Crazy evilbay buyers

[abunaitoo]

I go through evilbay from time to time.
Never know what good deals you might find.
For some reason, people are buying Lee reloading presses for way over retail prices.
Sometimes almost double.
Has to be new shooters, thinking of reloading.
Good for the seller, but I kind of feel bad for the buyer.
Other brands, RCBS, Lyman, Herters, others selling for high, but reasonable prices.
Reasonable because everything reloading is sky high these days.
I just wonder if this craziness will ever end.

[2A-Jay]

People who waited too long to start are now in panic mode. Wait until they can't get reloading components.

[Mk42gunner]

It doesn't only happen online. Back when H&R was still producing shotguns that you could buy for less than $100 at Walmart, I saw several sell at local farm auctions for well over a brand new price.

Robert

[snowwolfe]

Auctions always bring out the craziness in people who are usually normal.

[uscra112]

Ab old auctioner's cry was "The more you pay, the more it's worth".

[bangerjim]

Don't waste your valuable time on earth looking at Evilbay!.. I quit it over 3+ years ago. Best decision I ever made.

Most everything is totally over priced (when finally sold)...........it only takes TWO stupids to want ONE thing and the sky is then the limit for price.

I hate auctions ......... of any kind, anywhere, anytime, any shape, & any form. I want touch and feel things and haggle on the price, not try to outbid & snipe the closing price with stupid some stupid person who has more money than brains!

I know.....I know......somebody on here will chime in on the "Deal of a Lifetime" they got on evilbay, but that is a rarity....a one-time thing.

I deal heavily in antique clocks, tools, lamps, and furniture (not guns) and the highest prices in the world are on that stupid site.

Didn't used to be that way, but all the antique malls and store went to listing their really good stuff there and not in their brick-n-mortar locations. There went the prices. When you are selling to the entire WORLD on-line, you will see prices go clear out of reason.....real fast.

Same applies to our teeny weeny little infinitesimal corner of the works called ammo & guns too. Nubees and others just getting into this hobby "WANT IT NOW" and are willing to pay outlandish prices for stuff we all have had for years (at significantly LOWER prices!)

I have a fortune in just molds based on the evilbay prices. Same with load equipment and dies. I am sure not going to sell any to make a quick buck like many are doing. I loose more in change in the couch than that! And it could never be replaced.

Sit tight. Let the storm clouds pass. Prices and supplies will reset themselves to more reasonable levels. History proves it.

Good luck on your island! Been there......(pre-covid)......beautiful place .

banger

[john.k]

Ebay is good for antique bike and car parts....saves me the time and cost of going to swaps ,and finding nothing but modern car parts......just this week ,ive bought an oil tank for an old bike for rock bottom price...about 1/4 swapmeet price......Funny thing was ,I bought a dented one about two weeks ago,the seller must have noted the price,and put a good one on ebay at the same buy it now price .....so now I have a good one for way less than market......and a dented one for swaps.

[contender1]

Evilbay,, or as I call it,, "sleezebay",,, is here to stay as long as it makes money.

Over the many years,, I have managed to find good stuff not only there,, but in actual live auctions locally.
But like ANY shopping you do,, you MUST know what you seek, and what current market value is,, and be willing to NOT get caught up in the auction frenzy.
But,, if you NEED something,, and can't find it elsewhere,, or for a more reasonable price,, then sleezebay is an option.

I also prefer to be able to physically inspect an item prior to a purchase as often as I can. If not,, then I will NOT pay a premium "just in case" it has flaws or isn't exactly what it's described as.

[Mal Paso]

I find ebay a lot more reliable than amazon for business purchases. You have to know the market wherever you shop. My last ebay purchase was electrical parts, Zoro was the seller and I got 5% off trade price/free shipping. Best advertised price on the net, delivered 2 days EARLY.

Amazon failed to ship the last order until a day after the delivery date. It arrived 2 days after I drove to town, bought the part and finished the job.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

for as many items on ebay that are selling high, there are other items that aren't.

Today, I just made an offer on a "unused" set of vintage (USA made) Sears Craftsman wood Lathe chisels, the seller accepted my offer and I am buying them for less than the price of the equivalent China made set.

[Pressman]

Saturday I won a serious collector press, for 1/10th it's actual value, no bidders.

[john.k]

Some sellers on ebay make the mistake of "Here it is,see the pics,if you want it buy it"......I assume theyve been burnt by returns "not as described",but the other extreme means search apps dont find it ......Just like a yard sale .if a seller has interesting stuff,its worth contacting them and asking if they have anything else that might interest you.

[Garyshome]

It's supporting my reloading addiction. $$$$$$$$:-D

[BigAlofPa.]

I buy auto emblems on ebay for my neighbors body shop. They are cheaper than his suppliers. I also get body filler too for him.

[Ed K]

Just bought Starrett brand precision tools for machine work at 1/3 of list price from a seller with 20 years of positive feedback - what's not to like?

[abunaitoo]

I've gotten a few good deals on evilbay in the past.
Thing is you have to know what your doing.
Most of these new reloading tool buyers, just don't know anything about it.
Kind of feel for them, but live and learn.
Lots of interesting stuff on there.
Being on an island, can't drive to the next state to look for stuff.
evilbay was much better in the past.
I remember when they first started, you could even find firearms on auction.
I'll bet they would ban anything to do with hunting, shooting, firearms, reloading, if they weren't making money on it.
Someday they will fall. Just like amazon.

[GasGuzzler]

I have been buying and selling there for over ten years. I have 1000+ 100% positive rating. I have been burned by bad BUYERS twice and never permanently by a bad seller. Buyers have all the power, sellers pay the fees. eBay has helped me make a lot of money flipping things.

[shampine]

Ebay is a great resource , quite easy to avoid also . I just don't get the crying . It is a very simple thing , don't look if all you are going to do is get upset .

[dale2242]

What he said.^^^^^^^

[Tripplebeards]

I keep going on there and watching for 10 gauge 2 7/8” Lee loaders. The prices they get for them are ridiculous. I’ll keep using my homemade hand tools until I can get one for a halfway decent price. It’s definitely a great place to get something sold and make money off of it but eBay sure takes their cut. They even eliminated PayPal now and instead of 10% they take almost 13%. You also have to sign up with your checking account to have your funds deposited and withdraw as they don’t let you use a credit card anymore which was a fail safe. If I had fraud I could dispute my card. Probably why ebay did away with it, I sold an item on there a few weeks ago but I they still owe me 113 bucks for a 30-30 lee loader target die set I sold and I haven’t gone through and set my checking account up yet to withdraw funds. I think I’m gonna wait and open up a different account and keep a $25 deposit in it so fraud happens I won’t be out.

[Ateam]

You have to think about the Market that exists for the product, don't be looking to buy tulips in the 1630's. Our tiny niche market got slammed on the demand side and shut down on the supply side, all that pent up demand and fixed supply can only lead to high prices. I am not sure why this is a surprise.

Now consider the market for tools on ebay. Real Americans out of work, new generations coming up that don't know what a tap and die set is, a market flooded with cheap Chinese pretend tools, and a large population of retiring skilled tradesmen. This leads to what I think of as an opportunity to buy very high quality tooling for next to nothing.

Buy low, never sell.

[Soundguy]

I go through evilbay from time to time.
Never know what good deals you might find.
For some reason, people are buying Lee reloading presses for way over retail prices.
Sometimes almost double.
Has to be new shooters, thinking of reloading.
Good for the seller, but I kind of feel bad for the buyer.
Other brands, RCBS, Lyman, Herters, others selling for high, but reasonable prices.
Reasonable because everything reloading is sky high these days.
I just wonder if this craziness will ever end.

Everything is going for sky high prices because most retailers have no stock. no dies.. no molds.. etc. I see lee molds go for 125$.. then again.. many get relisted.. so probably over active shill bidding going on now and then and the seller outbids the real buyers accidentally I believe..

[rbuck351]

Most people will pay what the item is worth to them. A few get auction crazy and will pay even more than it's worth to them.
I have on one or two occasions paid a bit more for something than I probably should because I wanted it and it was not available anywhere else. I have on several occasions bought things very cheap. Shortly before the covid farce, I bought a Bonanza co-ax for $20 and then a Herters super O for $65 as well as several thousand primers for 2 cents @ or less.

Since the covid farce, the price some will pay for anything gun related has gone so high I will not buy. No one is holding a gun to the head of the buyer and now lots of people will pay a lot more than stuff is worth to me.

I looked into selling some excess at auction online and decided the auction houses want more for selling things than many normal stores get and they don't have to put up the money for inventory.

I will continue to buy from auctions and buy things I need or want if the price is what I'm willing to pay.

[gbrown]

Yeah, the buyers are crazy, the sellers evil. I don't agree with that. Ebay serves a valuable service to some--many people don't necessarily have access to a lot of specialized goods, or businesses that sell things like reloader equipment. Ebay seems to me Iike the old mail order Sears. I know there are plenty of bad people out there looking to take advantage of others, but I have had 1,000 of transactions on Ebay, and only 2 were bad. One sold a handicapped space at a concert my youngest daughter wanted to go to back in the '90s. Didn't mention it was handicapped space. I can't do anything about bad people, just learn to be careful. My biggest reaction to Ebay is amusement, like, "Wait, they paid what for that?". Just like watching the crazies on Gunbroker paying 30-40 dollars a hundred for primers.

[John Wayne]

Over 36,000 items listed under reloading equipment right now. I've gotten several steals lately and paypal will reimburse $ if there is any problem.

[Dunross]

I have been buying on eBay for years now. Have gotten burned twice, both years ago now, which wised me up so that it hasn't happened since. For some things where else would you go to find it?

Ever since The Panic started some folks have asked crazy prices (2 cav Lyman round ball mold for $200!) and some folks have paid crazy prices as well. So long as there is no fraud involved it is what it is.

You really have to know what a thing is worth and most importantly what your limit is. Several times in the last month or so I've watched folks pay more for a used mold than I know for a fact they could have bought from Accurate or NOE for the same number of cavities in the same material. BUT, they get their mold in only a few days while just now the custom mold makers are running about 6+ weeks out.

And occasionally a good mold goes for very reasonable prices.

[Thin Man]

Auctions, especially eBay, can be either your friend or enemy depending on how you play them. I find a lot of repair parts on auctions when the distributors do not have them. I can buy new or used, see different prices, make my own decisions. As for selling right now is the best of times to thin out my "Keepers" as the doctors are suggesting I should. That will leave the maximum benefit for the family.

[Shawlerbrook]

I like eBay and it’s no different than any other auction as far as prices go. Many things go way over priced, but occasionally you can find diamonds in the rough. Something to take into account, like said above, is the time, travel and energy you save by just scrolling through items . Also, during our recent shutdowns, flea markets, swap meets and gun shows have been far and few between.

[farmbif]

well lee precision might get the message that what they make is popular and people will pay more so they might as well charge more and maximize profits so they can go out and gobble up other companies like all of their competitors are involved in.
just a little observation with a bit of crystal ball speculation

[reloader28]

If you dont like it, dont look and complain.
Ive bought alotta stuff on ebay over the years. Ebay is nothing. Have you looked at gunbroker? That site is flat stupid. Yesterday my brother showed me a keg of powder for $1880 as the current bid.

[tankgunner59]

I have had three people ask me to help them find reloading equipment and learn to reload. I told each of them, they picked the absolutely wrong time in history to start reloading. They actually asked why, and I told them they will possibly be spending at least a few thousand bucks in the end. I did find a Lee APP press for $169 about a month ago, but my brother passed on it. I forget where I saw it.

[Murphy]

Occasionally, I'll find something I am in need of, but can't purchase locally. I've seen the insanity during shortages played out several times on Ebay. Set yourself a limit, bid, don't go back until it's over. Either you got it for what you were willing to pay, or your didn't. Pretty simple concept huh?

I used to sell on Ebay, right up until they forced PayPal down our throats. I haven't sold a thing on there since.

Currently, it's a tough go for those wanting to begin casting or reloading. If I had a close relative or friend who wanted to learn, I'd much rather mentor them on my equipment for a while until the prices drop.

Murphy

[Scoutdog99]

I watched some Lyman Tru Line Jr presses sell for extreme prices. I wonder if those buyers have any idea that standard 7/8-14 dies won't work in them.

[David2011]

Yeah, the buyers are crazy, the sellers evil. I don't agree with that. Ebay serves a valuable service to some--many people don't necessarily have access to a lot of specialized goods, or businesses that sell things like reloader equipment. Ebay seems to me Iike the old mail order Sears. I know there are plenty of bad people out there looking to take advantage of others, but I have had 1,000 of transactions on Ebay, and only 2 were bad. One sold a handicapped space at a concert my youngest daughter wanted to go to back in the '90s. Didn't mention it was handicapped space. I can't do anything about bad people, just learn to be careful. My biggest reaction to Ebay is amusement, like, "Wait, they paid what for that?". Just like watching the crazies on Gunbroker paying 30-40 dollars a hundred for primers.

I don’t blame “evil sellers” on EBay when buyers set the prices. All sellers do is offer merchandise. I haven’t needed anything for reloading for some time but have tried to buy a nice old Stanley or Record wood plane. The pricing has gone the same way as reloading equipment because buyers will pay the high prices.

[Idaho45guy]

Last item I bought on E-Bay was nearly a year ago. I decided I wanted a Foster case trimmer and found a used one already set up for .308 and .30-06. Paid $50 for it and it works like a charm.

I've heard horror stories of $25 Lee molds going for big bucks now, and I wish I had some extra items to sell. But, I only buy what I need and usually research things pretty heavily before buying something, so all the molds I have now are ones that I have a need for.

My dad told me last week that he made a killing selling 10,000 small pistol primers at a gun show via a friend. He said he heard primers were going for crazy prices, so he told his buddy to sell them at $50 per 1000. His buddy was an idiot and actually sold them for $50 per 1000 rather than the market price around here of $120 per 1000. They were gone in 20 minutes.

My dad lost a few hundred dollars because he didn't know the market. I told him his "buddy" should have known what they were worth and owes him a few hundred bucks.

[dale2242]

I recently checked the prices of batteries for my hearing aids on Ebay.
Name brand batteries were quite reasonable.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I recently checked the prices of batteries for my hearing aids on Ebay.
Name brand batteries were quite reasonable.

Batteries:
Funny, strange story. Four years ago, I needed a larger than usual quantity of the Energizer 9 volt batteries. I searched several places besides ebay for the best price on a 24 pak of batteries. Best price (with free shipping) was via ebay and was shipped from Puerto Rico :shock:
...and this was right after Hurricane Maria :shock:

I ordered them and they arrived on time...that's just crazy :veryconfu

[Burnt Fingers]

Last item I bought on E-Bay was nearly a year ago. I decided I wanted a Foster case trimmer and found a used one already set up for .308 and .30-06. Paid $50 for it and it works like a charm.

I've heard horror stories of $25 Lee molds going for big bucks now, and I wish I had some extra items to sell. But, I only buy what I need and usually research things pretty heavily before buying something, so all the molds I have now are ones that I have a need for.

My dad told me last week that he made a killing selling 10,000 small pistol primers at a gun show via a friend. He said he heard primers were going for crazy prices, so he told his buddy to sell them at $50 per 1000. His buddy was an idiot and actually sold them for $50 per 1000 rather than the market price around here of $120 per 1000. They were gone in 20 minutes.

My dad lost a few hundred dollars because he didn't know the market. I told him his "buddy" should have known what they were worth and owes him a few hundred bucks.

A fool and his money.....