eBay

cjs_estatesales · ‎11-02-2019

I've been trying to research some sold/completeds in several categories to help me determine pricing on some of my items, but the prices seem to be all over the place. One thing I've checked out is Beanie babies. There are numerous ones showing SOLD in the tens of thousands of dollars - almost a whole page of them over $1000. And then there are the same ones showing $2-10 each. I realize some with "errors" are worth more, but that much more???? A whole page of them for over $1000? Some don't even indicate that they have errors.

Also - looking at Holiday Barbies - some selling for $800+ and then the same ones selling for $30?? All still NIB. Just doesn't make sense & makes it difficult to research. Any ideas?

CJ

rfmtm · ‎11-02-2019

Some buyers just want it now and will pay whatever for it, or just don't even know its value. Some get into bidding wars and just can't stand to lose and bid way beyond the item's valid.

What the results don't show, is those items that sold, but then were later never paid for. They are eventually removed, but there long enough to fake you out.

eburtonlab · ‎11-02-2019

@cjs_estatesales

I suspect that many of those prices are instances where the seller is out of stock, and rather than remove a listing, has chosen to raise the price to the point where no one will purchase the item. In the case of recent multiple quantity items, you may be able to check the purchase history of the item and see that the actual sale prices were for reasonable values and the price was only raised after all those sales occurred.

The fact that those values are shown in the search results of sold items points to a flaw in the way results are displayed, which might be worth keeping in mind if you are using sold price searches as a guide to pricing your own items.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎11-02-2019

As indicate in the other post, many highly-inflated "Sold" prices are never actually paid for.

carbonart0 · ‎11-02-2019

If Ebay is not removing the completed listings that show the lowest prices for items sold, then they should start doing so. Perhaps they have wised up and started doing so.

Leaving a researchable record of sales sold in desperation by sellers who've suffered through years of abuse from Ebay via policies that drive away actual buyers and encourage scam buying only serves to drive prices even lower over time - which is exactly what has been happening.

Better for everyone if the prices that items end up selling for are instead determined by what buyers are willing to pay - without being conditioned to expect to get the items almost for free via viewing past transactions in which the sellers get cheated on the sales price only to then have to pay Ebay and Pay Pal fee's for getting cheated.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎11-02-2019

@carbonart0 wrote:
If Ebay is not removing the completed listings that show the lowest prices for items sold, then they should start doing so. ....

Those are actual Sold prices and I don't understand why they should be removed.

carbonart0 · ‎11-02-2019

If a group of beeny babies (say 10 transactions for beenie babies sells in a month), then Ebay should remove the ones that sell for the lowest prices. However they see fit to determine how many are removed from the search results based upon the overall price range for all of them.

This way, buyers who are considering the purchase of a beeny baby won't be conditioned into expecting to get one for $30 when the average price over the last month has been closer to $500...or whatever.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎11-02-2019

If Beanies have actually been selling for $30 then buyers are entitled to that information.

carbonart0 · ‎11-02-2019

How so?

What business is it of 3rd parties to know how much any given item sells for?

Who says they have a right to know anything about another private citizen's purchase?

We'll all be waiting on the edge of our seats for your reply.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎11-02-2019

@carbonart0 wrote: ... What business is it of 3rd parties to know how much any given item sells for? ....

That makes it sound like you think that eBay shouldn't show any Sold prices at all.

carbonart0 · ‎11-02-2019

Why don't you try answering my question?

How exactly are buyers "entitled" to know how much anybody pays for anything? What business is it of their's?

This issue is one of the biggest reasons Ebay is collapsing.

coolections · ‎11-02-2019

@carbonart0 wrote:
If Ebay is not removing the completed listings that show the lowest prices for items sold, then they should start doing so.

@carbonart0

I would think that would be price manipulation and against the law. Ridiculous to remove the lowest price so buyers will be tricked into paying more. They should remove those overinflated highest price that no one in their right mind would ever pay for. Those are just thrill seekers giving those idiot sellers a lesson for asking crazy prices. They never actually pay.

carbonart0 · ‎11-02-2019

coolections wrote:

"I would think that would be price manipulation and against the law. Ridiculous to remove the lowest price so buyers will be tricked into paying more. "

Why don't you try siting the law that says you have to advertise the current buyer purchase prices for any given item?

How would allowing buyers to determine the prices their willing to pay on their own be tricking anyone?

Where is the consideration for the sellers who are trying to make a return for their efforts by selling their items on Ebay? Should sellers be forced to accept the lowest price (or lower) paid by buyers of similar items in the recent past? Why would sellers list their items for sale under these conditions?

In case you haven't noticed, Ebay's not doing well. And this issue is one of the key reasons why they aren't doing well. What good is knowing the lowest price paid for an item you're shopping for if there are no sellers to sell you one of them? That's where Ebay is headed otherwise.

rfmtm · ‎11-03-2019

It use to be sold items were just reported for the last so-many-days. Now, who knows. Since it is clear ebay does manipulates other searches, the sold and completed ones are probably affected as well. So nice to maybe have it as a general guide, but I certainly wouldn't rely on it for much else.

Of course ebay isn't obligated to show us any of the completed sale prices, and I suppose doing so has both advantages and disadvantages to sellers and buyers alike. Evidently ebay seems to think it is somehow an advantage to them to do so.

Serious sellers and buyers can use a third party service, that scans and generates my much more accurate reports across many venues and even live auctions. After all, it is all out in the public anyway.