rant - save me from dumb ebayers with more money than sense (1 Viewer)

[andrew markworthy]

Ebay has been a particularly fruitful source for one of my collecting hobbies. I've picked up the occasional bargain, but mainly paid just about the correct market price without the tedium of tramping round various collecting fairs, etc.

However, in the last few weeks a couple of morons have appeared on the scene who are willing to pay ludicrous prices for everything and anything. It's not being outbid that gets my goat, but that they haven't a clue what they're buying - so rubbish that no sane collector would touch is bidded for with the same passion as genuinely scarce items. Thus, items worth no more than 20 pence are being bought with opening bids of £20, whilst items that serious collectors are after are being priced way outside our reach because any counterbids will inevitably be topped (once these guys decide they want something, they will go for it come hell or high water). I suppose the consoling upshot is that these bozos have ended up paying several thousand pounds for collections worth at most a couple of hundred, but I can't help feeling like I'm back in the school yard and if you and your friends find something fun to do, inevitably the school bully is going to try to muscle in on the act.

Anyone else experienced this sort of idiotic behaviour on ebay or am I just being paranoid?

 

[andrew markworthy]

Ebay has been a particularly fruitful source for one of my collecting hobbies. I've picked up the occasional bargain, but mainly paid just about the correct market price without the tedium of tramping round various collecting fairs, etc.

However, in the last few weeks a couple of morons have appeared on the scene who are willing to pay ludicrous prices for everything and anything. It's not being outbid that gets my goat, but that they haven't a clue what they're buying - so rubbish that no sane collector would touch is bidded for with the same passion as genuinely scarce items. Thus, items worth no more than 20 pence are being bought with opening bids of £20, whilst items that serious collectors are after are being priced way outside our reach because any counterbids will inevitably be topped (once these guys decide they want something, they will go for it come hell or high water). I suppose the consoling upshot is that these bozos have ended up paying several thousand pounds for collections worth at most a couple of hundred, but I can't help feeling like I'm back in the school yard and if you and your friends find something fun to do, inevitably the school bully is going to try to muscle in on the act.

Anyone else experienced this sort of idiotic behaviour on ebay or am I just being paranoid?

 

[Carl Miller]

I understand exactly what you're speaking of Andrew. I collect vintage rock and roll posters and eBay is the primary source of my collection.

Every so often, some new collector with deep pockets will come along and outbid me (and everyone else) on items that are major wants toward my collection. Items that don't come along very often, and for which I'm willing to pay market value or slightly more even...These people come along and pay 20, 50 and even 100% more than value for the item.

If you're not already doing so, I'd recommend using a Snipe program to catch a few of these people off gaurd. It may help avoid a bidding war and keep their bids in line.

The only happy thought I have about this is that in my collecting field, these people usually either lose interest and fade away. Or, they learn more about the collecitble and eventually start bidding more reasonably once they figure out they're greatly overpaying.

 

[Carl Miller]

I understand exactly what you're speaking of Andrew. I collect vintage rock and roll posters and eBay is the primary source of my collection.

Every so often, some new collector with deep pockets will come along and outbid me (and everyone else) on items that are major wants toward my collection. Items that don't come along very often, and for which I'm willing to pay market value or slightly more even...These people come along and pay 20, 50 and even 100% more than value for the item.

If you're not already doing so, I'd recommend using a Snipe program to catch a few of these people off gaurd. It may help avoid a bidding war and keep their bids in line.

The only happy thought I have about this is that in my collecting field, these people usually either lose interest and fade away. Or, they learn more about the collecitble and eventually start bidding more reasonably once they figure out they're greatly overpaying.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Or they get what they want and stop using Ebay.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Or they get what they want and stop using Ebay.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Garett, unfortunately, it's a *huge* field!

Carl - thanks for that. I fell your pain, but (please don't take this the wrong way) I'm glad it's not just me that gets this sort of annoyance.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Garett, unfortunately, it's a *huge* field!

Carl - thanks for that. I fell your pain, but (please don't take this the wrong way) I'm glad it's not just me that gets this sort of annoyance.