When I go to Cardmarket, I can easily see the best prices for any Pokémon card in any language and condition. I can make a “Wants” list, save all the cards I need from a certain set, and then have their algorithm find me the sellers with the most of those cards. The site even shows me the cheapest way to buy them all and the method of ordering that requires the least amount of shipments.
No matter which option I choose, however, I’ll inevitably trigger “the convenience effect.”
If I buy from a seller that has many cards, chances are, I won’t pay the best-possible price on all of them. Once I manually scan where cards start versus what the seller charges, I usually realize I’m paying 20%, 50%, or even 100% more on some of the cards that I want.
If I let the shopping wizard optimize for the cheapest prices, I might end up with 17 different orders from eight different countries. Cheaper prices, sure, but the shipping! Plus, I’d have to track many packages and incur the risk of some cards getting lost in the mail. Back to square one I go.
And if I optimize for the least number of shipments, guess what, I’m right back to overpaying on individual cards.
The result is that if I want a specific number of cards from a certain set in a particular condition, I’ll always pay for that convenience. I can pay for the convenience of having them all come from one trusted seller, for the convenience of having them come in few shipments, or for the convenience of getting the best price, the latter of which ironically stops me from getting the best price—but I’ll pay for convenience regardless.
The question is: How much am I willing to pay for any particular convenience? Is it 10% more? Is it 50 euros in total? This is the only part that matters.
I have found that when I start comparing prices, I’ll only pull my hair out. Sure, technically, it doesn’t make sense to pay twice as much, but for a card that costs 50 cent or two euros, it’s also not that big of a deal. Ultimately, I’m better off looking at a complete order including shipping fees and asking myself: “Is this a fair price?” This is the quickest way to moving on with my hobby, my life, and sleeping well at night.
The convenience effect applies to far more than Pokémon cards, of course. When you pay extra for your groceries to have them delivered, that’s the convenience effect. When you go to a restaurant with higher prices but better service, that’s the convenience effect. And when you order on Amazon because you already have Prime, likely paying more than you would at an independent shop, that, too, is the convenience effect.
Know where you’re paying for convenience. We all do. The only question is whether we believe the money we spend is worth the outcome we get. As long as that’s the case, dedicating extra dollars to more time, comfort, or peace of mind is not a problem at all.