From: kb6ojs@arrl.net   
      
   [This followup was posted to alt.collecting.stamps and a copy was sent   
   to the cited author.]   
      
   In article , mr.correct@comcast.net   
   says...   
   > >      Easy availability over the Internet increases both supply and   
   > > demand.  As a buyer, you indeed have much more supply available; but   
   > > as a seller there are also many more available buyers.   
   > >      I think the primary effect will be (is?) more even markets world   
   > > wide (less variability from one place to another) rather than an   
   > > increase or decrease in prices.   
   > >      Comments?   
   >   
   > Well, now that the discussion is going, I don't know what to think.  I tend   
   > to think the internet will cause prices to fall somewhat - but I don't know.   
   >   
   > I just posted my idea about realistic values in a new post in this group.  I   
   > would appreciate hearing what you think about it.   
      
   The basic determination of market value -- supply vs. demand -- still   
   applies.  Rarity (or scarcity) of items is not the sole factor in   
   pricing.  An item may be one-of-a-kind, but if nobody wants it then the   
   market value is essentially nil.  Or there may be a good number of a   
   particular item on the market, but the demand is extremely high for that   
   item.  Therefore the market value will be accordingly high.   
      
   The only significant factor that the Internet provides is a larger   
   marketplace for the buying and selling of philatelic material.   
      
   Also, don't take eBay as an accurate indicator of true market value --   
   be it philatelic material or anything else.  I've seen people bid   
   horrendously high amounts for what is essentially crap, and I've seen   
   quite valuable items go for a mere fraction of their normal value.  Some   
   bidders just get caught up in the feeding frenzy, while some sellers   
   fail to properly describe their merchandise and attract insufficient   
   attention.   
      
   A good case of the latter is a Morse Code key that was sold recently.   
   The seller described it as a "clicker" and therefore didn't pop up on   
   the radar for those buyers who have standing keyword searches set up.  A   
   friend of mine put in a bid, and got it for probably a tenth of what a   
   serious collector would have paid had it been described more accurately.   
      
   Food for thought, and for discussion.   
      
   --   
      
   -- //Steve//   
      
   Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS   
   Fountain Valley, CA   
   Email: kb6ojs@arrl.net   
      
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