Do We Do Anybody a Favour When we Point to Ebay Items ?

[OLDEREK]

Do We Do Anybody a Favour When we Point to Ebay Items ?

Here's the reason behind this,( and it goes back to MSN days) in the last few years I have been bidding on stuff on Ebay and the item is a at price that put's a smile on my face, and then a message gets posted informing all and sundry that it's on Ebay, and I lose what I thought to be a bargain, a Fender 50s Classic player was the last one I lost because of this, and it went to a member on here...........So who benifits fron this I wonder, the seller certainly does, Ebay does with higher fees on the sale, and the person who has been pointed to Ebay and get's the item........Sometines it's a blessing to see a item on Ebay in a thread on here, or you may of missed it.........But if you are the one bidding on it how do you feel ( after a message on here) it then gets above the price you wanted to give for it.......I still think it's great that members point out items of interest and I would not want it to stop, after all it can also save members bidding on non genuine crap.......So has it happened to you, have you sat there and seen the item you wanted make a record price...........I hope I have come across the way I intended here, this is just my thoughts, maybe I should keep them to myself, but it's a true story ..............

[AlanMcKillop]

it then gets above your the price you wanted to give for it

That's where it can start to go wrong, because others may well be prepared to go higher and at the end of the day, market forces/values come into play.

If there is an item that I'm interested in, I always check 'completed listings' to get an indication of what people are prepared to pay, indeed on past experiences, you could have bought the item cheaper outwith eBay, so always do your homework.

I think that you should always go in with a maximum price, I never get sucked into the auction hysteria and once you have determined your max. bid, place it within the last minute and take your chance. If you win great, if you lose, somebody wanted it more than you ......... but another chance will crop up soon.

There are bargains to be had and I've had my fair share, a 2 tone sunburst Fender Classic Player 50's strat (as new) £198 plus respray to Fiesta Red still made it under £300 in total. My most recent was a Lexicon reverb unit which sold when new for circa £400, got it for £54 and the best ............ was a '62 Fender Vintage reissue in FR from the early 90's for a tad under £500 incl shipping.

So hang in there Derek, your turn will come.

[BarryH]

I take Derek's view about alerting others to items listed on eBay. It has it's good and bad points. First we're a "community" and you're doing others on the site a favour by letting them know something good is on there. On the other hand you're not doing any favours to the other member that's already watching the item, hoping for a bargain.

The same point was raised on another forum and everyone took the same view as Derek and stopped posting links to items. If you're into eBay, it's up to you to keep searching for the "bargain" you're after. The only time I post a link to eBay items is when I think they're not as described, look a bit dodgy or someone's likely to get burnt from buying mis-represented items. I think we all should do this, it's very easy to use the REPORT ITEM button. Just like the "AUTOGRAPHED" CD from the lads that was on eBay last week.

I was using eBay from the US before eBay UK started and I rarely see any bargains at all on there now.

Cheers
Barry

[noelford]

I've has some bargains from eBay, including a Casio PG380 synth guitar in top condition for just £260 (they normally go for well over £500 on the rare occasions you see them there). I must admit I would be ultra peed-off if someone brought to wider notice something I was watching! With eBay, it has to be every man for himself – it just doesn't work if you try to be altruistic.

Of course, it's a different matter when we spot dodgy stuff, in which case we should all get as many people as possible to report the seller.

[Graylion]

I am with Derek on this. If there's something I am really interested in having, I would be stupid to post it's number in any of the clubs! It can only EVER raise the bidding price - it can't possibly keep it down! That's why I've posted elsewhere that there's a Vox Long Tom on eBay right now!! I'm just getting my own back on those who insist on letting everyone know what's going so that it goes above what I can afford!
You can slap me when you see me - that person who really wants the Long Tom! Cheers, Lionel

[Graylion]

Contrary to Alan, I never go in with the max on something I REALLY want! I go for the last minute rush - and it IS a rush! That's how I got my Klemt Echolette for £62 when before and after they went for £250-£300! A NOS Binson Echorec deck plate with record drum, idler pully and all heads fixed in place recently went for £149!!!!. Eric sells REFURBISHED drums alone for £350! I am sure that was a last second bid by someone. I didn't bid 'cos I don't really need one.
I also collect silver antique pocket watches and managed to get an immaculate 1860 one for £38 once - last second bidding! Yes, I know it's a gamble but I like that! Someone may have bid their max which is higher than you are prepared to go, or you haven't left enough time to re-bid before it closes. More often than not I win that gamble.
Roulette anyone?
Cheers, Lionel

[AlanMcKillop]

Think you missed my point Lionel have another read.

[bridev]

My wife has tried both going in with a max bid straight away and waiting till the last minute to bid and has quite often been "sniped" but I guess there is not a lot you can do about that, if the people you are bidding against have the program you may as well forget it.

[BarryH]

My wife has tried both going in with a max bid straight away and waiting till the last minute to bid and has quite often been "sniped" but I guess there is not a lot you can do about that, if the people you are bidding against have the program you may as well forget it.

Sniping is not the be all and end all of eBay, for me the main thing is to decide what I'm willing to pay for the item and stick to it.

I do this by placing my bid in the last few seconds, if I lose the item, fair enough, it went for more than I was willing to pay. The problem if you place a bid earlier in the auction, then you get outbid, it's to easy to think I'll just have one more bid. Before you know where you are, you're paying over the odds.

Cheers
Barry

[AlanMcKillop]

That's exactly what I do Barry.