Ebayers can be pretty stupid

[TR-Flyer]

Hi:
Ebay, and other Internet sites, are really useful for "S". There's usually 20-25 pages of American flyer on ebay. My local hobby shop doesn't have 25 individual items. The prices I pay are mostly above the “Greenberg” price, but then, the prices I see at the GATS shows I attend are too. Sure would like to know where Greenberg buys HIS stuff. But, I’ve never paid more for an item than it was worth to me.

Regards,
Ted
.

 

[pcentral]

Ravensfan,
I stand corrected, this thread is all polite. Every other one regarding Ebay has always turned into a public beating. I, as mentioned, have been on Ebay since the early days. My ID is pcentral and I have 21 feedbacks all positive. I had a period of no computer and when I got back to Ebay my account was gone. Stupid me signed up again without contacting them first and lost all my old feedback which was all positive also. I mostly buy but do occasionally sell things under shoemanv. This is my fathers account which I use since I list things using his computer equipment. My about me page states this info so there is no deception going on.
My beefs with Ebay are the overuse of the terms rare, mint, etc.
I believe this is used by people who just don't know better for the most part. Just like the guy who listed the N gauge car as HO. I also don't care for snipers, but if I set my max bid in the first place then I have to realize that I went as high as I wanted to. If you snipe on occassion that is one thing, but I know of some that do it all the time. Those are the ones that are frustrating. Well I have rambled enough and once again I apologize to you RF I know that it was not your intention. Steve

 

[RaiderCTE]

re

Hello,
My name is RaiderCTE and I'm an Ebayholic. I'm at about 70 on the old feedback so I would guess that I have had close to 100 transactions. Both buying and selling. I would also say that I am notorious for waiting till the last second to bid, sometimes I have bid already other times it may be my first bid. Since I have DSL it is pretty easy to throw a bid down at the last second. I will have one window up refreshing every couple seconds to keep an eye on the price in the other window I have were I put the bid in. I have won a few with only 3 or less seconds left on the item. It definitly gets the adrenalen running. I agree to that there alot of people that must not do any research and don't pay attention to shipping costs. I've been keeping my eye out for the Walthers Interstate Fuel and Oil and I know I can get it for at least $20 plus shipping a few places. But if you look I think there is at least one person that is selling it starting out at $27 plus shipping. Seems crazy but the funny thing is the seller will relist the item if it doesn't sell until it does. I have also seen things people sell that don't have the upc label. That's how they make their money, rebates, they buy it, send in the rebate and then resell it at the regular or just under the regular market price. Shipping is another beast unto its own. I've seen items that someone will charge $15.00 to ship but even if they went out and bought tape, a box, packaging material , and postage they would have spent $8. Sorry for the rambling but to me Ebay is just another shopping tool and tools are fun.

 

[jon-monon]

Originally posted by N Gauger


My "Pet Peeve"?? - Some Knucklehead that shows us with 35 seconds left in the auction - and outbids me by $1.00!! I don't mind if the person has bid on the item before - but somebody just "passing through" bidding for the first time on the item really gets to me..

ROFL: That's ME , N, I 'm the one doin that! That's how I always bid! Me, jon, the knucklehead! hahaha No I'm not just passin through, I stalk my prey, then go for the throat, at exactly 30 sec. before end of auction. It's the only way I get a deal. Otherwise, no matter what I bid, someone see's it and thinks, "hey, it must be worth it, HE bid that much. If it's worth that, I'll bid $5 more!" Then I lose as the bidding storm begins and the selling price escalates like, uh, feathers on a snake.Bid early, bid often,and you'll draw attention to it and drive the bid sky high.

 

[Vic]

There's nothing worse then getting in a bidding war on eBay.

Here's something that's worked for me at times....

1. When you see an item you want decide what the max amount is that you are willing to pay.
2. Go ahead and place a bid but make it a few dollars under what
your maximum amount. Unless some one is using the same approach most likely you'll be the high bidder...you just eliminated the folks that are "nickel and dimeing" the auction and you've still got a good amount in reserve covering yourself to eliminate other "nickel and dimers" that come along.
3. Use your eBay bidding/watching page (My eBay) to follow the auction....eBay will send you an "outbid" notification if you have elected to do so.
4. If while the auction is running you get outbid don't panic...just keep watching.
5. Get on the item page about 5 mins before the auction ends...don't bid from My eBay...its slower.....If the high bid is just above your orginal bid but lower than your max amount get ready to bid again.
6. Use the Refresh button on your browser to update the page and 30-15 seconds before the auction ends "slam" in the bid for your maximum amount. You just might be the winner.

Would be interesting to know what "techniques" some others use.

 

[N Gauger]

Originally posted by pcentral
Ravensfan,
I stand corrected, this thread is all polite. Every other one regarding Ebay has always turned into a public beating. I, as mentioned, have been on Ebay since the early days. My ID is pcentral and I have 21 feedbacks all positive. I had a period of no computer and when I got back to Ebay my account was gone. Stupid me signed up again without contacting them first and lost all my old feedback which was all positive also. I mostly buy but do occasionally sell things under shoemanv. This is my fathers account which I use since I list things using his computer equipment. My about me page states this info so there is no deception going on.
My beefs with Ebay are the overuse of the terms rare, mint, etc.
I believe this is used by people who just don't know better for the most part. Just like the guy who listed the N gauge car as HO. I also don't care for snipers, but if I set my max bid in the first place then I have to realize that I went as high as I wanted to. If you snipe on occassion that is one thing, but I know of some that do it all the time. Those are the ones that are frustrating. Well I have rambled enough and once again I apologize to you RF I know that it was not your intention. Steve

Steve - If you'll pardon the intrusion - I'd like to say - (as Moderator) this is a great post!!! That's why I volunteered to moderate this board. The Distinguished members of The-Gauge hardly ever act impolite. That's why this thread was Not deleted. Yes, I was waiting - all of a suden it would have disappeared - But as always we've proven that we are all adults!!

Thanks to All !!!!!!
~~ Mikey (moderator)

 

[N Gauger]

Originally posted by jon-monon


ROFL: That's ME , N, I 'm the one doin that! That's how I always bid! Me, jon, the knucklehead! hahaha No I'm not just passin through, I stalk my prey, then go for the throat, at exactly 30 sec. before end of auction. It's the only way I get a deal. Otherwise, no matter what I bid, someone see's it and thinks, "hey, it must be worth it, HE bid that much. If it's worth that, I'll bid $5 more!" Then I lose as the bidding storm begins and the selling price escalates like, uh, feathers on a snake.Bid early, bid often,and you'll draw attention to it and drive the bid sky high.

ROFL -- Jon - you're killin' me - Where's the jug - My sides hurt!!!! LOL

I'll have to try that "deuling window thing" I never thought of that!!

Now - seriously - Have you EVER gotten the impression that sombody "raised" their own bid??? Just to raise yours???
I Think it happened once to me.. Not provable though..

I try now - not to bid too early - you're right - bidding wars lead to nothing but high selling prices.

 

[Ravensfan]

Originally posted by Vic
6. Use the Refresh button on your browser to update the page and 30-15 seconds before the auction ends "slam" in the bid for your maximum amount. You just might be the winner.

I tried that once and it turned out the high bidder at the time had a max bid more than my "slam" bid, so I lost out. For the most part, I like your technique and I follow something similar to that at times, but I also try another technique to enter my max bid first, after doing some research on cost and shipping. Doing it that way just allows me to enter one bid and then check at the end if I've won. I got a diesel locomotive that way once.

pcentral, no need to apologize and I'm glad this hasn't evolved into a bash ebay thread.

 

[Bob Collins]

Someone made passing reference to it a message or so back and I'd like to ask the question straight on... has anyone ever decided that the seller has a friend pushing the bidding along? For the life of me I don't know how you would ever prove it unless someone told you in confidence. There have been a couple of times that I wondered, so I would check some bid histories and there is never enough "evidence" to suggest that is happening. If I am suspicious I just quit bidding on items that person puts up for auction.

Bob

 

[Vic]

Hi Bob, What you describe is a form of what's known as "shill bidding" and is an absolute no-no according to eBay rules. I'm sorta like you though....how do you prove it? Worse than trying to prove arson.

I have seen on the eBay message boards though comments where sellers have been banned for that practice but how they got caught is beyond me

 

[Bob Collins]

Hi Vic;

Thanks for the info. As an old and I mean old intell officer I think I am suspicious of just about everything I won't bid on an item that doesn't have a clear picture. One of my criteria for bidding on rolling stock is that unless it is something really unusual I will not bid unless the item has KDs or something equivilent. The only exception I have made recently is getting all the cars to make a set of the excursion UPRR passenger cars. I seldom buy kits anymore. With what I have bought and been given I have enough to keep me building for a couple of years I think I've learned a lot about what are the models I want on my layout and which ones are just "toy trains" It cost me a few bucks, but the lesson was well learned.

My point is that I think the key to being a good e-Bayer is to have or develop a sense of patience along with learning as much about wheat is being sold as you possibly can. As I mentioned earlier, I have my Walthers Reference book here next to the computer and although it doesnt have all the right answers it does set a frame of reference for making smart buys.

Having said all that I think I'll head over to e-Bay and see if I can pull off one of those last 30 second steals That is a joke here as we don't have the technology to be able to have double screens and T-1 lines and all that sort of stuff. Yoiu can come hear the phone dial everytime I want to get on line

Take care

Bob

Do you have to go to school to become a robber baron? That sounds like fun

 

[Vic]

Bob, I know exactly where you are coming from....having been an insurance company claims examiner ( fraud is my specialty) for over 35 years I too am suspicious of most anything especially when $$$$ is involved

BTW#1...I'm on a dial up too!
BTW#2...Bidding on a Labelle kit right now...so far I'm the high bidder and only $1.00 above the opening bid

 

[Vic]

Oh Bob....By the way....You don't have to go to school to be a Robber Barron...but it helps to have a willingness to "do unto to others....before they do unto you"!!! LOL!!!!! and having a little "horse trader's blood" in you don't hurt either" LOL

 

[Bob Collins]

I bought a book (not on e-Bay) about the history of the UPRR a couple of months ago and it too has been a real help for me in developing a focus of my e-Bay bidding.

For instance, I used to drool at every steam engine I saw, but now that I have a ready reference about what type of engines the UP operated I have a better historical sense about what I should really have on my layout. I even discovered they had some camelbacks which I never would have guessed.

I also have developed over the months what I would call a "brown boxcar mentality." By that I mean I don't bid on the flashy stuff, plain old brown is what was run and that is what I want to duplicate.

My only real frustration about my layout is I still have not developed a plan for landscaping. I have cheated a bit by buying a half dozen constructed models of various buildings off of e-Bay and I am very pleased with what I bought. I'll have to try to remember to take some pictures next time I have the digital out.

Bob

 

[N Gauger]

Originally posted by Vic
Hi Bob, What you describe is a form of what's known as "shill bidding" and is an absolute no-no according to eBay rules. I'm sorta like you though....how do you prove it? Worse than trying to prove arson.

I have seen on the eBay message boards though comments where sellers have been banned for that practice but how they got caught is beyond me

I would think that one way would be:

Person A lists an item -- person C bids on it -- Person B raises it so C has to bid higher

If Person A & Person B are the same 2 people in more than a few auctions - it ould be more than a coincidence.

Y'know - somebody will always make a mistake, -- and get caught. It's just not worth it.

 

[Bob Collins]

Mikey;

I agree that if you want to take the time you can probably catch someone. I have just decided up to now to stop watching any suspicious auctions. Maybe I'll have to do some "survelience."

Bob

 

[Voice]

I generally decide how much I"m willing to spend on something on eBay, and then watch the auction. If it doesn't go over my amount, I'll bid, if I still want it toward the end. I've found that there are times when I've decided that I CAN live without (whatever it is).

Generally when I sell, my name there is moreho, I only sell OLD stuff. I've sold a LOT of Train Miniature cars, and old building kits.

There have been times when I've really wanted ONE piece in a lot of things, so I've wound up with a bunch of cars that don't fit, and I don't need, so one of these days, I"ll just put up a couple of auctions of 10 or 15 cars, engines, and track, and HOPE that some dumb eBayer will buy it....LOL!!!

 

[clumber]

I generally know how much I can afford to go to. Often its slighly more than you would bid over in the US but, if its a dealer with a new item, after adding shipping costs and customs charges, its still cheaper than buying here in the UK.
I picked up an Atlas Master series GP38 recently and still saved several dollars / pounds but then its no longer obtainable in the UK.
Having said that, the prices going for a Kato SD45, with the extras mentioned above, are actually higher than over here.
You have to know exactly how much you can afford.
Brian