Putting all those lessons to use
As much as I enjoy hearing the hobby’s podcasters discuss current events, I get the most value from their experiences buying and selling cards.
I’m not from Iowa, but I’ve lived here most of my adult life, and while I love it, we’re a card-show desert. I make it to two a year if I’m lucky.
Two weekends ago I got to spend parts of two days at the Capital City Card Convention in Des Moines. At about 200 tables, the show was by far the largest I’d been to since I was a kid in St. Louis. As a chronic over-preparer, the night before I made a list of the lessons learned from podcasters.
Here’s the list. I’ve added in specific examples of how they applied to my show experience.
1. From Mike of Sports Card Nonsense: If a dealer doesn’t have prices on their cards, find the most common card in their showcase and ask them how much it is, even if you don’t want it. If it’s way over comps, move on.
How it applied: I used this trick twice, first with a Luka Doncic base Prizm rookie PSA 9 and then with a Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck PSA 9 rookie. The Lukas have been going for $90-$130. The dealer said he wanted $225 but could get down to $200. I moved on. The Griffeys have been moving in the $160-$200 range. That dealer asked for $175, right in the sweet spot. We ended up doing business for this card (pop 5):
2. From Ken of Sports Card Lessons: Remember that dealers need to make money and they appreciate your recognition of that.
How it applied: I tried to do a cash-and-card deal in exchange for a card I wanted. The dealer asked me how much I wanted for my card. I told him what the comps were but that I understood he needed to come in under that to make the deal worth it for him. He was genuinely appreciative. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach a deal, but it was cool seeing his demeanor change once I acknowledged his position.
3. From Hyung of Cards to the Moon: Know when to sell, and if you don’t see it as a long-term PC card, don’t get sentimental. Move it and take the W.
How it applied: The show took place a few days after the conclusion of the World Baseball Classic. I had some Ohtani’s to move, and boy were they by far the hottest thing in my case that dealers were after. I left my favorite Ohtani’s at home. The ones I brought with me I can replace whenever I want—if I want to. There are multiples on eBay all the time. After fielding a few offers, I moved five Ohtani’s while I was there, and thanks to that, after the two days were over I walked out of the show with five new cards and more money than I walked in with at the start of the show. That’s a good weekend.
4. From Rob of Sports Card Therapist: If you know you’re over comps on something, tell the buyer at the beginning you’re over comps, and why.
How it applied: Technically, I was on the other end of this. I found a card I’d never seen in the wild and inquired about it. The dealer did as Rob preached and told me up front (I’m paraphrasing), “Ignore the price on the back. That’s an old price and I haven’t re-stickered it yet. I really don’t want to move it and would probably want at least $500 above the sticker.” I said no thanks, but I appreciated how honest he was about it. He was attached to the card and would only move it for a king’s ransom. Cool. Honesty and transparency rule.
5. Ryan from Card Talk: Make a move to make a move. Not every acquisition has to end with a card you’ll hold for the next 50 years. Sometimes you might own a card for just a few minutes. It’s a means to an end.
How it applied: I didn’t set out to do this, but as part of a larger deal I acquired a card I didn’t want. Later that day, I encountered by chance someone at the show—not a dealer—who collected that player. He didn’t have anything I wanted except cash, so I accepted a little under comps for a card I didn’t want and he got a PC card he didn’t know was available. We were both happy.
Speaking of which …
6. Brett from Stacking Slabs: Don’t be afraid to take an L if it helps you get a better card.
How it applied: In the previous entry I mentioned selling a card below comps. It was a serial numbered Luka Rated Rookie. I don’t collect Luka. If I had played hardball with the comps, I might have been able to secure an extra $75-$100. Or he might have walked away. I almost certainly could have put the card on eBay and made that extra $100 easily, but then I’d have to deal with the hassle of eBay, the 13% fee, shipping etc. Plus, this dude was really nice and he had the cash right in front of me. No drama. He got a PC card, while I was able to put that cash into something else.
7. Mike, Joe and EP from Retro Card Chat: Be nice. Be decent. It’s sports cards, not The Art of War.
How it applied: Just be cool. Say hi to the dealers. Ask how their day is going. Patiently wait your turn. Tell them you like their collection, even if you don’t. If nothing else, you might just make their day a little better.