Weird trend lately where nicer examples of B List pins are selling for A List prices. The following have all sold for $5k or more recently: Congo, BSD, I500, T2, even TFTC, and others I'm sure.
All were nice examples and not bad pins, but with so many other pins perennially regarded as superior (A List) for the same money, why not just get one of those instead?
$5k gets you a restored Funhouse, a restored Fathom, very nice Creech, very nice WH20, very nice Champ Pub, Metallica, Maiden, LOTR, SM, pretty soon HUO Monster Bash Remakes. Are those choices not superior?
And what ever happened to having an above-average example of a particular title and as such pricing it toward the top of the usual range? Like if a pin usually sells for $2500-$3000, you ask $3000. Nope. Now sellers are adding +$2000.
Most recently I'm seeing ads with already jumbo asking prices and in the copy finding that mods & add-ons are Not Included, with a separate price list for those. That's a new one.
IMO this is the biggest negative that has come about from our hobby surging in popularity. A tremendous surge of greedy sellers, and disappointingly no shortage of impatient new money waiting on the other end. It is making an entire era of pins un-collectible for sane collectors. Seems like you've got to go nearly new, or very old, or very undesirable, in order to get a fair price. Or deal strictly with friends.
What do you guys think about this? Has the price insanity impacted which eras you are collecting? Do you mind paying $5k for a nice B List pin?