How do I find a price on a card?

[hayn]

Besides the usual industry standard Beckett guide, and eBay, how do forum members find a price on a rare card? I have shared my joy at pulling a 2013 Panini Prestige Autograph SP RC Leon Sandcastle #301 (12/21) on "Football Showcase" on a previous thread. I have even submitted a request to the thread "Football Price Thread Check" to no avail. I did get a estimate. What I really want is an actual number. Unfortunately in life what you want and what you get, don't always happen in a way you would like to.

So I waited and waited for the September issue of Beckett. When I checked the catalog, it showed the same card without the autograph. It lists at $15.00. I currently have statistics from eBay from two actual bids that ended with the highest bidder taking home the Sandcastle auto card. The first card (Numbered to 06/21) sold on 7/11/2013 for $379.95. The second card (Numbered to 20/21) sold on 8/16/13 for $222.50.

I asked my two children on what they would do in a situation like this? They both recommended that I get an estimated average and go with that price. As members of this forum are true connoisseurs of card collecting, do you agree with this theory? If not, what would you suggest?

So my children said to take the first card and the second card, add those two. The number they calculated is $602.45. Then they took $602.45 and divided that by 2. The final number which was an average came to $301.23.

Do you all agree with this calculation in theory? Or do you have your own calculation that you utilize. And finally, yes! I am very, very crazy in allowing myself to get so worked up in a card that depicts a faux football player that my wife said; "If you continue to pursue this Leon Sandcastle crap, I'm going to put you in Metro Mental Ward"!

In closing, I will be providing in the very near future, a new address to send any trades you complete with me. The address in question will be the Cleveland Metro Mental Ward and Asylum for the Seriously Crazy and Very, Very Sick in the Head Psychopathic Leon Sandacstle Card Collector. My Ward number will be #21! I'm not surprised by this, every time I do something that I mess up, my wife threatens me with this! And this is a daily threat hurled at me at least twice a day!

Thank you,

Hannibal (Toshi) Lectur

[hayn]

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[bcw716]

here you go from Beckett OPG:

2013 Prestige Extra Points Blue Autographs #301 Leon Sandcastle/21 (Deion)
AU SER 21 $250.00

normally on rarer stuff, i'll take the avg of the last few that sold. Prices are going to be really high right after the product comes out so you have to discount those. After it's been out a month or 2 is when the normal market kicks in. Lots of people have gone over to using sale value on cards to determine their "value". I personally don't like to use it w/ trades b/c it's a popularity contest as to what sells high. RG3, Luck, Russell Wilson, Kaepernick, etc. are all selling astronomically while established guys like Eli Manning, Big Ben, Matt Ryan etc sell at a portion of those guys for the most part. Once the season starts, somebody is going to break out & their cards will skyrocket, whether it be an Eddie Lacy or someone from 2012 who is currently under the radar(my money is on Daryl Richardson & Austin Pettis from 2011).

Anyway, Beckett also started doing appraisals for extremely rare stuff as well if you ever feel like you need to know. I think they do everything off scan so you don't even have to send your cards in.

Beckett.com

[hayn]

here you go from Beckett OPG:

2013 Prestige Extra Points Blue Autographs #301 Leon Sandcastle/21 (Deion)
AU SER 21 $250.00

normally on rarer stuff, i'll take the avg of the last few that sold. Prices are going to be really high right after the product comes out so you have to discount those. After it's been out a month or 2 is when the normal market kicks in. Lots of people have gone over to using sale value on cards to determine their "value". I personally don't like to use it w/ trades b/c it's a popularity contest as to what sells high. RG3, Luck, Russell Wilson, Kaepernick, etc. are all selling astronomically while established guys like Eli Manning, Big Ben, Matt Ryan etc sell at a portion of those guys for the most part. Once the season starts, somebody is going to break out & their cards will skyrocket, whether it be an Eddie Lacy or someone from 2012 who is currently under the radar(my money is on Daryl Richardson & Austin Pettis from 2011).

Anyway, Beckett also started doing appraisals for extremely rare stuff as well if you ever feel like you need to know. I think they do everything off scan so you don't even have to send your cards in.

Beckett.com

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the help!