I remember doing a call with a business who catered to the complaints about selling at MSRP during the 2020 boom. Market value was well above his prices, but he artificially lowered to “MSRP” for the TrU cOlLEcToRs.
They went out of business when the boom ended. All of the complainers were nowhere to be found. When prices cooled off, suddenly no one was concerned about MSRP. No one was loyal to that price point, they just wanted the cheapest option regardless of what a distributor charges or what’s happening in the market.
I’m confused, are the complainers relating to scalpers? No way someone would try to search for cheaper when prices are at MSRP unless they’re reselling.
He’s saying that people like to complain about stores or individual selling at above MSRP when product is scarce, but if sellers leave money on the table and sell at MSRP, the people complaining about scalpers and higher prices won’t be loyal to those stores when things settle. They’ll just move on and either not buy because they were just in it for a hype cycle, or will move onto another store where they can find things cheaper.
The masses will always look for the lowest price when buying. If product is above MSRP, they want MSRP. If product is at MSRP, they want it below MSRP.
Guess my sarcasm was bad . IDC what GameStop or any other store does. It’s just less of a hassle and headache to buy the Chase card than to go bananas over a new set.
If you’re just a random online store without any membership, customer tracking or anything like that, there is no reason to cater to complaining clowns.
On the flipside to your anecdote, there must also have been businesses that closed because they lost all goodwill with uncompetitive prices.
In the end price is just one factor albeit a very important one. Sealed product, unlike singles, is similar no matter who you get it from so the product/service that you’re selling has to be different to overcome it.
100% feeling the demand too even on my tiny ebay presence - and like Scott said I’ve noticed it’s more general interest in buying cards rather than wanting them so badly they’re pushing prices up. The downside to increased interest is it brings with it all the lowballs, silly time-wasting queries, and outright lectures on ‘why your price is wrong and the market is actually xyz’.
This kind of stuff is out of control right now. Less than 10 feedback ebay accounts lecturing me on market price sales history. Ignoring ebay last solds, but using some obscure price chart. Sir, you’re buying on EBAY, let’s use ebay sales history.
Are we living in different worlds? Prices across the board have moved up pretty aggressively. Look at WoTC holos, ex cards, vintage chase cards (e.g., crystal cards, gold stars), D&P Lv.X, XY Full Arts, SW/SH Alt Arts, etc. etc. etc.
This is purely anecdotal but I have a “route” of brick and mortar shops I patronize when time permits.
None of them specialize in Pokemon cards (vintage toys/vintage video games/comics/sports cards etc) but they all have a small section of Pokemon singles.
In the last 6 months the amount of floor space dedicated to Pokemon singles has rapidly expanded. I’m friendly with all of the owners and we talk shop when I drop in.
All of them are very bullish on Pokemon singles and working to increase their sealed allocations. Just figured I’d share a boots on the ground perspective of the market.
. IDC what GameStop or any other store does. It’s just less of a hassle and headache to buy the Chase card than to go bananas over a new set.
