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ipso_facto · 05-05-2003, 01:30 PM

Over 100 hits for Airstream on ebay. Ranging from A/S magazine articles to actual campers.

Advantages: Some pretty hard to find stuff.

Disadvantages: You don't know the condition and have to rely solely on the credibility of the seller and photos, which may not show much.

**Action** · 05-05-2003, 01:46 PM

A face to face sale relies on some of the same things. With out the feedback of previous transactions by the Seller/buyer.

Generating a negative/positive feedback says something too.

>>>>>>>>Action

Silvertwinkie · 05-05-2003, 02:40 PM

I think it's pretty much here to stay. As a matter of fact, there are a bunch of EBay type knockoffs around as well.

I am very skeptical about using eBay, but I have bought one or two items from there. Like anything, the greater the reward (in this case ususally a lower price) the greater the risk.

Regards,

Eric

53flyingcloud · 05-05-2003, 02:42 PM

KEWL ~!

The whole world is on a "paradigm shift" due to the internet..lmao

thenewkid64 · 05-05-2003, 02:44 PM

I have had both good and bad experiences with e-bay. Most have been good, but I tend to do my homework before bidding.

I understand it is a "true" auction and not wal-mart. Some of the feed back I have read that was negative in nature make me think some people have no clue what they are doing when it comes to an auction. There are many hard to find parts, as well as some deals to be had. The best thing to do is to keep a level head and not let your emotions get you in a bidding frenzy.

I think it will be a valid resource for a long time, and I for one like having the ability to find what I need almost every time.

I do not think buying anything that is as complicated as a car, rv, or the like without an in person inspection can get you burned. Pictures can and do hide a multitude of sins. But that is my opinion, others feel comfortable doing so and that is great. I would want to "kick the tires" before bidding.

Just my .02 worth

InsideOut · 05-05-2003, 04:34 PM

If you are an estate sale, thrift shop buyer...it's GREAT! What better way to check out stuff from all over the country (world for that matter) without giving up your Saturday mornings getting in & out of your car only to go home empty handed?!

Having been both a buyer & seller since 1998 I have cleaned out my basement, turned over estate sale finds & found "impossible to find" items for our trailer (term cap

). The key is in knowing what you are buying or selling and what a fair price is for that item....and then, as thenewkid64 said, don't get in a bidding frenzy. Also, feedback is a reliable indicator of the trustworthiness of the individuals involed.

Buyer beware...ask questions & for additional photos or information, if the seller is not willing or able to accomodate your request, walk away. Generally, ebay folks are pretty honest, but there are always a few bad seeds.

Shari "a good seed"

jim8860 · 05-05-2003, 04:42 PM

I think Ebay is here to say. It's a good tool for checking out value. I have sold tons of "stuff" on the site. As I always place my phone number in my ad and tell the people to call me if you have any questions. Good luck on Ebay Jim

flyfisher · 05-05-2003, 05:16 PM

I understand that the total daily value of what is sold on Ebay exceeds the combined sales of Wal Mart, Sears, JC Penny and probably a couple other major retailers.

I've bought and sold lots of items on Ebay for the past several years, and I think it's one of the greatest innovations ever! It's here to stay for sure.

If you're interested in a making a bid on a larger valued item, and can't inspect it in person, you can alway consider Ebay's escrow service. Of course there's nothing that prohibits you from arranging with a seller to personally inspect the item before bidding on it -- I've done this several times for real estate listed on Ebay, and I would also do it if I wanted to bid on an Airstream.

John

wb13798 · 05-05-2003, 05:53 PM

ebay has item you would never find. and i agree escrow is the way to go if in doubt. i dont think i would buy a vehicle off ebay.lol
al

oldvws · 05-06-2003, 12:52 PM

Ebay has seen its best days

In the "good old days" items would get 1000 hits, now same item gets 100 if that

Ebay sales are down, bidding wars have stopped because many bidders are snipping at the end.

There is also lots more retail junk, just like going to K-mart at home

It has turned into a "toaster" you pull it out when you need it, but otherwise its forgotten.

When it was "new" people spent hours a night on it , now they just hunt a few hours a week if that.

I have made good money years ago , but now its pretty dead.....

Ohh well......maybe it will come back.....I hope !

Richard Vroom · 05-06-2003, 03:02 PM

I have been running a business on eBay for about 5 years now. From a seller perspective, eBay runs up and down in waves. Sometimes I get very high prices when people are bidding against each other. Then there will be a month or so of very light bidding and it becomes a buyers market. That is when I buy and get great deals. Items can be on for weeks with little bidding and they do not sell. Then they can go on and go up to 5 times the price in the last 60 seconds.

Right now it is a buyers market. There is very light bidding from Americans and most things are not selling or they sell to Eurpeans, Japanese and even Saudi Arabia. I sell all over the world and right now I am selling only about 1 in 10 to the US as opposed to over 90% last year. With the US dollar dropping in relation to the Euro and even Canadian dollar, other countries are now getting a better deal.

The cost to list on eBay has recently more than doubled! They are charging more up front because more items are not selling and they are not making the commission on the sales. Paypal which they recently bought also allows them to make another 4 or 5% on the sales when the buyer pays with it. It is convenient and now amounts to how over 95% of my buyers all over the world pay. Most items I sell are paid for using Paypal within 24 hours. Ebay is still doingwell, but items are not selling well right now. Over the last two weeks, the eBay market has become extremely light. This is good for the buyer!

Be careful in buying! I buy a lot on eBay and would never buy from anyone with a excellent rating or from anyone that has not sold over about 100 items overall. I always check even the items they have sold and also other items they are currently selling. I always ask questions before buying and never bid until the last 20 seconds of an auction. I use a stop watch all the time.

To buy an Airstream on eBay - really risky!! It is so easy to get taken and once the money is gone out. It rarely comes back. I have not had a problem buying in ther last three years, but being careful and even phoning the buyer helps deciding whether it is worth buying.

My name on eBay is elite-penman. You may see me there with my pen collection. Good luck on eBay and be careful!
Sincerely,
Richard Vroom

InsideOut · 05-06-2003, 06:25 PM

Quote:

and would never buy from anyone with a excellent rating

I hope you mean "without"...

Shari

Richard Vroom · 05-06-2003, 06:35 PM

Thanks for the correction.
Richard

Sue&Von · 05-07-2003, 01:59 AM

ebay has taken the fun out of Saturday 'junkin".
It has elevated the price of junk to unheard of levels.
Add to that the overpriced shipping charges on small items and the trik of sellers with 2 IDs late bidding up their items and "buying" their own stuff if the bid doesn't suit them.
And now folks are buying wholesale crap and loading down ebay with it.

Also the site is not that user friendly, a little too slow to navigate and keep up with.
Mighty hard on web-tv for sure. Way too many professional "carney merchants" for my enjoyment any more, but I still buy a little there, never been burned except on price.
Wish I owned stock in it from the start though.

I guess an Airstream club is a strange place to complain about prices though. Seems most of you spend money like politicians.

trumpwer · 05-07-2003, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sue&Von
I guess an Airstream club is a strange place to complain about prices though. Seems most of you spend money like politicians.

[/B]

I find the check book cover covered with vintage airstereams that is quite often posted on Ebay ironic, for just this reason

ipso_facto · 05-07-2003, 09:11 AM

Richard Vroom
..... and never bid until the last 20 seconds of an auction.

I am not sure I understand this strategy. If I see an item, I know how much it is worth to me and bid on it immediately. I don't see what advantages I get from waiting until the last 20 seconds. It's possible I find out in the last 20 seconds that someone outbid my maximum. In which case, this information is still does me no good because I am not willing to go beyond my personal (and subjective) maximum price. So I either get it or I don't, the latter in case someone really wants it.

I found out that ebay does this "proxy" bidding, i.e. if you bid $2500 as your personal maximum like on a car, and the second highest bidder was $1900, you only pay $1910, i.e. just one increment up from the second best price. Your high bid is not disclosed to others.

To buy an Airstream on eBay - really risky!!

Good point. With machinery that complex. I would have to look at it before bidding. This way, your confidence level goes way up and you have an advantage over other bidders. Others may be cautious, not knowing its condition well. But you can bid higher than them in this case. This of course presumes it's in the same region.

Sue&Von

... and the trik of sellers with 2 IDs late bidding up their items and "buying" their own stuff if the bid doesn't suit them.

This means don't ever pay more than the market price. They can indeed do that, but will only get those who really really want *this* particular item. There are other Airsrtreams, other vehicles, etc. around.
I see items sitting on there forever because the price is too high. Including A/S. But it is doutbtful they want an auction, just use it as a cheap medium to advertise.

If you see a really desirable item on ebay, doesn't that mean that many others see it too? And will bid on it? Which means that ebay isn't always a place to get great deals, just find obscure stuff, or stuff others consider trash, which may be your treasure.

For example, if you want an A/S or a towing vehicle, you are probably better off using the local (or regional) papers instead of trying to outbid a global audience. If on the other hand, you want an owner's manual for an antique car or whatever, this is the place to go.

dtbw · 05-07-2003, 09:29 AM

The logic in a last second bid is to minimize the "got-to-have-at-any-cost" mentality that infects many novice eBay buyers. If you bid early, with a proxy, at a level that should get the item, you give other bidders lots of time to bid against you. We have been buying on ebay (antique dishes, silver, etc) for over a year and we never bid in prior to 8-10 seconds prior to the end. eBay's clocks are synced to the atomic clocks in Ft. Collins and you can sync your PC clock to the same signal. We use a PC stopwatch program that allows you to set multiple countdown times with descriptions to the exact second of each auction of interest. This way you can confidently hold off bidding. In our 200+ bids we have only lost 4-5 auctions. Many times do find that another bidder has a proxy, but we bid what we think it is worth (plus an additional amount if there is emotion value to owning the item), hold our bid and then let it fly.

It never ceases to amaze me at the bidders that think there is some advantage to staying as the high bidder...all that matters is who is there at the bell. We have been fortunate to have NEVER had a bad experience or misrepresentation, but we are careful and know the merchandise we are seeking, what it is worth and we do always look at the sellers ratings. Having the ability to go back and read prior feedback, particularly if there is negative feedback, can really give you a feel of the sellers integrity.

Pick · 05-07-2003, 12:01 PM

I bought a butane camp stove on ebay for $17, and the shipping was $17.00. total cost $34. The same camp stove at a local marine store would have cost me $39.95 plus Ohio sales tax. So I didn't do to bad, at least I didn't pay more.

In contrast, I bought a new seat for a John Deere Gator, that cost $104. The cost to ship it from the Columbus, Ohio parts depot was $3.00

The box it came in was about the size you would ship a 19" TV in.

ipso_facto · 05-07-2003, 08:29 PM

Makes sense actually.

Curtis-79MH · 05-07-2003, 11:41 PM

I believe eBay is as close to legalized gambling as can be found in Alaska, and maybe it is somehow kin to fishing as well.....if you can't afford to lose your money don't bid and don't fish; no guarantees, a lot of fun, and if you land the "big one", smile. I mean, really, how can you get serious about spending 10 grand or ten bucks on a digital photo and a stranger's word/description?