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Post by tomnoy3 on Jun 28, 2021 18:37:21 GMT -8
I know this horse has been beaten to death but theres some froth out there. Not sure if I can link to specific ended auctions but on the main site there was one that just ended for a Boley hiway truck with added details that closed at $1600.
Its a good looking truck, but man, 3 years ago I bought a 1:1 highway truck for $4400
I know "not my pig, not my farm" but its still crazy to see some of the runups out there. Same seller yesterday had a Wiking Deere tractor go for 500+
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Post by westerntrains on Jun 28, 2021 18:58:50 GMT -8
I asked one of the sellers why he was selling a Tyco engine for a high price. He told me it's like fishing, throw out a line and see if anyone bites. He said it takes a while, but someone bites.
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Post by riogrande on Jun 28, 2021 19:25:05 GMT -8
There are some Walthers Superliner phase 2 Amtrak that used to be priced at around $25 or $30. Now someone has their line out ranging from $99 to $130 hoping for a bite. These are the earlier Walthers Superliner. Not plated, not Proto.
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Post by tomnoy3 on Jun 28, 2021 19:39:53 GMT -8
These werent bait, had 70-90 bids at the close which means at least a couple in the hunt
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Post by trainboyy on Jun 28, 2021 21:23:47 GMT -8
Personally I doubt most ebay listings are worth it unless, in rare cases, a lot of cars for a good deal are grouped together. I'd rather go to a train show, but the soonest one near me is in august.
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Post by rounder on Jun 28, 2021 23:50:12 GMT -8
One big cause is that eBay has de-incentivized selling to the point that practically no casual seller wants to bother with it anymore. In other words, sellers who are thinning collections and would have hard-to-find items at reasonable starting bids. Ebay used to be a well-stocked lake, now it is more like 12 catfish crammed into a living-room aquarium. So when a good deal does occasionally get posted, you have swarms of bidders fighting over it.
It has gotten to the point where I don't even bother with bidding anymore, especially on artificially-inflated, high demand items *cough Tangent cars cough*. You WILL get out-leveraged by someone with deeper pockets and you WILL get out-sniped at last second.
The juice is no longer worth the squeeze on bidding. It is a crying shame what Ebay has done to itself, how it is now vs. 2003 when I first joined.
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Jun 29, 2021 2:44:20 GMT -8
The only thing I buy on eBay anymore are slides to fuel my modeling research. And even then I resort to using Auction Sniper for the slides I really want.
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Post by riogrande on Jun 29, 2021 2:53:09 GMT -8
Decent deals can still be found on eBay, although fewer than in previous years.
I too am waiting for shows to returns so I have an alternative to eBay.
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Post by markfj on Jun 29, 2021 3:21:18 GMT -8
Rounder hit the proverbial nail on the head!
I’ve made a total of three eBay purchase for trains so far this year on eBay and don't even bother listing anymore. That's way down from last year and nothing compared to 2019 in both buying and selling.
Deals? What deals? Prices have increased dramatically. As an example, the last Kadee car I bought in late 2020 was listed at $27. Same car now lists for $36, a 33% increase and that does not include shipping.
Ebay is still good for oddball stuff and maybe a rare slide or two. But I only use it now as a pricing reference for items I list on HOswap.
Thanks, Mark
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Post by Frank on Jun 29, 2021 4:56:16 GMT -8
One big cause is that eBay has de-incentivized selling to the point that practically no casual seller wants to bother with it anymore. In other words, sellers who are thinning collections and would have hard-to-find items at reasonable starting bids. Ebay used to be a well-stocked lake, now it is more like 12 catfish crammed into a living-room aquarium. So when a good deal does occasionally get posted, you have swarms of bidders fighting over it.
It has gotten to the point where I don't even bother with bidding anymore, especially on artificially-inflated, high demand items *cough Tangent cars cough*. You WILL get out-leveraged by someone with deeper pockets and you WILL get out-sniped at last second.
The juice is no longer worth the squeeze on bidding. It is a crying shame what Ebay has done to itself, how it is now vs. 2003 when I first joined.
I take a big loss on most things I sell these days, fitting the collection thinning category. EBay takes a 12-13% cut of everything - including sales tax that a seller has nothing to do with. I think from now on the Facebook groups will instead be my venue. These days slides are more of my priority. Although even then it isn’t what it used to be in that category either. I see lots of recycled material and fewer original private sales. When those do pop up, even slides can go for a couple hundred dollars if the subject material is rare enough! |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2021 5:47:08 GMT -8
Ebay has been nothing but a pain in the butt for sellers for several years. The latest requirement of Ebay that sellers provide their bank information (knowing that ebay has already been hacked) is completely ridiculous and was the last straw. I absolutely refuse to provide them that; they made me switch to Paypal years ago, and I'm not giving them direct access to my account.
So I'm completely finished listing any items for sale; in fact, Ebay has actually blocked me from listing any items for sale.
I should note that The Station in New Cumberland, PA, has some good lightly used trains available at reasonable prices (some of which were mine). They've sold 3 articulated steam engines for me in the last few weeks alone, plus other stuff, and all of it to walk-in customers. There's still more used stuff to go...
Regarding auctions on Ebay: I did recently win an Exactrail Texas Mexican PS 5344 boxcar for about $96 with shipping and taxes because I wanted THAT nib car, and it's just very hard to find. I have purchased three hard to find Bowser CP SD40-2's recently off ebay as well, including one small multimark unit.
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Post by SOMECALLMETIM on Jun 29, 2021 6:02:29 GMT -8
I also purchase slides via eBay. Are there other websites/groups that sell slides? It seems they're drying up a little.
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Post by Mark R. on Jun 29, 2021 6:26:34 GMT -8
I know this horse has been beaten to death but theres some froth out there. Not sure if I can link to specific ended auctions but on the main site there was one that just ended for a Boley hiway truck with added details that closed at $1600. Its a good looking truck, but man, 3 years ago I bought a 1:1 highway truck for $4400 I know "not my pig, not my farm" but its still crazy to see some of the runups out there. Same seller yesterday had a Wiking Deere tractor go for 500+ I just searched "Boley" in ALL the completed auctions and $292.50 is the highest price on any Boley trucks. (?) Mark. |
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Post by Frank on Jun 29, 2021 6:32:09 GMT -8
I also purchase slides via eBay. Are there other websites/groups that sell slides? It seems they're drying up a little. I don’t believe there is. But if you find one let us know! In that regard I bought a huge lot of slides off the Facebook Marketplace. That was the only railroad slide listing I ever saw on there in a couple years of watching though. |
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Post by migalyto on Jun 29, 2021 8:39:45 GMT -8
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 29, 2021 10:51:25 GMT -8
I don't get this fear of using eBay managed payments. It's the same information you gave PayPal and for several years eBay OWNED PayPal so it was already the same company.
Prices going up is a result of shrinking supply to meet the demand, plus probably inflation plays a part. But I have tons of stuff on there I can't sell, I have things that have been listed over a year with no bites. Although part of that is they messed up searches and no one can find anything, unless you search for specific products by name.
However I agree $1600 for something that sits in the palm of your hand and is not made of gold and diamonds is pretty crazy. I have a friend who bought an International stake bed truck with a longer wheelbase and drove it home for $900.
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Post by middledivision on Jun 29, 2021 11:35:10 GMT -8
I hate using ebay since they changed the payment policy. It takes an average of three days, compared to one for PayPal, to get your dough. I try to stick with fb groups but I've found that if it doesn't sell in a day or two, it won't. So ebay still reaches far more people, I just don't like using it.
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Post by packer on Jun 29, 2021 11:37:22 GMT -8
What format is good for selling now? I’m thinking of dumping some stuff.
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Post by ambluco on Jun 29, 2021 11:50:12 GMT -8
I use managed payments and get my money in 1 day, everything. I ask for a dispersement on Tuesday and my bank has it on Wed.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Jun 29, 2021 12:05:37 GMT -8
The ebay system has been perfected over 25 years and is the best way for individuals to dispose of surplus items. They've got the payment terms and shipping costs and rules clearly defined and above board. If the seller doesn't ship or the good arrive damaged due to poor packing, the buyer has recourse for a refund through paypal. Their search, watchlist and alerts system is second to none and allows for friction-free buying. If you want everything disposed of quickly without sending a bunch of emails, pay the fees and use ebay. I know the ebay vs other venue debate will never end but IMO there is no better venue to reach the most customers in 7 days. Most people don't have a train show in their backyard and the you have to pay their fees and sit there and negotiate with buyers all day. Even then you won't sell everything and have to pay for gas, hotels, travel etc. So ultimately it comes down a personal decision about what venue works best for you.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2021 13:22:37 GMT -8
Nice in theory. Does not work in practice.
If you ship something that gets damaged in shipping, Ebay's process (trusting buyer and NOT the seller) makes you feel like a criminal.
It is NOT that easy as you describe, takes a lot more time than it should and buyers have become very jaded and sarcastic.
If it works for you fantastic.
As for me it is more helpful to let my local train store sell the items to walk in customers. It's working well for me and for them and there's zero hassle for me.
Respectfully submitted--
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Post by Mark R. on Jun 29, 2021 17:11:36 GMT -8
Well, that explains why it didn't turn up under my Boley search.  Mark. |
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Post by markfj on Jun 29, 2021 17:34:33 GMT -8
Ebay as a better place to liquidate a large collection than a place like HOswap? No way! I’ve sold way more items on HOswap and retained more profits than I could have with any of my eBay listings. It’s not even close. With HOswap I can also develop a closer relationship with customers and have on more than one occasion increased my sales by offering additional items not mentioned in the original listing. Yes, I suppose you could get away with that on eBay, but then you’re basically cheating eBay since they don’t get a cut of the additional sales. Ebay does not want or encourage direct communication between buyers and sellers.
With a place like HOswap you can send lists and photos directly to prospective buyers or just post them in a listing. HOswap does require firm pricing, no "best offers", but I negotiated many deal via email. With eBay, unless you want to post the items in large lots, you have to go through the tedious process of listing each item. Yes, if you're an expert eBayer, you can get pretty fast at posting, but for me a place like HOswap is just so much quicker and easier.
Mark
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 29, 2021 18:19:24 GMT -8
I used FB groups a few times and found them to be utterly useless, people trying to get big money for AHM and Tyco cars, no one interested in new releases at any price, I don't think I ever sold anything there and the few things I did buy I got a lot of junk including one car with a terrible "load" that the glue was still wet on when I ripped it back out, this a couple days after it arrived in the mail.
And the HO swap email list was even worse, filled with guys not smart enough to understand that if they bought it there, they bought it there, that an item was cross-posted on eBay was irrelevant. But they wanted to pay 1973 prices anyways. Another place I was never able to really sell anything on, save one guy who bought some BLI engines through me. And then there was the Proto engine I bought that came with the box just tossed in a Priority Mail plastic envelope instead of being boxed...
Which was also a problem with stuff bought through Facebook, these people had no clue how to pack things right nor did they need to care, since they wouldn't be subject to the eBay money back guarantee. I have a guy who collects Tyco operating hopper cars, so when some came up for a good price I bought them. They came all tucked in one USPS Priority Large Video Box with almost no packing whatsoever. Then one had the wrong trucks on it.
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Post by riogrande on Jun 29, 2021 18:42:38 GMT -8
And the HO swap email list was even worse, filled with guys not smart enough to understand that if they bought it there, they bought it there, that an item was cross-posted on eBay was irrelevant. But they wanted to pay 1973 prices anyways. Another place I was never able to really sell anything on, save one guy who bought some BLI engines through me. And then there was the Proto engine I bought that came with the box just tossed in a Priority Mail plastic envelope instead of being boxed... My experience selling on HOSwap for the past 9 years has been polar opposite. |
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Post by rounder on Jun 29, 2021 23:37:55 GMT -8
I used FB groups a few times and found them to be utterly useless, people trying to get big money for AHM and Tyco cars, no one interested in new releases at any price, I don't think I ever sold anything there and the few things I did buy I got a lot of junk including one car with a terrible "load" that the glue was still wet on when I ripped it back out, this a couple days after it arrived in the mail. Sounds a lot like the Trainlife website when it first debuted and was modeling itself as a train-themed Facebook-style interface, open to buy/sell/trade. Some real 'humdingers' on there, let me tell you. I remember one teenager cold DM'ing/spamming everybody trying to sell Bachmann Centerflows he had "repainted" using color Sharpies. Um, no thanks.... hard pass. |
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Post by westerntrains on Jun 30, 2021 0:01:40 GMT -8
HO swap meet in my experence, is full of dead beats and and people with buyer's remorse. Never had a successful sale there, but I purchased many models there.
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Post by nightmare0331 on Jun 30, 2021 9:07:13 GMT -8
I've had pretty good experience moving stuff on the Fakebook group 'HO Scale Premium Quality Display and Sale Page' As with everywhere else, you get a few knuckle draggers, but most interactions when I was moving a bunch of stuff went pretty well there. That reminds me...I should liquidate some more stuff. Kelley. www.dufordmodelworks.com |
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Post by riogrande on Jun 30, 2021 14:50:32 GMT -8
Facebook groups have been opposite for me vs. HOSwap. I tried advertising on HOSwap and people majorly lowballed me. So I stopped. HOSwap over 8 years has been very good for selling. I haven't experienced the "full of dead beats and and people with buyer's remorse" that westerntrains has. Sometimes I've had to advertise for several months on some items but they still sold. So far I really can't complain. It has worked well for me and I've sold quite a few trains over the years.
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Post by markfj on Jun 30, 2021 15:25:57 GMT -8
And the HO swap email list was even worse, filled with guys not smart enough to understand that if they bought it there, they bought it there, that an item was cross-posted on eBay was irrelevant. But they wanted to pay 1973 prices anyways. Another place I was never able to really sell anything on, save one guy who bought some BLI engines through me. And then there was the Proto engine I bought that came with the box just tossed in a Priority Mail plastic envelope instead of being boxed... My experience selling on HOSwap for the past 9 years has been polar opposite. Obviously the same with me Jim. Never had a problem with payments, shipping or price negotiations as a buyer or seller. Each transaction is different, so maybe I've just been really lucky and haven't had a bad apple yet. |
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