Dealer Pricing On Modern US

Sellers can indeed overprice things for various reasons, so it is always important to pay attention.

KirkS: thanks for the lead on Murphy's. I contacted him via email yesterday and he immediately responded. His pricing appears to in line with my budget and selection my needs. Going through the web site was not difficult and he does have a considerable stock of modern to current modern.

The dealer in question does offer a discount for full purchase of a selection. In this case the total came to about $62 and he discounted to $59.

There have been a few other issues with him as well- I sent him my wantlist back in late September and thus far he has just sent three mailings, the first two were ridiculously small, about $20 worth- maybe as a new customer he was playing it safe which I understand. But it is a bit frustrating. Have also noted the quality is a bit off- he's been sending hinged material at prices higher than NH elsewhere. I think he may be getting up in years and possibly that accounts for some of this stuff.

I plan to buy a few things from the current selection then return the balance with a courteous note explaining his prices are too high for me to justify continuing to do business with him and wish him well.

Your dealer prices, in comparison to what would seem more reasonable, remind me of some prices I saw at some things at Mystic I was looking at lately. Maybe that is where he gets an idea of what to charge?

I can buy 2544a from Mystic for $25.99. This dealer wants $29. Not sure but think that ends any discussion. This guy is just way overpricing his material. The mailing he recently sent includes four lower value Prexy plate blocks totaling around $9- one on line dealer I checked has them for $1.25@. He is getting his mailing back with a nice note explaining that I like his service and material but his prices are just too high for me right now. I doubt there will be an answer.

I'm not sure you're comparing apples to apples, but I may not fully understand your transactions. If you are sending a want list, then receiving material from him for inspection, then paying, that involves higher transactional costs and more risk for him than if you select stamps on ebay and pay the seller in advance. Your dealer has to take the time to find stock matching your list, check its condition, and wait for payment. An ebay seller doesn't; you are doing the searching and selection, and paying in advance. So, I would say you should think about all the costs in a transaction before you decide you are overpaying.

There's something to what you say- price is indeed not everything- quality, friendliness of service, etc all factor in. This guy may be fine for filling in more common material, the price spread on the higher priced stuff makes it a bit harder for me to justify however.

Will think this over a bit, thanks to all for input..

Just remember one thing. Many dealers work at below minimum wage. If actual labor was factored in, prices would be much higher.

Clark