Pricing Theory

Let's say we have a GU semi star, late model UD baseball card that Beckett lows at $6 and highs at $12.  There are no others on COMC, and Ebay shows completed listings of similar items going between $4.00 and $7.50.  We want to move the card, but at the same time we don't want to give it away, so we decide to not release it for anything less than $4.00.  

Do we price it on COMC at approximately $6.00 to draw an acceptable $4.00 bid?  Do we price it at our minimum acceptable price, rejecting offers?  What is the strategy that moves the card best?

I'm a big fan of grading cards that are a certain age (say 1975 and before), but have not had very good luck getting good grades on newer cards.  I like buying graded cards because you pretty much know what you're getting.  I haven't sent any newer autographed cards in for grading, so I really can't help you there, but I have put a few graded cards on COMC trying to get high dollar and it didn't work.  Perhaps I wasn't patient enough, but I've pulled all of my graded cards off the site and am having them sent back to me.  Just doesn't seem that this is the place to sell graded cards.

Regarding the second post, I'd price at $6 and try to get $4.  Not that I'm an expert by any means, but that's what I'd try.  If it doesn't work, you can always wait a month and then lower it to $4 and go with your alternate plan.

Pricing theory is a topic I am very interested in discussing.  Other than just trading someone for other cards, I have not been involved in pricing my cards since I set up for one card show over 10 years ago.  Even then I just put high Becket on the card(unless it was in bad shape) and then negotiated with the buyer when he/she was at my table.  Since we don't have the luxury of such communication on COMC, what is the method/thought process one should use when pricing cards? 
Myself, I tend to price my cards based mostly on the old law of supply and demand.  If there are 10 cards like yours on COMC out there already, you don't have a lot of choice except to price the card around the price of everyone else.  Of course the condition of your card(and the other cards) will influence the price you place on a card.  So, in some cases, you know what you have to price the card to even have a shot at selling it.  BUT.... If you have a unique card and there are no duplicate cards, I tend to price the card close to high Becket if it is in decent shape.  Some older cards in excellent shape may warrant a price even higher than high Becket.  But generally, it seems you have to price it lower than book value to sell it in a timely manner.  I also take into account the fact that I may have 2 or 3 of the same card.  That makes a difference too.  That allows you the luxury of pricing it lower and selling it faster.  
Overall I guess it depends on if you are on COMC just to make money or you truly love card collecting and are on COMC to simply finance your hobby..... Or you are wanting to do both(make money and satisfy your interest in the hobby).  That might come closer to describing everyone on COMC.        

I also check to see if anyone else has a similar card for sale (and usually price it just below the lowest if I want to dump the card), and I check the bay's completed listings on some. 

Originally I was trying to price them to the point where I had a high average discount but I think I'm finding that people still try to take advantage and bid too low.  For the next batch I may price generally around 25% to 50% of book and see if the numbers of those who simply purchase without bidding goes down or remains constant.  There's a science to this that if I had the time I'd measure, but I don't have the time.  And pricing is related to all sorts of things, as jbnark points out. 

I also try to remember this is a down market, we're only just beginning the season, and for my better treasures I'll remain patient.  I'm employed; no hurry.

I have been on COMC since 07 one ofthe first to join up, and have mixed feelings on pricing. EBay is a mixed bag of tricks when it come to pricing. I have seen cards sell for double the value ( i think these are setups by the sellers and a friend to either save the card or a hope that a poor sole will outbid them) anyway most cards on EBay sell far below the book value (unless its a HOT player).
 I have tried to keep the major prices of my cards ( ones I send in ) at a 22% discount and cards I buy from the site a markup of 20% on average. Some I win some I lose and wind up holding the cards much too long.
 I guess the best way to look at it is : "Did I make a profit"?

Ebay is just a huge clustf*** and needs a little more division if you ask me. I mean, it's like going to a never ending garage sale with an outright battle for the item you picked out. Oh yea, and you're under a timed limit while doing it. COMC is a good guy site. Not agreeing with all the new charges here and there they have racked up over the past 6 months, but I guess it's their house and their rules. Everybodies gotta eat!

I have been selling on comc for one year .I started 3/17/08. Today I sold my 6,000th card. basically most cards sell for about 59%-75% off book. Of the 11,000 plus cards I have listed on comc, most of the time the book price is close to being right, but book can be wrong. This is when you can get the best deals or sell the most cards. Knowing when the book price is not in touch with the market is important. If you know cards, trust your instincts. I have found that collectors like what we like. If a card looks cool, it is worth a little more than the normal discount. Not many collectors want an ugly card, regardless of the price. If you have an older card in great condition, never lower the price. Someone will eventually buy it. Check out dkschultz's cards. He only buys cool looking cards. Good luck to all. dpietrack

Congratulations on selling your 6000th card, dpietrack.  And I agree that there are many things that come into play when it comes to buying or selling a card.  Looks are certainly important. 
For example, I am a big fan of Brooks Robinson and have purchased a lot of his cards.  He is from Little Rock and even played at the same field I played baseball at here in Little Rock.  But I have always shied away from his '58 Topps card.  Brooks has a somewhat odd or goofy expression on his face.  I wonder if he complained that they printed it like that.  I doubt it.  He is too nice a guy.  But it shows that a card can be less desirable because of the way it looks.  'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' even applies to baseball cards.  I have been guilty of buying multiple cards just because I like the design...... and not buying others just because they are ugly......  Who hasn't........

You can take the troubling looking card to the other extreme.  Almost all of Don Mossi's cards feature him with those Dumbo Ears.  He looks like a cab going down 5th Avenue with its doors open.  All this said his cards are quite popular (as commons or near commons) here in Michigan.

"Pricing Theory"? There is no such science.

First and foremost, condition is the #1 determinant of retail value.   A 10.00 card in near mint retail (what a dealer will sell for) is likely to be 5.00 in excellent and 2.00 in very good, and may be difficult to sell for 1.00 as a "space filler".  

Second, expect to sell your card for about 50% retail value, i.e. $5.00, $2.50, and .50 respectively.

Third, a card can only sell when it offers "best value".  Look at it from a buyer point of view.  If you have a card you are interested in, you are going to review the cards from lowest to highest.  You will buy (or offer to buy) the card that offers the "best combination of price and value". 

What do you do?  When you make a card available for sale, you must check out the competition and "price for outstanding value" and never more than 50% book.  And you periodically recheck and adjust price up and down depending upon competition.

You put up the most valuable cards to you have and do not put up more cards than you can actively manage, or simply put up cards and mark them .25 and do nothing and wait.

You may have a card "bought and repriced higher".  So what.  Let me give you an example: I put up a 1957 Fox (vg-) for $5.00.  Another seller bought and repriced for $12.00.  I made 5.00, the seller hopes to a profit and has money and time in the card.  My $5.00 and time are available for in other cards.

It's not about pricing, it's "turning cards over at a profit"! 

QZ7CBZ

In most part I agree, but "pricing no higherthen 50% of book" I think that just opens a can of worms that you might not be able to close.
I say that with the fact that many sellers are listing their cards at 70% of book and that number is growing, which means that most buyers will never get to a 50% of book seller.
I for an example list my cards between 60% and 71% of book and buyers are still seeing about 100 sellers with lower prices.
I do agree that the condition of the card is foremost in the thought process of buying a card, and even with the scans it still is hard to see and "soft" corners, centering, surface grades and etc.
The buyer most likely will buy a card basec on his./her needs for the card and the player themself. Example Jone-Drew one of the hottest running backs around, his cards are drawing only a 10-20% discount, while Emmitt Smiths cards might draw up to a 50% discount.
So i feel it is more the player, then condition then price that sells the card.
Just my thoughts

"Pricing Theory"? There is no such science.
That's an astute observation there, Einstein.  From the Greek "theoria," synonymous with "hypothesis."  But you already know that.   Hypothesis correlates with art, and the art of the price point is what the OP (moi) was addressing.   Unfortunately, not clearly enough such that the intellection could be understood by everyone.