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The Ridiculously Overpriced Thread


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$200-250 and not even meeting reserve yet for an Otaki C-5? I have trouble with $100 for the Anigrand... O.O

Oh well, I have two Pit-Road 1/700 C-5s floating around, and as a bonus since I was planning a diorama of one with a specially-modified Super Stallion waiting for load, Pit-Road makes almost exactly the mutt S-80 I had in mind, even with the added Pave Low nose avionics so it's only missing a #4 engine on the starboard sail. Just need to either find a shop this side of the Pacific with their chopper-collection box, or suck it up and put together an order from HLJ...

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My link The good news is financing is available :rofl:/> :rofl:/> :rofl:/>

I've seen that same seller constantly posting 1/48 hasegawa kits $110+. He usually offers free shipping, but other sellers always have the same items for $50 less. Either he enjoys posting non-selling items on eBay or hopes no one will look at other listings!

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Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head to make them bid or buy. If it's too expensive, it will not sell. Otherwise, someone will buy it. My brother in law is an auctioneer. His answer to "What's it worth" is whatever someone will pay for it.

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Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head to make them bid or buy. If it's too expensive, it will not sell. Otherwise, someone will buy it. My brother in law is an auctioneer. His answer to "What's it worth" is whatever someone will pay for it.

Exactly, I don't see the reason for this forum. They make it sound like all these sellers are dishonest. I used to watch threads on crazy selling costs and I'd say I wish that were me selling that product.

I became an eBay seller in January, I took one look at my stash and said I could never build all those kits. I've done quite well, I may have even made it into a few of these replies. Decals have been a gold mine, they take off and go crazy.

Prior to the new year I had only used eBay to buy.

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I have been buying and selling on eBay since 1999. I have been able to buy some models that I could not find anywhere else. When I lost interest in some models I was able to sell them to others on eBay. In the 1990's I got out of 1/48 scale and concentrated on 1/32 kits and got most of my models off of eBay. All in all I have enjoyed my experiences with eBay.

There are a few problem areas, though.

There are sellers who have no idea what these model things are or what they are worth. They do not know if the kit is complete and if it is, what it is worth. So they err on the side of maximum profit and ask too much. If they are lucky they will find a person who knows as little as they do and will pay the high price. Well, that is life.

The only problem I have with the some of the sellers on eBay (not with eBay, but the sellers) are the crazy high postage costs they offer. I believe that there are several reasons for this:

1) If they offer only Priority Mail the seller gets the shipping boxes for free at the post office. Heaven forbid they should go looking for boxes, although most super markets have loads of boxes they chop up each day. Just ask the manager if you can take some of their empty boxes. But, these sellers don't want the bother of looking so they expect the buyers to pay the higher postage rate to make life easier for the seller.

2) The postage rates are jumping up higher and higher to reduce the tremendous deficit the Postal Service has each year.

3) I got into an argument with one seller on another forum who says he offers only Priority Mail because that is what all his customers want. Baloney! They accept his high priced shipping method because he offers then no other.

4) There are some sellers who list only the highest price for shipping in hopes that they can pocket the difference. I was at a train show last year and one slimy seller was telling me that he asks the highest rate for shipping the item the longest distance from him. Then if the buyer lives closer to him and thus requires lower postage he, the seller, keeps the difference as extra profit. This spittoon dweller was actually proud of how he figured this out and how he can milk the customer for more money. Rather than throw up on him I walked away.

So we are dealing with lots of different people on eBay, some honorable, some slimy. It is like anywhere in life; the buyer has to be aware of the pitfalls and should ask the seller if he can guarantee that the item is complete. Also ask it you can get the lowest shipping rate. To protect himself a buyer must be able to walk away from the item if he has any suspicion at all.

Finally ,there are people who must have the item at all costs. I was like this once as there was a very rare OOP kit that I felt I had to have. But I got into a bidding war with another bidder. We worked the bid up to the low $300 range. I was getting tired of this nonsense so I bid all I had in my PayPal account ($600 from sales that I had made) and went to bed. I figured let the other guy beat his head against the wall trying to out bid that. I got a good nights sleep and found the next morning that I got it for about $350. I paid a lot but the manufacturer of this OOP kit was OOB (out of business) so if I want it I had better pull out all the stops.

I no longer get upset or irate or amazed at the hijinks of other buyers and sellers on eBay. I simply accept it as it is and if I do not like it I walk away.

Lots of luck to us all.

Stephen

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I think it is just a fun game to see what you can find. We know what a kit is worth, and it becomes an interesting study in human behavior to see people go nuts in a bidding war.

If you really want to have fun playing this game, check out ebay motors, it is fun to try to find the coolest, rarest cars, and you compete to find the best hidden gem. On a slow sunday night shift, this can provide lots of fun.

Then part of the fun is also to scrounge a bargain, or at least a fair deal by putting in the time. I really wanted a 1/144th C-5. You see Otaki kits relisted several times for $200 or even the revell boxings for well over $100 ... very discouraging. I put in the time and looked every day and finally got one in a revell box for $70 shipped. Still pricey, but the hunt... watch the auction, and being at the computer in time to snipe was very exciting, especially if you out snipe someone at the very last second.

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I think it is just a fun game to see what you can find. We know what a kit is worth, and it becomes an interesting study in human behavior to see people go nuts in a bidding war.

If you really want to have fun playing this game, check out ebay motors, it is fun to try to find the coolest, rarest cars, and you compete to find the best hidden gem. On a slow sunday night shift, this can provide lots of fun.

Then part of the fun is also to scrounge a bargain, or at least a fair deal by putting in the time. I really wanted a 1/144th C-5. You see Otaki kits relisted several times for $200 or even the revell boxings for well over $100 ... very discouraging. I put in the time and looked every day and finally got one in a revell box for $70 shipped. Still pricey, but the hunt... watch the auction, and being at the computer in time to snipe was very exciting, especially if you out snipe someone at the very last second.

I've been looking for the same kit. A few months ago a guy in my IPMS Chapter bought one from the local distributor for $25.00. It was the Revell boxing and was still sealed. the distributor found it in the back of his warehouse.

Last year someone on ARC sold two of the Otaki kits to another member for $40.00!

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Yep some ebayers definitely jack the shipping up to make up the difference for a low selling price, the e-stores are probably the worst offenders but some private sellers are not far behind. I recently wanted to get four colored 1/32nd eduard PE seatbelt sets (generic) from an ebay hobby store. These were not OOP items but the asking price was cheap, they ranged in price from $4.00~$6.00 but the shipping cost was $8.00 per set economy shipping! I asked about combine shipping and gave them my zip, they gave me a recalculated shipping quote of....$8.00 economy shipping. Doesn't sound bad except the store is not quite 100mi from me :rolleyes: Don't get me wrong I do still find some great "Buy it now" deals on ebay stores like the 1/48th Trumpeter MiG-23 NIB I got for $23.00 including shipping, or the Tamiya cartridge replacement masking tape set (6mm-10mm-18mm) for $7.00 shipped. And I just missed a buy it now from a private seller for a 1/32nd Trumpeter P-40B/C NIB with a Cutting Edge resin cockpit, Eduard PE set and Cutting Edge (Flying Tigers) decal sheet for $47.00 shipped. There are still some deals but unlike the days of old you really have to look for them nowadays.

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Victory-Productions-F104-Starfighter-148-USAF-Starfighters-VPD-48005-Decals-/262550959266

Rare decal sheet (1/48 Victory Productions VPD 48005 USAF/NASA Starfighters), $550 or Best Offer!

I'm sure he expects to get the typical $80-150 this sheet tends to bring when bidding from a best offer, but yikes on that starting price!

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Victory-Productions-F104-Starfighter-148-USAF-Starfighters-VPD-48005-Decals-/262550959266

Rare decal sheet (1/48 Victory Productions VPD 48005 USAF/NASA Starfighters), $550 or Best Offer!

I'm sure he expects to get the typical $80-150 this sheet tends to bring when bidding from a best offer, but yikes on that starting price!

A far cry from the last two that sold for $40 and $81!

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

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