Have I mentioned lately that I hate eBay?

[Tijean]

After it's all said and done. the 'Bay still is driven by the
market- some folks will pay insane prices, and inflated or not,
that's the market rate.

I never worried too much about other bidders, I made my max offer
and left it or sniped at the end if I really wanted it.But shipping
charges to Canada from the USA and Europe went up to a point where
a good deal was impossible to get. It got absolutely insane.

See, I do not mind bidding against other buyers. But the point of eBay is to only have to pay a price slightly higher than the other guy is willing to pay. Sniping doesn't bother me either, because those people are making legitimate bids. But I don't like bidding against the seller's imaginary friends. That's what gets to me.

As a seller,though, eBay got risky and expensive. Paypal and eBay
fees went really high, and I pretty much stopped selling stuff
because it just got too expensive.

eBay, until about 2003 or so, was a goldmine for good,cheap Pentax
lenses.
The advent of our beloved D series cameras changed all that. Demand
increased for lenses, and you know from Economics 101 what happens
then. Also, all the good lenses got picked over. Awesome finds are
rare.

But I did buy an LX yesterday from a forum member- It'll be good to
have a full frame platform for my lenses again. But my DS's will
always get the bulk of the shots- I love the ease and economy (and
quality) of digital.
--
'what's this button do?'

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

 

[Cam Traviss]

--
'what's this button do?'

 

[Tijean]

Hi Tijean,

Unfortunately patience and perserverence are the watchwords for us
Pentaxians nowdays. I like to think that maturity will win out in
the long run -- but I'm a half-full glass kinda guy I guess. I'm a
fairly new player on the ebay scene, but I've already learned that
I can eventually get what I want -- maybe not exactly when I want
it (which, of course is NOW :> ) ), but I've had some luck winning
items for a price in the range that I'm willing to pay.

That is generally how I operate. I bid once and then go away. If I turn out to be the buyer, than eBay will send me a nice little e-mail in which I will find out how much it costs, pay, and then get a nice little present in the mail about a week later. If an auction gets to prices that i consider unreasonable or gets infected with what looks like a shill bidder (or just a jerk with too much time on his hands), then I get outbid and sit around and wait for another try at it. What makes me really anxious about this is that there is no moving on to the next auction. It is for discontinued consumables. There is no selling these used (I'll be less crypic after the auction is over in a couple of days). I don't mind paying what it's worth (what other serious buyers are willing to pay), even with the premium for its rarity, but it bugs me that I really can't walk away and wait for more to come up because this may be the last batch the seller has - and this is the only seller that has any stock left.

Now if I may go a little OT. . .

I also get frustrated by the doomsayers here on the forum -- I
think that they are being self-defeating in that they are probably
discouraging potential new users from deciding on Pentax with their
negativity, thus reducing the potential new user base -- and thus
further limiting Pentax's profitability, which in turn reduces the
ability to develop and introduce the very products that the
naysayers are complaining aren't available. But what would the
forum here be without them -- Pollyanna-Pentax city might be too
boring

I've committed myself to the Pentax system, largely due to their
philisophy of backward compatibility (which has historically worked
to their detriment profitwise -- but to the user's benefit). I
support their current push to develop their new user base (even if
it's to the perceived detriment of their advanced user base), as I
believe that you have to walk before you can run, and as a smaller
company, they can only be expected to do one thing at a time.
Hopefully the link with Samsung will allow them to concentrate on
the higher end market in the future.

I have not bought into the paradigm that says that I need a new
leading edge body every year or so -- I bought my DS because I felt
that the cost to performance/fit ratio was right for me. I have not
been disappointed, and the images I take with it aren't any worse
now because other mfgs have introduced new bodies -- but my
personal needs as an amateur are modest --

I'm now am in a personal financial position to be able to be able
to afford a higher performance body (driven by my own devils -- the
delusion that a new cam will allow me to be a better photographer
) -- but I'm willing to wait for Pentax to provide it. . . just
as I am willing to allow runaway auctions to pass with hopes that
another will present itself -- hopefully with the guys who bid high
and early out of the picture.

Sorry for the mini-rant -- it's been on my mind now for a while --
I feel better now. . . :> )

Breath Scott, breath.

I was absent from this forum for a few weeks because my time because very precious for a while and everytime I popped in, instead of photographs and questions, I just saw huge threads full of rumors and compaints. Now, people can compain if they would like (as evident by my starting of this thread). I do not have a shrine to Pentax in my bedroom, but I don't really see what good it does to talk for hours and hours on end about what a particular company might or might do or the flaws that their equipment might or might not have - particularly when most of the participants were happy with their equipment five minutes before they sat down and opened up dpreview.

Scott

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

 

[Jerry Thirsty]

SNIPE!

The bid probers and shill bidders can't gradually work the price up if you bid in the last 15-30 seconds.

Of course it's still susceptible if somebody else bids early, but you'll suffer less aggravation because it won't be your bid their probing.

And yes I'm well aware of all the hooey people spout against sniping, but that's the system and it's ridiculous not to use it to its full advantage when you've got the chance.
--
Jerry Thirsty

 

[Rod Dinkins]

Ah indeed -- i have hundreds of slides taken with the S1A the lens was (is) superb IMHO

I should convert the old slides to digital (I won a few photo contests with some of them)

What equipment do u use to capture the slides
--
I photograph, therefore I am
Rod Dinkins, Oceanside, CA

 

[Tijean]

To be honest I wouldn't even know where to start. What program or service are generally accepted as reliable? Online service or offline program. Heck, I could just write a macro I guess.

Usually the things I buy on eBay aren't the type of things that attract 20 or 30 bids including shill bidders and a big pile on the end so I've never really thought about it. Looking back at what I bought on eBay in the last little while, it seems to be mostly BuyIt Nows and one bid auctions for things like clothes, shoes, and housewares.

SNIPE!

The bid probers and shill bidders can't gradually work the price up
if you bid in the last 15-30 seconds.

Of course it's still susceptible if somebody else bids early, but
you'll suffer less aggravation because it won't be your bid their
probing.

And yes I'm well aware of all the hooey people spout against
sniping, but that's the system and it's ridiculous not to use it to
its full advantage when you've got the chance.
--
Jerry Thirsty

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

 

[D W]

At real live auctions you have to have proof of financially being able and willing to pay for what you are bidding on like a credit card or something from the banking system.

There was a pro-photo dealer receivership auction whcih I went to a while back that you have to sign in and place some form a deposit - credit card, bank letter of credit or cash before you are given a bidding number and you can only bid up to what you have put up in deposit.

Some high ticket items has limited to preapproved bidder only. This way the seller is making sure that the bidders are legit. I always try to have email conversation with seller to get a feel for the person and his knowledge of the item.

--
Retired commercial photog - enjoying shooting for myself again.
Hoping to see/shoot as much as I can before the eyes and legs gives way

 

[D W]

The problem with shipping charges is that in order for a seller to be protected against a potential charge back the items must be shipped to the buyer's paypal verified address and signed for. This is what is driving up the shipping cost. The signature service is usually 3 to 4 time the normal drop at door service when shipping internationally.

Also shipping charges are shipping. There is also the cost of packaging and protection materials which I am happy to pay for when used properly.

I always request the exact shipping charges from seller before I bid if it is not specified in the auction.

S/H charges is one way of seller evading ebay fee. Item worth $20 with Buy it Now at $.99 and $25 S/H.

--
Retired commercial photog - enjoying shooting for myself again.
Hoping to see/shoot as much as I can before the eyes and legs gives way

 

[Tijean]

At real live auctions you have to have proof of financially being
able and willing to pay for what you are bidding on like a credit
card or something from the banking system.

There was a pro-photo dealer receivership auction whcih I went to a
while back that you have to sign in and place some form a deposit -
credit card, bank letter of credit or cash before you are given a
bidding number and you can only bid up to what you have put up in
deposit.

Once I get a buy a house (another year or two), I get to start going with my parents to an auction hous enear there house for furniture. Real auctions are so much fun, and so simple, because they are so simple. The person willing to pay the highest price gets the goods. And everything there is so cheap during weekday auctions because it is usually all dealers who have to buy things super cheap to be able to turn them around for anything. Mmmm... hundred year old hardwood beds with beautiful woodwork for $200-$400. When I was there last a new Ethan Allen cabinet went for $70 because it wasn't the sort of thing the antique dealers were looking for.

Some high ticket items has limited to preapproved bidder only. This
way the seller is making sure that the bidders are legit. I always
try to have email conversation with seller to get a feel for the
person and his knowledge of the item.

It seems from feedback and such that this seller is totally legitimate but low on customer service. He's a high volume seller and his lots are generally $100 a pop. He's my only option though on this one and the product is new and mass produced.

--
Retired commercial photog - enjoying shooting for myself again.
Hoping to see/shoot as much as I can before the eyes and legs gives
way

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

 

[Jerry Thirsty]

To be honest I wouldn't even know where to start. What program or
service are generally accepted as reliable? Online service or
offline program. Heck, I could just write a macro I guess.

I've never used any of the sniping services, I just do it manually. Of course, that assumes you can be at your computer at the time the auction is going to end. Have your bid confirmed in one window (but not submitted) while you periodically reload the auction in a second window. If you have broadband you submit your bid with about 15 seconds to go, or if using a modem 30 seconds is better.

Usually the things I buy on eBay aren't the type of things that
attract 20 or 30 bids including shill bidders and a big pile on the
end so I've never really thought about it. Looking back at what I
bought on eBay in the last little while, it seems to be mostly
BuyIt Nows and one bid auctions for things like clothes, shoes, and
housewares.

I don't snipe very much anymore myself either. There was a time when I had a lot more disposable income and could take a shot on a good deal just on a whim. Now I generally just keep an eye out for good BINs. I've never actually had a run-in with a shill bidder, but I have avoided auctions for something I wanted because it was obvious that there was a shill (or maybe just an idiot) working it earlier in the time period.

--
Jerry Thirsty

 

[stern]

i only bid with germany's bay. at the german auction place almost ALL bids (concerning optics) are placed in the last 60 seconds. a zenitar 10 days offer sat at 30 EUR for 9 days and went for 116 EUR today, a couple of F and FA 50/1.7 went as high as 170 EUR in the last 60 seconds last week. i wholeheartedly SECOND jerry thirsty's advice to "snipe" - place your highest bid appr. 30 seconds before the auction ends. this might not eliminate fraud, but it would it make it much tougher for the fraudsters because they would end up selling nothing too often...

SNIPE!

The bid probers and shill bidders can't gradually work the price up
if you bid in the last 15-30 seconds.

Of course it's still susceptible if somebody else bids early, but
you'll suffer less aggravation because it won't be your bid their
probing.

And yes I'm well aware of all the hooey people spout against
sniping, but that's the system and it's ridiculous not to use it to
its full advantage when you've got the chance.
--
Jerry Thirsty

 

[jeffkrol]

If theres an item I'm interested in I'll bid on it early to put it on my "important" list. Also can come in handy for "tie breakers" since earliest bid wins. Once in a while I probe a bidder to see what they think it's worth at the time and to get the luxury of a "you have been outbid" notice to keep me aware of the status of the auction. Sometimes if the now outbid bidder immediately comes back and rebids I assume he is either 1)serious 2)or the a#al kind that has to be the "winner". Historically it's just a game and normally all this means nothing because of the "snipers" which don't bother me because by this time I've put my "max" bid on anyways. For those that lose by .50 cents or so just remember that the max snipe bid might be considerably higher but of course is "unused" because all they have to do is beat yours. I think people forget this but it is probably what causes the gross"overbids". Snipers saying nobody would pay "X" amount of dollars so I can way overbid. Just takes 2 stupid snipers to push something way above retail...

My only complaint (though it has it's advantages) is that they don't "keep the auction live" until there are truely no more bids. UBID and some other now defunct auction places did this. An auction wouldn't close till no bid was placed for 15 minutes. Would be nice if ebay gave a seller a choice of format........

As to shill bidding.... ebay is huge and I think it is a minor annoyance and maybe not as prevalent as some believe.
--
360 minutes from the prime meridian. (-5375min, 3.55sec) 1093' above sea level.

 

[Dave Lewis]

I'm not totally sure I follow you there. Let the guy win the auction. If he is a non payer, then the seller will most likely make a second chance offer to you. If you have evidence that this guy is likely to renege on the auction and can show the seller that he is jacking up the price in other acutions, tell the seller that. Communication is what makes ebay work. In this case it needs to start with you.
--
Dave Lewis

 

[Dave Lewis]

I was following you pretty well till you got to this paragraph. I think you need to look at that one and see where your head spun to. As for insulting fellow forum members, I'm not sure he was insulting. I caught it as observing.

"I think you're being a bit of a brash young college girl here with too much money to spend on stuff you don't really need." Now there's an insult for you. Compare it with what that fellow just said. (G)

Now, if the pawn shop were selling items at those prices, then it
would be good ol' supply and demand, but if they are holding onto
stuff because they don't understand that what it is worth in the
world market is not what its worth on 4th and King St, well then
they are tying up in the name of their own ignorance.

So please understand how markets work before insulting a fellow
forum member.

--
Dave Lewis

 

[DS_Dave]

Why should I have to pay more because of this guy? He's not going
to pay if he wins. I don't mind participating in the whole auction
thing. I mean, if someone wants to pay more for something than me,
than they get it. That's fine with me. But why should I have to pay
more because some jerk has nothing better to do that screw around
on eBay? The price has doubles because of this guy.

I sympathsise with you.....try buying a house at an auction: total morons who will never actually win the auction just keep bidding and driving up the price. You can spot them a mile away, and everyone stands around shaking their heads thinking you moron you are costing me $$$$$!!!.

What they fail to realise is:

a. they wont win as they just arent committed enough (they just wanna have a go because they are morons).

b. by driving up the price on this house they are drivig up everyones expectations for the next house in that area.

end result = higher prices that arent "real" and they will never be able to afford one ever.

Unfortunaltley there is nothing one can do...they are just morons.

This cost's people tens of $1000's...sounds good for the seller, but not when in 6 months time the market takes a dive because it is unsustainable, then the people with real $ make the vulture kills on the "owners" who over shot their budget

Dave

--
GMT +9:30
photo gallery at http://www.dalesmatrix.com
Click on Dave on the menu

 

[Dave Lewis]

See, I do not mind bidding against other buyers. But the point of
eBay is to only have to pay a price slightly higher than the other
guy is willing to pay. Sniping doesn't bother me either, because
those people are making legitimate bids. But I don't like bidding
against the seller's imaginary friends. That's what gets to me.

You've got to have proof of that. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but you personally have to have proof of it existing with the sellers you are bidding with. If you are astute as you suggest you are, then you want to avoid those sellers or make complaints to everyone you know in their regard. If it is Pentax equipment, complaints in these forums carry some clout. I buy and sell on ebay fairly frequently for a non ebay dealer. I've yet to have a bad experience either as a buyer or a seller and that is over the long term. I started with ebay in the fall of 1998.

If you have legitimate complaints, then share the specifics of them with those who will help you to make them go away. If you feel the seller is a good seller, then communicating with him in those regards is going to do you worlds more good than trying to gather support and sympathy here. I often get disappointed when I lose an auction on ebay, but I never go in with a absolute. Any of the very few times I made up my mind I just had to have an item, I put a bid on it that was several hundred percent above what any reasonable person would ever pay for it. I got a Graphic camera that way last spring. Turns out it was the very camera my 7th grade music teacher used to do some nice shots of us back more than 50 years ago. I remembered the red bellows like yesterday. The seller was in my home town and a little correspondence with him told me it was the very camera. I bid it to an absolute and got it without question and without paying a fortune either. Most everything on ebay can be set to a satisfactory end if you will take the first step to communicate.
--
Dave Lewis

 

[Dave Lewis]

To be honest I wouldn't even know where to start. What program or
service are generally accepted as reliable? Online service or
offline program. Heck, I could just write a macro I guess.

Usually the things I buy on eBay aren't the type of things that
attract 20 or 30 bids including shill bidders and a big pile on the
end so I've never really thought about it. Looking back at what I
bought on eBay in the last little while, it seems to be mostly
BuyIt Nows and one bid auctions for things like clothes, shoes, and
housewares.

Yep that's the same with me. I just don't usually go for those demand items that sniping is the rule for. I seldom bid up front though. I like to get my bid in with less than ten seconds to go. I'm surely not going to compete with snipers that way, but I will usually get the lowest bid toward the end that way. I usually work two tabs with two different bids, one good enough and one my absolute maximum. I work them down to the confirm button and watch the auction from a third tab. I hit one at say 7 seconds and refresh and see what I have. The last item I bought a week or so ago, I got the bid with that 7 second bid but lost it on the refresh and hit the other confirm button for the absolute maximum bid I had set up before, got it in at two seconds and won. It is all a game, that is kind of fun and can be won.
--
Dave Lewis

 

[Tijean]

I was following you pretty well till you got to this paragraph. I
think you need to look at that one and see where your head spun to.
As for insulting fellow forum members, I'm not sure he was
insulting. I caught it as observing.

I say that someone is whining because they don't agree is insulting.

"I think you're being a bit of a brash young college girl here with
too much money to spend on stuff you don't really need." Now
there's an insult for you. Compare it with what that fellow just
said. (G)

Naw, I'm not insulted in the least at the implication that I busted my tail to put myself through school and can now afford a nice lens once in a blue moon. ;-)

Now, if the pawn shop were selling items at those prices, then it
would be good ol' supply and demand, but if they are holding onto
stuff because they don't understand that what it is worth in the
world market is not what its worth on 4th and King St, well then
they are tying up in the name of their own ignorance.

So please understand how markets work before insulting a fellow
forum member.

--
Dave Lewis

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

 

[Tijean]

I was following you pretty well till you got to this paragraph. I
think you need to look at that one and see where your head spun to.
As for insulting fellow forum members, I'm not sure he was
insulting. I caught it as observing.

I say that someone is whining because they don't agree is insulting.

To say that someone is whining because they don't agree is insulting.

"I think you're being a bit of a brash young college girl here with
too much money to spend on stuff you don't really need." Now
there's an insult for you. Compare it with what that fellow just
said. (G)

Naw, I'm not insulted in the least at the implication that I busted
my tail to put myself through school and can now afford a nice lens
once in a blue moon. ;-)

Now, if the pawn shop were selling items at those prices, then it
would be good ol' supply and demand, but if they are holding onto
stuff because they don't understand that what it is worth in the
world market is not what its worth on 4th and King St, well then
they are tying up in the name of their own ignorance.

So please understand how markets work before insulting a fellow
forum member.

--
Dave Lewis

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

--
http://www.apt131.com/photolog

'This is easy for us Chinese...just look at the pictures, ignore
his comments in English...'

 

[Anastigmat]

Well, it's a shame if I haven't because it really gets on my nerves
sometimes.

I'm currently the high bigger on an auction that has been bid up by
someone with 50% feedback. They have one negative and one positive
(for an $8 wrestling poster) and are now bidding on about 6
semi-high dollar auctions.

Why should I have to pay more because of this guy? He's not going
to pay if he wins. I don't mind participating in the whole auction
thing. I mean, if someone wants to pay more for something than me,
than they get it. That's fine with me. But why should I have to pay
more because some jerk has nothing better to do that screw around
on eBay? The price has doubles because of this guy.

Having only two feedbacks indicate a newby. Don't blame a new guy on eBay for acting like a kid who found his first candy store.

Okay, I'm done complaining. I would just bid on a different
auction, but what I am trying for is a discontinued item and only
one seller has any left - and he only runs one auction for them at
a time, an I don't know how many he has left, so each auction for
them might be the last.

If it is a rare item, then don't blame other people for bidding it up. Not any more than you have to thank anyone for not bidding on an item that you won for very little money. You win some and you lose some.