Conference school::sports_memorabilia

    I hope you placed the cards on the counter and told him that he could
    stick them where the sun don't shine.  I think the only way to deal
    with these people is to tell them your leaving and never coming back. 
    Hopefully they will be forced out of the business.  We have a dealer in
    my area (SC) who unpacked all his leaf boxes, took a razor and made a
    small slice on the underside of the pack.  He was looking for the Gold
    cards, in his shop he had hundreds, and then reselling the packs as
    untampered with packs.  Most collectors in town know his reputation,
    however I feel bad for his mail order customers.
    
    Jon

    
    While his practices may seem shady, they are well within his rights.
    
    The name of the magazine is "Beckett's Monthly Baseball Magazine",
    and within, it contains a price GUIDE.
    
    A guide.  Something to be used in helping you reach your final
    decision/destination.  In this case, he chooses to charge double of
    what Beckett's proposes as a GUIDE.
    
    They are his cards, and it is within his right to charge what he wishes
    to for them.  It is also well within your right not to purchase these
    cards if the prices does not meet your view of what they are worth.
    It is also within your right to explain to the dealer exactly what you
    think of his pricing policy, and whether or not you choose to frequent
    his store anymore.
    
    But what he did is not illegal, nor is it unethical.
    
    If he had the cards marked with a price, and then changed the price,
    that would be a much different story.
    
    (I had a dealer look a common up in Beckett's once, who was so miffed
     the card was only a common, and I made him look up one card, he told
     me the price was .50� for a .03-.05 common.  He has never, nor will
     he ever receive any of my business.  Which included the non-sale of
     that particular common).

    
    I saw '91 ud Thomas' and Erickson's  going for $5 ea this weekend.
    Now you might say that those prices are way over Beckett, but it's
    all what the collector will pay. 
    As far as the Beckett goes,I believe it is a really good "Guide"
    that is a good representation of what the hobby is reflecting.
    However, I also think that it reflects prices reported for the previous
    month and is infact already out of date when we see it. When cards
    first come out they climb quickly at the shops, well ahead of Beckett,
    then they seem to slow down eventually allowing Beckett to catch
    up, then becoming the guide it was designed to be.
    
    Jim

    I agree that any one can charge whatever they like for a card.  I
    realize "hot cards" will fetch more than Beckett book value while they
    are hot. Sometimes Beckett never catches up.  Not all cards are "hot"
    and deserve a double book price.  For a dealer to globally charge twice
    the generally accepted value is silly.  This business is getting more
    competitive every day, he may not be in business in the near future. 
    Just out of curiousity do you think this guy buys cards with this same
    policy?  Yah right!!
    
    Jon

    >> 293.4 <<
    If he was to buy that same card off of me,he would only pay 
    60 % off of Becketts High side,then turn around and charge double 
    off the book.
    
    It's guys like this that give dealers a bad reputation,I know alot
    of other dealers and they themselfs agree that it's a good way to lose
    buisness...... 
    

    
    Yes, it's a good way to lose business, and a terrible way to run a
    business, but it IS legal, and it IS within his rights.
    
    Just don't give him any of your money, then he'll have to sell his
    stock to  another dealer (let's see him get double Beckett's then!
    8^) when he goes out of business.