eBay

neveriiold · ‎06-05-2017

I thought it was only at yard sales and on Craigslist that shoppers want everything for nothing. I am findng the same mentality on eBay now. I have been selling for about 10 years through various avenues and have never seen anything like this. Have a brand new in package $175 quilt for sale on Craigslist (right now won't even think about listing it on eBay because of shipping costs) and am asking only $40. Email I get yesterday only asks, "How low will you go?" Really? I know some people like this "game," but I am really tired of all the lowball offers.

southern*sweet*tea · ‎06-07-2017

@neveriiold wrote:
Hey, to anyone still reading this long conversation. Happy to report a happy ending. Had an antique chest listed on Craigslist and eBay for a while now. No interest until this week - got two lowballers from Craigslist (to whom I politely said, "thanks, but no thanks.") Just sold it to someone via eBay (who lives near my home actually) who paid full price and loves it! Win, win for both.

P.S. Isn't that always the way - no interest in an item for a year and then in 2 days, 3 different people are interested in buying it.

Nice! and yeah, that's usually the way it goes lol

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

emerald40 · ‎06-07-2017

@18704d wrote:

"If they are going to keep the sticker gun on .49 when it is a sterling silver candle holder.."
---------

They didn't know it was sterling silver.
They didnt' read it. They didn't have time. They are picking up items, nonstop.. hundreds per hour and tagging them.

They dont' have the time to do more than a one or two second 'survey' of what it is they're holding.
That's how quick they must guess. They have furniture deliveries and pickups to do, and more donations are being dropped off by the car load.

They can't hire more help, especially not expert help because... employees are an expense.
And they must keep expenses down. It's more expedient to keep the core employees and volunteers they have, and make their thousand dollar a day store sales quota this way.

Lynn

Problem could be what they are accepting. Sounds like some are foregoing the dump fee and bringing their trash to goodwill.

Maybe they need someone at the door to refuse obvious garbage that is not worth sorting through.

This would give them more time for more worthwhile donations.

hammersmith_decals · ‎06-07-2017

"If I were you, I'd send a I'll go $50. to the buyer (yes, I know it's priced at $40)".

i did this exact thing last week. The buyer made a rediculous offer so i raised the price on the listing and then replied.

emerald40 · ‎06-07-2017

@neveriiold wrote:
Hey, to anyone still reading this long conversation. Happy to report a happy ending. Had an antique chest listed on Craigslist and eBay for a while now. No interest until this week - got two lowballers from Craigslist (to whom I politely said, "thanks, but no thanks.") Just sold it to someone via eBay (who lives near my home actually) who paid full price and loves it! Win, win for both.

P.S. Isn't that always the way - no interest in an item for a year and then in 2 days, 3 different people are interested in buying it.

That is great for you. But multiply your one item times the hundreds of thousands of sellers who are hoping for that long shot as well. Adds up fast which is why for every success story there is a load of stuff that will not be so lucky at being rehomed.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎06-07-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@18704d wrote:

"If they are going to keep the sticker gun on .49 when it is a sterling silver candle holder.."
---------

They didn't know it was sterling silver.
They didnt' read it. They didn't have time. They are picking up items, nonstop.. hundreds per hour and tagging them.

They dont' have the time to do more than a one or two second 'survey' of what it is they're holding.
That's how quick they must guess. They have furniture deliveries and pickups to do, and more donations are being dropped off by the car load.

They can't hire more help, especially not expert help because... employees are an expense.
And they must keep expenses down. It's more expedient to keep the core employees and volunteers they have, and make their thousand dollar a day store sales quota this way.

Lynn

Problem could be what they are accepting. Sounds like some are foregoing the dump fee and bringing their trash to goodwill.

Maybe they need someone at the door to refuse obvious garbage that is not worth sorting through.

This would give them more time for more worthwhile donations.

They do. But they don't open every box dropped off while the donator is standing there. That would be also rude to people who don't have the time to wait while they sift through it.

You know, you need to accept that thrift store employees are not professional antique dealers and most never will be. Part of that is respecting the decades of knowledge we have from endlessly studying stuff. You don't gain that knowledge overnight anymore than you become a jewelry seller of fine diamonds overnight.

ymeagainlord · ‎06-07-2017

@retrose1 wrote:
The thrift shop got items for nothing, in most cases they are happy to get what they get for them and if some person is hard up and knows more about the item buys it and can flip it for a profit, then they are putting food on that persons table and I am sure they are happy with that.

That seems to be the part emerald isn't able to wrap her head around. Not ALL resellers shopping thrifts for "finds" are driving out of the parking lot in their Escalade or whatever and living large.

If THAT find helps tht reseller makes ends meet without needing assistance then that leaves the assistance for those who not only need it as well but may not have the savvy or willingness to get out and actually help themselves, like that reseller did,

Crusader Cat is watching

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - L Tolstoy

"You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not however, entitled to your own facts."

vintagecraze50 · ‎06-11-2017

"Retail store up their prices 300 percent". So up your prices 100 percent on Ebay. That'll give em some haggle room.

wolf*song · ‎06-11-2017

HA! Awesome.

wolf*song · ‎06-11-2017

I recently offered a seller 5 bucks for an item they have listed at 8, but only because I was interested in another item they had that was listed at 2 bucks, and they combined shipping. My offer was countered with 7 bucks, but in the meantime I've found the item for less than 7, including shipping, so I may forego the 2 buck book, and borrow it from the library, instead.

So, who wins and who loses in this situation?

moondogblues · ‎06-12-2017

"Problem could be what they are accepting. Sounds like some are foregoing the dump fee and bringing their trash to goodwill."

Well, if sterling silver is TRASH they can dump at my house any old time!

wolf*song · ‎06-12-2017

Reminds me of the old saying: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice (or three, or a hundred times, especially when I KNOW all buyers are scammers or are on their way to BEING scammers), shame (SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!) on me."

I paraphrased a little... 🙂

aurora777_58 · ‎06-29-2017

@retrose1 wrote:
@18704d wrote:

" ...if you find something at a yard sale and the seller is asking $1.00 and you know you can make $5.00 off it, it is immoral to ask that seller to take less. "
--------

I disagree.
If the seller agrees to a 50 cent offer, then the offer and acceptance was mutually 'moral'.

btw
has anyone in this thread acknowledged that perhaps some of these "cheap" people may have financial problems like unemployment, and need to keep a roof over their family's head and food on the table?

That may be why they're offering $25.00 for a $100.00+ item
Because every extra spare dollar they can squeeze out of the purchase price, may help them pay their rent or utilities on time.

jmtcw,
Lynn
My general attitude is that if someone is so broke that they are budgeting every dollar for necessities, like food and toilet paper, then they shouldn't be shopping for luxuries and making offers for them on ebay.

I can find lots of recently made slightly used quilts and comforters at thrift shops and garage sales for $5-10 or less, especially in the summer. If you are poor, then spend like it. If it was something that isn't just to pretty up the house, maybe I would think about that, but the OPs buyer is just bottom feeding.

I agree. It reminds me of a time I had an acquaintance, (thought friend), who cried how broke her family was and how she didn't have groceries to feed her kids. Believe it or not, I gave (not even lent) this woman $200 to buy groceries and take care of necessities. I had it then, not like today.
Within 2 days, she was boasting about an expensive gift she bought her husband! When I questioned her about it, she told me that I gave her the money and how she spent it was her business!! And then people wonder why we aren't more giving these days. How many times are we supposed to be taken for a ride? Most people wanting to give $10 for a $50 item, let's say, are just wanting something for nothing. I don't find them financially strapped at all. Financially strapped would be this for example:
I have $30 and need $28 for the water bill. I can't buy the real butter this time because it's $4.00 and that would cause me to be short. I'll have to get the 69 cent margarine until we have a more money. I sure hope I get some sales soon. That's LOGICAL financially strapped thinking. If you're broke, you don't need the extras. You learn to live without.

aurora777_58 · ‎06-29-2017

@coolections wrote:
No, your feelings seemed to override your thoughts about the situation. Asking $80 for a $175 item is not gouging. You see many think like you posted and that's why they blame Ebay when items sit and collect dust with no buyers.

I know I'm running late on some of these answers. I'm just reading the posts.

What you're saying doesn't work anymore. It did at the beginning.
If I want $70 for a $175 item, the only reason it is sitting collecting dust on Ebay, is because there are people here who are selling the same item for $30. They aren't paying the retail or wholesale prices we are. They are picking things up for nearly nothing somewhere, or cleaning out their basement or doing this for a hobby and not for a living. They don't CARE how much they get for their item. I have to recoup my costs plus make some kind of profit from the item.
If everyone that sold on places like eBay would research the items and see what the retail of it is, they could list it competitively without bringing the value of the item down so that other sellers can't sell theirs.

westhollywoodboutique · ‎06-29-2017

A lot of people view Ebay as a HUGE Garage sale! or Market place where one can purchase from USA sellers or Globally. It's like the one medium that brings everyone together. I found it interesting that you compared yard sales and CL. If you look at it, now this medium offers buyers a chance to go pick up the item from the seller. We don't use that option. We like shipping the items out. It's just easier.

rolenboy01 · ‎06-29-2017

@aurora777_58 wrote:
@coolections wrote:
No, your feelings seemed to override your thoughts about the situation. Asking $80 for a $175 item is not gouging. You see many think like you posted and that's why they blame Ebay when items sit and collect dust with no buyers.
I know I'm running late on some of these answers. I'm just reading the posts.

What you're saying doesn't work anymore. It did at the beginning.
If I want $70 for a $175 item, the only reason it is sitting collecting dust on Ebay, is because there are people here who are selling the same item for $30. They aren't paying the retail or wholesale prices we are. They are picking things up for nearly nothing somewhere, or cleaning out their basement or doing this for a hobby and not for a living. They don't CARE how much they get for their item. I have to recoup my costs plus make some kind of profit from the item.
If everyone that sold on places like eBay would research the items and see what the retail of it is, they could list it competitively without bringing the value of the item down so that other sellers can't sell theirs.

Just because they are selling it for $30 doesn't mean they are doing it for a hobby and not a living, for all you know they got it for $1 to $5 at a yard sale and they are still making a heavy profit.