When buying a large collection how do you determine price?

[thenightman]

Someone I know is looking to sell their collection (he says it’s roughly 10k cards). I haven’t gone through it yet, but he says it’s mostly 2010-2022 stuff. When y’all look at buying collections is there a $ figure you already have in mind for a collection that size and then adjust based on some of the more expensive cards in the collection? Kind of wondering how one would go about pricing out a collection under this scenario.

[mjohnatgt]

Assess the sale value of cards above $10 each. Then offer 50% or less on the total value of those cards, depending on the liquidity of those cards.

[discodanman45]

You need to treat the collection not as 10,000 cards, but in categories. The commons you basically ignore and pay higher for the highest-level graded stuff. This video does a great job IMO of showing you how a dealer approaches big lots like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thyKDG6Qs84&t=643s

[JoeAdam]

Sight unseen I'll pay $20-25 for a 5,000 count box of cards. Sometimes you win/sometimes you lose.

[hxcmilkshake]

Have him show you the top cards, what price would you be comfortable with? Are you flipping? Pc? The rest, assuming commons, can be throw ins

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[thenightman]

This is all great advice!

[mintacular]

So let's assume for example I saw a collection and had the knowledge to estimate the value of said collection at 10K. That value is based on reasonable sales prices and to be sold in the next 1-3 months. From there, I would leave 20% to that should safely cover eBay-Paypal fees and federal taxes. So now we are left to around 8K potential sale $'s.

Now, depending on the volume (man hours to break it down being a major factor), liquidity of the cards (slabbed vs. raw; easy sales vs. more niche ones) I would offer 50%-65% based on the "difficulty" of reselling the collection. So that would leave me approximately 1.5-3K in profits with the long and steady 3K much slower and time intensive and the 1.5K assuming I could pretty quickley and easily turn everything over.

A couple small things, I tend to "assume the worse" rather than "assume the best", i.e. more likely to see small creases, etc. than a magical Joran rookie shows up buried in a box. If some PC cards are part of the equation my offer my be slightly more than average. Hope this helps. As I've gotten older I am more protective of my time. Also, as grading fees and turn around times have got more difficult my offers are a bit lighter as the grading avenue has been tightened.

[MOONBASE1]

Just to be funny, I pay by the pound. But seriously as stated above, glean the commons from the higher end. Far as high end determine if they are high end sellable. Sometimes a $50 or so card just won't move where a $20 card may move faster due to popularity. So in essence look for the quick movers even if value is less that a high priced non-mover. Works for me. Also your regional cards, players on a team in your vicinity, should move quicker.

[checkoutmydeals]

When I had a brick and mortar in the 1990's, the general rule was that you wanted to break even within 2 weeks, double within a month and ultimately triple or better. However, this is mostly in the pre-internet days when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

[Budler]

Originally Posted by thenightman

Someone I know is looking to sell their collection (he says it’s roughly 10k cards). I haven’t gone through it yet, but he says it’s mostly 2010-2022 stuff. When y’all look at buying collections is there a $ figure you already have in mind for a collection that size and then adjust based on some of the more expensive cards in the collection? Kind of wondering how one would go about pricing out a collection under this scenario.

Total of 10K cards should be fairly easy to do a quick look through and see what there is. He also should know the high dollar cards that he has and what he paid for most of them.

Now 10,000 cards are a lot easier then 200,000 cards to price out. When I got my nephew's collection of close to 200,000 cards. (all sports and non-sports, low SNed, Autos, Graded, Mem and RCs and they were all mixed together) From the 40s to around 2008 and a few newer then that. 100s of sets which one guy offered $5 per set and he wanted all of them not just what I was willing to sell at $5 each. NO way with several sets worth over $100 each The offers I got for the whole collection was from $200 to $450. NO way when a hand full of the cards were worth $500 plus the sets worth $100 each.
A couple of years before I got the cards to sell my nephew told me they are worth close to $35K and he had close to $18K into them. 4 or 5 years later I'm about half way to the $18K and have about 150,000 cards still. Yes the good cards go fast and at a good price.

If you are buying to resell and make a profit mintacular has it right. If most or all is for you PC then you can offer more.

[Stifle]

The topic should have stated “Purchasing for resale”. A collection ? I’m assuming the collection is more than a specific Player, Team, College or Sport? Did the seller only leave commons of base while pulling out the bread winners within the box? Very dependent upon what you are willing to sell, are you knowledgeable of the values within the sport you are purchasing?

Bottom line. If you were not to sell a single card for 5 years would you be happy to have the cards in your collection instead of flipping for the price being offered. If not, don’t purchase.

[Wolf8MeVillie]

I tend to low ball large collections. Just because of the amount of time you are gonna invest. Kind of like what is your time worth? Unless he has all the good cards sorted out already, you might be spending a long time working through the stuff. I currently have so much of my own inventory, that I am okay with letting collections go unless they are really worth it.