Where have all the deals gone?

[Wallpaperman]

Is it me or eBay? Looking around eBay and all the deals have disappeared HIGH prices & High shipping charges.
Any one else see the same thing?

Cliff(SC)

 

[Pierce Butler]

Ebay has changed and people are staying away. Ebay seems to want to be another Amazon.

People are tired of their BS, the scammers, the ridiculous Feedback system, and Ebay in general.

Ebay is fading away. Enjoy it while you can.

 

[CNCME?]

Psychological effects of economy?

Seems like to me, the presence or absence of 'deals' is closely related to consumer confidence. In good times, its hard to find one, when things are rough, they're coming out of the woodwork, either or ebay, or elsewhere.

 

[Holescreek]

I was listening to the BBC last night on my trip home from work and they were commenting on the same thing. Ebay is selling off Skype as it isn't helping their core business any. BBC talked about how Ebay has lost focus on the auction business and removed the "fun" factor by concentrating only on thier "buy it nows" and power sellers. Their new rules are absurd -requireing that everyone use Paypal and the rating system is meaningless. While I still look daily in one category, it is now just for a feel of what stuff is worth these days. -Mike

 

[JND]

?

Maybe it's just me but it also seems like the rougher it gets out there money wise,people are raising their prices to compensate? It dosn't seem like it's just Ebay but just about everywhere,specialy smaller busnuises. Ya gotta love that downward sprial.

 

[CompositesGuy]

Wow... I'm not seeing what you all are talking about at all... this summer I've bought an arbor press... a BXA tool post... a dozen iscar lathe tool posts... hundreds of lathe inserts... a beautiful SJorgren 5c collet chuck... a new motor for my lathe... all at 20-50% of new cost, and all in near-new or new condition...

If I had more money to blow I'd do it. I established an extensive list of tools that I wanted to buy about 5 years ago, and watched EBAY ever since (that way I don't get tempted by items that i don't really need). Selling prices for tools on this list are on the whole about 60% of where they were 2 years ago. NOW is the time to buy tools on EBAY. Just fix a "worth" in your head and don't get bid up at the last minute. "Buy it now's" are generally to be avoided... to high of a price... and you must have the patience to wait for the right deal.

What are you looking at on EBAY... ladies handbags??? I don't buy from EBAY itself... and generally stay away from the high-priced "stores" on EBAY... but the sales from private individual and small time resellers is a gold mine.

On the sad note, some people really need to learn to pack their stuff. The USPS flat rate boxes have really hurt this. People walk into the post office with a sharp-edged 5lb object and shove it into a paper thin flat rate box without any packing materials. I've had 2 items fall out of the package during transit this summer, leaving me with an empty box. Thankfully I was covered with the Paypal buyer's protection.

Frankly, prices are high on EBAY compared to garage sales and Craigslist, because there is a wider audience. But... the trade off is you can get what you NEED in good condition, and the price is still good if you are PATIENT.

 

[Paula]

Where have all the deals gone, long time passing...

(Sorry about that)

I will echo what CompositesGuy is saying, for the most part. I'm no cheerleader for eBay, as I find some of their decisions completely maddening and incomprehensible, but they do offer an alternative.

I'm not completely averse to Buy-It-Nows -- sometimes this is where the best bargains are, as when an uninformed seller puts a below-market BIN on an item. The trick is to be the first interested buyer to see it.

A recent eBay experience: I've long been in the market for a 0-4" set of outside mikes. My preference is Brown & Sharpe, new, but willing to look at excellent used. Such a set sells for $620.00 at Travers Tool, which usually has pretty fair prices. By searching eBay, I was able to find that exact set, new, for $325.00. This was a situation where the seller had a buy-it-now/make offer sale. I made an offer, and the seller accepted.

I'm also in agreement on the poor packaging issue. The flat-rate boxes are an open invitation to circumvent the laws of physics and common sense. While not from an eBay sale, the following offers a prime example:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showpost.php?p=834781&postcount=16

As far as how the economy is affecting deals on eBay, I haven't noticed a specific trend. But then I'm not all that heavily involved. Someone who buys and sells on a more regular basis is more competent to answer that question.

Paula

 

[BMyers]

I can echo Paula, I avoid ebay for the most part, but I was in need of a set of fractional chucking reamers this spring. I was not eager to buy an import set but that was my budget. I found a flea market seller on ebay (you know the ones that sell a little bit of everything) that had a new or nearly new set of Yankee Chuckers with BIN/BO. I made a INSULTINGLY low offer expecting to be countered. I got an invoice to purchase !

 

[Ohio Mike]

That's right everyone stay away... more deals for me. I've got some really good deals on eBay in the last year but you have to have patience. You can't just visit once or twice and expect to win $1000 of stuff for $100.

I have in the last year acquired a choice SBL 6" 4-jaw hardly used but completely covered in a light brown patina. Also a 10L steady rest, 2-1/4 spindle nose protector, a SBL (Fostoria) tool lamp, the 10L lamp bracket, a NOS Reed drill vise and list goes on. Some were steals others just good honest prices. My overall best deal was a full box of NAPA Professional tools including two full sets of wrenches, 3 socket sets with drive tools (including the short 3/4 drive set) all for $175 including shipping. I actually had to pretty much stop buying hand tools as I have boxes of spares laying around now.

 

[Mebfab]

Ebay sure isnt what it was. At least in this area there are no live auctions to feed the resale market on ebay. Plus ebay has become another ad outlet for the serial listers (machinery value, other dealers) as well as anyone who thinks he can get into the business with overpriced technologicly obsolete equipment (halls everything and anything) for 5% less then the regular dealers. I cant believe they ever sell anything.

The problem from a buyers viewpoint is you have to sort through so much overpriced (worn out and poor descriptions/pictures) crap and new imported junk that it takes the fun out of it.

From a sellers point you have to be found through all that crap. Plus prices for what actually sells has dropped. Coupled with rising fees (ebay paypal), rising shipping costs, fuel cost to get to ups, cost of getting it from auction, new feed back system, etc. You have to get more for it or just give up.

 

[stnecut]

ebay...good for patient buyers

I've found some things on ebay this summer, a B&S swiss made mic, and a bestest dial indicator on a magnetic base. both were good buys, but I waited, watched and was patient.

On the other hand, i also sold a few things, the fee structure is annoying, paypal's fee for tranferring money is way overpriced....I'd much rather wait for a check then pay them for something my bank does for free.

As far as deals?...The sniping software on the market partially to blame.

 

[jinglejangle]

sniping

I have a few thoughts about sniping. If you set your max price and snipe and win it works. It does not stop people willing to pay more than what I think is a fair market price for an item bought off the basis of a few low res pictures. I win some and I lose some. In my mind sniping stops the bid up process. To encourage free trade ebay should not allow an auction to close where a bid has happened within the last few minutes. Just extend the time by a few minutes. It would obsolete sniping. An "in person" auction stops when the bidding stops. Ebay could take note and learn something.

I too have picked up some extremely great values from other private sellers. I do not see many deals with buy it now or companies that have put all of their inventory on ebay.

Thanks for the great forum and great people!
John

 

[elewayne]

I bought most of the extras and tooling, I needed when I bought my lathe this summer, from ebay. but I did need to shop to find the deals. Some guys really bid that stuff up way over value and then again some times no one but you bids on a similar item and it goes for a deal. Gear sets were going for as high as $350 when I was looking but after a while I found most of a gear set for just $70 for 10 gears.I found two more gears I needed with a banjo for $15 when I'd seen the same thing going for $175, and on like that, I think the deals are still there but as always it takes looking and careful bidding. I bought my milling attachment from a buy it now ($225) after I quit bidding on another one just like it that went ,in the end, for $375. I'd seen them go for almost $500.??????
Wayne

 

[jockofthelowveld]

Concerning prices and buy it now prices on E-bay: Does Validusgroup ever sell anything? I see SBL parts like their $250.00 10L gearboxes listed forever on E-bay.

 

[TwoGortons]

ebay pricing ... depending on what you are looking for...

Is it me or eBay? Looking around eBay and all the deals have disappeared HIGH prices & High shipping charges.
Any one else see the same thing?

Cliff(SC)

Hello,


I build and sell Offroad bumpers, roofracks, and whatever else I can, and I usually always have something listed on eBay... BUT I rarely sell anything directly from eBay. Its a good marketing avenue.I bypass eBay totally when possible...


Now on the buying end I still find deals, but I may have to look longer and harder. Its all relative. If you want something that everyone else wants too, you aren't going to save much... BUT if its a little known gem, you can snatch it at a good price, especially if you use a sniper service to bid at the last minute. Never bid eaqrly on... I love all things GORTON, which is good for me, 'cause they rarely see much bidding action.

One thing else that hurts the buyer is that now you can do a fixed price auction with no end date, last until it sells. A seller can list it and forget it...

Report anything fishy, especiall way-to-high shipping... it works, and look for sellers accepting offers. I have had much luck getting sellers to accept about half the asking price. God Bless

 

[stnecut]

I too have picked up some extremely great values from other private sellers. I do not see many deals with buy it now or companies that have put all of their inventory on ebay.

Thanks for the great forum and great people!
John

What I see is private owners pricing their items by copying the "buy it now" prices from companies

 

[rudolf]

What I see is private owners pricing their items by copying the "buy it now" prices from companies

it could certainly be the case, however when ever i am looking to figure the going rate for something i want to sell on ebay i simply look at the completed listings. not a perfect option but it gives you an actual sale price to work from.

 

[Ohio Mike]

I bought my milling attachment from a buy it now ($225) after I quit bidding on another one just like it that went ,in the end, for $375. I'd seen them go for almost $500.??????
Wayne

Yup, I guess some folks can't control themselves. I've seen crappy sets of Craftsman wrenches sell for more than you can buy them for direct off the Sears web site!

 

[Wally M]

rudolf, how do you search completed listings? I've never been able to find them unless they've been on my watch list.

 

[Wyoming]

rudolf, how do you search completed listings? I've never been able to find them unless they've been on my watch list.

Click on the "Advanced search" option and the completed listings will be an option on the next menu.