Site Forum

I'm curious about your thoughts on a type of offer that I've been receiving in the past six months. I've been getting them more frequently, so I want to know what everybody else thinks about them. They are formatted like your typical sell/trade here on TCDB with the two columns and go like this:

• Column 1: I have this serial numbered card of X player: A '21 Certified Davante Adams, S/N 19/25, i.e..
• Column 2: Make an offer or even suggest a specific amount: $50, i.e.. 

However, when you look at the feedback rating, it's a zero, and the account was created the same day the offer was made. The combination of these characteristics is a giant red flag for me, so I decline them. So I'm curious about others receiving similar offers and how they approach them. I tend to be more pessimistic with these offers since my thinking is that they are looking for a quick sell and may not even send the card after payment. Perhaps my thinking is flawed here in that they are not motivated by greed and are not preying on a desperate collector but are just ignorant on how the buying/selling/trading goes on here. In sum, I'm alarmed by these offers, but I may be just misplacing my own pessimism. 

I personally think you're making the right call by declining these. Sure, it could be a long-time card collector/dealer who has impeccable ethics and reputation. But the signs don't point that way. I would decline every one that came my way like that.

I agree with Dan 100%. It is a buyer beware market, and you have to look out for yourself. Also, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If you keep @doogie_13's final sentence in mind you generally can't go too wrong. 

I have a strong preference against solicitations and will decline AND put them on my No Trade (Buy) List - especially if they've recently joined the site. I'm aware of guys whose membership is based solely, if not primarily, to sell, and will approach them either because they post items for sale that interest me or my search for cards with limited availability leads me to them. 

I've received a couple of similar offers in recent months. I think you made the right call. I just decline. I tend to decline all sale offers that come my way even if not shady.

Thank you all for the thoughtful comments and advice! Turns out my last offer, as described in this forum, was withdrawn by the seller before I even had the chance to decline it. Perhaps it was indicative of who was selling. Next time, I will not hesitate to decline. 

This is likely a radical idea, but maybe new accounts shouldn't be allowed to make trade or purchase offers for, say, 5 days after their creation. That would give the questionable people at least some time to think about just bailing on the idea before proposing it. 

That is a very good idea! Plus it would give them some time to actually build a for trade and want list.

I personally like to mess with them a little bit.  "Sure, I'm interested.  Can you send me an image of the card?"  "Great...now can you send me an image of the back?"  "Hey...what is that on the right hand corner, can you zoom in and send me a picture of that?"  My favorite is when I get a picture of the back of the card which is clearly a different card than the front (ie one image is slabbed and one is not)

What can I say?  I work from home now, so I'm lonely.  lol.