Hmmmmm … what’s all the excitement? You don’t need it, you wouldn’t pay that kind of money for it … just ignore it!
Now this is strictly my opinion: If instead of posting that far out crazy stuff you guys would post about the really good buys perhaps there would be some real bidding on eBay, too. Or would that be too much competition? Of course it wouldn’t lower the price on the reserve or whatever. 
I’m curious how you guys find the good deals. I look every day but haven’t seen anything worth while.
Bob,
I hadn’t looked on eBay for a very long time … until today. A lot of the stuff I was looking at was the same price as it was 8 years back, except now it is Buy it now! Which means one can bypass all the nailbiting and gnashing of teeth if one remembers what the stuff sold for in the good old days. That’s why I don’t get the excitement.
I use a sniping service. It helps get a good price without a lot of drama. I guess the bottom line is “don’t offer what you don’t want to pay”. And always check the shipping price.
Bob McCown said:I'm wondering the same thing too. Email notification when something is listed that hits your wish list?
I'm curious how you guys find the good deals. I look every day but haven't seen anything worth while.
Bob McCown said:I work from home...On a computer all day. I check "Buy-it-Now" "Newly Listed" 5-10 times/day. Minutes spent in total and save $100's.
I'm curious how you guys find the good deals. I look every day but haven't seen anything worth while.
I only look at auctions “ending soonest” and then only use ‘e-snipe’.
Bob McCown said:I have some unique out of production items on my "wish list" and I'm notified if something comes on the Ebay market like that. Buy little, but look quite a bit.
I'm curious how you guys find the good deals. I look every day but haven't seen anything worth while.
I have bad luck with e-bay. Im like Bob I always look but never find anything and when I do there are 15 bids already. I like the buy it now option. I have no patience for the bidding game.
Im getting tired of seeing the same overpriced product month after month and in some cases overpriced crap. Like the idiot that keeps putting that ugly ass kalamozoo flat car decorated with X-mas stuff my grandmother had back in the day and have it wayyyyyyyyy over priced to boot. Get the hint no one will buy it… This one still pops up. http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-SCALE-CUSTOM-KALAMAZOO-PASSENGER-DINING-CAR-CONTEST-WINNER-WORKS-WITH-LGB-/180990419813?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2a23dea365
Hes out of his mind. Contest winning car. Was it the only one
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9br4cGEp81qj7bubo1_500.jpg)
I got that beat Shawn, there a guy who keeps listing an old Lionel 0-6-0, the quirky looking one with brass drivers, listed as ‘rare’ and ‘collectible’ for ‘only’ $100, did I mention its MISSING its siderods and driving rods? and part of the stack? and he doesn’t know if it even runs??? Last one I payed for was about $10, in great condition …‘Rare’ and ‘collectible’ indeed!
Okay, that’s it. I am about to offer a complete range of 1:20 to 1:32 scale rocks. Yes, these are perfect replicas in ORIGINAL PROTOTYPE MATERIAL of the kind of scenic geological boulders that decorate our most scenic railways. I figure $20-$50 is fair. Plus shipping, tax, handling, severance fee, and insurance. Any takers?
Sold!!! I want about 20 of them.
On a serious note. I got a Bachmann 0-4-0 Porter for $65. I thought that was a pretty good deal. I’ve got a historical engine called the “Natalie” that I’m going to use it for.
Michael Moradzadeh said:
Okay, that’s it. I am about to offer a complete range of 1:20 to 1:32 scale rocks. Yes, these are perfect replicas in ORIGINAL PROTOTYPE MATERIAL of the kind of scenic geological boulders that decorate our most scenic railways. I figure $20-$50 is fair. Plus shipping, tax, handling, severance fee, and insurance. Any takers?
(http://www.deviantart.com/download/186060843/lol_gif_by_smileyface102-d32rxgr.gif)
Jake Smith said:
Sold!!! I want about 20 of them.On a serious note. I got a Bachmann 0-4-0 Porter for $65. I thought that was a pretty good deal. I’ve got a historical engine called the “Natalie” that I’m going to use it for.
A ‘B-I-N’ currently running for $80…Seems quite fair.
You ought to put it up there, just to see if you can hook any sucker(fish)
The ads on E-Bay do create responses other than just to the parade of pricing folly . E-Bay prices and products generate and reinforce or support a public image of large scale. From these ads, the large scale image of the hobby is either being reinforced, disputed, questioned, or ignored. For me, the strongest of those reactions happen when these E-Bay products are sold. This initiates a strong secondary effect. That’s when some innocent or unthinking buys such a product at those prices and then gets understandably indirect or direct negative responses, such as from other guage enthusiasts as well as our own commentary. I think that is when the most potent negative damage hits home. Consider LGB. Now, the E-Bay focus appears to be on the product as a “collectable”, not a useable.
In contrast to this time, prior to being prolificly sold on E-Bay and prior to their management failures, LGB’s history of both high store and mail-order prices were supported by a consistent blast of advertising and consumer/user endorsements featuring product quality.
In further contrast to what E-Bay sells now, LGB pricing then was “Mercedes Syndrome” based. If advertising-trained consumers think a product costs too little it is thought to be cheap quality. Years ago, Mercedes tried to sell a car in the price range of Toyota Celica. Poor sales – too cheap. Prices were raised, comparisons reinforced, and sales went up. What held LGB’s high prices for years was being in their “exclusive” stores (not just hobby shops) and the comparative customer/user quality image (read durability) of LGB compared to the “other brands”. When LGB tried to use price control on its dealers the pricing image went south as dealers went after the diminishing market of “new large scalers.”
Now, with E-Bay’s pricing follies, who has the “Mercedes” market image of LARGE SCALE?: USA? Bachmann? Aristo? Hartland? Piko? LGB?
Selah,
Wendell