The confusion of Ebay?

[Otony]

Like many of those here, I purchase reloading equipment on the "site that shall not be named" (psst, look in the post title). I typically am looking for either discontinued gear, or bargains on new gear. Die sets in particular seem to go for low prices quite often, even when NIB. I have come up with new Pacific (Hornady)Durachrome, RCBS, and Lee dies sets for less than 20 bucks shipped at least a half dozen times of late. Even oddball cartridge die sets or carbide dies show up at those prices.

And like many of those here, I have noticed that the search function used there can have, ahem, quirks at times. Often it will pull up items by name (say: Durachrome or Mequon), only to have additional items by the same name show up on a similar search a day or two later that were listed prior to my first search!?!

Be that as it may, it is for their software writers to concern themselves about. I have learned to make a habit of searching often for the same items. What I have termed confusion is the odd bidding/buying habits of folks who frequent the site.

I recently "won" a Belding & Mull a micrometer drop tube. What is odd is that I picked it up for $50, when one sold approximately 25 minutes previously for over $150, and another sold right afterwards for over $85.

Now I assume (uh-oh) that those folks also use the same search engine provided, so why the incredible range of price? Mind you, as the winner of the least expensive measure I am not really complaining, simply observing.

Another example for y'all. I have a Bonanza Benchrest measure that I purchased new from Midway. It has worked very well for me, so I purchased another, lightly used from the "site that shall not be named" for a bit less than 2/3rds of new. It arrived and I was well satisfied but there were many other bids that drove the price up from a starting point of 99 cents. So what, you may say? Well, a few days later I picked up another identical measure there for less than 25 bucks, roughly 1/4 the cost of new! Apparently more than a few folks simply quit their search after "losing".

My competitors for the same items are obviously NOT using the search function in the same way as I do, or, as my wife would claim, they are spending far less free time searching than I do. In any case, my bench is grateful, as is my wallet. My wife not so much, but that is another story as they say.

Are there any similar reports to mine?

[Bulletlube]

I bought 3 boxes of Hornady .22 gas checks shipped for less than 1 box was going for at the same time!!!

[462]

Otony,
I type in the item description -- RCBS press -- sift through the results and add anything interesting to my "Watch" list.

As to why items sell for what they do: Many bidders have more money than brains. This afternoon, a seller had two identical reloading items listed and they sold within mere minutes of each other. One sold for half again as much as the other.

Many times, I've seen used items sell for substantially more than what they do new. Shills? Extremely ignorant and rich bidders? Makes me wonder...

[ReloaderFred]

I've gotten many great deals there. The last was a new set of Redding .375 Winchester dies (the three die set), delivered, for about the same price as a new Lee set before shipping. I also recently won an assortment of new Lyman die parts that were obviously from a closed gun shop (still had the price tags on them) and another assortment of Lyman case trimmer pilots and cutters in the same condition. The purchase price was about 20% of the total the parts would have been if purchased separately.

You just have to watch and decide ahead of time what you're willing to pay.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[HangFireW8]

Now I assume (uh-oh) that those folks also use the same search engine provided, so why the incredible range of price? Mind you, as the winner of the least expensive measure I am not really complaining, simply observing.
...

Are there any similar reports to mine?

Oh, yeah.

Flea bait dynamics are very interesting studies in macro and micro economics. When it was new and growing, it was easy to buy something and sell it a month later, you were almost guaranteed more money for it because the number of buyers was already much larger. No longer.

Now it has entered a period that is more steady-state with a fair amount of churn. Promotions (free listings, usually) occasionally bring in droves of old sellers, while experience and their policies constantly drive away others. Same with buyers getting burned by paypal and their very slow "customer service".

So, you have a case where this week you have 5 guys looking to buy the same item which is listed 3 times that week. The first one closes very high due to a bidding war, some scare bidders back off on the second item and it closes rather low, then the remaining 3 pile on again for the last item.

Then they all go away and the next week sees the same item go for peanuts.

Problems with their ever-so-problematic built-in search engine also takes some of the blame.

Other factors include seller ratings and closing time. Hobby stuff closing on Sunday night generally fetches much higher prices than stuff closing on Wednesday afternoon, since there are many more hobbyists on line at that time to bid on it.

High feedback sellers consistently get more for their items, as do those who disclose possible issues and have bright, clear pictures.

Mis-listed items often go for a song because no one browsing that category is interested in them.

But sometimes, inexperienced or desperate buyers blow all the rules out of the water and bid stuff sky high. Or sometimes it is a shill bidder who goes too far and they "sell" for a very high price and you see it relisted immediately. This is a way to avoid paying for the additional Reserve option listing fee. It is also against the site rules, but it happens all the time. When I lose a bid and get an immediate "second chance" offer for it from the seller, I smell Shill and offer them half of my last offer and a chance to avoid getting turned in. It never works but serves to remind them that not all buyers are dummies. It doesn't matter much as the site has little to no actual enforcement, and there are lots more dummies out there.

It all adds up to a place where you can get a bargain if you are patient, or get burned if your are incautious, or sometimes even if you are cautious. Still, there is opportunity in risk, if you are willing to take on the risk.

-HF

[cajun shooter]

I purchased a very nice heavy leather coat made for riding motorcycles one year in June for $12 and shipping. The seller should have never put a heavy leather jacket for sale in the summer as no one was looking. I have also made good buys when items such as reloading equipment end up in the wrong listing. To try and figure out this site is impossible as you are working with the human mind. Watched a car being sold on the tv auction over the weekend that sold for $2100 new and was sold for $975,000

[RedneckAlbertan]

Are live auctions any different from online auctions? You get idiots there who don't know their prices and used items in an auction go for a higher price than what you can go out and buy them for at the store. Some deals are better than others and it all depends on who is willing to buy and what the item is worth IN THEIR MIND.

[Crash_Corrigan]

A fe years ago a friend of mine gave up on reloading and sold me a buncha dies and such for a very decent price.

I put up most of it on E bay and it all sold fast. Some of the items went for very high prices and you could have bought two or three of these items new for what these bidders paid me.

Other items sold for decent prices but most went for much more than their worth.

You are not dealing with Brain Surgeons there!

All in all I paid $75 for about 10 sets of dies and got back over $500 within a two week period.

[beanflip]

The confusion is we all forget that people live all over the country.... USA. Some live by or near a sporting goods store some dont. The few that live 400 miles plus away can bid a higher price and win and they got a bargin why .......... just pack up the kids and do the trip.... hum 4 kids wife and me leave at 3 am ..... Iam hungry breakfast 6 people on the cheap of $35 ...... almost to sporting goods store ........ again Iam hungry lunch $35 maybe ..... hey we are here at the sporting goods store now at 3:30 pm to get the press on sale oh no sold out!!!!..... now wife wants to go shopping you all know the WIFES shopping agenda..... ok now 7:00 pm kids are bickering and tired...... motel/hotel for the nite ...... From an flea bayer that sent me an email they said to me ...do the math.
That why some people pay the prices that they do. Its alot cheaper to pay higher prices for the goods they buy than doing the trip.

Remember that it is an auction and a no set price
to what you can bid

Dont like the price dont bid

Just my 2¢ worth

[mdi]

Yep, but there's always Midway, Midsouth, Natchez, etc. I've seen items go for much, much more on Ebay than the online store's retail price. Call it what you will, convienience, bidding fever, whatever, I have seen some really crazy prices on Ebay...

[jimmeyjack]

What most here forget is that alot of bidders are out of country so no duty,tax's and cheap ship makes it cheaper than they could do elsware, even at almost twice the price.

[felix]

What difference does it make? ... felix

[Pressman]

You have to know what you want, and how badly you want it on e*&y. I get a lot of stuff from there as it is the only nationwide market for old tools. No complaints about that as it gives me exposure to items I might never see.
What I do is search catagories by newly listed. Since the change I have not been able to find a way to save favorite catagories so...
Click on catagories, scroll down to outdoor sports, click, hunting, click, reloading, click and I have a choice of all the reloading tool catagories.
I also do an occasional search of all catagories for "reloading press". Once in a while it will turn up something I missed.

Ken

[HangFireW8]

What difference does it make? ... felix

When you want to nail the bargain, you want to understand the competition.

When you want to make a profit, you want to understand the market.

Sometimes, though, you just gotta shake your head and walk away.

-HF

[shotman]

aha but the art of SNIPEING love it just tickkles me to death

[peterthevet]

I think JimmeyJack hit the nail on the head. I live in Australia and often evilbay is our only option for a lot of reloading equipment. The US sellers who will ship overseas always do much better re. selling price than those who refuse to ship outside the US. So often it is cheaper for us to pay what you consider a silly high price, plus postage than it is for us to buy locally!!! That said I refuse to pay new prices for used items - sometimes it is a fine line though!! Examples are called for.......recently quoted $100 Australian (about US$90) for set of Rcbs mould handles,$160 Australian for Rcbs mould,Group A Rcbs dies are often $100 Australian!!! Prices are now just starting to improve as the Assie dollar appreciates against yours and the importers see anxious to run more specials through local stores. One more example......just purcased some 405 Win Hornady brass...was marked at $115 for box of 50.........haggled them down to $95 as I purchased several packs......ouch!!!!!

[a.squibload]

Dang, to save $90 I would MAKE mould handles!

Part of the Fleabay thing is the race mentality, like an online game maybe.
Hahaha, I won! Oops, I paid double...
I have been irritated by sellers who start the bid on used items at 90% the new item's value.
Can't complain much though, I sold a '60s Dinky Toy car without the box for $32.
Then sold a different box without the car for $7.
Ya gotta wonder.