Ebay silly bidding

cncmodeller · Post by **cncmodeller** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:41 pm

I keep my ear to the ground with ebay for 16mm scale locos, but I can't sometimes believe what people pay for second hand locos compared to new!
Today a Roundhouse Alco 2-6-2 for nearly £1500 when you could have a brand new one for another £200!
Secondly a Baldwin 4-6-0 for £1500 which OK is out of production but you can find two of these for sale right now at £1000 and I bought one from a dealer at the 16mm AGM last year for £700!

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:22 pm

We humans are complex. I find Ebay reaps only about 15 per cent bargain... Hey ho !

funandtrains · Post by **funandtrains** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:37 pm

Often the high prices on ebay.uk are due to international bidders but there does seem to be an issue with 32mm gauge in the UK as many of the money-no-object buyers who like off the shelf models and were buying LGB 15 years ago have switched to 16mm scale. I have also noticed that there are a few traders who specialise in used 16mm scale that seem to bid up all the prices on ebay and other internet auctions, whether this for their stock or just to keep market prices high only they can say.

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:42 pm

Recently I watched a RH Millie with no cylinders, worn excentrics, worn rods and completely totalled wheels went for £335

Insane completely insane

funandtrains · Post by **funandtrains** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:49 pm

pauly:96996 wrote:Recently I watched a RH Millie with no cylinders, worn excentrics, worn rods and completely totalled wheels went for £335

Insane completely insane

I was watching that too - total madness when whole working ones don't sell for much more! Personally I can't understand how Roundhouse sell them new at the current price as although reliable there are quite crude with slip eccentric gearing and their nasting bent metal smokebox.

I switched gauge from 32mm to 45mm partly because of the insane used prices for 32mm gauge models. 45mm gauge locos sell for much more sensible prices and there are more manufacturers and models available if you like colonial types!

Johnnie2sheds · Post by **Johnnie2sheds** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:58 pm

Shush Steve don't tell everyone

As far as I am concerned Ebay is a complete farce.

funandtrains · Post by **funandtrains** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:23 pm

I have managed to get some bargains on eBay but have seen many item go for silly money too. You have to waste quite a lot of time on the web to find the bargains!

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:44 pm

I don't know, I got my Lady Ann with RC for >£900, although I did see some GRS L&B coaches go for quite a bit a couple of weeks back.

funandtrains · Post by **funandtrains** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:51 pm

Matt:97000 wrote:I don't know, I got my Lady Ann with RC for >£900, although I did see some GRS L&B coaches go for quite a bit a couple of weeks back.

Unless it was almost new £900 is actually quite a high price to pay for a used Lady Anne as they usually go for around £650. They tend to be the cheapest used Roundhouse loco other than the basic locos as there is such a large quantity around, most weeks there is an least one on ebay sometime there can be several.

Gremlin · Post by **Gremlin** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:16 pm

I think my ebay buys have been ok not super bargains. I only bid what I prepared to pay and walk away from the silly bidding. Didn't the last Cackler make 1700 quid! I took the "1" off the front for mine.
Be interesting to see what the current one makes.
Mind you I did get a part made Billy kit for £450 which I thought was good.

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:28 pm

It seems to be key here to know your item price before getting emotionally involved. Know the price new and what is a good second hand price, Study the text and pictures and then except the slight gamble. 9s% of my purchases have been good but it pays to do the homework. It takes time...Horses for coarses.
On selling, I rarely seem to get a good price but I know someone else is happy and can recycle the money into the hobby. Overall Ebay is usefull.

funandtrains · Post by **funandtrains** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:27 pm

The garden railways market has shrunk considerably over the last few years and it has got harder for private sellers who use ebay as well as for shops.
I use ebay to raise money to buy new items and most of the items that have sold for better prices have gone overseas.

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:39 pm

Gone are the days when you could buy a brand new Edrig for little over £400 and a second hand one for £300 odd.

I think in the next 10 years we are going to see either a huge shift in the consumer base or the market is simply going to crumple in on itself, its heading towards a crash

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:07 pm

Are you sure about the gloom guys? 16mm members are up, the shows get larger and if you speak to the like of Simon Wenworth sales are up. Yes it is dear but we accept that we have more than a plastic trains. A good DCC sound loco in oo is over 200 pounds. We hve something more that lasts. Yes we can't buy much of it, but what we have is good quality. Relative to wages we have it good.

In the western world we consume at a hell of a rate, so I count myself lucky. Long live this expanding interest. Long live the fun.

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:38 pm

Oh and regarding underhanded tactics by traders and dealers trying for the highest prices several times within the last year Iv been victim to the most disgusting and infuriating tactic employed by downright greedy dealers.

Iv won an engine for a good price and within a few hours Ill get an email "terribly sorry but I dropped the loco and it was damaged so Iv cancelled the transaction for you" and sure enough within a few weeks the engine is back up for sale in amazingly immaculate condition and once even using the same pictures as in the auction.

I don't even bother reporting it on forums anymore because I always get customers of this dealer attacking me with pitiful excuses based around the fact they have had nothing but great dealings with that traders even if it was only once and therefore by their logic I must be lying.
Yes of course just because that trader hasn't spat in your face all of his other dealings must go equally as rosey

I don't know why customers feel so protective and loyal to some dealers, its not even brand loyalty their just the sellers they don't make these things.

And this has happened other a variety of things be it garden railway, vintage toys or current collectibles.

This isn't a new underhanded eBay tactic but it was never this common before, either a worrying trend or Iv just been unlucky

Dannypenguin · Post by **Dannypenguin** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 7:18 pm

pauly:97012 wrote:a worrying trend

It't that, and it happens all the time on all things, its a shame as it shows geniune dealers up.

What I don't understand is, if the dealer wants a price, either set a reserve or put it buy it now!

Why set it on a low price on a standard auction if you don't want to accept anywhere near that price?

I have stopped using ebay now and my Dad has recently stopped selling business items on it as ebay themselves are money grabbing [insert own expletive]. They've even started commision on postage now.

laurence703 · Post by **laurence703** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 7:58 pm

My Caradoc came from Ebay. Brand new never been steamed £535 in total with postage...
Wasn't too bad I thought.

jay1976 · Post by **jay1976** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:24 pm

pauly:97012 wrote:
Iv won an engine for a good price and within a few hours Ill get an email "terribly sorry but I dropped the loco and it was damaged so Iv cancelled the transaction for you" and sure enough within a few weeks the engine is back up for sale in amazingly immaculate condition and once even using the same pictures as in the auction.

This isn't a new underhanded eBay tactic but it was never this common before, either a worrying trend or Iv just been unlucky

Think I have bought from the same dealer and got transaction cancelled in 15 mins after auction as it was to cheap for them for the same item to be relisted next day and for that item go for even less and then be relisted again....
I have bought a few bargains but I dont have endless funds and everything I have got is secondhand and bought at what i think was a good price(I have ordered a new loco but thats not been built yet and wasnt ebay)

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:58 pm

Not if sure if we can legitimately complain that one can't find "bargains" on eBay any more. "Bargain" can be defined as "an advantageous purchase, esp. one acquired at less than the usual cost" - in other words, advantageous to the purchaser. It's simple economics that sellers will always want to get the best price they can, so we ought to expect "bargains" to be rarities.

Regarding the Alco cited at the very start of this thread, it doesn't semm all that surprising to me. It's generally acknowledged that a live steam loco will hold it's value pretty well. The model can't be much more than a year old as the R/H Alco wasn't launched until 2012. Unless the engine has been seriously mistreated in that time it's going to be in very good nick. So should it really surprise us that someone was willing to pay a "nearly new" price for it?

Ironically, only a few weeks back I used eBay for the first time in a long while - I've been suspicious of it for years after my mother was scammed a couple of time. I bought a Lehmann Toy Train tank wagon which I wanted for a project, and managed to get one for about £15 less than all the others that were listed. It arrived as described and I haven't found anything wrong with it yet!

bazzer42 · Post by **bazzer42** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:40 pm

You win some , you lose some. I managed to get a little used rc Katie last year for £920 when on the verge of buying new. I have had a few disappointments (anybody want a plastic chassis baguley with missing steps?) But revisiting the posting I got what I paid for,
As pointed out some prices paid are astounding but that is somebody else's problem. I still enjoy watching though........
I think you need to know know your price, ebay seem to have sharpened up their refund policy and that should prevent you buying a complete lemon.

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