Clownish Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Since I'm posting, why is it every time I bid on something on Ebay, some J.O. runs the price up past what retail is. I used to find some unique stuff there, but anymore it's a waste of time for the most part. Are they just new to the hobby and have no idea what something is worth ? Is it out of spite ? I understand on an OOP item, rare item, that it's worth is relative, but these readily available items that go through the roof boggle my mind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graves_09 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I disagree. The prices on new kits are still cheaper than retail in most cases. Some of the buy it now prices are ridiculous, but some are pretty good deals too. I can usually find new Hasegawa kits cheaper than at Sprue Brothers or Squadron. The 1/48 Wolfpack T-38 was way cheaper than anywhere else i could find, including Lucky Model. Used kits can be sort of hit or miss. Sometimes you get a good deal, other times the prices run away. It is sort of like going to a swap meet or garage sale. 99% of it is junk, but sometimes you score something good. Same with eBay. 99% of the time, the kits will go near retail. Other times you can get it for 1/2 price or lower. Just need to be patient. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shaka HI Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I disagree. [..] Just need to be patient. I agree! And don't forget, a "bargain" means different things for folks in different geographical locations. Shipping is huge factor for me -- it can cost more than the item itself! I still think Ebay is awesome, but I do try to get items locally even if I have to pay more (compared to online sources). I rarely find anything locally and have no choice, but to utilize online sources -- Ebay purchases takes up a sizable portion of my $$$'s spent online. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
volzj Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I still find plenty of good deals on eBay all the time. Patience and knowing your prices is everything. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toadwbg Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Ebay has no bargains anymore Only a Sith speaks in absolutes... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thegoodsgt Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Funny, a friend of mine recently said the same thing about the Buy and Sell forum here on ARC and on other sites. Not completely true, but most people are looking for as much money as possible for their models. Steven Brown Scale Model Soup Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PC12Driver Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 (edited) I agree! And don't forget, a "bargain" means different things for folks in different geographical locations. Shipping is huge factor for me -- it can cost more than the item itself! I still think Ebay is awesome, but I do try to get items locally even if I have to pay more (compared to online sources). I rarely find anything locally and have no choice, but to utilize online sources -- Ebay purchases takes up a sizable portion of my $s spent online. Wow, don't get me started on shipping on EB. Something that will cause blood to pour out of my eyes are those (expletives) who use shipping as a profit center. They have the gall to "school" you (some with an "essay" on how to lick a stamp) on the fact that a mail-order transaction requires a box, some packing material, tape, and walking to the mail box! And that cost money!! No (expletive) Sherlock! It's called overhead! What I have begun to do is insist on providing my own shipping label. (I currently use USPS Click 'n Ship, UPS and FedEx Ground.) The seller needs to give me the weight & dimensions and I'll email them a shipping label with my carrier of choice. If I get a push-back that it takes $6 of gas to drive to and from the P.O. or elsewhere, I'll schedule a pick-up. I'm in Tulsa, so getting items from either coast is expensive. Most people don't realize it, but FedEx Ground can beat USPS by as much as $15 or more for big kits! All you need is an account # and you're good to go. I send the seller an email stating my intentions before I bid. When I get a reply that "we don't allow that" I know that they are putting the screws to the buyers and I scratch them off the list. I can't control the final price of an auction or buy-it-now, but I sure as heck can control what I pay for shipping! Of course this only applies to individual sellers - not established internet retailers or large store-front eBay'ers. It's the pipsqueaks who bully you into covering their profit margins with outlandish shipping charges that I wrestle with the most. If you are selling, USPS has a very easy process for international shipping. The system knows what is required for each country as far as Customs Declarations, etc. All you have to do is fill-in the blanks and you're done! The only technicality is that the package must be put into the hands of a postal employee. You cannot use a drop box. Edited January 18, 2014 by PC12Driver Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nerdling Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I get great deals on Ebay all the time. You just have to be smart and not get into bidding wars. I bid once and only once. That bid is always within the last minute of an auction. Some people say that sniping is unfair but in the end I get the item I want for a good price usually. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vince14 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Wow, don't get me started on shipping on EB. Something that will cause blood to pour out of my eyes are those (expletives) who use shipping as a profit center. They have the gall to "school" you (some with an "essay" on how to lick a stamp) on the fact that a mail-order transaction requires a box, some packing material, tape, and walking to the mail box! And that cost money!! No (expletive) Sherlock! It's called overhead! What I have begun to do is insist on providing my own shipping label. (I currently use USPS Click 'n Ship, UPS and FedEx Ground.) The seller needs to give me the weight & dimensions and I'll email them a shipping label with my carrier of choice. If I get a push-back that it takes $6 of gas to drive to and from the P.O. or elsewhere, I'll schedule a pick-up. I'm in Tulsa, so getting items from either coast is expensive. Most people don't realize it, but FedEx Ground can beat USPS by as much as $15 or more for big kits! All you need is an account # and you're good to go. I send the seller an email stating my intentions before I bid. When I get a reply that "we don't allow that" I know that they are putting the screws to the buyers and I scratch them off the list. I can't control the final price of an auction or buy-it-now, but I sure as heck can control what I pay for shipping! Of course this only applies to individual sellers - not established internet retailers or large store-front eBay'ers. It's the pipsqueaks who bully you into covering their profit margins with outlandish shipping charges that I wrestle with the most. If you are selling, USPS has a very easy process for international shipping. The system knows what is required for each country as far as Customs Declarations, etc. All you have to do is fill-in the blanks and you're done! The only technicality is that the package must be put into the hands of a postal employee. You cannot use a drop box. Sellers have to provide shipping costs when they set the auction up, so you know up front what you'll pay for shipping. If the seller then subsequently tries to change the shipping cost you have a point, but if you know before you bid that they're going to charge $60 for shipping, you can't really complain when they charge $60 for shipping. You have the information before you bid, and if you chose to bid you're accepting the seller's terms of the auction. I occasionally sell on Ebay, and I find that many buyers simple don't understand how much it costs to ship items these days. They buy off Amazon and see low shipping costs there, and expect you to match them. They don't understand that large mail order retailers negotiate reduced shipping rates with USPS etc. To be honest, if a potential buyer emailed me and told me he didn't want to accept my shipping costs and wanted me to send things his way, I'd politely tell him that my shipping costs are non-negotiable and suggest that he looked elsewhere for the item he wanted. Vince Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CorsairMan Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 The shipping cost increase has destroyed my eBay buying. I bet there are still deals to be had but I don't invest the time to find them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
breadneck Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Seems sellers that only ship domestic are more willing/inclined to settle for less. That`s my experience from the days when i used a shipping forwarder in Florida. I still get pissd from time to time when seeing some good deals i am unable to commit to/buy. I agree ebay has a lot of retail stuff and some sellers charge ridiculous prices for some of the stuff that can easily be found for a fraction of that. Ebay can also be a proverbial pandoras box. A few of my most wanted items EVER revealed themselves, only for me to pick them off without any glitches;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Clownish Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Maybe I'm just in a slump! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PC12Driver Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Sellers have to provide shipping costs when they set the auction up, so you know up front what you'll pay for shipping. If the seller then subsequently tries to change the shipping cost you have a point, but if you know before you bid that they're going to charge $60 for shipping, you can't really complain when they charge $60 for shipping. You have the information before you bid, and if you chose to bid you're accepting the seller's terms of the auction. I occasionally sell on Ebay, and I find that many buyers simple don't understand how much it costs to ship items these days. They buy off Amazon and see low shipping costs there, and expect you to match them. They don't understand that large mail order retailers negotiate reduced shipping rates with USPS etc. To be honest, if a potential buyer emailed me and told me he didn't want to accept my shipping costs and wanted me to send things his way, I'd politely tell him that my shipping costs are non-negotiable and suggest that he looked elsewhere for the item he wanted. Vince Hey Vince, All I am saying is that in a mail-order enterprise, the costs associated with shipping are the cost of doing business. Tape, wads of last Sunday's newspaper and a recycled shipping box should not be line item charges over and above what is paid to the carrier (and for the product). Those things should be transparent and built into the price of the product. But, the point and the argument are moot. It is just a point of contention for me and one that I find to be especially irritating. That's all! I'm sure we all have something that gets out blood pressure cranking! Shipping gouging is one of mine. Thanks for the feedback. (BTW - I have the same reaction with car dealers showing the destination charge. I didn't order the car, the dealer did! I know I'm nit-picking . . it's just one of those "things!") Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Viasistina Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 (edited) Nothing is an absolute and something is only worth what someone is wiling to pay. I currently have several kits and resin upgrades on sale on ebay for far under what I paid for them ( my ebay handle is viaimperiali.). What has happened on ebay however, is a shift from individuals cleaning out their stashes to ebay stores selling things at full retail and ebay is less of a bargain because of it, Edited January 20, 2014 by Via Sistina Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fishwelding Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 (edited) What has happened on ebay however, is a shift from individuals cleaning out their stashes to ebay stores selling things at full retail and ebay us less of a bargain because of it, I agree with that. When I first discovered Ebay about a decade ago, the deals were epic, because sellers were often non-model builders dumping kits they somehow or another had, and otherwise would have thrown them out anyway. This garage-and-basement-cleaning binge gradually gave way to savvier sellers, including model builder-collectors, hobby shops, and so forth. Plus, even non-model builders often now use Ebay or the web to try to discover a "going rate," rather than simply list with low starting bids. At the rate I buy kits now (slow), I usually just go with a retailer I'd rather support anyway. Edited January 18, 2014 by Fishwelding Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Some people say that sniping is unfair but in the end I get the item I want for a good price usually. Sniping is my absolute favorite indulgence on Ebay. 15 seconds and less is when I do most of my damage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Rare decals, OOP resin, and limited run kits can really only be found there. None of y'all going to fork over a 1/48 Fox One F-4G decal sheet, Cutting Edge U-2R flaps, or a 1/48 Testors YF-12 so its a great outlet for those who missed out to catch up.....at a substantial cost of course. Also, how many of us were able to snag the Academy F-4 off Ebay on the cheap before the LHS even had them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve jahn Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 It's very simple. Bid low and often. repeat. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nerdling Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 It's very simple. Bid low and often. repeat. Steve In my experience bidding often on an item will just draw attention to it. Look at it this way, which items do you notice first. The one with no bids or the one with 30 bids from two people. I notice those items first. That is why the best way to get a good deal is to snipe in the last few seconds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Ebay has no bargains anymore Welcome to 2005 It's very simple. Bid low and often. repeat. Is this advice on how to pay too much for something? Sniping is my absolute favorite indulgence on Ebay. This. There is no other practical or sensible way to use eBay. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I feel eBay is 90% bargains. If you want something and others are bidding just wait for the next one instead of joining the bidding war. Most of the shipping charges are real, especially for those shipping from outside the US. The best deals are those who only sell to the US. They miss out on the international bids and therefore they sell for much less. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I've gotten all of my Tameo F1 kits off eBay. Usually only pay 30-40$ for them and they retail for 110$ or more. So there's deals if you know what to look for. Shipping plus the price equals your total cost. If that's more than you want to spend then walk away. It's that simple. Be an informed buyer or eBay is not for you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gluefinger Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 If you are looking for out of production items, vintage items it's almost the only option. Never fall for bidding wars. Make one good solid bid and walk away. Wait for your email to find out if you won or lost and commit to doing that. It's the only way I've found to stay sane about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gluefinger Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 If you are looking for out of production items, vintage items it's almost the only option. Never fall for bidding wars. Make one good solid bid and walk away. Wait for your email to find out if you won or lost and commit to doing that. It's the only way I've found to stay sane about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berkut Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 None of y'all going to fork over a 1/48 Fox One F-4G decal sheet... One is going for a decent price atm, clicky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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