General Forum

So I buy a lot and sell a bit on eBay. When I sell, I always list every single card, by number, highlighting stars. I state my opinion of the condition of every card and point out any flaws. So my listings look like this:

"37 card lot of 1968 Topps baseball cards. All Ex, unless otherwise marked. Pictures of front of all cards. Backs clean unless otherwise noted. Full list of cards, with my opinion on condition follows: 1, 4 (NM), 9 (vg, light crease), 27, 34 (fair/poor, multiple creases, mark on back), 47, 92, 100 (Aaron, G/vg, heavy crease), 102 (vg/ex, dinged corners), 107 (90/10), 134 (NM), 137 (vg/ex, wrinkle)...."

I include up to 48 pictures, no more than four cards per picture, but I know that pictures don't always capture the problems.

A contrasting way to sell lots of cards, of course, is to say, "37 card lot of 1968 Topps Baseball. EX condition, some better, some worse, stars, team cards." And be done with it. No listing of the cards. Certainly no listing of the condition of every card.

Depending on my mood and what I'm looking for, I've bought items with both kinds of descriptions. If I don't have many from a set, and it seems like a legit seller, I'll just go for the unknown lot. It's my equivilent of ripping a pack. If I'm looking for more targeted numbers, I'll look for listings of every card.

My question, though, is this: Would I be better off as a seller not listing everything in such detail? Sometimes I feel like I could get better prices if I just went with the non-description. When I started selling, my instinct was to tell people, as best I could, exactly what they were getting. It just made sense. But I get this feeling that the details are actually driving my prices down.

It doesn't matter that much to me. I only sell off doubles, then use the money to buy myself more cards. It's not big money. And I just enjoy the process of selling. But I do wonder.

Any reactions?

v3

Personally I would bid higher on your lot than the one with limited detail. I know what I’m getting from you and don’t from them. I’m not very trusting of someone listing all cards as ex unless I’ve dealt either before. When I do I usually end up with a bunch of crappy cards. 

I always provide detailed listings. And only bid on detailed listings.

I prefer detailed listings but have purchased without also

to me, its a gimic and a double edge sword. i found myself bidding or buying higher on items with little detail and the common photo posted and when i rcvd the card, i wasn't happy. I could write and express your unhappiness or post a semi to poor review review, but it won't do no good on something like that. now if you provide additional details, at least that gives me the option to buy or not to buy- knowing i may not get the quality expected. 

couple exampesL

i had a Ryan Howard triple threads card i had posted on ebay and took a very distinctive picture and explicit write up on the one very small bend located on the patch number cut-well the card never did sell. i still have it, haven't attempted to post again.

another was a Aaron Rodgers printing plate. the metal back piece had a small scratch on it (cracked from the pack like that)- i showed it on the picture and explained in the write up about it. it was still bidded on and bought at a good price. well, the person rcvd it, they saw the scratch and wasn't happy. He wrote me and wanted a refund. naturally, i was like WTF? it was in the description. Anyway, i gave a refund upon me getting the card back- reposted it, the same way and it was still bought. no issues. 

to each its own i guess. i personally want someone to be satisfied with they bought- whether its a good card or knowing it was worn/damage.

1. Honesty is definitely the best bet.

2. Older card lots tend to require greater descriptions than newer card lots due to greater condition variability.  Chances are that a stack of '80s cards came from the same source, whereas a stack of '60s cards probably came from many sources. 

3.  Time is definitely a factor.  It's better to have items listed for sale than to not have items listed for sale.  I like the thoroughness, but sometimes you just don't have time.  If I want more, I tend to explain more. 

For my mid-to-late '70s lots, I tend to state an average condition with typical range above or below that condition.  I then give further descriptions for the outliers.  For example, I might have a [VG-EX 4.0] average condition lot with a range from [VG 3.0] to [EX 5.0].  Cards that fall outside that condition range, or have unique issues falling inside that range (writing, paperloss, etc.).

I've bid on many lots without descriptions. Like you V3, I'm talking about sets I barely have any of.  As long as I see "no duplicates ", I'm happy.  And I'll bid what they're worth to me.  If someone outbids me, I'm fine with it.

I prefer pictures/scans of cards, no matter what, when bidding on cards on ebay. If the listing says you'll get what you see, then I'm interested. If there are no pics/scans but a detailed description of the cards, I'm very hesistant to even bid. Pics AND a detailed description is certainly going to get the most attention from me! For a card lot, I want to see the cards together in the pics, not separate. That is pretty good proof that the cards being sold are actually the ones owned by the seller.

The way you list cards would get more attention from me than those listing with descriptions and no pics/scans OR those listing with pics but no descriptions!

I agree with Adam, pictures are the best bet. I don't even always look at the description. I'm confident enough in my knowledge of the hobby to know what I want and am going to get from the pictures. I rarely buy lots on Ebay or elsewhere- except auto/jersey lots. I simply have too much from most sets to make it worthwhile otherwise. Now that I'm beginning to get into hockey I may eventually go the lot route for older sets, but I have not gotten that far. But for my NBA and NASCAR collections I'm at the point where most lots would be more duplicates than anything else. Not to say I wouldn't do that anyway if something I was particularly chasing was present in a lot, as I do need cards for trading/COMCing as well.