NO MORE AUCTIONS

[bear52]

   Just a personal statement of my no longer doing any buying on Auction Listings on Ebay. I have been a member and active for over 20 years on Ebay. I have bought and sold all during my time here. It used to be a great place to get a good deal on merchandise. I have had some great experiences and some bad, but I will never attempt a auction only sale or purchase again. Why ? Well I notice a trend of sellers pricing their auction  items for more than it's worth and quiet often more than  you can buy locally the same thing for less. I am well aware that Ebay is a "BUYER BEWARE" format but when the buyers are never even checking what a item is really worth and going into a AUCTION FRENZY. I refuse to be a part of that as it is a waste of time. I also have to wonder about a item being listed on a auction and right away it gets a a single bid ! I once had a guy attempt to get me to bid on some items he had listed so as to lock in a starting bid for him I told him no.

  Yes this current trend is a sellers dream situation. I know somebody will yell that Ebay charges such high fees ! As a a buyer I could care less, just as some will yell about packaging costs. I in all these years here never one time considered packaging costs as I scrounged around and found free boxes and old newspaper or paid for it myself and considered it the cost of doing business. A lot of folks don't realize that many sales here come from yard sales and Thrift stores. I have personally seen in Florida two fist fights break out by people standing by the doors where the second hand donated stuff is delivered out to the store, They were waiting with cell phones in hand and checking to see what was selling and for how much on Ebay and trying to get it for resale and several all tried to gab a item before it was put on the shelves for sale and the fight was on. The Police had to be called ?

    I as a ham radio operator I see this every time I look at the Ham equipment for sale here and Many ham operators now  refer to Ebay on this topic as "Rip Off Bay" I can go to ham locations and Ham events and purchase the same stuff for half the prices of what sellers are asking on Ebay for the same items. We have places we buy and sell among ourselves and do not try to take advantage of others. I just recently purchased a complete HF station for $250 while on Ebay the same radio (not complete station) was listed two different places for $450 for the radio alone ?? What is wrong with that picture and yes let the buyer beware ! That is why I am writing this to inform buyers to Please, Please do your research on what a item is really worth.  I looked at some Microphones the other day and they were being listed by sellers for $150 + about $15 shipping. I can buy a brand new one for $168 with free shipping from the factory ? $165 for a used one or $168 for a NEW ONE ? I believe I will pay $3 more and go with New ! As long as we keep paying these prices they will keep selling .

Folks please beware

[jonathankirkland]

I really don't get what your complaint is.

Of course stuff on ebay is going to be much higher than everywhere else.

But the great thing about is for people who are unable to find certain items where they live or even NEAR where they live, they can just pay the price on here and have it delivered right to their front door. Of course you're going to pay a premium for that.

If you're looking for an online flea market where everything is dirt cheap, you're never going to find that again... those times are long gone. Closest you can get to that is maybe finding some deals on CL or FB but that's probably it.

[divwido]

I did not read the whym but I just don't see auctions working anymore.  To get one person to bid who then decides they  don't want it.  Buy it now removes those problems.  And you don't have to care when it ends.

[mtgraves7984]

I don't care for Auctions, either. I come to eBay for things that you can't find everywhere. For all else, I buy wherever.

[redmodelt]

Buy it now has problems too, no such thing as no returns and you can still have non payers. 

[7606dennis]

Just because an item is being sold at auction doesn't mean that it is guaranteed to be purchased at a bargain.

[hurryagain]

I LOVE AUCTIONS!...AND BIN...

Are you kidding me?  I can STILL find awesome deals.  I get items here for half or less than half off of the going rate, you just have to know your items & the prices that they generally go for.  I have been in retail FOREVER so remembering general prices is second nature to me.

I just got a $350.00 item for $214.00 and another item that retails between $159 - $189 I got for $59.00 with free shipping - BOOM!

I am having issues w/eBay right now but that will not stop me from telling the truth.  Gotta know your prices.

When I tell people how much I bought this & that for they are always asking how did you do that/find that?

I should be a personal shopper...LOL!!!

[releasethekraken_1]

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@bear52 wrote:

I am well aware that Ebay is a "BUYER BEWARE" format but when the buyers are never even checking what a item is really worth and going into a AUCTION FRENZY. I refuse to be a part of that as it is a waste of time.

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If I find an auction I'm interested in, I put it on my Watch List. Near the end, if the price is still within my range, I set up a snipe bid. If not, I remove it from the list. Not exactly a monumental effort.

[mudshark61369]

@bear52,

  "Just a personal statement of my no longer doing any buying on Auction Listings on Ebay. I have been a member and active for over 20 years on Ebay. I have bought and sold all during my time here. It used to be a great place to get a good deal on merchandise".

OH Boo Hoo Hoo.  Don't bid on auctions because  prices are too high. I hang out at thrift stores looking for deals.  No one is forcing your to bid on auctions if the starting price, or current bid price is too high for your wallet.  Funny when I joined,  the same year as you.  I remember almost everything was auctioned, I do not remember there being too many deals on the items I collected, at least not for quality pieces. 

  "I notice a trend of sellers pricing their auction items for more than it's worth and quiet often more than you can buy locally the same thing for less".

Over the years, I too have seen sellers listing items for well more than they were worth, in both the auction and buy it now formats. You can always set the price filter when searching ebay, so you can find items at or near the price you want to pay.  You can also filter out auctions when shopping for items.  Over the last year I can understand buying items available locally online, but otherwise why are you doing that?  In my 22 years on ebay I never shopped ebay for things available locally. I prefer to support my local stores so they stay in business. 

For the most part, I sell only vintage items or ones that are out of production and I auction them.  My starting prices are always reasonable and I'm often surprised at what people are willing to pay for them. I do not force people to bid the amounts they do. I also will not tell them they bid too much IMO.  I do not believe that as a seller you complained about some of the prices you received for certain items.  One item in particular I noticed you sold for about $150 over the trending price unless more came with it, than what your title suggests.  

  "I as a ham radio operator I see this every time I look at the Ham equipment for sale here and Many ham operators now refer to Ebay on this topic as "Rip Off Bay" I can go to ham locations and Ham events and purchase the same stuff for half the prices of what sellers are asking on Ebay for the same items".

Before Covid locked us down I sold at live shows in two specific categories regularly.  Because those are usually limited attendance events you have to price things to sell or be willing to haggle over.  Because of that and especially in a niche category like Ham radio equipment, which is constantly evolving you are likely to find much lower prices at live events.  However the guys in the middle of nowhere that have no club or collectors events,  may be willing to pay much more online.

"As long as we keep paying these prices they will keep selling.  Folks please beware".

Beware of what exactly,  Sellers who want to make money?  Isn't that why this site was created so sellers could connect with buyers of their items instead of giving them away?  If you or any other buyer doesn't like the asking or current bid price, all they have to do is hit the back button. 

 As for me I'll keep auctioning my items and hopefully will continue to get reasonable to very good prices for them. I wonder what I'll get for my still in their box and sleeves tested old Raytheon tubes from the `60s?

[maxine*j]

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@bear52 wrote:

 A lot of folks don't realize that many sales here come from yard sales and Thrift stores...  

    I as a ham radio operator I see this every time I look at the Ham equipment for sale here and Many ham operators now  refer to Ebay on this topic as "Rip Off Bay" I can go to ham locations and Ham events and purchase the same stuff for half the prices of what sellers are asking on Ebay for the same items. We have places we buy and sell among ourselves and do not try to take advantage of others... 

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Some people live in rural, remote, or out-of-the-way places, with few yard sales and no thrift stores at which to shop. 

Additionally, there are no local groups who share their interests, and there are no events held by such groups within hundreds of miles. 

But, still, they shouldn't buy from the vast selection on eBay and get what they want delivered to them because, well, heck, if they'd just come to their senses and move to Miami or Indianapoilis or Kansas City or Sacramento, they could get stuff so much cheaper.

Got it.

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[maxine*j]

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@mudshark61369 wrote:
... No one is forcing your to bid on auctions if the starting price, or current bid price is too high for your wallet.  ...  My starting prices are always reasonable and I'm often surprised at what people are willing to pay for them...

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And that's that "worth" really is, isn't it?   Something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.  And it can be surprising to see what that  item, at that  moment, was worth to that  buyer.  

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[bear52]

Exactly, Some have said we just have to expect to pay more on EBAY ?? That makes no sense what so ever. We should expect to pay a FAIR and reasonable price in line of what a used item should cost not a Inflated rip off price and then add a big shipping cost. I agree with you completely I look for things that we cannot find elsewhere but have lately looked elsewhere

on line and got items cheaper.

[bear52]

True and no such thing as a perfect platform anymore. I guess my post was that I refuse to be ripped off by unscrupulous sellers who are out to make a living off selling on EBAY at greatly inflated prices for items actually only worth half the price. I think buyers need to be aware of these practices. I had a now deceased Brother who had a mindset of never being worthy of a New item and bought used no matter the cost. So sad.

[bear52]

When a item is listed at a greatly inflated price then immediately after posted ,it gets "ONE BID" it seems strange as it gets no bids for days after ? I have seen many in person auctions where a certain person was the designated BIDDER who ran prices up intentionally. Illegal no , but not very morally correct. Shame things like this happen  !  Ebay used to list who the Bidder was but stopped this practice several years ago then you could see if the seller had the same bidder doing it on every sale and stay away from them, but now we cannot see that.

[bear52]

Are you a regular seller on EBAY ?