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tony - 24 Feb 2005 13:14 GMT
I've noticed that there are a number of Workshop Practice Series Books
for sale on EBay.Some people must have more money than sense!For
example,  Number 7 'The Art of Welding' is currently at 12.46, which is
near to double the price that you can buy it for in a bookshop!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64819&item=3875506403&rd=1

Perhaps I am in the wrong business?

Tony
Arthur G - 24 Feb 2005 13:54 GMT
Tony,
Maybe you ARE in the wrong business,  I recently watched the secondhand book "Milling - A Complete Course"  sell for £20
plus postage, when it's available from Chronos new for £7.30 including P&P.  Following that I bought it (not on eBay)
secondhand for £3.84 plus P & P.

There's one born every minute,and every one of them seems to shop on eBay!  It seems a pity because I find myself less
inclined to search when idiots drive prices past the point of sanity.  Maybe in a few years, when people are more eBay
savvy, this sort of silliness will reduce.

I'm sure some of the bidders are under the influence of mood altering substances, and the rest are in possession of too
much money or not enough experience.  Of course some of the prices are influenced by the unscrupulous seller who bids on
his own stuff, or gets an associate to do it for them.

Caveat emptor...........................

Regards,
Arthur G

> I've noticed that there are a number of Workshop Practice Series Books
> for sale on EBay.Some people must have more money than sense!For
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Tony
Prepair Ltd - 24 Feb 2005 16:05 GMT
>Tony,
>Maybe you ARE in the wrong business,  I recently watched the secondhand book "Milling - A Complete Course"  sell for £20
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>Regards,
>Arthur G

As we have both seen of late, ebay does produce some interesting
results!

These books are pretty much available secondhand for prices starting
at $US 10.00 from UK vendors (prices in $$'s because the site I was
looking at is based in the USA) plus P&P.

The most expensive though was up at $53.00!!  That was the Ian Bradley
book on sawing.
Stephen Howard - 24 Feb 2005 16:42 GMT
>As we have both seen of late, ebay does produce some interesting
>results!
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>The most expensive though was up at $53.00!!  That was the Ian Bradley
>book on sawing.

Not exactly ( wait for it )... cut price eh?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Regards,

Signature

Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

Steve - 24 Feb 2005 19:06 GMT
> I've noticed that there are a number of Workshop Practice Series Books
> for sale on EBay.Some people must have more money than sense!For
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Tony

eBAY does tend to generate "best price".  I think people sometimes just have
to win,  just like  live auctions.  To be honest I've been lucky and ducked
one or two in a sweat having left my "target" and "maximum" bids way behind
in the scramble. Red mist perhaps.

I've equally had a bizarre experience with an old (1933) technical book.  I
posted it at £5 +£2.50 p&p  and didn't get a bid.  OK,  back in the drawer.
two weeks later,  same book same condition appears at £5.00 + £4.00P&P and
it charges off to £21.  I reposted the item at £5 and mailed the losing
bidders.  I didn't get a bid.  I can only think the winner was bidding
against the seller with a different sock puppet.
Steve
Joules - 24 Feb 2005 20:29 GMT
> eBAY does tend to generate "best price".  I think people sometimes just have
> to win,  just like  live auctions.  To be honest I've been lucky and ducked
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> against the seller with a different sock puppet.
> Steve

I also wonder if things are perhaps a little more corrupt, and the
prices are hiked in an attempt to start a frenzy...  Sellers footing the
bill if it goes pear shaped...  I can't belive the discrepency in the
above case??? and on some equipment I have seen auctioned...

                        Joules
Kevin Steele - 24 Feb 2005 20:33 GMT
Probably true.  The old guidelines are the best -bid what the item is
worth to you (or, what you are happy to pay) and if you don't get it
then don't worry.

Regards

Kevin

>I also wonder if things are perhaps a little more corrupt, and the
>prices are hiked in an attempt to start a frenzy...  Sellers footing the
>bill if it goes pear shaped...  I can't belive the discrepency in the
>above case??? and on some equipment I have seen auctioned...
>
>                         Joules
Peter A Forbes - 24 Feb 2005 20:32 GMT
>eBAY does tend to generate "best price".  I think people sometimes just have
>to win,  just like  live auctions.  To be honest I've been lucky and ducked
>one or two in a sweat having left my "target" and "maximum" bids way behind
>in the scramble. Red mist perhaps.

I think we have all been there and made our mistakes! :-))

>I've equally had a bizarre experience with an old (1933) technical book.  I
>posted it at £5 +£2.50 p&p  and didn't get a bid.  OK,  back in the drawer.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>against the seller with a different sock puppet.
>Steve

Shill bidding is rife within ebay, and the sooner they start to crack down on it
the better it will be for the whole user base.

I am not against anyone having more than one ebay user account, we have three or
four in the family here, but we are very scrupulous about how they are used and
we all have 100% feedback ratings which we are careful to protect. Too many
people IMO use multiple accounts or those of their friends to up the bidding
prices on their auctions, and where we catch them at it we get them chopped by
ebay immediately.

Peter
--
Peter & Rita Forbes
Email: diesel@easynet.co.uk
Web: http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel
Hywel Davies - 25 Feb 2005 21:31 GMT
regarding shill bidding - presumably they'll just end up buying their own
stuff back and paying ebay for the privelage. I suppose they can save on the
postage !

I just bid what it's worth to me - bargain price if it merely appeals if
it's cheap, proper money if it's something I genuinely want. If someone
wants to pay more, then good luck to them. I've never understood this
business of bidding in the last second either.

I sold some Hasselblad camera pamphlets which I'd got as a job lot. First
one went for £25 quid - which is a lot for 10 pages of advertising blurb. I
was just wondering what I'd spend all my profits on but the others all went
for a couple of quid to the same buyer - who would presumably have paid good
money for those as well, but no one else was bidding sadly.

The thing about buying at auction is that you've paid slightly more than
anyone else thinks its worth.

It's still bizarre to see stuff go for more money than brand-new from a
proper shop. It's not as if the punters don't have access to the internet is
it?

Hywel
Jonathan Barnes - 25 Feb 2005 22:32 GMT
"Hywel Davies" <hywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
> I've never understood this
> business of bidding in the last second either.

works like this:
A enters a bid, shortly after B enters a higher bid... A thinks about it and
decides he can afford a bit more and enters another bid.... result either B
has to pay more or lose the lot.

Alternative scenario, A enters a bid, B sees the lot and makes a note of it,
with 10 seconds to go, B puts in his bid ... and wins. This is a nasty
surprise for A.

Had it done to me... :-(    Done it to others.. :-)

Signature

Jonathan

Barnes's theorem; for every foolproof device
there is a fool greater than the proof.

To reply remove AT

Peter Sheppard - 26 Feb 2005 00:34 GMT
> "Hywel Davies" <hywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Had it done to me... :-(    Done it to others.. :-)

Or, you use what's called "sniping" software.  That places your bid with
a very short time period to go (settable, but mine is at around 5s).
That has advantages and disadvantages.  Advantage, nobody else can get a
bid in, disadvantage, if your bid is too low, you can't bid again (which
can actually be an advantage - see my comment below!)

The main benefit from my point of view is that it prevents the "red
mist" coming down.  I decide my limit and let the software get on with
it.  If I win (then the loser should have bid more), if I lose, then I
should have bid more!

Cheers

Peter
Tony Jeffree - 26 Feb 2005 06:12 GMT
>> "Hywel Davies" <hywel@hywel-ros.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
>>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>it.  If I win (then the loser should have bid more), if I lose, then I
>should have bid more!

Which software do you use?

Regards,
Tony
Peter Sheppard - 26 Feb 2005 06:57 GMT
<big snip>

>>Or, you use what's called "sniping" software.  That places your bid with
>>a very short time period to go (settable, but mine is at around 5s).
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Regards,
> Tony

Auction Sentry

Cheers

Peter
Peter A Forbes - 26 Feb 2005 03:00 GMT
> I've never understood this business of bidding in the last second either.

It basically prevents people having a go at your bid before the auction
finishes, therefore restricting the level at which the item will sell for.

You still have to bid the highest amount though, to win.

Peter

--
Peter & Rita Forbes
Email: diesel@easynet.co.uk
Web: http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel
Tony Jeffree - 26 Feb 2005 06:16 GMT
>I've never understood this
>business of bidding in the last second either.

It only works against people who bid incrementally (i.e., they
increase their bid after someone else bids higher than their last
bid). If everyone bid once, with the highest amount that they were
prepared to pay, then there wouldn't be any advantage in this
particular tactic. However, as there are plenty around that don't do
that, it can allow you to snatch a few bargains away from the unwary
bidder.

Regards,
Tony
Steve - 26 Feb 2005 19:51 GMT
>>I've never understood this
>>business of bidding in the last second either.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Regards,
> Tony

First time I got caught out with this was a brass parafin blowlamp I fancied
to try some brazing.  It was mine for a fiver at 1 minute so I walked away
to do something else and then the snipe bid came in.  Sad thing was the
seller only about 10 miles away,  so no p&p either! Manual sniping is good
sport if the workshop is too cold or nothing better to do.

Steve
Peter A Forbes - 26 Feb 2005 20:02 GMT
>First time I got caught out with this was a brass parafin blowlamp I fancied
>to try some brazing.  It was mine for a fiver at 1 minute so I walked away
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Steve

Yes, but.....

a) You showed your interest in advance and set yourself up to be outbid. You
were a known target that someone else could have a pop at. If you hadn't bid
until the last minute, nobody would have known your intentions.

b) The winner bid more money than you did. That is what won the auction, not the
sniping.

Peter
Steve - 28 Feb 2005 20:53 GMT
> On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:51:28 -0000, "Steve"
> <steve.withnell@btinternet.com>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Peter

I just didn't think that anyone else in this day and age would want a
parafin blowlamp! And no one else had bid!  Anyway,  lesson learned.
Peter A Forbes - 28 Feb 2005 21:11 GMT
>I just didn't think that anyone else in this day and age would want a
>parafin blowlamp! And no one else had bid!  Anyway,  lesson learned.

There are lot of collectors of those sort of things, especially anything to do
with engine starting and anything related to tools etc.

There are other things to look out for, such as misspelt items, which often get
completely ignored by people searching under a keyword.

European ebay auctions can be interesting, but for some reason portable
typewriters and sewing machines seem to be very popular over there....

Peter
Steve - 26 Feb 2005 19:47 GMT
> regarding shill bidding - presumably they'll just end up buying their own
> stuff back and paying ebay for the privelage. I suppose they can save on
> the
> postage !

Is it a clever way of avoiding "Reserve Charges"?

Steve
Mark Rand - 26 Feb 2005 21:57 GMT
>> regarding shill bidding - presumably they'll just end up buying their own
>> stuff back and paying ebay for the privelage. I suppose they can save on
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>>
>Steve

Yes it is, as is the practice of removing items from sale when they don't
appear to be getting enough interest soon enough. This one pissed me off
intensely when it happened to me. A pair of seats for a Transit van had got
one bid on it (mine at £60) and was withdrawn at three days. The significant
thing was that I had a £240 snipe waiting on it as well. Since the seller had
not indicated that they might withdraw the item I felt a sense of righteous
indignation when they did.

Mark Rand
RTFM
Steve - 28 Feb 2005 20:54 GMT
> On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:47:09 -0000, "Steve"
> <steve.withnell@btinternet.com>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> Mark Rand
> RTFM

I had a DTI "vanish" like that.
 
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