I Love Ebay!!!

usedto

Lunatic Member
I recently started selling on the bay, getting rid of some of the government surplus I've been saving since the 80s. Sales have gone surprisingly well, but sometimes I don't quite understand buyers.

In the 90s, I ended up with a pallet of "items" that would be classified in the stationary/office/school supplies category. I offered to give it to some of the local institutions that might have use for them, but to no avail. I put the pallet up on the top of some pallet rack in my warehouse. The only reason I haven't thrown it away is because it was too hard to get to with all the other crap I stacked in the way.

Shortly after I started sell in the bay, I grabbed "one" of these, took a photo, put a starting price about 1/2 of what others were selling it for, and let it go. It sold, so I listed another, then another.......and so on. With shipping, they sold for between $14 and $18 dollars. Wanting to dispose of all 150+ of them, I decided to let everyone who needed one to get the opportunity, so I did a B.I.N. for $16.00 and free shipping.

They sat for almost a month and a half with no takers, so last Sunday I cancelled the BIN and put one back up for auction - $7.50 starting bid plus $6.50 shipping.

As of right now, it's sitting at $20 plus the $6.50 shipping, with 18 hours to go.

Can't say as I can figure that one out.:scratch2:
 
People know that they are getting a good deal at first and when they get some competitive bidders their pride kicks in and they say that they are going to get this . Not very smart if they look at completed auctions .
 
Larry, I saw your ebay listings. What an interesting assortment of stuff. Your place must be nearly as much fun to visit as American Science and Surplus.

Can't comment much on ebay buyer mentality other than to say I've had the same thing happens several times. There are sellers that will start every auction at $0.99 knowing (believing anyway) that over the long run they will do better than if they have higher start prices or BINs. I think for some items that works, others not so much. Lately I've been more inclined to list as BIN for most things.


Oh, by the way, I would recognize a sweetgum leaf most anywhere. :yes: ;)

images
 
I had a Pioneer PL-7 sit on CL for months at $50 without one call. It sat so long I had forgotten about it when I went to sell another item I saw it and realized, now that I had moved into an an active system that I didn't really want to sell it anymore, so I doubled the price on it instead of deleting the ad. A guy called and bought it the same day.
 
Sorta like a regular auction and bidding. I learned to bid at a price before the item goes to bottom. To many times once an item goes that low it will sell for more then what it started out for. The buyers get into a frenzy and want to win.



Barney
 
It's timing and who's looking.
I can't tell you how many times I've had items not sell, only to have the higher BIN hit the next day after I relist it.

They could have had it for the lower open a day earlier...:dunno:

Works fine for me though...
 
I see that sort of thing happen all the time. Happened just this week at my sister-in-law's yard sale. They had a microwave that was all stained up but it worked. They had $15 on it. People kept offering $5. She wouldn't take it. Eventually the price tag fell off and she just put "make offer" on it. Some guy comes up "will you take $20 for the microwave?" LOL.
 
You will love EBay until someone file a "Not as described" claim on you :smoke:

I recently started selling on the bay, getting rid of some of the government surplus I've been saving since the 80s. Sales have gone surprisingly well, but sometimes I don't quite understand buyers.

In the 90s, I ended up with a pallet of "items" that would be classified in the stationary/office/school supplies category. I offered to give it to some of the local institutions that might have use for them, but to no avail. I put the pallet up on the top of some pallet rack in my warehouse. The only reason I haven't thrown it away is because it was too hard to get to with all the other crap I stacked in the way.

Shortly after I started sell in the bay, I grabbed "one" of these, took a photo, put a starting price about 1/2 of what others were selling it for, and let it go. It sold, so I listed another, then another.......and so on. With shipping, they sold for between $14 and $18 dollars. Wanting to dispose of all 150+ of them, I decided to let everyone who needed one to get the opportunity, so I did a B.I.N. for $16.00 and free shipping.

They sat for almost a month and a half with no takers, so last Sunday I cancelled the BIN and put one back up for auction - $7.50 starting bid plus $6.50 shipping.

As of right now, it's sitting at $20 plus the $6.50 shipping, with 18 hours to go.

Can't say as I can figure that one out.:scratch2:
 
You will love EBay until someone file a "Not as described" claim on you :smoke:

99.999% of what I sell is new, still in the original package from the manufacturer, as accepted by the government. Most of my buyers aren't whiny tire kickers, and appreciate the fact that they can get what I have for sale.

And I sell it all with 14 day refunds.
 
You will love EBay until someone file a "Not as described" claim on you :smoke:


Never bothers me. I just give the refund and relist and as often as not get a better price. I don't offer partial refunds and the original buyer is placed on my "black list" never to bid again.
 
Very good.

"You sell 99.999% new, still in the original package from the manufacturer, as accepted by the government. " Then the buyer scammer gain more. good for them

And they file a "not as described" claim, then send a rock back to you.:banana: Guess what happen to you money? It go back to the buyer automatically when deliver confirmation is made. No check from ebay/paypal, no wait for seller to confirm. you cannot do da nothing.

Or even worse

After 6 months you sold you item, buyer files "not as described" claim to their Amex credit card and automatically win your money. Yes. It did happen even after 6 months, they can still go to your money and you don't even have a chance to talk to the buyer or Amex. You money just, automatically disappears.

You got love this!:thmbsp:


99.999% of what I sell is new, still in the original package from the manufacturer, as accepted by the government. Most of my buyers aren't whiny tire kickers, and appreciate the fact that they can get what I have for sale.

And I sell it all with 14 day refunds.
 
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Very good.

"You sell 99.999% new, still in the original package from the manufacturer, as accepted by the government. " Then the buyer scammer gain more. good for them

And they file a "not as described" claim, then send a rock back to you.:banana: Guess what happen to you money? It go back to the buyer automatically when deliver confirmation is made. No check from ebay/paypal, no wait for seller to confirm. you cannot do da nothing.

Or even worse

After 6 months you sold you item, buyer files "not as described" claim to their Amex credit card and automatically win your money. Yes. It did happen even after 6 months, they can still go to your money and you don't even have a chance to talk to the buyer or Amex. You money just, automatically disappears.

You got love this!:thmbsp:

Exactly. My new eBay/PayPal motto is "Seller beware!" Personal check, bank transfer or cash only on big ticket items for me.
 
Very good.

"You sell 99.999% new, still in the original package from the manufacturer, as accepted by the government. " Then the buyer scammer gain more. good for them

And they file a "not as described" claim, then send a rock back to you.:banana: Guess what happen to you money? It go back to the buyer automatically when deliver confirmation is made. No check from ebay/paypal, no wait for seller to confirm. you cannot do da nothing.

Or even worse

After 6 months you sold you item, buyer files "not as described" claim to their Amex credit card and automatically win your money. Yes. It did happen even after 6 months, they can still go to your money and you don't even have a chance to talk to the buyer or Amex. You money just, automatically disappears.

You got love this!:thmbsp:

Yes, I love it.

First, I'm smart enough to NOT list anything on the bay that's worth a ton of money. Second, most of my sales are items unique enough that most scammers wouldn't even bother with me. 98% of the items I sell were "offal" from government auction lots I bought years ago that I have already recouped my investment and made a profit, so this is just gravy.

As far as the money - the bank account connected to my Paypal account is stand-alone, so withdrawals by Paypal are limited to what tiny amount I leave in there, with no overdraft protection for them to tap into. The credit card - same thing. Minimum credit limit that won't be increased. And, I can always dispute credit card charges.

Ebay isn't a cash cow or gold mine, it's a tool. Like any other tool, you have to learn how to use it properly. If you can't do that, then pay someone else who CAN.

In the meantime, that lot I spoke of sold for $26.50, I re-listed another, and it already has over 20 views, three "watches", and two bids.

Yes, I love it!!!:thmbsp:
 
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