window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'UA-12381093-3'); A Cardboard Problem: What qualifies as rare these days

May 6, 2009

What qualifies as rare these days

I'm an eBay junkie and that is no secret. While I search for many different things on there, many of them always come up with "RARE" in the title. There are many "RARE" baseball cards of Robinson Cano, which is what I typed into the search.

Then I decided to try something since I know there are a small, if not tiny, percentage of actual rare Cano cards. I just typed the word "RARE" into the search and the results came back with 334,212 listings. Really?

So there are 334,212 things that are so rare, they qualify for that? eBay pulls listings for using the term "like new", I know because it happened to me. I feel like there are far more things on eBay that are "like new" than that are "rare".

Supposedly antiques are supposed to be 100 years old or more to be legitimately considered antique. So what determines the rarity of something? As far as a baseball card, I would say something serial numbered could qualify especially if it's a card numbered less than 500 or so, printing plates, and other 1/1 type stuff. But where should seller draw the line?

I think it's ridiculous the amount of items on there with that in the title, and the number that actually may be rare could be half or less in actuality. Am I crazy? Does anyone else think that the term "rare" is over-used or used improperly?

5 comments:

  1. In Tennessee, one can request Antique Auto license plates if the following conditions are met. "The vehicle must be 25 years old with a non-modified engine and body."

    I don't know if I can wait until next year when I can finally get those plates for my 1985Yugo.

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  2. I think it's 25 years in New York also.

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  3. they can keep using the term rare if they promise to never, NEVER, use the term " L@@K!!!" ever again.

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  4. I never use the word rare in my listing header. I think it's deceiving. I'll use the numbering if a card is numbered, but that's where I draw the line.

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  5. Thanks for the post, I riffed further on the topic at today's #5 type collection.

    Short story is that we're clearly not the target audience and I doubt there even is one. It's like every town's small business owner, crowded into one room, shouting to be heard over the others.

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