Where are his pieces he is selling?
I wish I could sell stuff cheaper, I wish I could get it cheaper. Competition is fierce. In my neck of the woods there are at least 12 guys that I know (including 2 that you all know) that kick and scratch for every bit that turns up. Add in the occasional hotel buyer, the proliferation of ebay, and craigslist, the roadshow and pawnstars, and you have to come in with a strong offer or people walk.
While overall selling prices are down, buying prices people still expect the same price. I had to tell a guy that an $3000 offer I made on a group of things 3 years ago was only worth $2500 to me now, and he walked.
We still try to price below most dealers, but no one is giving this stuff away.
That being said, I love to trade with other collectors, but it can be hard to trade without assigning a monetary value. I wish there was a unit of measure that could factor in rarity, desirability, condition, and coolness to be able come up with a trade value that had nothing to do with money. Maybe the "Jero"...
