eBay madness
Posted 27/07/2011 - 10:32
Link
There is an alternative to shill bidding that still runs the price up. But, the motive is rather different.
More than 30 years back, a friend went to an arms auction, and bid on an excellent example of a blunderbuss by a very good maker. It should have fetched around £450. He bid the price up (maybe with the aid of a friend) and got the blunderbuss for £900. He already had a mediocre example of the same thing by the same maker. His words to me when he was showing me the new acquisition were:
"Now I've established that one of these is worth £900, I can sell the scruffy one in a few months and get most of my money back - and have a really good one for a scruffy price"
So, a genuine bidder may not always want to buy as cheap as possible.
I just figure that ebay are in business to make money for ebay, and anything that they do is with that in mind.
Geoff
More than 30 years back, a friend went to an arms auction, and bid on an excellent example of a blunderbuss by a very good maker. It should have fetched around £450. He bid the price up (maybe with the aid of a friend) and got the blunderbuss for £900. He already had a mediocre example of the same thing by the same maker. His words to me when he was showing me the new acquisition were:
"Now I've established that one of these is worth £900, I can sell the scruffy one in a few months and get most of my money back - and have a really good one for a scruffy price"
So, a genuine bidder may not always want to buy as cheap as possible.
I just figure that ebay are in business to make money for ebay, and anything that they do is with that in mind.
Geoff
Water can wear away a stone - but it can't cook lunch
X-5
istDS
K2000
P50.
Lenses Digital: 50-200, 18-55 KAF: 28-80.
Lenses KA & K: SMC-KA f2.0, SMC-K f1.4, SMC-K f1.7 Tokina KA 28-70 , SMC Pentax 70-210 F4, Sigma KA 75-300 , Hanimex 500mm Mirror, and the Tamron Adaptall-2 stuff.
and then there's all the M42 kit, and the accessories ...
X-5
istDS
K2000
P50.
Lenses Digital: 50-200, 18-55 KAF: 28-80.
Lenses KA & K: SMC-KA f2.0, SMC-K f1.4, SMC-K f1.7 Tokina KA 28-70 , SMC Pentax 70-210 F4, Sigma KA 75-300 , Hanimex 500mm Mirror, and the Tamron Adaptall-2 stuff.
and then there's all the M42 kit, and the accessories ...
Posted 16/08/2011 - 09:10
Link
Algernon wrote:
There was a perfect example on ebay of what nonsense this method of bidding is link
A 28mm Pentax M lens with what the seller described as:
"HEAVY FUNGUS INSIDE LENS" It's worth £10 - £15 at the most but sold for an unbelieveable £41 + £3 postage all because of idiotic or shill bidding The last bid was so idiotic that no one else bid again and that bid stood for 3 days.
>> Snipped for brevity.... see original post for full text.
For whatever reason the lens is back on sale linkThere was a perfect example on ebay of what nonsense this method of bidding is link
A 28mm Pentax M lens with what the seller described as:
"HEAVY FUNGUS INSIDE LENS" It's worth £10 - £15 at the most but sold for an unbelieveable £41 + £3 postage all because of idiotic or shill bidding The last bid was so idiotic that no one else bid again and that bid stood for 3 days.
>> Snipped for brevity.... see original post for full text.
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Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Posted 16/08/2011 - 13:09
Link
Fungus always used to be a good way of scaring bidders away, leaving those of us willing to clean lenses with bargains. Anyone paying £40 for a faulty common lens needs their head examining!
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Posted 17/08/2011 - 20:06
Link
Well I can beat that 28mm...
There was some joker trying to get £196 for a Pentax-M 75-150mm f4 on there today, describing it as "very very rare". Uhh, no, it's a pretty common lens and worth about £20-£30. A fine performer but not worth the best part of £200!
There was some joker trying to get £196 for a Pentax-M 75-150mm f4 on there today, describing it as "very very rare". Uhh, no, it's a pretty common lens and worth about £20-£30. A fine performer but not worth the best part of £200!
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Posted 17/08/2011 - 20:41
Link
Or, for sheer cheek (or downright larceny) ...
Some years back, when Ebay was only getting started on self-policing:
"Rare Model V Nikon" or something like that.
It was a Praktica Nova, with the name covered with a piece of Dymo embossing tape carrying the word Nikon.
It make the guy who sold a picture of a Pentax DSLR for several hundred pounds, look positively honest in comparison.
Geoff
Some years back, when Ebay was only getting started on self-policing:
"Rare Model V Nikon" or something like that.
It was a Praktica Nova, with the name covered with a piece of Dymo embossing tape carrying the word Nikon.
It make the guy who sold a picture of a Pentax DSLR for several hundred pounds, look positively honest in comparison.
Geoff
Water can wear away a stone - but it can't cook lunch
X-5
istDS
K2000
P50.
Lenses Digital: 50-200, 18-55 KAF: 28-80.
Lenses KA & K: SMC-KA f2.0, SMC-K f1.4, SMC-K f1.7 Tokina KA 28-70 , SMC Pentax 70-210 F4, Sigma KA 75-300 , Hanimex 500mm Mirror, and the Tamron Adaptall-2 stuff.
and then there's all the M42 kit, and the accessories ...
X-5
istDS
K2000
P50.
Lenses Digital: 50-200, 18-55 KAF: 28-80.
Lenses KA & K: SMC-KA f2.0, SMC-K f1.4, SMC-K f1.7 Tokina KA 28-70 , SMC Pentax 70-210 F4, Sigma KA 75-300 , Hanimex 500mm Mirror, and the Tamron Adaptall-2 stuff.
and then there's all the M42 kit, and the accessories ...
Posted 17/08/2011 - 21:24
Link
I'm waiting for someone to put up a listing with the header:
"Pentax FIT 50mm lense" BIN £40
and for it to be a Carl Zeiss Planar
"Pentax FIT 50mm lense" BIN £40
and for it to be a Carl Zeiss Planar
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Posted 17/08/2011 - 23:15
Link
I'm waiting for a 50mm f1.2 to be listed BIN for £30 as an f2...
There are still some bargains. I found a brand new boxed T2 front cover (replaces the front of the ever ready case for an M series camera to protect a longer lens) for £2.98 including postage a couple of days ago. At that price I decided it was probably worth having!
There are still some bargains. I found a brand new boxed T2 front cover (replaces the front of the ever ready case for an M series camera to protect a longer lens) for £2.98 including postage a couple of days ago. At that price I decided it was probably worth having!
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Posted 18/08/2011 - 00:37
Link
I've just sold a Pentax-A 35-105 f3.5 for $150 AUD on ebay. I bought it about a year ago with "fungus issues" for $10. Cleaned up in about 10 minutes, and was a very good lens. Now I have a Tokina 80-400 on ebay which ends in a few hours, with heaps of 'Watchers', but little action. If there's no interest, I'll put it on the "for sale's" here later on. I always put a price on gear that would be my minimum, rather than start at $1 and hope for the best. It's frustrating waiting for something to happen though.
Regards
Regards
Sam-Joseph
Pentax K7, Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4.5, Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO EX, Sigma 70-300 APO, Sigma 1.4x TC, Vivitar 2x TC. Takumar 135mm f2.5, SMC Pentax A 50mm 1:1.7, SMC Pentax -M 1:4 200mm, Pentax X70
Pentax K7, Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4.5, Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO EX, Sigma 70-300 APO, Sigma 1.4x TC, Vivitar 2x TC. Takumar 135mm f2.5, SMC Pentax A 50mm 1:1.7, SMC Pentax -M 1:4 200mm, Pentax X70
Posted 18/08/2011 - 08:59
Link
I am looking for a Tokina 80-400mm, so by all means send me a link to your auction.
Best regards, John
Posted 18/08/2011 - 10:00
Link
johnriley wrote:
I am looking for a Tokina 80-400mm, so by all means send me a link to your auction.
Finished listing linkI am looking for a Tokina 80-400mm, so by all means send me a link to your auction.
Only 64 views probably because it wasn't listed as 80-400mm although Tokina have only marked 80-400 on the lens. It would be better to include both in the listing in this case.
If it hasn't marked the lens I would remove the bracket and just mention that a suitable 3rd party bracket will be be included free, otherwise it sounds a bit DIY.
Start the auction lower and include a reserve and BIN
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Posted 18/08/2011 - 10:09
Link
What a shame I missed it, although shipping fro AU will cost a bit the lens is hard to find.
Best regards, John
Posted 18/08/2011 - 10:35
Link
It didn't sell John, not even any bids 2nd time listed
as well according to completed search, no bids that time either, but with a higher start price.
as well according to completed search, no bids that time either, but with a higher start price.
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Posted 18/08/2011 - 16:56
Link
No, I don't have any. Sue uses one and her brother Mark uses the other - as we're usually photographing the same location and subjects we all need a lens.
Best regards, John
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4798 posts
17 years
Saffron Walden,
Essex
A lot of people were accused eBay of complicity when they decided to start hiding bidder's names. Higher winning bids, more commission for ebay!
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
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