PM

Interesting. Here's the problem I'm dealing with. If someone has say 250 cards that are ebay sellable at say $5 each, then in theory his cards are worth $1250. In theory, I should offer 40% if they are liquid (half minus fees) so I should offer around $550ish. But what if I don't have time to list 250 cards on ebay anytime soon? Do I not buy at all, or offer a lower price? That's a lot of labor for say $500 profit if you think about it.

He has very little that will sell quickly that I don't already have in inventory. I will gladly add to my inventory. I'll buy anything pre-1980 at the right price. I don't think another guy is going to pay him 40% (using it as a rough number) so it will be tough for him to sell to anyone.

Am I helping him or not helping him (using the $1250 formula) offering him a lower amount than say 40% if we're talking low end cards and lots of $1-$5 cards?

I say you be up front with him and tell him you don't have the time and that if, in fact, you do decide to take the time to sell them, that your time is money. You're doing yourself an injustice if you do pay more of a premium because you want to be a nice guy. If you don't want to sit on the $550, offer him a lesser amount that seems fair for you. When buying and reselling you always have to take the time it will take into account to actually sell the item being purchased. If it were low end cards that you don't even want, tell him that too. He should understand and you two will probably end up coming to an agreement that you think is good enough to make the purchase.

rttrffg2012

04-01-2015, 01:27 AM

Interesting. Here's the problem I'm dealing with. If someone has say 250 cards that are ebay sellable at say $5 each, then in theory his cards are worth $1250. In theory, I should offer 40% if they are liquid (half minus fees) so I should offer around $550ish. But what if I don't have time to list 250 cards on ebay anytime soon? Do I not buy at all, or offer a lower price? That's a lot of labor for say $500 profit if you think about it.

He has very little that will sell quickly that I don't already have in inventory. I will gladly add to my inventory. I'll buy anything pre-1980 at the right price. I don't think another guy is going to pay him 40% (using it as a rough number) so it will be tough for him to sell to anyone.

Am I helping him or not helping him (using the $1250 formula) offering him a lower amount than say 40% if we're talking low end cards and lots of $1-$5 cards?

Paying 40% on cards that sell for $5 is a nightmare for you.
I would pay 40% on cards over $100.
If I'm being really honest, 10-20% on $5 stuff is where you should be.

Buying supplies/top loaders/envelopes, waiting to sell them, ebay fees, paypal fees, shipping fees, haggling over price, time to list! If you want to sell them in your store, your overhead is even worse....paying $2 on a $5 card just isn't worth it. Maybe if they were quick sells, like you have a Jeter guy that buys every Jeter card you have...then its a quick flip.

The other cost nobody has mentioned is opportunity cost. Say you give this guy a chunk of your investment cash and your funds are low. Now suppose 5 Mantle rookies walk in the door tomorrow at a bargain price but you don't have the funds. You have to pass on a sure thing because you over spent on $5 cards.

I know you don't want to treat this guy like a stranger, but you have a responsibility to your business. Maybe you make a deal on the a few things and that would make it worth his time.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out

justinstaff756

04-01-2015, 10:42 AM

Man some of you are so cheap. Not everyone but if this post offends you then it's probably you lol

yanksfan0134

04-01-2015, 10:46 AM

Man some of you are so cheap. Not everyone but if this post offends you then it's probably you lol

Doesn't offend me but I'm just saying, if you're willing to take $1-$5 cards and pay half of what they sell for only to resell them and make next to nothing as a profit, while spending tons of time listing them, then you're in the minority.

jmscoggin

04-01-2015, 10:48 AM

Man some of you are so cheap. Not everyone but if this post offends you then it's probably you lol

I think it makes a huge difference when you consider scale and nut. It is one thing to be a regular Joe that is buying 5 - 10 cards to flip on Ebay. It is another when you are a dealer and you are looking to buy a huge lot. The time, effort and expense in turning hundreds or thousands of cards is real. As is the time that they are sitting dead in inventory tying up capital.

That leads me back to the nut. It was mentioned smartly above, how would you like to have your money tied up in a ton of crap that will take tons of work to turn for relative nickels when a Mantle, Ruth or some other sweet mojoz walks in the front door and you are forced to turn it away because you have no more to spend? I'd rather have my money into a few big cards than a bunch of so so ones even if the potential rate of return was the same. Time is money.

calculusdork

04-01-2015, 11:05 AM

OP ... why not just offer to consign for your friend? Take X% of total sales and give him the rest as sales occur.

jmscoggin

04-01-2015, 11:22 AM

OP ... why not just offer to consign for your friend? Take X% of total sales and give him the rest as sales occur.

This makes a ton of sense and is fair for all parties involved. OP gets new inventory and a slice of the pie without any worry about offending his friend as well as no stress about tying up capital. Friend gets more money than he otherwise would have. Grant, yer kind of intelligence.

calculusdork

04-01-2015, 11:39 AM

This makes a ton of sense and is fair for all parties involved. OP gets new inventory and a slice of the pie without any worry about offending his friend as well as no stress about tying up capital. Friend gets more money than he otherwise would have. Grant, yer kind of intelligence.

http://i.imgur.com/YdmGHYG.gif

jmscoggin

04-01-2015, 11:47 AM

http://i.imgur.com/YdmGHYG.gif

I'll have you know that I'm stealing this.

Grimster

04-01-2015, 11:58 AM

what about doing the consignment route, but just packing everything up and sending them to COMC ? I typically look there first if I am trying to grab cheaper cards ($0.10 - $5) so shipping doesn't kill the deal like it likely would on ebay (speaking strictly from a buyers perspective)

chezball

04-01-2015, 12:19 PM

rttrffg2012

04-01-2015, 01:06 PM

He's trying to be nice to tis guy. Try to guide him to COMC.

HadWayTooMuch

04-02-2015, 09:31 PM

OP ... why not just offer to consign for your friend? Take X% of total sales and give him the rest as sales occur.

The problem is, most of his cards are $1-$5 or less. I have plenty of my own cards in the $1 to $5 range that I don't have time to list.

As I had said, what I get from him will just go into inventory and be sold sometime before I die. He wants to get rid of them and he's not a card guy so COMC or even ebay wouldn't make sense, or he would have done it already.

So I'm just trying to figure out a way to be fair while not burning myself. There have been some good ideas here, thank you. And the consignment idea would be great if the items were expensive enough to justify the time. But if the items were of that value, it would be easy to come up with a price.

But considering a lot of the "good" cards are cards like 1977 Gary Carter and such, it's tough to figure out a fair way to do it to make us both happy. But I know I'll offer him more than some stranger in a card shop down his way.

base set

04-02-2015, 10:49 PM

Most people don't really understand that ebay didn't change supply, but by increasing access to the same supply, it effectively satisfies demand so well that the price of collectibles has gone down. Once that is understood I think you will be able to strike a deal.

I think if it was me I would give him a very good price on the Mantles which would be a good thing to have on any store's shelf. Then ask for a reasonable deal on the rest. Sell it in lots, get it done, put some cash in each of your pockets, and let someone else invest their time in the possible single card sales.