JJ
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Evilbay RantThe powers that be on the Devils own auction site have removed two of my listings because they "Breach Evilbay Policy". The reason for this being that I asked people NOT to send an Echeque !!!!!!!!!!!!!.
What ever happened to the freedom of choice?. 
Anyway, I've apologised profusely, telling them that I didn't realise my error and I appreciate the fact that the men in long black leather coats won't be dispatched to "teach me a lesson"  .
I just hope that non of my family go missing.
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Spokesmann
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They force you to use PayPal - I ask if the buyer can wait until I send an invoice then I can ask for a cheque - PayPal costs! It is getting bad - anywhich way they can in order to foce you to pay for everything and then some.
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JJ
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| Spokesmann wrote: | | They force you to use PayPal - I ask if the buyer can wait until I send an invoice then I can ask for a cheque - PayPal costs! It is getting bad - anywhich way they can in order to foce you to pay for everything and then some. |
They've got the monopoly I'm afraid. It just bloody well gauls me.
Theres the listing fee (unless you list at 99p or less, the final value fee and not forgetting Paypals pound of flesh  .
It all adds up, the trouble is everybody turns to evilbay for a purchase nowadays thus rendering the "free ad" weekly papers virtually useless.
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Mamod Collector
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I'm suprised the big internet players have let ebay have the monopoly on auction sites for this long
It needs Google or the likes of Microsoft to offer some competition
Hmmm now auction software bungled in with windows vista why hasnt Bill thourt of that
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Spokesmann
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There are alternative auction sites...
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silverfoxsteam
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I agree entirely with you Jon, echeques particularly are a damned nuisance! I have to admit that I'd rather use PayPal and 'cover the costs' in the obvious way. I've seen other sellers offer a 'p&p discount' for payment by non PayPal means, but I've not tried it myself. It would certainly be worth considering for any item of value greater than £50 say.
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JJ
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Evilbay is merely a form of funding for my hobbies, play money if you like.
Whatever I find in the shed or wherever and it's no longer of any real use to either I or Chris, we punt it out "on the bay" and it will pay for bits n bobs etc.
I shall never make my fortune on there !!!!!!!!!!!!
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avenger
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Whatever happened down under last I hear the Aussie govement was taking ebay/paypal to the High Court is it still ongoing or someone caved in ?
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newts
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They've got you by the clackers, talk about having your cake & eating it. 
They cream you for ebay fees & paypal fees, sadly the uk gov haven't got the balls to challenge their monopoly with paypal.
On the other side where else would you realise in excess of £350 for a M122 , you wouldn't get that at your local auctioneers & you'd pay much higher % in fees.
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Spokesmann
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That is just lunacy - I was watching that one and thought it might do near 160, which is about is worth in my view, but 360, sheer stupidity.
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Spokesmann
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Looking at the bid history, bidder 2 seems to be the goon who bumped it up, going from 210 to 289 in one bid. As to whether its shill bidding we'll never know, ebay's other bright idea to make users name anonymous put pay to that, also this auction had the buyers name witheld too. They are just getting it all wrong....
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silverfoxsteam
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The world's going mad. The last M122 in unrestored condition with the chimney missing I think, went for £310. This latest one could have gone either way but as the photos were quite good and it was mainly complete (burner excepted), it got more. As Mike (Newts) rightly says, as a seller, where else would you realise that sort of value?
Wouldn't it be interesting if the successful bidder were a forum member and posted up their thoughts on their purchase and the motivation thereof! Nick did just that when he aquired the SE4 and whilst that type of engine and the means of aquiring one remains unjustifiable for me, at least I understood why hid did it! His subsequent video of it running made me realise what a super bit of kit it is.
An M122 remains on my wish list but I'm not going to rush. I wonder what the SE1's going to fetch.
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Spokesmann
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The 46 base mounted chimney one Stephen?
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silverfoxsteam
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| Spokesmann wrote: | | The 46 base mounted chimney one Stephen? |
Yep that's tthe one!
Mike, you recently mentioned something that you called 'the forum effect' in the context of the 'inflated' prices on OFAS particularly. What did you mean by that exactly? Do you think we're victims of our own enthusiasm ('cos you may well be right!)?
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Mamod Collector
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| silverfoxsteam wrote: |
'the forum effect' |
A prime example of the forum effect is John's, "Whilly Harris" steam engine
Now everyone knows what it is, you watch the price shoot up next time one appears on ebay 
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silverfoxsteam
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| Mamod Collector wrote: | | silverfoxsteam wrote: |
'the forum effect' |
A prime example of the forum effect is John's, "Whilly Harris" steam engine
Now everyone knows what it is, you watch the price shoot up next time one appears on ebay |
Yes - I see. It's so easy to forget when we're swapping info back and forth between this seemingly quite small 'band of brothers', that Jo Public is also reading and inwardly digesting, usually hiding behind obscure usernames on other sites!
The Marklin I bought recently was a good example. The seller may be a forum member, maybe not, but he'd certainly read my post on it 'cos in a OFAS nessage to me he confirmed a detail that Newts had asked me to check. He did it not in a helpful, chatty way, but in an 'aren't I clever and I'm watching you' kind of way - spooky really!
Still, I like this forum, and I like the people who go to the trouble to get involved. The Dark Side's a bit wierd 'though!
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Spokesmann
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Thats a positive forum effect.
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silverfoxsteam
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| Spokesmann wrote: | | Thats a positive forum effect. |
What do you mean?
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big d
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we could stop the forum affect by putting it in a private section
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Spokesmann
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Education Stephen - bringing strange, odd and obscure engines to light...
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silverfoxsteam
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| Spokesmann wrote: | | Education Stephen - bringing strange, odd and obscure engines to light... |
Yes, OK, I get that.
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JohnO
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That thought has occurred to me - the rise in price from these discussions. As well, those of us who have put up our little websites have probably caused prices to rise somewhat, by distributing more information. Hardly a month goes by that I don't get some query from an evilbay seller, it gets easier to spot them as time goes by.
The flip side is - discussion boards like this and the personal websites have kindled interest in this fascinating subject. They have probably brought engines on the market that otherwise might have been thrown away or remained in a dusty attic. Through discussion boards and other 'online museums', I've met many fascinating people with similar interests, and expanded my knowledge tenfold.
Remember also that while prices rise, they also rise on what you already have. Over a weekend, I ran an accounting on my own collection, that has grown far larger than I ever thought it would, and conservatively estimated that it's about triple what I had invested. Better than the the stock market, and so much more satisfying. If one were to light a spirit burner under a stock certificate, the results wouldn't be very entertaining, would they?
As for evilbay - it's paypal only policy has cause me, formerly a prolific ebay buyer, to discontinue use entirely. Too much of a headache to set a separate bank account up, and frankly the deals just aren't there any more. It's not fun any more when you're paying sinful prices. The sensible part of me doesn't like that sort of monopolistic profiteering either.
| silverfoxsteam wrote: | | Mamod Collector wrote: | | silverfoxsteam wrote: |
'the forum effect' |
A prime example of the forum effect is John's, "Whilly Harris" steam engine
Now everyone knows what it is, you watch the price shoot up next time one appears on ebay |
Yes - I see. It's so easy to forget when we're swapping info back and forth between this seemingly quite small 'band of brothers', that Jo Public is also reading and inwardly digesting, usually hiding behind obscure usernames on other sites!
The Marklin I bought recently was a good example. The seller may be a forum member, maybe not, but he'd certainly read my post on it 'cos in a OFAS nessage to me he confirmed a detail that Newts had asked me to check. He did it not in a helpful, chatty way, but in an 'aren't I clever and I'm watching you' kind of way - spooky really!
Still, I like this forum, and I like the people who go to the trouble to get involved. The Dark Side's a bit wierd 'though! |
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Mamod Collector
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Well put John
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John Chapman
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I think that sums things up very well John. I have never really regarded my hobby as a form of investment but it nice to know that what I have collected over the years may have appreciated in value.
I think your point about our websites raising the profile and prices of steam toys is very interesting and on reflection very valid. When I first started to collect and searched the web, I think the only sites I found were Fred Crammond's and Robin Corsiglia's.
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Scorpion2nz
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I used to deal on E... but now as Kiwi just stay with T M
at least it is all out in the open as usernames are in view with nothing hidden. and direct deposit into sellers bank acc and fees are not to much
But have notice with a few steam auctions just lately that my name keeps cropping up in the question and answer section especially with regard to identification on NZ engines .Have also seen links to my youtube vids and such like . It does make it harder to get good deals now but such is the nature of the beast in having a website and youtube vids and photobucket albums
but on the bright side most of my past purchases appear to be worth more now
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