OhMyGod! IT'S UP TO $326!!!

if you

There's a sucker born every minute, according to ol' Phineas T., but once they've been burned, they're a lot wiser, and don't make that mistake again. So poo-poo has a _very_ limited value as an auction item on Ebay. And you're liable to get a really bad reputation if you do sell such a thing.

I've had a couple experiences on Ebay where things weren't what I had expected. I won a 'thousand' 2N4401s, and found the bag had only 406. The seller refunded 60 percent of my bid, so I'm satisfied. Another bid came thru shipment with a broken case, so I complained to the seller and I ended up getting a total refund. Most sellers are in it for the long haul and won't risk their reputation, and will keep the customer satisfied.

But there are a few who ruin it for others. Scams involving big ticket items like cars, plasma TVs, laptops, etc., have been sold with the seller never intending to deliver. See URLs below.

I wonder

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

There are people who collect this stuff to say that they have something rare. These are hand made transistors, and are very rare these days. Back in the late 60's someone would have most likely thrown them in the garbage or who knows. These guys put this type of thing in a show case, or a drawer, and are proud to say that they own such a rare thing, and can show it off to others that may be impressed. I would rather take my money and use it for something useful that can do something practical for me.

As for practicality, there is really none. It is the same reason why someone would pay $100,000 for an old guitar, or $1,000,000 for an old comic book, photo, or a playing card. It is a type of mind scam, that something is worth something because of the history behind it.

I thought my grandmother was bad when she used to spend $15.00 for some little figurine at the fleamarkets. It sat in a little showcase with the rest of them for many years, and did nothing practical. Once in a while she would have to dust them off, so they can sit some more. It's lucky that she is not alive today, and knowing about internet auctions. We'd all be broke over here, from these figurines!

I saw that! I am very surprised! It point is if he will come across to the seller with the payment! I have read where some actually back down.

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Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg ===========

Wats>

-- snip --

Because I'm propagating urban legend, for crissakes!

Besides, I'm old enough to know that if I did something like that I'd have to add it to the list of things to feel bad about until the end of my life. If I do sell something on ebay it'll be of real value, thank you very much.

Agreed. In this case the buyer had over 400 positive feedback and no negatives or neutrals. That says almost everything. (I didn't check out the history of the seller.)

A buyer with this amount of eBay experience knows exactly what he is doing, and for collectors, there is sometimes practically no limit to the price that they will pay to fill their collections. I've watched 'New in Box' Lionel train sets sell for over $6,000, Erector sets for well over $2,000. Most of the purchasers for such items are financially well off MDs, attorneys, and businessmen for whom this is simply pursuing their hobby.

By comparison, the auctions held on eBay are, for serious and wealthy collectors, simply small change. The big bucks change hands at the major auction houses where whimsical purchases cost millions.

It's good to be rich! Remember the old saying: "The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys!"

I don't know about you guys, but for me buying things I want sure beats the numbskull that throws his money away at the casinos in 'Vegas, where in the long run you'll always lose!

Harry C.

The bidder has over 400 positive feedbacks, with no negatives.

The chances of him backing down on the contract are about zip! Follow the buyers feedback for a week or two to determine the bottom line.

Heck, don't you people know how to use the features on eBay?

Harry C.

I'm glad that you're not the curator of the Louvre Museum. If you had your way, you'd have the Mona Lisa cut up and sold for place mats! ;-)

Didja see the segment on TV about that original ELvis master reel-to-reel tape recording made back in the early fifties, and they're cutting it up into 2 inch pieces and selling them on Ebay? Weird!

Walter Harley tava com a mulhegada quando eu cheguei gritando:

This is what I can call an expensive hobby!

Watson A.Name "Watt Sun - the Dark Remover" tava com a mulhegada quando eu cheguei gritando:

LOL! As the Brazilians would say, "There are idiots everywhere and for all things in the world".

wrote

really

and

(gasp!)

I always find it interesting to see what other purchases have been made by the winning bidder. In this case it is clear he is a *real* enthusiast (with deep pockets) for 50s/60s electronics and has a big shed to put them in. Or maybe he's a dealer/investor if there is such a thing.

Jim

Ah, I was not advocating dishonesty. It's always a bad policy. The point is, as you said, there's no accounting for taste, and value is assigned by the buyer, not the seller.

Yeah, but I've got a pretty close finger on the pulse of the value of these particular items - I'm a collector, after all - and the prices they sold for are waaaaay more than the "real market value". There are hidden forces at work. For instance, someone could be talking about, say, the VIC-20 version of Gorf on some newsgroup or chatroom, and all the readers could suddenly get nostalgia for that particular game - causing a spike in the eBay end pricing for that cartridge. Since supply is very limited, a relatively small poke on the demand side of the equation can drive prices up dramatically, at least for the short term.