Sports Illustrated Blog #104 – High Value Pricing Explained
Welcome to my Sports Illustrated/TIME magazine blog – Your collector’s guide to the latest hobby updates and insight into what’s trending now. High Value Pricing – Why is it such a mystery? Why do so many sellers price in such a way that only makes sense to them? It’s a frequent question asked of me and a topic of particular interest to most graded mag hobbyists. So…This blog will explain my pricing criteria and thought process in an attempt to help buyers understand the driving forces behind High Value Pricing. First, let’s define a HV magazine. I suggest any magazine with a tier one athlete (usually a first appearance) with a very high or highest census grade, tough acquisition compared to others in its category, and one highly perceived to be of above average investment potential. The driving force behind the pricing of such mags is “not to leave any money on the table, both now and in the future” and that’s a tough task but I think it is consistent across the population. When sellers make maximizing their sell prices their number one consideration, inflationary pricing occurs. Just like the stock market, if it sells at one price, raise it. If it sells at the raised price, raise it again until it stops selling. Sellers hate to sell at one price, only to see it double in value in 30 days. It’s a conundrum. It’s also important to remember that we are not dealing in sustainable inventories. Many times these mags are one of a kind so you need to be right the first time making it best to err on the high side. The lack of comparables also contributes to pricing inconsistencies. I’m not saying I agree with this method of pricing, but I am saying that’s the general thought process. So when researching a HV magazine, keep in mind there’s a very reasonable chance the seller is just feeling out the market and would entertain some negotiating, with respect. My Blog # 104 thru Mailchimp (let me know if you would like to added to the distribution) will list a collection of HV mags from my inventory. Some are posted on EBay, some are not. If you are interested in any of these mags, mail me at [email protected] and let me know what you thinking with regard to price. I am a serious seller and am in the business to sell, not collect. Maybe you can work that to your advantage. Feel free to submit any questions/comments you may have on these subjects to [email protected] . I hope you are enjoying the reads on the history of SI, SPORT, and TIME magazines as well as an insight into relevant magazine collecting. Great collecting to you in our second century of blogs and best fortunes with Sports Illustrated/SPORT magazines. For a complete review of previous blogs, please visit www.sportsillustrated98.com |