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Re[2]: [OM] E-bay bargains

Subject: Re[2]: [OM] E-bay bargains
From: Dave Haynie <dhaynie@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:04:53 -0500 (EST)
On Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:20:22 EST, PCACala@xxxxxxx jammed all night, and by 
sunrise was overheard remarking:

> Hi Patrick:

> > As a result things frequently
> >  sell for more than they would by any other legitimate means.

> Hum?  As a long time observer of pricing, I would tend to say that ebay is an
> evolving venue unto itself.  Regarding *selling* prices on average, it *has
> been* lower than camera shows and non-advertising camera shops, much lower
> than advertising camera shops and probably bears no correlation to sales among
> individuals.  It will be interesting to see how this evolves.

You definitely get both. I saw a bodycap the other day go for something
like $12.00. On the other hand, I bought a 3x Vivitar teleconverter,
with bodycap, endcap, and case, for $20.50.  

I think things get weird, buyer-side, when folks don't know what a thing
should cost, and it's low enough not to really matter (eg, paying $12.00
for a body cap is silly, but it shouldn't break anyone, and I guess if
you don't consider your collection complete without it, you go for it). 

On the other hand, I rather suspect everyone bidding on Zuikos has some
idea what a new lens costs, and what used lenses in more or less the
same condition go for. You're usually talking about multi-$100 prices
here for items that aren't on every street-corner, but for the most part
aren't rare yet, either. The one exception that's clear, though, is that
some people can't handle e-bay, they get caught up in the game and miss
the whole point. 

For the average seller, it's A Good Thing. After all, most camera stores
aren't going to give you a good deal, and you probably won't get what
you want through the local paper. Selling it here is an option, too, of
course, but I suspect more people know about e-bay than the Olympus
mailing list -- e-bay is useful for other things, too (I occasionally
bid on collectable harmonicas there, for example). 

Now, it's clear that some of the camera stores and other fulltime
vendors have figure out how to play the system, too, with high reserves.
Which is fine, all part of the game. They only sell to the folks who get
carried away, anyway. Evolution may ultimately weed out both kinds, or
at least keep them at a minimum -- I think, to a large extent, it
depends on a continuous supply of newbies. Folks eventually learn the
game. 

--
Dave Haynie  | V.P. Technology, Met@box Infonet, AG |  http://www.metabox.de
Be Dev #2024 | NB851 Powered! | Amiga 2000, 3000, 4000, PIOS One



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