eBay sucks!

[LoadWB]

doctorq wrote:

Learn how to bid then. Wait to the last 30 seconds to make your highest bid. If you don't win, get over it, and hope for better luck on another auction.

Garbage.  I will put a bid in for the highest price I will pay for an item up front.  If I get out-bid, then there's a happy seller and possibly a sucker buyer.  I don't have time to play BS games with snipers and idiots who will pay more for a used item than what you can get it for elsewhere (Elbox, Individual Computers, AmigaKit, et al.)

[TjLaZer]

If you want to save money bid at the last 6 seconds of an auction! (with bidding software) You will save money.  I have seen it time and time again.  (reason is it minimized the bidding wars that often happen when someone simply wants to win at all costs, thus hiking up the price)

[BGary335]

I agree completely LoadWB. Folks who suggest things like doctorq suggested are probably the folks who make these hefty bids. In my opinion, the true Amiga fan/enthusiast/etc. knows what these systems are worth and will refuse to pay any more than that. The folks who aren't true enthusiasts will pay $300 or more for an A1200 and proclaim themselves enthusiasts because of the wads of money they spent. spending wads of money on an Amiga doesn't make you an enthusiast, or a fan. It makes you stupid.

[doctorq]

@BGary335

Thanks for the slandering! So a fan isn't a fan because he/she  wants to shell out the price for the machine they want?? These so-called fans you are refering to are people like you, that moans about prices being to high because they can't get what they want for the price they want to pay. That's called a cheapskate where I come from; learn the basic economics, and burst the bubble.

@LoadWB

I agree with you, but you aren't complaining about it afterwards; others do. If there is an item I want on ebay, I set my highest bid right away. If I can get the item for the price, fine, if not I can live without it until another item is available for sale.

[TheMagicM]

hmm.. I see a money making opportunity (of course, nothing to live on..just a penny here and there)  .. "cheapbay".. where all high bids are cancelled and all items sold "on the cheap".

[BGary335]

So where do you come from? Hollywood? Manhattan? Where I'm from its called common sense. I'm not moaning about the prices. I'm just complaining about what I see as a problem and a misconception on the part of misinformed Amiga buyers.

Also, I wasn't slandering you. However, if you took my comments as being directed at you I can only say suit yourself. i certainly didn't say it.

[Damion]

BGary335 wrote:
I agree completely LoadWB. Folks who suggest things like doctorq suggested are probably the folks who make these hefty bids. In my opinion, the true Amiga fan/enthusiast/etc. knows what these systems are worth and will refuse to pay any more than that. The folks who aren't true enthusiasts will pay $300 or more for an A1200 and proclaim themselves enthusiasts because of the wads of money they spent. spending wads of money on an Amiga doesn't make you an enthusiast, or a fan. It makes you stupid.

The fact is, $300 just isn't a lot of money for some people. In that case, it may not be a big deal to drop that on a 15+ year old piece of hardware, especially if it's new or in mint condition.

Sure, you may be one of the 1 in 1000 that find a fully loaded, brand-new A4K with a CS-PPC for $10 at a thrift store... or have hours every day (no job maybe) to bargain-hunt... but in the real world, most people don't, and $300 for something they really want is justified. Heck, most people dump twice that easily on a nice LCD.

"Enthusiast" or not, it's "worth" whatever it's "worth" to the person shelling out the dough. Actually, "enthusiast" generally means someone who's interested in the cream of whatever hobby they're into, whether vintage/rare cars, boats, coins, etc... and these things generally do cost a bit of money... hate to break it to ya bud, but that's just how it works, LMAO. If you want a good deal, you have to be patient, and with a little luck (right place at the right time) you'll get what you're after. Just don't expect someone to give it to you right away, and then whine when it doesn't happen. (Or whine if it's too expensive for you -- in that case, show a little class and move on to the next option... as they say, plenty of fish in the sea.) Sometimes you get lucky, other times you pay.

I can totally understand the logic behind donating old hardware to a good home, absolutely nothing wrong with that, I often do the same. (Some people may *really* need the money, in which case ebay is a totally legitimate and justified option.) It's just not the easiest way of finding what you're after, which is why some are OK with shelling out a few bills on an A1200. I don't really see the big deal.

[BGary335]

I agree with many of your points. for many folks $300 isn't a big deal. But that takes us right back to what I said about the little guy not being able to win, and makes it all the more true. I'm not complaining. Heck, I've been an Amiga fan for many years and have seen many system and other things I'd love to have come and go. Waiting is indeed key. All I'm saying is that if its worth that much to some folks, well, to each their own, as they say. That doesn't mean that there aren't others laughing their butts off at the price some moron just paid.  :-D

And no, I've never been lucky enough to find such a thing at the thrift store, flea market, etc.

[doctorq]

@BGary335

I'm certainly not loaded with money, most other Amiga users aren't either I believe. You just have to accept the fact that supply and demand is what sets todays prices; not what people thinks stuff are worth. Some things decrease in value over time, others don't. Amigas and Amiga equipment fall into the last catagory.

There's nothing you can do about it, so learn to live with it. I hope you see the similarities to one of your first threads about getting an A500 harddrive for cheap money; it's not going to happen where you are hunting now. Your only bet to get a bargain will be at places not associated with online selling places.

-EDIT-

I'm just complaining about what I see as a problem and a misconception on the part of misinformed Amiga buyers.

I believe most of the people on here buys stuff from ebay; this is certainly a wise place to publish the above statement.

[Damion]

Alright man, sorry if I misunderstood you. I do agree that some people pay ridiculous prices for certain things. Some of that may be shill bids, but yeah, it's funny to see a system sell for $150 when the EXACT same thing went for $40 the previous month. At the same time, some items (like A1200s) will almost ALWAYS sell for over $200... just the nature of the ebay amiga market.

[BGary335]

@doc

See, your misconstruing what I'm saying. Your taking reasonable and cheap to mean the same, and they don't. I'm not looking for cheap. I'm looking for reasonable. Of course, reasonable is in the eye of the beholder, so whats reasonable to me may be cheap to you. Contrary to your statement about cheap, it IS possible to find REASONABLE deals on Ebay. But as you all said, its a matter of waiting. Trust me, I'm, not looking for bargains on Ebay. I'm well aware that there are none to be had.

I'm NOT ocmplaining about folks who buy on Ebay. I'm only ocmplaing about those who feel that spending $300+ on an Amiga 1200 is ok.

LOL, you have quite a way of twisting words doc.

[orange]

Waiting is indeed key. All I'm saying is that if its worth that much to some folks, well, to each their own, as they say. That doesn't mean that there aren't others laughing their butts off at the price some moron just paid.

that would be true only if we lived forever (time is more than money - its life), so just keep your laughing to yourself and let others spend their money as they wish.

[doctorq]

BGary335 wrote:
@doc

See, your misconstruing what I'm saying. Your taking reasonable and cheap to mean the same, and they don't. I'm not looking for cheap. I'm looking for reasonable. Of course, reasonable is in the eye of the beholder, so whats reasonable to me may be cheap to you. Contrary to your statement about cheap, it IS possible to find REASONABLE deals on Ebay. But as you all said, its a matter of waiting. Trust me, I'm, not looking for bargains on Ebay. I'm well aware that there are none to be had.

I'm NOT ocmplaining about folks who buy on Ebay. I'm only ocmplaing about those who feel that spending $300+ on an Amiga 1200 is ok.

LOL, you have quite a way of twisting words doc.

I have NEVER stated that it wasn't possible to find REASONABLE deals on ebay; I have gotten a few myself.

The only problem I have here is that no matter what you say, you are complaining about folks who buy on ebay. But yet there is nothing you can do about it. Earlier in this thread you stated that it was ridiculous that someone pays more than 200 USD for an A1200; these are the exact same people preventing you from getting an A1200 for the price you want.

Don't feel bad though, if you some day in the near future decide to shell out the 300 USD it apparently takes for you to get yourself an A1200 these days, you know that in a year or so the same machine would cost you 350 USD or 400 USD, simply because the supply decrease year after year.

[BGary335]

I'm NOT complaining about Ebayers. Plain and simple. Where you keep getting that I am is beyond me.

orange, where's your buddy murple?  :-D

[orange]

yeah right..
its like saying 'if all those other males on Earth didn't exist, I'd be lucky in love'  :roll:

no, wait, you want to say something like 'lets all say NO to weapons, stop producing them so there will be no war'  (stop spending $$$ on ebay) - you'd probably be the among first to break that agreement..

and what about those poor Amiga fans that want to spend even LESS than you for A500 IDE controller, but want it more than you?

[B00tDisk]

My hangup with ebay is how people present it:

"xyz product - FOR SALE!" - open the message

cgi.ebay.com.blah/blah/#asp?/crap*

Look, ebay isn't a "sale" unless you've stuck a BUY IT NOW on it.

C'mon people, it's simple logic.  FS: for SALE.  FA: ...

Wait, no, that'll get me in trouble with the mods.

Let's try: if you're auctioning it say so.  Wherever and for whatever it is.