Aside from an occasional spike here and there, I'm not seeing this price
inflation. I find that people wanting to sell their goods list them and people
willing to bid do so. The prices compare favorably (from the buyer's
standpoint) with what's found in the misc.forsale.xxxxxx newsgroups. I've sold
very little on eBay, but have bought quite a number of items, all at prices well
below "market," whatever that means. I've been frustrated a number of times,
but that was because someone else wanted something more than I did. On
occasion, I've lost a bidding contest by only a dollar or two, but, often
enough, I've ended up in the situation wherein I have bid more than I wanted,
just to win, and still paid less than I'd have had to pay locally, including
taxes, etc.
You can complain, I guess, but it won't do any good. A nationally advertised
internet auction puts an item in front of about as broad a market as one could
want, and that will bring the highest prices, for sure, but it will not force
anyone to pay more than they want to. That's why I advise folks wanting to sell
something they don't know how to price to go to eBay and check the "completed
items" prices. The occasional spike will stand out, and the ridiculous "asking"
prices will stand out in the form of no-bid auctions.
I have to say, I've not been treated badly, overall, on the internet auctions.
Of course, I don't generally bid before I know what something I can buy
elsewhere costs. I also don't bid until I know what similar items have
auctioned for in the past. I think the latter is the way to find out what
something is "worth" rather than trusting one's "gut" feeling.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sellam Ismail" <foo_at_siconic.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 8:40 PM
Subject: Re: value of classic DEC machines?
> On Wed, 24 Oct 2001, Heinz Wolter wrote:
>
> > But that's life. If I just paid 4k$ for a machine that will make me
> > happy, should I be upset to hear that someone else picked one up for
> > free? It doesn't make the free machine worth 4k$ (maybe to someone),
> > but it also doesn't make the 4k$ machine worthless. We should not be
> > upset to see people put prices on these machines; though it might make
> > some reluctant to give them away for free...
>
> Everything has some value to some person. What has bugged me, and this
> community as a whole, for the past several years is the inflation in
> pricing caused by eBay.
>
> I'm sure everyone here at least once heard the words, "...but I can get $X
> for it on eBay".
>
> Luckily, some manner of salvation is on its way in the form of a price
> guide. No, I'm not writing it, but the person who is will make it known
> very soon.
>
> Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
>
>
Received on Thu Oct 25 2001 - 09:17:35 BST