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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Robert Zambelli on January 29, 2016, 07:12:44 PM
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Since I am selling off a large accumulation of engines, I decided to sell some of my Four Strokes.
I listed two OS Surpass 40's on eBay.
This is where it get puzzling.
One is brand new, never run, in the box with ALL paperwork and tools. It's bid up to $15.50, ???
The other is almost new, has a total of about fifteen minutes time, no tools, no box, no paperwork. It's bid up to $41.00. #^
Go figure!!!
Bob Z.
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When do they close? Maybe you have time to run the new one for 15 minutes. ;D
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I was looking for a Fox 35 Stunt on Ebay and there were probably 8 or so to pick from, about 6 of them where going for really high bids and one engine was not getting any attention so I grabbed it for about 1/2 the price of the other engines. Probably the same condition as the other engines....
The engine runs great and never did figure why it wasn't getting lots of bids like the other engines
Fred
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When do they close? Maybe you have time to run the new one for 15 minutes. ;D
LL~ LL~ LL~
I've found you can't really gauge the bidding ahead of time at all, it almost always changes drastically during the last few minutes, even seconds, especially when you're the one trying to buy. HB~>
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Well I quit bidding on stuff until almost the last second as when I bid early they usually go out of site on some bids. Told the wife I should get a commission to bid on stuff. LL~ LL~
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I've been selling on eBay for more than 15 years now, and also purchase quite often. Bob, I'm not at all surprised by what you see. But go to the "Active Listings" screen available to you, and tell us how many are WATCHING each item.
As a general rule, consider me as a potential buyer with this thought pattern:
"Here's a nice used engine, think I'll bid and watch it. Heck, it won't sell for more than $45 anyway."
"Wow, there's one NIB! I'm gonna watch that, maybe even go to Auction Sniper and set it to bid $120 with just 3 seconds left to go. But I'm not gonna bid NOW - the less attention it gets, the lower the selling price when the bidding is finished. Maybe I can even get it for $95!"
I pay much more attention to the number of watchers than the current bid price. On rare items, I've had well over 50 different buyers watching items - in that situation, you literally KNOW you'll get top dollar.
Now, if you have a nice item currently at $3.25 and only 3 watching it ... well, you might take a beating on that item.
Hope this gives you some insight, focus on the number watching because they're all potential last-minute bidders/buyers.
(I was watching an item just today that seemed stuck at around $33 ... I set Auction Sniper to put in a bid of over $100 with just 3 seconds left. And my last-minute bid lost.)
Good luck Bob, you've listed some nice stuff in the past and I've enjoyed my purchases from you!
Dennis
Auction Sniper: The only way to bid, very inexpensive - ]http://www.auctionsniper.com/default.aspx] (http://www.auctionsniper.com/default.aspx)
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This is a recent Ebay sale that puzzles me. It's an empty Twister box (ok it has the plans). Went for $35 plus $14 shipping. $49! The whole kit retails at $54!
Norm
See: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIGS-TWISTER-CONTROL-LINE-STUNTER-MODEL-AIRPLANE-KIT-BOX-PLANS-/272114233045?hash=item3f5b45aed5%3Ag%3A8MIAAOSwoydWpD5K&nma=true&si=i2f3t0lMQF7O%252F2UjIKgPW62tHYA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
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Ebay stuff is often high. Now and then I've snagged a bargain. My interest has fallen off. Electric power has reduced interest in IC. On the other hand, a dearth of currently manufactured CL motors and easy conversions has spiked some IC engines. LA46s, for instance. Odd variations like Bob's usually shake out when the bell rings and all snipes are in. Looking in by chance one day I bought a later Combat Fox for $30. A screamer. On the other hand I picked up a Combat Fox of similar vintage plus plane for $20 at a swap.
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Since I am selling off a large accumulation of engines, I decided to sell some of my Four Strokes.
I listed two OS Surpass 40's on eBay.
This is where it get puzzling.
One is brand new, never run, in the box with ALL paperwork and tools. It's bid up to $15.50, ???
The other is almost new, has a total of about fifteen minutes time, no tools, no box, no paperwork. It's bid up to $41.00. #^
Go figure!!!
Bob Z.
FWIW, the bidder who was at $15.50 had a higher maximum.
I know because I ran it up a bit to $43 and it kept telling me I was outbid :)
I bailed, so if it ends up selling for $43 then I made you an extra $27.50 ;D
(And cost him $27.50 >:D)
Pat MacKenzie
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FWIW, the bidder who was at $15.50 had a higher maximum.
I know because I ran it up a bit to $43 and it kept telling me I was outbid :)
I bailed, so if it ends up selling for $43 then I made you an extra $27.50 ;D
(And cost him $27.50 >:D)
Pat MacKenzie
That works if you don't wind up buying your own product and have to pay all of the eBay fees on it. When selling I start junk at a 1$ because I don't care what I get for it. The good stuff I start at the minimum I am willing to take. Also I will sometimes put a buy-it-now price on good stuff. If priced fair it usually sells quick. Also I think eBay has a rule against bidding your own stuff up. Anyway eBay has been good to me. I find their fees a little high but they give you a world wide market in return.
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Bob,
You are not using the three most important words on Ebay, "rare" awesome" and "Look!!!"
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The bidding on e-bay will soon, if not already, be totally computer-controlled, just as is the pattern on Wall St. Last second bidding is the norm on e-bay, so the tendency is heading toward bidding at the last few milliseconds! With advances in computer software and hardware, this time will be cut to microseconds, and even shorter using super computers and fiber optic interconnections.
The only items I even win are ones that no one else wants.
Floyd
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You just never know on ebay. Orwicks seem to still comand a good price. There are others also like Super Cyclones and Marvin Miller Anderson Spitfires. But Ohlssons and many others are down because of so many collections being sold off. I have won some really good engines in the past for very low prices. But I only buy what I use like Spitfires, Supercykes, and Orwicks. I have a few others that I got with boxes of old engine stuff.
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I just recently bought a 20FP new in the box as a buy it now(probably from one of you guys), but as a gift, I thought it was really nice to give a brandy new one.
I may have paid a dollar or two more than I might have, but I got it. I think buy it now is a good option for both the seller and the buyer ;)
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Just depends on how bad you want it? I've done that also on items I wanted. Some I have set and watched and let them get away because winning bidder bid more then the buy it now as well as the other bidders.
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I tend to use E-bay only for "buy it now" searches based on what several of you suggest as good item for this or that...
Of course the old skool "vintage" stuff is rarely on buy it now
BUT occasionally I see something, sounds and looks like new or very good condition, for a buy it now price I can accept, and I just buy it.....
Others I watch on sometimes, like mentioned above, if I seem to be the only one interested...I send a best offer and most of the time it is accepted even though "best offer' is not in the ad
I am type A and will admit that when I first started e-bay and auctions I used to get caught in a bidding war and thankfully I used to get out bid---- but few times I ended up with a $35 item for over a $100
"I feel much better now"
a quote from Harry's dad of Night Court
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[quote author=FLOYD CARTER
The only items I even win are ones that no one else wants.
Floyd
Buying on eBay scares the bejeezus out of me. I've only bought 3 or 4 things from 'buy it now' or I was one of two bids. I sort of know the bidding rules and strategy but know I'm up against pros with stop watches. And now, as Dennis informed me, Auction Sniper!
It's hard to imagine that out of millions(?) looking there are items no one wants. One item I bought was a 'buy it now' Fox 25BB NIB for my brief return to slow combat. I was the only bidder! Also a Brown Jr. CO2 engine, same deal. I felt comfortable that I wasn't forced to pay more than what I considered a deal which made buying the items a good experience.
A professional eBay buyer friend gave me the two hard and fast rules he uses for staying in control on eBay; ask yourself do you really need it, and, the item will alway be on again.
A bunch of years ago I droppped about $800 dollars at the WRAM show. I remember a set of Century Jet 90 degree retracts and an Enya 53 4cycle. Can't remember what else. The New York dust is still on the boxes from when I brought them home and put them on the self because they've been there ever since. I keep that in mind too when I'm perusing eBay.
Ara
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I never understood why eBay doesn't use the "auto extend" feature that some other sites use. If a bid is made anytime in the last 2 min, the auction is automatically extended by 2 min. Totally eliminates the last second sniping and gives buyers time to decide if they want to go higher. How many auctions have been lost by someone actually willing to bid a bit higher. I know eBay thinks their "put your max bid in" system works, but it doesn't. Sometimes you're just not sure how much you're willing to pay until you see what others are willing to bid as well. Sellers would make more money too.
I think the gunbroker auction site works this way. It's more like a real auction. Last person to speak up gets the item.
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If your not sure what your limit is you should probably not be bidding.
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Bob,
You are not using the three most important words on Ebay, "rare" awesome" and "Look!!!"
Hi Milton,
I have to LMAO when I see a "rare" fox 35 on the bay! I must of had 10-20 of them over the past , well I won't say, years! I do use "awesome" occasionally. LL~
Cheers, Jerry
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The word "vintage" is way over used on e bay. When e bay first got going I bought a few things on there but have pretty much quit using them, primarily because of the last second sniping crap.
Mike
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I've bought over 30 engines on ebay in the last year. Several Enya 60-IIs and IIIs, 45-6001s, 35-5224s, OS Max 35S', 40SS, -H 40s and a couple other engines. Most are R/Cs I converted. My average price per engine is about $30 now. I buy factory venturiis and NVAs direct from Japan. 4 OS 20-40FP NVAs just showed up in the mail. My cost was $6.78 each shipped. Venturiis maybe a dollar or 2 more.
You just have to plug in what you would like in the search, check weekly and set a $ limit. You'll have to pass on engines but if you just check once a week, there will be a time where what you want shows up at a great price and no one else will bid too much.
Also, set your default search distance to "worldwide". I've bought a few engines, to include a rare Enya 35-6001, brand new, from guys overseas. That engine cost me $50 shipped from Australia!
Yes, if you want something very rare and collectable, AuctionSniper works very well. I use it on old gun parts but I've never had to use it on ebay for CL stuff.
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How does EBay get away with taking/charging a seller a percentage of the shipping charge. Is that Legal...
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I think eBay has a rule against bidding your own stuff up.
Ya think
MM
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Dirty business
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Read the rules. LL~ LL~
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How does EBay get away with taking/charging a seller a percentage of the shipping charge. Is that Legal...
There's a good reason for that, Tony - much as I hate it as a Seller. Until a couple of years ago, you would see sellers - especially importers, it seems - selling items for 99 cents + $150 in S&H charges. Simple reason: They only paid fees on the 99 cent selling price. EBay tried to monitor it, but that's a task that is beyond practical ...
Today, that Seller pays fees on the $150.99 total, as do we all.
Now, try explaining that to foreign buyers ... If I charge $20.00 S&H on an item, eBay charges 9% of that and PayPal 4%, so I'm left with only $17.40 of that to pay shipping charges. It really hurts for those of us who try to play fair ...
Dennis