Why falling XMetal prices are bad.

[dingo ate my baby]

Are you blaming Trump for the Xmetal market down turn?

 

[juan223]

Are you blaming Trump for the Xmetal market down turn?

Me? hardly, collectible prices in general have been soft since the economic downturn in 08. IIRC this thread started in November....which is when folks typically start spending on Christmas and not themselves which mean less bidders for auction sites and other collectible sales options. Now with 'tax season' approaching you'll have some needing to sell to pay taxes, and others buying with tax refunds....

 

[juan223]

While it certainly was not DJT's fault, there is always economic uncertainty during a Presidential election, folks tend to hold onto their cash until they see what direction the economy is moving....

 

[dingo ate my baby]

I was having fun with you!

 

[ucdavis4PT0gpa]

Yeah except now that the economy will tank (we're overdue for a recession anyway the last one having ended 7-1/2 years ago) people will hang onto their money even more and pump up the buyers market even more.

And FYI? Metals are like...I don't know...whatever thing you think you've shaken but oh look, just when you think you're over that and done...duh duh duh back they come calling your name.

 

[David_Oakley]

Hoping to get some good discussion going. I don't have a well thought through or strong opinion.

XMetal prices are in a slump.

They still compare favorably with retail, but are way down on 12 months ago across the board, apart from Romeo Plasma and Jordan and the super rare ones like Juliet 24K, Ichiro Carbon.

Obvious example - Ichiro Polished Carbon full mint went for $1,200 a year ago, now $850-950. Or, Mars Jordans. Once so rare, so sought after, but now near mint full sets at $700-800. Copper Penny (praise be!) met with a shrug and a sigh. Most rare pieces just don't sell whatever the price!

It's all just supply and demand! @kronin323 (explain it properly for me!)

I read a lot of comments along the lines of:

'great time to buy'
'yeah, buyers market'
'finally the prices are back to normal'
'there were too many EBay prices on OF and now it's returning to the way it was in the old days'

blah blah.

First, it's not like it was in the 'old days' ('15 and before) when there was a lot more integrity on the site. Detailed and accurate seller descriptions, mutually satisfactory trades, and lots of satisfied buyers. No, there is loads of scalping, switch and baiting, false describing, fake claiming, nowadays. That's a phenomenon from the last 12 months.

But back to pricing. In my view, it's slumping because there is a declining number of collectors. It's becoming increasingly incestuous with a hardcore pool or collectors trading with each other. Few new serious collectors. Many collectors seeing the values decrease, panicking (or just having kids or educating kids privately!) and selling off their extensive collections for what they paid or a loss.

Low prices are bad. They indicate a lack of demand, a lack of interest in the product. Since the product is XMetals - something many of us LOVE, it's clearly bad for us all. Why? Well, I don't want to lay it on too thick but without collectors to wax lyrical about the production values and aesthetic excellence of X, there is no XMetal future. It ends with this group.

Maybe that doesn't matter. Maybe it's enough to take your grandchildren to the museum in Cali or Texas and go on about it....

'Yeah yeah granddad whatever' [text, flickr, facebook, virtual reality escape shute away from old guy talking about how great the sunglasses are baked at a 1000 degrees in a Nevada furnace]

Before anyone says you only care because you are a seller, I traded far more than sold in the last year. I am still building my collection, whatever the market says or does.

By the way, i'm a bit drunk. Don't slam me, I'm a sensitive soul.

[Typo 'a bit drunk' = 'hammered']

Here's a JBR for good measure.

View attachment 293024

Well said and done @saulsaul . Reading your OP just calms me down from my other thread venting about cheap people lol.

You are right. The proverbial buck stops here. We are the last of the collectors. From this point, some like myself will sell off and hopefully recoup at or close to original out of pocket. In my case I've all but sold the ever so stubborn Bnib polished carbon (a reverse unicorn if you will). It's actually a bit funny that that turned out to be the most difficult piece to move.

It's inexplicable really given its uniqueness. But whatever, I have no regrets and had fun building my collection.

David

 

[David_Oakley]

Yeah except now that the economy will tank (we're overdue for a recession anyway the last one having ended 7-1/2 years ago) people will hang onto their money even more and pump up the buyers market even more.

And FYI? Metals are like...I don't know...whatever thing you think you've shaken but oh look, just when you think you're over that and done...duh duh duh back they come calling your name.

The "looming recession" is not the problem here. As we discussed in my other thread, the x metal fad is all but done. It's no longer much of a novelty. The market for x metals will dry up on its own without the help of a "recession".

You don't know if a recession is looming. Who cares about cycles? Trump being POTUS will help matters and the state of our union more than the alternative that's for sure.

And by the way, if it were to happen, I'm not worried about it, because worrying does absolutely nothing.

 

[dingo ate my baby]

As I have stated before this is not the last of the generation collectors, There is remaining generation and a next generation of X metals collectors. Who aren't going anywhere anytime soon! The last generation greatly over paid for pieces and I have long stated that fact! Most left after trying to sell them and incurred great financial loss. In the end X metals left them jaded. Most of this generation is not buying and paying for lnib for a largely inflated price.They are more shrewd with their money.They main streamed X squared and put penny to the side! They wear their pieces and display them. I strongly believe ones that wear their pieces are the ones that stick around the longest. The ones that collect to have them, get to a point where they have all they want and get bored and sell them off. Ever wonder why we see so many 24kt Juliet's and X squared sold when there is so few of them. The answer is can't wear them so they sell them. There is still a very strong market for ones that can be worn and displayed. The bay and other markets show there is still a strong love for Xmetals

 

[mjt42]

Love or hate eBay, I agree with @X-Metal Beast; as long as the buyer goes through with paying for a winning bid eBay is a good gauge of current prices. It seems to me that not all collectors are also members on this forum.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[erap]

Love or hate eBay, I agree with @X-Metal Beast; as long as the buyer goes through with paying for a winning bid eBay is a good gauge of current prices. It seems to me that not all collectors are also members on this forum.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

but then again, we do not know if these are serious bidders-those that ACTUALLY PAY. A lot of bidders pull the trigger but have blank bullets.

The forum is a more realistic gauge of the current xmetal value.