Reality tv helped or hurt the hobby?

[BergerKing22784]

So in your eyes has reality tv helped or hurt the hobby?

With shows such as Cash and Cari, Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Antiques Road Show, Storage Wars, and all the other shows like that do you feel it has helped or hurt the hobby in anyway?

As a buyer I feel like it has made me less willing to spend money on items because I always feel like I can or should get it cheaper than the asking price because of the prices the seller has paid for the items. I know there is overhead and someone in the business needs to make money but shows like this have made me less willing to spend..

For example I was watching an episode of American Pickers on demand yesterday and they stopped some old couples house who had lots and lots of cool stuff and they were selling it dirt cheap. This couple was on their last leg of life so it wasnt a big deal to them so they were happy with anything in terms of money but what I shook my head at was they had a stack of I'd say roughly 200 pennants from the apollo 11 landing in great shape just sitting there and Mike bought them for I want to say roughly $500 for all of them I could be wrong. I just sat there and shook my head... I just looked it up and Mike one of the guys on the show just sold 1 for $250 bucks!!!!! Great for him but as a buyer Im alway wonder how much they paid for something and feel taken advantage of! I know nobody is putting a gun to my head to buy anything but thats how I feel.

I feel like this has created these tire kickers some of you guys get annoyed with.

As a seller I think these shows also mess with the hobby. I dont really sell things but when I do I tend to give people a really good deal. Most of the time I make very little or in some cases I actually lose money. I do this because I never want to feel like I am taking advantage of someone. I know I am not putting a gun to their head to make them buy it and they make the final choice of buying it or not I get that.

But in terms of selling I think these shows make people think everything is worth more than it really is.. Sure I am sure there is someone who would pay $500 for that item that you paid $100 for but it will be much harder than you think and the smart thing would to be to take the fast nickel over the slow dime.

For example in this case the show storage wars the guy Darrell got a container that had someones sportscard/autograph collection in it... Well he took it a card shop and the owner of the store was listing prices he would list things for in his store.. The entire time I was thinking I could get all of this stuff for a fraction of the prices he is listing on ebay and other places. Sure I am sure someone might fall for it in passing at these prices some non real collector trying to find a gift for a friend or their child but I can almost guarantee you Darrell didnt get anywhere close to the prices the show made you think the items were worth... That being said I know people fall for it and they are thinking you know what I have this ball signed by so and so I got that means nothing to me let me sell it for $300 when it really can be had for $50

I think these shows are fun to watch and I watch everyone of them when I get the chance but I do feel like they have played a part to change the hobby for either the good or bad depending on how you look at it.

Thoughts?

[Utopian2630]

You know,

Those shows remind me of the one of the most blatant rip offs I've ever seen in person. Years ago, I walked into a card shop at a local mall and saw an old man asking the owner about the 2 autographed Pirate balls from the 60's (both had Clemente on them). The card shop owner told the man they weren't worth much at all (a real sign of character) so the old man just gave them to him and said they were just sitting in his closet.

He and his "colleague" were laughing about this and how much of a 'deal' they got from this 'idiot' right after the gentleman left. Even better, the owner puts the balls in cases with $2000 price tags on each.

I never did business there again and told a lot of people to stay away from that place after what I said. I can understand buying things to re-sell at a profit, but to out and out lie to someone just to get a good 'deal', I feel is wrong. Needless to say, those balls stayed on the shelf and the store eventually went out of business.

Guess karma caught up to them.

[frikativ54]

You know,

Those shows remind me of the one of the most blatant rip offs I've ever seen in person. Years ago, I walked into a card shop at a local mall and saw an old man asking the owner about the 2 autographed Pirate balls from the 60's (both had Clemente on them). The card shop owner told the man they weren't worth much at all (a real sign of character) so the old man just gave them to him and said they were just sitting in his closet.

He and his "colleague" were laughing about this and how much of a 'deal' they got from this 'idiot' right after the gentleman left. Even better, the owner puts the balls in cases with $2000 price tags on each.

I never did business there again and told a lot of people to stay away from that place after what I said. I can understand buying things to re-sell at a profit, but to out and out lie to someone just to get a good 'deal', I feel is wrong. Needless to say, those balls stayed on the shelf and the store eventually went out of business.

Guess karma caught up to them.

This story makes me nauseated. It's just like those dealers who make their living taking advantage of old men and young women who may not know much about the hobby. As for females, I've heard stories that many places jack up the prices around father's day and prey on women who don't know much about the hobby, but who are looking to get their husbands something special. As you alluded, it's one thing to get a good deal. It's quite another to use lies and half-truths to deceive others in the name of profits.

Good thing about the store's going out of business. I've found that with those who lie and cheat, they lose money in the end. Instead of cultivating good relationships, which in the end lead to more sales and more money made, people wake up to the fact they are being ripped off and leave the con artists behind. In the end, these dealers are left with no business, no friendships, and a bunch of material goods devoid of meaning. As they say, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Most of us get taken a few times in life, but we aren't so dumb that we allow ourselves to be deceived again.

-Frik

[David]

What they did may have been illegal. As the expert in a situation where a newbie says he knows nothing asks for valuation help, you can get into trouble drastically lying about the value like that to gain a deal. Of course you don't have to give an exact value and can fudge your data some for negotiation purposes, but you can't say it has no value so you can get it for next to nothing so as to resale for a lot more. An expert from the Antiques Roadshow got into trouble for doing just that.

[David]

You can say "They are worth a good amount, but I'll pay only $3. Take it or leave it" but that's different than saying they have no value when your 5 hours late price tags proves you knew different. If you are an expert and advertising yourself as an expert, the latter might be considered fraud.

So just be careful when you tell someone his expensive item is worth nothing, when you know it's not and plan on profiting from your lie.

[David]

Duly not that the legality comes in extreme situations-- ala saying about the $10,000 item "Aw, it's worth zero. Give it to me and I'll throw it away for you." Normal haggling and flea market negotiations and low ball offers on eBay are not illegal.