Another pointless thread

Ask it now prices maybe but the auctions are going through the usual post Christmas slump. I got a very nice flash for a fiver.

Can you give some examples ? I am not seeing any difference in completed-sale prices over the last month.

I think some of the ASKING prices are absolutely insane, never mind raised but the purchase prices seem about what one might expect. The notice, "20% VAT payable on this item" is also scaring buyers off big time!

I have a sump guard for a BMW motorcycle on watch, the pre Xmas price average was £51, now it's £65.

A pair of rear footrest adaptors have gone from £25 to £33.

As well as the above, prices that are usualy low at this time of year are higher than they were last summer, 35mm bulk film comes to mind.

It might be the items I'm watching come from China that's the problem, but aren't they supposed to be cheaper now we're a 'free trade country'?

Ah....BMW sump guards are not really my field ! I guess people are chancing their luck with higher offer prices. Don't pay the higher prices and they should come lower again.

We don't have a trade agreement with China, and there wasn't one when we were in the EU so there should be no change on that front. The EU did sign an Investment Agreement with China last month. Not a full trade deal, but could pave the way for one.

Transport logistics may be playing a part too. Coronavirus is causing problems with shipping items from all over the world, and combined with brexit bottlenecks at UK ports may persist for a number of months yet.

Cost of sending things by container has gone up a lot - containers are stacked up in the wrong places all round the world, if you've got a container going on a ship you can pretty well charge what you want to people who want to put stuff in it. Other parts of the logistics system are in a similar state. Even sending post to Lewisham has been a problem, too many posties off sick with Covid-19.

And of course, if Covid precautions mean that your costs have gone up and output gone down, you might just see whether you can sell at a higher price to compensate.

Steve

Good points folks, I hadn't thought about the container side..

Just about to refuse a £10 offer on a £50 item I'm selling.

Anyone else going to do the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch 29-31 January?

Steve

Don't have a garden.

Oh yes.

The RSPB says it can be done from a balcony or through a window looking onto a green space or courtyard.

Steve

This winter I have seen sod-all in the garden apart from a few sparrows, a couple of magpies, a robin, blackbird and pigeons. And a heron after my fish. Hardly worth the bother of a survey.

Two Blackbirds and a Dunnock....all year. So no survey here.

Yes definitely. I actually have been doing this through the year as during the lockdown in March I signed up for the British Trust for Ornithology Garden Birdwatch, being retired, aside from our daily walk and photography, there wasn't a lot we could do. The BTO Garden Birdwatch is the same as the RSPB's but you record the maximum numbers of each bird variety seen in your garden each week. It does make you look more regularly each day and I then photograph anything new that I see.

How do you know you aren’t counting the same birds more than once?