Some Aggressive Clearing Prices On Ebay These Days....

I'm looking at sales of U.S. stamps. My comment is not based on scientific analysis, just casual observation of auctions. Does anyone share the same opinion? Is this a typical end-of-year price spike? Are other systemic factors at work? Or is it simply that more motivated buyers are entering the market?

Cannot comment on ebay,
I have not purchased any stamps for 5 months, the price hike I am seeing with my dealer, and my stamp club is just mind boggling.

I saw a Chinese Album of cut squares at my last bourse, I showed interest, ajudging it to be tops, $50... asking price $300

My dealer, (US) had 2 lots of harder to get material, I thought "dash it" I'll have a go, and bid 3 times what I thought its worth, and thinking it may be a while before I see similar again, 9 hours to go, and the price had trebled that, (a fellow member of SCF was also bidding I noted)

I just gave up in surrender.

I have resulted in "Squirrelling"
Digging out all the lots I purchased when the Aussie dollar had parity with the greenback.
Thank goodness I had reaped the harvest of good times.

Of course, the term "aggressive" is relative. I've been watching prices for no more than twelve months.

I realize that the standard answer to my question is "supply and demand." But one can always dig a little deeper.

Curious to receive anyone's observations about the drivers behind the recent market trend.

Well i'm certainly not a driver but in the short time I have been purchasing from a local auction site here in NZ the prices have gone through the roof. Literally. I find myself feeling fortunate to have been on a buying frenzy and have found some truly lovely pieces for little or no cost. But now I am finding the same pieces for catalogue prices? I know theres a large international auction coming soon, and the prices now being asked have added more 0's?!

Im looking elsewere now.

edit: rod I hope that you are ok in oz. we are now having temp drops of over 5 degrees nationwide as the sun is being blocked by the smoke particles of devastating fires from australia. much love to the people there and wishing for huge rainstorms for you.

I have not been looking much at ebay US sales during the holidays, but when I saw your inquiry, I took a quick look at "sold" completed sales for the White Plains SS (scott 630) in MNH OG condition. The record goes back into October. I'd been attending to its prices from early September and got a nice one for $159 (incl shipping and PA sales tax) in late October after being priced out of at least a half dozen ebay auctions that went up to $180 or above for only the item.

There seems to be a fair amount of variability at any given time and I am not sure I see an end of year trend toward aggressive or recklessly high bidding, at least nothing clear to me, although there are a sold $255 and sold $265 "buy it now" in late December which strike me as higher than market. But there are others that are reasonable late in the month too....

I have seen on Hipstamp over the last two weeks some instances starting after Christmas day where there were no bidders on some interesting items with reasonable starting prices for various US goodies in the $30 to $300 range.... I figured folks are now holding off so as to replenish the old bank account after the holidays.

- Jonathan.

Have noticed a little bit of price creep as well; although have nothing scientific to back that up, just purely based on personal observation.

Wonder if it is simply the product of a good economy? People have more money to spend, especially with Christmas bonuses which simply drives demand.

Better stamps continue to be scarce. Ordinary or damaged stamps are common and the "race to the bottom" is in full swing. Collectible stamps below the grade of very fine often sell at a substantial discount to the Scott US Valuing Guide. Commodity stamps like Zeppelins and scarce hard to find stamps are not affected as much. Dealers selling sound fine to very fine and fine stamps are hurt by the perception that most ebay sellers are unable to correctly identify stamps or describe condition. Buyers fear that they will receive a stamp with tears, thins or alterations they don't want and can't return.

This sounds like buying via a mail order price order in the not too distant past.

This is probably more like it should be ..good stuff goes for better prices and the not so good does not. People are being selective and wary.

Sorry if this is too broad but I follow Beer Cans pretty closely and went to a postcard show last Friday and in both area's the prices of good and better material are incredible right now. In beer cans there are two not ebay auctions that are getting super premium money for even later cans (late 1950s/into the 1960s when Zip then Pull tabs came along). Cans that even 10 years ago would NEVER break $1,000 now have numerous examples of prices realized in the 1-6,000+ range.
I do not think this is just maturing of the hobby, there was lots of those kinds of growing pains in the 1990s and again about 2010 after the upheaval of 08/09.

The prices asked for postcards were pretty staggering but not certain anyone was getting super top dollar for anything other than specialized things from Florida specifically (in this case). ebay seems to be consistent with the other parts of the beer can world. Rare/unique RPPC postcards of interest can still be had for very little on ebay so just don't know what to think. Maybe its just all fear of the dollar or something related to overall economic worries? Anyone got a feel for other collectibles?

Now that the macroeconomic climate has declined significantly in the last week and could decline more in the next few months, what do you all think the will do to sold prices? Are stamp prices resilient during economic downturns?

Torin ----Prices of all stamps have been declining over the past few years ,we will see a more steeper decline with the current situation thru out the world .

lots of people have more time on their hands and no income

Morning all,

I have not seen any big bump up in the number of covers offered on ebay especially new material that has not been relisted ad nauseum. However, when fresh quality items appear there seems to be spirited bidding. The catch is much sells for less than you might have to pay in a more traditional auction or on the show floor.

The true value of an item is the price at which it sells to a willing buyer.

I've seen a pick up in business, not a decline. There are more people at home and online with time to look at their hobbies. Some less popular items I've had listed for a year are selling. Certainly not seeing any erosion yet.

I look at it from the point that philatelists everywhere are or soon will be stuck at home. They may hold off on the bigger items with the way the market has been and employment losses mounting. Buuuuuuuut.....they will still be buying stamps. Auction or just online ordering but they'll keep buying and collecting.

Held off listing too many items last week to see how things shook out with this weekend's auctions. Happy to say so far, so good.

In the past two months, I have not seen sold prices for stamps decline on ebay, which is odd given the macroeconomic climate.