A Great Find & A Defense of E-Bay

From: Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
Date: Fri Jun 16 00:48:43 2000

> I would add to this another pet dislike I have for E-bilk (much better
>name, BTW). To my eyes, they are in large part (sheer unmitigated greed
>makes up the other part) responsible for the decline in quality and
>quantity of equipment that used to show up at hamfests and other
>electronic-oriented swap meets.

I completely disagree, the decline, if it is "real" is from the wholesale
dumping of containers full of old computers to Asia. I talk to a lot of the
sellers at hamfests, and while a large number of them have access, VERY few
have actually ever sold anything over the net, let alone via auction. What
is happening is that the container packers are hitting up the hamfest
sellers sources with better offers to haul away everything.

The other factor, and this is a real sideways one, is that a pickup truck
full of junk isn't selling like it used to at the hamfests. Too many of the
guys are packing up 90% of what they brought and taking it back home.
Before just about anything would sell, and now the buyers are much more
saavy, some items sell quickly, others are never going to move. Buyers
have a better idea of value than the sellers, and some values are DOWN due
to internet sales. Many of the buyers are just like I am too, buying at
hamfests to sell on the net, and that makes us much more cautious after
awhile at how much we spend, because the net is MUCH more unforgiving about
what won't sell.

Two factors, new guys buying up stuff to pack in containers, and old dogs
loosing interest in fighting for the bones to sell. Most of the blame I
would put on the big scrappers though, as that is where 90% of the goods
are going.
Received on Fri Jun 16 2000 - 00:48:43 BST