Ebay auctions

I've just bought another lens (Pentax-A 24mm 2.8 ) and also looking to replace my M 50mm 2.0 with an A 50mm 1.7.

I've followed a few auctions on Ebay and bid on three of them, but I'm noticing that the lenses on auction can be bid up past the price of apparently equivalent-condition items available through retailers or buy-it-now - e.g. two 24mm 2.8s went for over £150 on auction, while mine was £149 from Ffordes. No advantage on P&P either. Similar observations with the 50mm 1.7.

My logic is that given similar condition lenses, auction items without guarantees should go for less than the equivalent dealer or buy-it-now items with for instance a 3 month guarantee. The final auction price represents say £2-£5 above what the second-highest bidder is prepared to pay. I don't use ebay that much but when I do, I set the maximum price I'm prepared to pay, put the bid in, and wait.

I wonder how many bidders get caught up with the escalating bids and pay more than what they would otherwise think the item is worth?

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K5IIs & ME Super with FA24-90, DA17-70, DA55-300, misc old primes; Fuji X20.

It may be that bidders get caught up in a sense of excitement and competition, but equally well they may not be aware of a particular regular supplier. Not everyone checks ad nauseum prices from all available sources.

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Best regards, John

Quite a few.

Infact I am pretty sure a lot of people go straight to Ebay thinking they will get a bargain rather than doing a bit of legwork and looking round the numerous retailers used sections first.

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. My Flickr

The smc A 24mm is a nice lens. It's not that common - bought mine with about a year ago with an understated level of fungal infection and had Robin at Harrow Technical do the clean up on it. I think it stands me in at nearer £200 than the figure you quoted. The BIN for similar lenses was up round £180 then, so I didn't feel to bad about it. Price looks to have softened a bit since - may be more around at the moment?

I've been caught with auction fever - especially for something I've been after. Yep you can be seen to pay over the odds but the value of an item is what someone is prepared to pay for it - that's the chance you take with auctions. Sometimes there are no serious buyers around and you get what you want for well under your valuation. Another time everyone and there dog is after your must have!


Steve

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In the Pack - Gripped K5 (SE),K7 & K20, Gripped MZ-S(SE)& MZ-S,DA10-17, DA12-24, DA14, DA*16-50, 50-135, 60-250 & 300mm; FA31mm/43mm/77mm Ltds; Sigma 8-16, 135-400 & 150-500
Half Backs: K10+BG,DA16-45, DA50-200
Backs: LXs,Super As and lots of A, M & K lenses
Impact Subs: 28mm Shift, K 135-600 (the Banahan of Pentax zooms ), 400-600 Reflex

I too have noticed this. I find the majority of bargains by pouncing on BIN items which have just been listed (like the AF160 for £2 a couple of weeks ago, which seems to work perfectly despite a small crack in the diffuser). Where bidding is concerned I seldom do well!

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Matt

Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.

I'm always amazed when people say they've "won" an item on EBay. What they mean is they've been prepared to pay more than anyone else for it. Funny sort of "win".

Al

I do research. I then make a decision on the max price I'm prepared to pay for something and bid that price. If I get out bid then I move on and wait for another copy to become available.

I have seen some lenses go for ridiculous prices on Ebay. My Canon shooting buddy was moaning that a Canon 50mm f/1.0 was sold for BIN price of £2700 today.

Would you pay £2700 for an F1.0 ? I certainly wouldn't!!

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[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283

Personally no, but compared to what Leica want for a similarly spec'd Noctilux that sounds like a bargain!

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Joining the Q

I think you'r right, people get carried away on ebay. I've noticed bids being but in for an auction that are are higher than the BIN price for a similar item listed at the same time.

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Barrie
Too Old To Die Young

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

Agree, when i first started it was very easy to just go that bit higher, now i am more organised, i only ever bid using esnipe setting the limit at what i think is a decent price.

i certainly "win" less items this way, but when i do "win" i have usually got the item for a bargain price.

Davex.

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K5 + 8mm-500mm zooms and primes
Please feel free to play with any images I post.
My flickr: link

Just feel the need to redress the balance a little in this thread as, IMO, Ebay is still a good place to find bargains subject to the following:

you've done your research

you extend your search to include Europe, U.S.A. and Japan

you've set a realistic upper limit (including p&p) and stick to it

you look for items were the seller has retained all the original packaging and documents

you play the waiting game: unless you're after a true rarity there will be another

pay with PayPal and benefit from the additional protection it offers

By adhering rigidly to these guidelines I've obtained a number of lenses (all in mint or Exc++), and other photographic accessories, from all over the world in the last 12 months including: Pentax SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.7 and 200mm f4, Sigma 17-70mm f2.8/4.0 (KAF2; new) and 24mm f2.8 Super Wide II (KA) a pair of AF200T flashguns with variable output and a Digi-Slave L-Ring 3200.

Jon

I agree, I'm not complaining, just aware that the auctions aren't always the cheapest place to buy. Two of my manual lenses were picked up quite cheap in auctions, one of them a very good 28mm f/3.5. I tend to check out 2-3 Pentax dealers on the Web and do a general search for auction and BIN items at the same time - takes 10-15 mins and for popular items gives a quick reference-point for price. Incidentally I've not tried 'sniping' though obviously it won't help if someone's already set a bid limit higher than I want to go.

Stan

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K5IIs & ME Super with FA24-90, DA17-70, DA55-300, misc old primes; Fuji X20.