Post by 2nd Bat on Dec 9, 2013 13:46:01 GMT -5
I initially posted this comment in another thread which effectively highjacked the thread so I deleted it and am posting it here as I think it deserves its own thread:
With Ebay you're essentially paying more then anyone in the world who was paying attention was willing (or able) to spent. Hence 95% of the ebay transactions are not a particularly good deal at all. Awesome if you find that perfect item you have been looking for forever but rarely cheap. Occassionally an item is listed or described badly, hence fewer folks see it. Once in a blue moon an item simply slips through the cracks and you're the only bidder but these circumstances are rare. In the early days of Ebay I used to deliberately mispell items I wanted in the search function in hopes what I sought would come up. When the did, often I would be the only bidder. I got some steals on "feild jackets, calvary items and baynets". Those days are gone now as Ebay corrects the seller with a prompt when his listings are spelled wrong.
The key with Ebay is persistance and discipline. Know what you are looking for. Know what you are looking at. Peruse each listing with a jaundiced, critical eye and bid what would constitute a fair or low price and hope you get it for an even lower bid. Resist the temptation to raise your bid no matter what others do and be comfortable walking away from many many opportunities until finally one closes on your low bid. Add in the listed shipping cost and don't forget to figure that into your bid. Bulk sales listing lots of multiple items usually sell quite a bit cheaper then individual items so if you have a home for the other items you can often get a deal that way. I have frequently bought multiple items from a "lot" sale and sold off the surplus I didn't want for more then the total cost hence getting what I wanted for free. Know what things should sell for.
Ebay has the potential to be a great resource but as Shifty said be careful. Also please only bid on items and at prices you are willing and ABLE to buy them for. With both militaria and especially airsoft items the buyers are EXTREMELY flakey as buyers/bidders. Don't be THAT GUY! As a seller know what your fees are going to be if the item sells. Remember to subtract out the commissions that will charged and the 3% reduction from the paypal transaction fee. It adds up quicker than you might think.
With Ebay you're essentially paying more then anyone in the world who was paying attention was willing (or able) to spent. Hence 95% of the ebay transactions are not a particularly good deal at all. Awesome if you find that perfect item you have been looking for forever but rarely cheap. Occassionally an item is listed or described badly, hence fewer folks see it. Once in a blue moon an item simply slips through the cracks and you're the only bidder but these circumstances are rare. In the early days of Ebay I used to deliberately mispell items I wanted in the search function in hopes what I sought would come up. When the did, often I would be the only bidder. I got some steals on "feild jackets, calvary items and baynets". Those days are gone now as Ebay corrects the seller with a prompt when his listings are spelled wrong.
The key with Ebay is persistance and discipline. Know what you are looking for. Know what you are looking at. Peruse each listing with a jaundiced, critical eye and bid what would constitute a fair or low price and hope you get it for an even lower bid. Resist the temptation to raise your bid no matter what others do and be comfortable walking away from many many opportunities until finally one closes on your low bid. Add in the listed shipping cost and don't forget to figure that into your bid. Bulk sales listing lots of multiple items usually sell quite a bit cheaper then individual items so if you have a home for the other items you can often get a deal that way. I have frequently bought multiple items from a "lot" sale and sold off the surplus I didn't want for more then the total cost hence getting what I wanted for free. Know what things should sell for.
Ebay has the potential to be a great resource but as Shifty said be careful. Also please only bid on items and at prices you are willing and ABLE to buy them for. With both militaria and especially airsoft items the buyers are EXTREMELY flakey as buyers/bidders. Don't be THAT GUY! As a seller know what your fees are going to be if the item sells. Remember to subtract out the commissions that will charged and the 3% reduction from the paypal transaction fee. It adds up quicker than you might think.