Ebay Fruit Cakes (1 Viewer)

[Cardigan600]

Yo Troopers, what is the matter with people are they all fruit cakes or what on ebay. Just had a Stadden auction and the same model was on at the same time The Lorne Scots. The first was a complete undamaged model nice, but because the seller put it up at £50 starting price it sold for £54.00. The second model the Sword was missing (stated in the listing) and had some chips a bit knocked around. So the seller puts it up for £4.99 Yeh you guessed it sold for £87.00. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE.
Bernard.

 

[thebritfarmer]

It' shard to believe eh Bernard, I think it is because people want a bargain and then get caught up in the moment.

No wait that can't be it at all no one ever bids on items that are priced cheaply

 

[Gideon]

Because at 50 people watch the auction but at 4.99 people bid and are then committed to the item.

This is why I list most of my items at 99 cents. Defies logic - they're going to pay the price anyway but that is reality.

It's the same at live auctions anyway. An item with a starting bid of 50 may not go higher if one person bids but if the auctioneer has to lower the opening bid, that same item could go for double or more. I've seen this happen at every live auction I've attended.

 

[Njja]

Because at 50 people watch the auction but at 4.99 people bid and are then committed to the item.

This is why I list most of my items at 99 cents. Defies logic - they're going to pay the price anyway but that is reality.

It's the same at live auctions anyway. An item with a starting bid of 50 may not go higher if one person bids but if the auctioneer has to lower the opening bid, that same item could go for double or more. I've seen this happen at every live auction I've attended.

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As does your argument. When people see an item listed for .99 they assume

you got it for .50 since no one usually sells an item at a loss.

They also believe the item is only worth a few dollars because you have it

listed at .99

This happens to be your style, you feel it gives you an advantage, I wouldn't

expect to see Sotheby's adopting it anytime soon.

We'll begin this auction at .99 ah do I hear $1 Anyone $1

do I hear $1

 

[gk5717]

Every thing I put on ebay I start at the very lowest price. Most plastic at ..99cents, a single retired K&C piece at $14.99.
And quess what, they ALL sell and for some 3 times more than what I thought they were actually worth.
In my mind those very low starting prices initially attract a potential customer and then as posted they get caught up, where as a high starting bid people will just pass on it and never check back.
Gary

 

[Njja]

Every thing I put on ebay I start at the very lowest price. Most plastic at ..99cents, a single retired K&C piece at $14.99.
And quess what, they ALL sell and for some 3 times more than what I thought they were actually worth.
In my mind those very low starting prices initially attract a potential customer and then as posted they get caught up, where as a high starting bid people will just pass on it and never check back.
Gary

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To each his own, but may I submit the PM10 figure we all just watched sell for $280. Lets say you had that piece and decided that for $250 you would

sell it to buy something else you wanted. If you listed it for $250 you are willing to accept $30 less then the last one sold for, as you realize the

fair price may be lower since one buyer now has the piece. Other collectors may assume the piece is worth $250+ should they also decide to trade or

sell theirs.

Along comes "Joe" who decides to list his PM10 for .99 does he really expect to get .99? Is he going to pay .35 to list it, and another .35 to

sell it and pocket .29? Of course not......he just sees this as a way to "short circuit" anyone else that might decide to sell the

piece.

Imagine if you listed yours and the next day one pops up for .99 a situation currently on ebay with another piece.

I especially like it when these sellers say "occasionaly I take a beating" which means of course they know exactly what they are doing. Why else would they

feel that way? Isn't their item actually worth .99?

Personally I would love to see someone come in behind them and list the item for .10.......then mabe they could go to .o1.

All this simply causes a lot of confusion! What is an item worth? Is a PM10 worth $280? or .99?

In the end is anyone really fooled by the .99 listing?

Does anyone believe the seller doesn't want as much as he can possibly get?

Anyone expect a refund if you are the high bidder? A little note to say "You paid me $250 and I only wanted .99 so here is your $241.01 back.

Its really no wonder so many people are confused on the value of things.

 

[thebritfarmer]

I don't understand why you get worked up when someone lists an item at 99 cents. The seller can list at what he wants and if he takes a few hits oh well it is the cost of being in business. Or are you saying all sellers on ebay should be repsectful of other sellers and not list for 99 in case someone else has the same item to list?

Surely you get that live auction houses start at a price and if there are no bites they drop the price until they get a bid? and then it goes up from there, eBay unfortunately cannot work in the same way.

Using The Sunflowers by Van Gogh as an example is a bit much like comparing the price of apples to oranges. It doesn't even compare.

 

[Njja]

I don't understand why you get worked up when someone lists an item at 99 cents. The seller can list at what he wants and if he takes a few hits oh well it is the cost of being in business. Or are you saying all sellers on ebay should be repsectful of other sellers and not list for 99 in case someone else has the same item to list?

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Its certainly a question of respect. Respect for the other collectors, and

respect for anyone that has something to trade or sell.

I spend a lot of time researching the values of items, before I buy or sell. I

am careful to check and make sure I am not listing something already listed

as a simple courtesy.

Can you expect anything but a confused marketplace when one day an item

sells for $280 and the next day you see it for .99?

 

[Gideon]

You assume I don't do the same research before I sell something. I make sure nobody else has it listed and that nothing shows up in the completed listing section.

Like I've said, I take it on the chin from time to time but if I sit there watching something priced accordingly just sit until it doesn't sell, well, thats not good.

I really don't understand why you get so upset - do you think that it adversely effects the value of your personal collection? If you rate the value of your collection based upon the last similars opening bid you'll just drive yourself crazy.

My goal is to get bids - lots of them. Not to sit and watch something listed $50 hoping it goes higher than that if the initial $50 at all.

My honest feeling is that many items will get to that price no matter what the initial starting price is. If I am uncertain, as I am with the books and magazines I am currently listing, I'll raise the price I am comfortable selling at.

And nobody is thinking about what a seller paid for an item as they are bidding on it. They are thinking what they are comfortable spending. What somebody paid for an item is irrelevant to what it sells for down the road - up or down. It's up for sale again and thats all there to it.

Fact is, in any auction, you need at least two people who want the item. Trying to predict a price is mostly nonesense. A high opening bid might as well be a reserve: it puts off the same number of buyers. Lots of people like to see something rare and have a little skin in the game for a while.

We're not dealing with fine art here, we're dealing with finite quantities of little lead guys.

I like seeing lots of bids and lots of bidders. It's exciting and it does well for me.

But I digress.

 

[thebritfarmer]

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Its certainly a question of respect. Respect for the other collectors, and

respect for anyone that has something to trade or sell.

I spend a lot of time researching the values of items, before I buy or sell. I

am careful to check and make sure I am not listing something already listed

as a simple courtesy.

Can you expect anything but a confused marketplace when one day an item

sells for $280 and the next day you see it for .99?

Well in that case I would imagine you are one of the very few who provides that courtesy and I suspect wouldn't matter one iota to the majority.

I have never been confused when items sell high & low. I would if it was a retail store but as we know auctions are quite different from a store and the same item does sell for different prices in an auction environment.

 

[thebritfarmer]

You assume I don't do the same research before I sell something. I make sure nobody else has it listed and that nothing shows up in the completed listing section.

Like I've said, I take it on the chin from time to time but if I sit there watching something priced accordingly just sit until it doesn't sell, well, thats not good.

I really don't understand why you get so upset - do you think that it adversely effects the value of your personal collection? If you rate the value of your collection based upon the last similars opening bid you'll just drive yourself crazy.

My goal is to get bids - lots of them. Not to sit and watch something listed $50 hoping it goes higher than that if the initial $50 at all.

My honest feeling is that many items will get to that price no matter what the initial starting price is. If I am uncertain, as I am with the books and magazines I am currently listing, I'll raise the price I am comfortable selling at.

And nobody is thinking about what a seller paid for an item as they are bidding on it. They are thinking what they are comfortable spending. What somebody paid for an item is irrelevant to what it sells for down the road - up or down. It's up for sale again and thats all there to it.

Fact is, in any auction, you need at least two people who want the item. Trying to predict a price is mostly nonesense. A high opening bid might as well be a reserve: it puts off the same number of buyers. Lots of people like to see something rare and have a little skin in the game for a while.

We're not dealing with fine art here, we're dealing with finite quantities of little lead guys.

I like seeing lots of bids and lots of bidders. It's exciting and it does well for me.

But I digress.

You have made some very good points Gideon and I am sure these views are shared by the many and not the few.

Everyone loves a bargain and wants to get it for the cheapest amount possible. I love live auctions, the atmosphere and the tension are great

 

[Njja]

You have made some very good points Gideon and I am sure these views are shared by the many and not the few.

Everyone loves a bargain and wants to get it for the cheapest amount possible. I love live auctions, the atmosphere and the tension are great

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Why am I not suprised?

Gideon, what is the point of the research......if you are listing the item for

.99?

Oh well, I see no point in further engaging in any conversation about the

value of items.

 

[Cardigan600]

Yo Troopers, got a good mind to put you all on stable duties for a month THE POINT I was making the perfect model sold for less than a incomplete and knocked around model !HELLO!. This fruit cake thing must be catching lol..
Bernard.

 

[wayne556517]

Now look what you started................ the stables are gonna be full but back to what you said it is weird paying more for a damaged item i think some people just dont like loosing so keep bidding,plus i hate fruit cake..........

 

[Njja]

Yo Troopers, got a good mind to put you all on stable duties for a month THE POINT I was making the perfect model sold for less than a incomplete and knocked around model !HELLO!. This fruit cake thing must be catching lol..
Bernard.

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I do not collect these pieces, but I do completely understand your point!

You really never know what is going to happen on ebay. I know they have

over 10 Million Viewers daily, so anything can happen.

 

[thebritfarmer]

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Why am I not suprised?

Gideon, what is the point of the research......if you are listing the item for

.99?

Oh well, I see no point in further engaging in any conversation about the

value of items.

You imply we are simpletons??? Oh well C'est La Vie, you carry on paying and selling for full whack and I'll stick to looking for my bargains.

 

[Spitfrnd]

Yo Troopers, got a good mind to put you all on stable duties for a month THE POINT I was making the perfect model sold for less than a incomplete and knocked around model !HELLO!. This fruit cake thing must be catching lol..
Bernard.

Of course that makes no sense assuming both sets of bidders were aware of the two listings but one thing an online bidding site like ebay encourages is a lack of focus by the many that visit it daily. So to me it is not so surprising that one group got so focused on the "potential penny bargain" that they simply overlooked or forgot about the much better version. It is not Ebay per se that causes that, just the process and the opportunity. I must admit that I never take the .99 listings seriously since I fully expect the price will end up somewhat realistic in the last minutes if not well before. That is why as a buyer I never bid until the end and only then with an automatic bidder set to my maximum price. I do enjoy getting something I have been seeking at a good price but the process is completely boring to me otherwise.

 

[Gideon]

Lol, John, the research I do is to not step on anyones toes committing the sacrilege you describe.

 

[kogu]

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Why am I not suprised?

Gideon, what is the point of the research......if you are listing the item for

.99?

Oh well, I see no point in further engaging in any conversation about the

value of items.

I think that is a good idea not to engage in further value conversations.
Except Gambale's posts about shirtless Italians and associated vehicles I don't think there is another subject that has been more repeated
Konrad

 

[Njja]

[/B]


I think that is a good idea not to engage in further value conversations.
Except Gambale's posts about shirtless Italians and associated vehicles I don't think there is another subject that has been more repeated
Konrad

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You are a very sensible man!

Far smarter then I!

I was just having a debate about the merits of .99 auctions with a fellow

that currently has 37 auctions with not one .99 listing.

You would think I would know better by now.