Sorry I don't know if this post is verging on a mad rant and I know this in general is a totally subjective thing and obviously depends on a number of factors but for my own sanity I have to ask.
Price checks.....I feel like I get it wrong a lot!
Mostly I feel I pay too much (does everyone feel that way in general lol), don't get me wrong I know at some point everyone will pay too much for a pony they really want or a rare pony but I hate the thought of paying too much on every pony I buy.
My general thought on this is that this is aggravated by the fact that in the UK obviously ponies are not as plentiful in the first place therefore as a UK buyer most of what I buy is either from the U.S , where pony prices are great however you then have to account for the additional shipping and customs charges which often cancels out the great price or bought from eBay where I feel prices are often inflated AND you have shipping on top. I recently put my collection in to KLECT and was not impressed with the value it gave compared to the number I have on my spreadsheet for what I have paid, but again I guess this is based on a U.S market where supply and demand is different.
On the flip side I have recently had offers by sellers (arena not eBay)which I have felt are too much or I have made offers which the sellers have said are too low. Whenever I have requested or looked at archives for price checks they always seem low in comparison to eBay or prices asked by sellers. From this I have gathered that I must be getting it wrong somewhere.
So I guess my questions are
- To the moderators and people with years of experience in pony pricing what method do you use to price?
- Is there a significant difference between arena prices and eBay prices due to sellers on eBay looking for more profit /taking advantage and arena members playing more fairly?
-Do prices change due to inflation plus the fact the every year every pony becomes older and hence more scarce?
-Do other UK buyers feel that they pay more and just accept that that's just how things are (i.e ponies are more expensive here as they are less available) and if so is there a way you work out the value or your collection vs what you paid (in my head this should be equal if you got it right)
As my collection grows this is concerning me more ( I now have nearly 200 ponies) both in terms of if I ever come to sell them and in terms of insurance. Am I just overthinking it all? I would loves everyone's thoughts on this (and how other people work out what to pay or justify what they have paid!
).
Oh and P.S can I get a price check on Rosedust, no wings, faded hair please.