Trunk Handle on eBay: Isn't this a little absurd?

[JerseyHarold]

Started at 99 cents.....now at $81. and climbing. With pits, no less! What's happening with parts prices??

Link to ad:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1951-PLYMOUTH-TRUNK-LOCK_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ140706QQihZ020QQitemZ300209506064QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[Plymouthy Adams]

don't see anything strange about this..done every day on the bay..it is the buddy system at its finest

[Heavy Flat Head]

Can not make a killing off of the housing market at this time, so what is left to take a person for a ride.

For Sale; 50 year old junk parts.

Starting price $10,000

Line up and let the bidding begin (fleecing) and remember these parts are not being made anymore by mother mopar.

Ed.

[Normspeed]

His feedback numbers don't seem to add up. Lifetime feedback 129, feedback as a seller 132, feedback as a buyer 10. ?

[Norm's Coupe]

His feedback numbers don't seem to add up. Lifetime feedback 129, feedback as a seller 132, feedback as a buyer 10. ?

Nothing wrong with that. My numbers are the same way. That's because if you sell more than one item to one person they don't count each of his feedback comments to your overall feedback.

[BobT-47P15]

The details page says 4 bidders and 26 bids made.

Seems kinda high for that item, but maybe the bidder has plenty

money and can't find that item where he is.

[Don Coatney]

This is a classic example of why it pays to snipe auctions. Avoid the bidding war.

[Norm's Coupe]

This is a classic example of why it pays to snipe auctions. Avoid the bidding war.

I don't think it matters if you snipe or not.

EXAMPLE OF SNIPERS BID

SNIPER ONE: Places snipe bid of $100

SNIPER TWO: Places a his bid at $500

SNIPER THREE: Says no one will out bid me because I'll place a snipe bid of $2,000.

Now, the item may be only worth $100. However, if someone says that no one will outbid me if I bid $1900. The last minute bidder will of course lose, but the sniper who also placed the snipe bid of $2000 will not pay $2,000 for that $100 item.

Since these snipe bids don't pop up until the last seconds of the auction, you could also say they are the reason the price goes out of sight and the item becomes way overpriced. Works all ways, bid early, late, or snipe. The price still jumps up there.

[Don Coatney]

As I said this is a classic example of why it pays to snipe. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

[Norm's Coupe]

Don,

Thats ok as long as your snipe bid is not an overbid price for the item. But........most people will do just what I said and end up paying the $2000 for the $100 item just to get the item and win the auction.

Case in point: The $900 patched up and sealed P15 gas tank that Niel Riddle sold several years ago on ebay. That shocked even Niel. After the auction the high bidder even told Niel that no one was going to outbid him because he had a much higher reserve bid that he had placed to make sure no one else would outbid him. So, in a case like this the snipers only serve to bid up the final selling price which is then probably overpriced for the item.

Yes, you can say the same about people like myself who don't snipe. However, I bid what I think it's worth. If someone wants to pay a higher price so be it, because to me it was only worth what I bid the first time. Plus, if the other bidder sees my price and thinks he doesn't want to pay more, he won't bid unless he's trying to build his ego and win an overpriced item.

[JerseyHarold]

If you're going to place an absurdly high proxy bid on an item, it doesn't make a difference at what point in the auction you do so. Using Norm's example, if Sniper 3 placed a $2000. proxy bid (thus changing his name to Imbecile 3), then even if Sniper 2 at $1000. snipes at the last second, Sniper 3 still gets the item at $1050. since his proxy bid was placed earlier and is higher than anyone else. Bottom line: If you're bidding against someone with more money than brains, you're bound to lose.

[Don Coatney]

If you're bidding against someone with more money than brains, you're bound to lose.

That is pretty much how I looked at Norms example:D

[Norm's Coupe]

I had additional like items. The other bidders would not nibble on the "second chance" offers that I sent.

Shel,

I won't nibble on second chance offers from a seller either, no matter how much I want the item, if it's over what I bid in the auction. Thats not because I was just trying to bid up an item, but simply because thats all I'm willing to pay. If I get a second chance offer from a seller and its over my bid amount, then I also figure he may have had someone bidding up the item. Thats another reason for not taking second chance offers. Let him relist the item and I'll take my chances if I didn't already find it for my price someplace else.

Its pretty much a mute point with me on selling or buying on ebay with me anymore anyway. I really don't need anything that I can't do without at this point, so its very rare that I place a bid on anything. Plus, I don't like playing the waiting game to see if some fool with more money than brains outbids me. Then I refuse to pay for anything online. The sellers usually don't want a personal check (and I can't blame them for that). So..........then I have to make a special trip to the Post Office, stand in line and buy a money order. It's just not worth the trouble to me. As for selling. Have to list the item, waste time to answer a bunch of questions that are already explained in the description because the buyer can't read. Then, when it's all over I have to package the item and make a trip to the Post Office to mail the item to them after waiting a week or more to get his payment. Again, its too much time wasted in my opinion for the small amount of money made on the sale of the item.

[JerseyHarold]

Money saving listing tip: A number of automotive items can be listed in 'regular' eBay to take advantage of their cheap-listing days. Examples: Hubcaps, auto manuals, car audio, maybe a few others I haven't found yet. There are actual categories for these items, but they are buried in places like collectibles, electronics, and books. Just wanted to share....

Harold

[Norm's Coupe]

Shel,

Forgot you worked at the post office. Guess that does make things easier to ship or to buy money orders. As for Pay Pal. I don't have a problem with the fees, I just don't do anything financial online. That's why I don't use Pay Pal. I won't even give my own bank my email address. That way I know they can't email me anything. Even if I get an email from my own bank, I know right away its just spam without looking as they don't have my email address.

Taking that one step further. I also don't have any financial or personal information on my computer hard drive, floppy's or CD's. That way if someone was able to slip through and hack my computer, they've just wasted their time.

[Ed Griffin]

Can't believe you guys are still grabbling over this. Sheesh! Either you like ebay or you dont. Either you like paypal or you dont. You pay this way or that way, you bid this way or that way or not at all. I think we've gotten over the sticker shock items by now, but, some just like to keep stirring. "when I was a kid a nickel could get you....."

[Plymouthy Adams]

5 cents worth of candy..and that was a small poke..for a quarter..man you were set for life it seemed...

Today..you get nothing for a nickel and twice as much for a dime..

[1947PLEVY]

Hey:

What can you get for a quarter nowadays??

John

[Plymouthy Adams]

snickers....behind your back