A Great Find & A Defense of E-Bay

From: Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
Date: Thu Jun 15 17:00:55 2000

>> looking for investment items. Of course, over the past few years,
>> many new computer "collectors" have appeared as "computer collecting"
>> seems to be the in thing to do; some of these collectors just collect
>> computer equipment in large quantities and pack them away, buying the
>> entire inventories of hamfest vendors at a time without even seeing
>> what all they're buying; these are probably the same collectors who
>> are bidding high prices on e-bilk.
>
>And the same people who take a surplus machine, break it up
>for parts and auction it off a nut and a bolt at a time.
>
>Or auction a card and its associate cabling separately.
>
>Vultures...

My my, what a testy group of crybabies. Prepare to cry a LOT more, as eBay
and other auctions get up steam to support serious regional auctions. Once
the number of bidders and sellers increases enough to support regional, or
bigger city, auctions all sorts of stuff people won't currently ship.

Evil Idea.....
I set up a space at the next big hamfest, say TRW here in Socal, and for a
fee/percentage take digital pictures and list items on eBay for people with
the auctions to close in 10 days, payment and pickup in person only at the
next TRW. Maybe for an additional fee I would even handle the mailing. I
know at least one company that is setting up to do this for businesses
right now, so it is coming.

Most of the people who REALLY need a certain card or cable already have one
or the other, WHY should I bundle them together so that a person who MOST
likely doesn't need the other half gets it, and somebody else goes without?

The same goes for systems, MOST of the people who REALLY need something,
want a PART, not the whole box. I sell five times as many systems as parts
as I do as systems and I offer BOTH. The way I look at it is that five
machines are working again instead of one.

RE Vultures.
First show me someone, anyone on eBay etc. who is making more than a
"paper" profit and minimum wage. Assume I pay nothing for what I sell on
eBay at $20, except I drive 40 miles RT to a hamfest and spend 3 hours
hunting them down in a batch of say 20, sell 5 a week with an 2 hours of
packing and making up shipping labels and packing lists (all five), 20
minutes depositing checks, and an hour to drive to the post office and wait
in line to ship. Thats about (2+3+4*(2+.3+1))= 18.2 hours a month, not
including time to make up a listing, answer email etc. Ebay fees are $1.50
each (assuming a first bid of $19.99, its 50 cents to list, final value fee
of $1.00 about).

So gross sales are $400 (20x$20)
Less eBay fees of $30 (20x$1.50)
Nothing for packing materials etc.
Net profit is $370, divided by 18.2 = $20/hour

OK better than minimum wage, but its a FAT calculation assuming everything
sells, that I find 20 items worth buying, and doesn't include the cost of
buying them, miles on the car and the guy who thinks he needs an X, but
doesn't know what model his computer is etc.

I'd say more but I have to go circle at the post office with the other
vultures.
Received on Thu Jun 15 2000 - 17:00:55 BST