I just had to post this, it’s simply incredible to me. I was bidding on some used Walthers Greenville 2 Bay hoppers, a two-pack, Southern…had a bid in at 15 bucks for a couple of days, was willing to go to what - like 30-35, even $40 bucks whatever…ok, they’re out of production so a bit of a premium…and 1 hour out from the close - get this, a dude is paying $88 for them. Wow. Talk about money to burn. It’s both astounding and funny. That’s over $40 per car, not even including the postage! For a set of simple Walthers cars.
And some other dude was outbid for this, and he was going at like $75.
A few weeks ago someone paid over $100 for a Walthers eastern coal loader. Who pays over $100 for a simple kit that cost $29?
I have another one, quite some time ago (last year) I was bidding on a set of 2 guilford c424 Atlas locos. I had my max bid in at $55.00 and I waited until the last minute. The last few seconds came and I was willing to pay $100.00 for the pair so I tried to “snipe” them. I entered what I thought was $100.00 and I hit the “0” one time too many and I bid a quick $1000.00 by mistake. The guy that I was running against apparently thought no one would do that because he already had more that $1000.00 secured as a bid. He ended up with them for $1001.00. I am glad, I didn’t want them that bad.[|(]
It works both ways. Just out of curiosity I was browsing the N scale listings one day and noticed a G scale Bachmann Spectrum custom decorated 2-6-0 Mogul that had been created for a movie set. Because it was erroneously listed a N scale, I was the only bidder and got it for the minimum asking price of less than $50. It normally sells for over $700 without any custom decoration.
On the other hand, I have seen some items go for hundreds more than what I would ever be willing to pay.
The phrases Caveat Emptor and A Fool and His Money certainly apply when looking around on e-Bay.
It’s anyone’s option to pay as much as they want to pay for anything. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.
Same holds true for any auction. An Andy Warhol may go for five, six, or seven figures. Personally, I wouldn’t give you one figure for any of his stuff. However, there are those who would. To each his own…
Of course I know if I pay $100 for a rare discontinued kit, it’s guaranteed that an improved version of it will go back into production…for $19.95 each. [:(!]
I think some bidders get caught up in the competitive aspect of the auction, and forget that the only winners from an excessively high bid are the auction house and the seller.
What’s the old addage?..‘‘a fool and his money are soon parted’’ or is that partying?? lol
I’ve seen some really dumb things on EBAY, like people paying over $100 for a used Life- Like set. The one that stands out in my mind though is the guy that paid over $100 for a TYCO, yes TYCO! steam loco, even if it was a Mantua that’s just plain dumb! I’ve had people GIVE me stuff like that just to get rid of it! But as with all things for sale, the amount it’s worth is exactly what someone will pay for it. Good deal for the sellers I suppose.
Don’t forget that there are those who deliberately bid up prices just for something to do. Not to mention those who have a friend bid something up to either keep it or catch a fool in a bidding war. I’ve bid on things from time to time that I really didn’t want all that bad, but would have bought them at some super discount price. Recently, there was a W&LE 2-8-0 that would have sold for like $9.95 if I hadn’t have bid. Do I need another 2-8-0? At that price, I might need several. : )
The ones I like the best are the REALLY stupid ones… one time, there was one piece of 18" radius HO brass track. And then there were the pair of horn-hook couplers that started at $2.99. Oh yes, I recall that there were bidders for both items.
Why can I never get those kind of people bidding when I sell anything on ebay?
I’ve seen a tyco hopper with no trucks, couplers or wheels go for 15 bucks. I think I’d stick with the P1K hopper and box car I got for $3.50 for the both of them
Thats one of those times, you bid 2, 3, or 4 times the price its worth and…go to a train show and find it (what ever you were bidding on) EVEN cheaper than what you paid for it on eBay. Now thats a kick in the rear!!!
I agree, its the eye of the beholder. That should be eBays slogan. [2c]
I am now beginning to develop a theory that money talks, **** walks. There are probably some people who think an Auction to get an item that they WEALLY WEALLY want is a personal quest or crusade worth deploying thier bank account to get it.
They either fear someone else with more money to burn who will win it or getting caught with hand in cookie jar on behalf of the seller.
I have one rule. Wait unitl 4 seconds, put in a bid MSRP minus total shipping and leave it. If the item has exceeded this bid, I walk away.
I wonder if Society is raising a new generation of people unable to understand MSRP anymore and simply are becoming financial dummies who think that they have so many dollars to pay they should win every time. Good for the sellers if they can catch that wave.
I know this. I dont get to the Hobby Shop as much as I want to, but when I do, I tend to spend hundreds of dollars over a year for every few dollars I drop on ebay.
I sell on eBay and I love the bidder wars and snipers. I’ve sold used stuff on there that you could’ve bought brand new for a 1/3 of the winning bid. When I bid on something I will go as high as the retail value, if it goes over I don’t rebid. Early on I thought I would be willing to pay any price for an item and when I won/lost I thought geez it’s one of a kind. That is almost laughable, there is always another one just like it or better if you just be patient. It’s rare when you find a truly rare piece. I have some of the building kits still in the original factory sealed box from the 60’s-70’s, but I won’t part with them, unless I was broke, I’m retired now and don’t need the money. What I sell on eBay is my extra money for my hobbies and sports.
That $100 Walthers eastern coal loader that some guy paid over $100 for on E-Bay, I just picked up for $32 on E-Bay. The seller has mispelled the listing on the one I bought, and only a couple of people bid. [(-D]
yeah, no point in getting in bidding wars the items all come up again for sale another day.
Hi!
I’ve been involved with Ebay since 2000, and have bought/sold a lot of train stuff - both HO and Lionel postwar. I never cease to be amazed at how a relatively low value item will be bid beyond reason, and the same item can come up again and get low or reasonable bids or just not sell at all.
I confess I’ve been on the buying end of a couple of those high bid transactions. I recall a couple of ATSF books by Cynthia Priest, an IC piggyback car w/trailers, an ATSF depressed center flat car, etc., that I had to have - irregardless of price. These were all out of production, hard to find items, and I put in very high bids in the last minute or so of the auction. Ha, I got them all for reasonable monies, but only because someone else was not in the same mindset I was.
Like I always say about Ebay… “timing is everything”!
