My frustrations as a player collector aren’t only with high-priced buy it now cards. One of my other biggest gripes is when I want to buy a cheap card that I need, but I have to pay $3 or more to ship it. WHAT SENSE DOES IT MAKE TO PAY THAT FOR A $1 CARD???!!!
There are some ways to get around it. One is to buy it on COMC, if available. You can also often find lower shipping on sites such as Sports Card Direct and Sportlots. These three are options I have chosen many times. I haven’t been able to “cut the cord” on eBay, so to speak. However, I have gone other places and saved myself money.
LINK: Why are YOU letting eBay dominate, while likely complaining about eBay?
Unfortunately, they are still the biggest player in the game. Until buyers and sellers go elsewhere, they will remain at the top. I will still buy there, but only if I can’t find what I’m looking for elsewhere.
This eBay seller made me very happy, though.
I purchased the card below for $2.99 and free shipping. This wasn’t an auction, but a true Buy It Now. Now, when I see that, I know it’s not coming in a bubble mailer and I AM 100% FINE WITH THAT! If the seller paid for bubble mailer shipping, they would have made no money on this card. What would their incentive be to list a card like this? If they don’t list it, I can’t buy it. See my point?
When I determine if I am going to buy a card, in my mind the shipping cost is figured into what I paid for the card. Am I going to pay $6 for this card? Absolutely not. I did pay $3 however.
I don’t blame it all on sellers, of course. USPS shipping is way too high for a bubble mailer. They have to charge to cover the cost. eBay does sellers no favors. It’s becoming more and more miserable to be a seller on the site.
At the end of the day, I’m not going to overpay, though. High fees and shipping costs hurt everyone. It’s not always easy to find lower end items that you want as a buyer. It’s not worth a seller’s time. The seller has more dead inventory, costing him money. Something will eventually give, but I don’t know who it will be or when.
Just give me an option to have my cheap cards sent for a buck in a plain white envelope. I will take my chances. If something happens, I’m out $3. Overall, I will save money.
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I don’t mind paying for the shipping if it’s done right, but I really hate being charged $5 or more shipping and getting a PWE. A few months back, earlier this year, I got a patch card in one of those super thick toploaders in a PWE. The envelope was damaged badly but somehow the card survived.