posted on April 20, 2002 08:39:54 AM new
I've been selling on ebay for over 3 years.
I sell vintage and antique items mostly, and until the last few months, had great sales!
Yes, yes, I know, ebay is trailing off a little in sales of "old stuff", but where the heck is the stuff anyway? When I do a search, nothing good even comes up. There's plenty of repro junk, " hand painted" junk, but very little worth bidding on. I also buy on ebay....ALOT, or I should say I used to. Seriously, has anyone else noticed this?
posted on April 20, 2002 08:50:07 AM new
i am glad you asked,i have been wondering myself,it is either expensive stuff no one bids on or cheap junk over and over again/
very few good stuff in between,did everyone who bot just stashed them away??
someone said since they are not getting a decent price on ebay,they take them to auctions and get better prices,land auction i mean or trade shows or land stores,make sense,if bidders dont pay a good price,why bother to pay ebay listing fee.
posted on April 20, 2002 09:17:55 AM new
Many sellers got tired of giving their good stuff away for a low price because there aren't enough bidders. Hard to find items still do very well so there isn't a problem there.
Every few nights I look at gallery items in the antiques and collectibles categories. I see many auctions with so-so stuff. Lots of the better items have reserves and the sellers aren't getting the bids. Many of them are probably moving their items back to antique malls and B&M stores. I work hard to find items to sell and I'm not about to give them away on ebay either.
Off topic I just have to ask dodobird why she has felt the need to start yet another ID here. hwahwahwahwa, wowwow85, askdaruma, stopwhining, and dodobird are all one and the same. You are presently posting under askdaruma and stopwhining and now we listen to the ramblings of dodobird also? Sheesh!!
posted on April 20, 2002 09:19:05 AM new
I don't like to put my things into public auctions. I had a bad experience once, being ripped off by an auctioneer and they charge 20 -30% commission anyway. I have been looking for old garden items for the past 2 weeks and there is really nothing! Plenty of new stuff, but no nice old architectural pieces. Well, no old pieces without unreasonable sky high reserves. If sellers want to keep doing business on ebay, they need to stop acting like they are selling the "missing link" and give buyers fun, affordable auctions again. I sell most of my things with no reserve or very modest reserves and they do well. I would still not trade doing business from the comfort of my own home for the packing/ unpacking drudgery of outdoor flea markets and shows. I think some sellers forget ( or maybe never experienced) the high cost of running a shop or the hit/miss of "Antiques shows".
Ebay is hard to beat even with the little problems that arise every so often.
posted on April 20, 2002 09:25:50 AM new
Kiara, I thought that might be the case, so I spent this whole past week ( including this morning) tripping around to all of the Antique malls and better flea markets in a 50 mile radius of Philly. Just to see what the heck is going on. I hit 1 -5 places every day since last Sunday. I found VERY little out there. It is weird! I got to the flea markets at the crack of dawn too, and nothing!
I would LOVE to find the persons garage where everyone is stashing all their good stuff!
I do run my own shop so I know what you mean about the costs. It takes longer to sell items in my shop than it does on ebay but for some things I do get up to 10X a higher price than ebay because the items are not found locally, yet there are lots on ebay. Not everyone is on the internet.
Perhaps for the items you are looking for the sellers are reluctant to list them because of the weight for shipping or maybe they have an active local market for them.
I'm still looking for a good sale also where all the goodies are. But I think all the other ebayers beat me to them all.
posted on April 20, 2002 10:25:18 AM new
That's true, REAMOND. Also, if you ever watch shows like the Incurable Collector you will see amazing collections that people have amassed for decades.
Many state that they find items on ebay but they also buy at good auction houses and some travel the world to find what they want. Yes, the good items are still out there--they have them all.
One of my best customers has a collection that numbers over 100,000 in quantity. I was in his home about two years ago. The basement is floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, built in drawers and shelves which house his expanding collection. He has a computer data base, complete with photos and description of each item, and where the item is located in his collection.
This customer, and others like him, log into eBay every day, plus they go to estate auctions, antique auctions, antique shows and antique shops. They are buying and keeping.
When collectors such as this individual die, the collections will hit the live auctions and flood the market.
Myself, I am smart. I don't have a shop, don't want one. What I do is list less than 15 auctions each week, the items I know that are unique and special that my customers will bid high to acquire. I get high prices and maintain my Power Seller status with no difficulty. The rest, antique and desireable, ordinary to me but rare to my region, I do like others on this board and consign to the live auction house. I have a good rapport with the owners of the auction gallery, trust them, and because I continue to bring them quality antiques over the years, they bend over backwards in their antioneering techniques to elicit more bids from the audience. My check from the auction house is now over $5000 each time, and that is just for smalls.
I find good stuff, obviously. I'm just not going to tell others how to find it.
Edited to add: I am not hotcupoftea on eBay.
[ edited by hotcupoftea on Apr 20, 2002 10:50 AM ]
posted on April 20, 2002 10:58:51 AM new
I don't go out anymore to find anything. I am trying to sell all of my items but my good items do not sell and I won't give them away. My daughter will have to deal with them when I am not around any longer. I had an expensive piece of jewelry on awhile ago, from the late 80's early 90's and retailed for over $175.00. I tried selling it for $29.95 and no takers so again I will put it away probably not to try and sell it again. I did list it 4 different times, started out higher than the last time I listed. Just because it didn't have Haskell, Hobe on it, but it did have a name brand, jewelry collectors don't want it.
I would like to ask one question. How can one person have so many ID's here on auctionwatch?
posted on April 20, 2002 11:48:26 AM new
I have noticed that I'm am finding the "good stuff" in the shops, malls, and live auctions once again. Big turnaround from, say, 3 years ago when ebay was at it's peak and dealers kept the "good stuff for Ebay". I'm a dealer and an avid collector (various items). I find I get MUCH better prices at my shows and on my website and only use ebay these days to dump the "dogs" or that ocaissonal rare rare item that I know will bring top dollar. The reason for this turnaround on ebay is lack of serious buyers who are willing to pay good money for a collection piece that they have to rely that the seller's description is accurate and that the seller will stand behind his sale. All it takes is being burned once for a couple hundred dollar piece of junk advertised as "mint" and that buyer is gone from ebay forever. Too many sellers on ebay who don't have a clue as to proper description of "condition" and no refund policies, or at best "restocking fees, ebay fees, and no original and return shipping fees". These sellers have ruined ebay for the higher end collectors who are now returning to the B & M's and antique shows where they will pay top dollar but can see and touch what they are getting.
Another reason for the lack of buyers is the incredible influx of junk and repros in the "Antiques" categories. Granted, some of the sellers may be unaware of the occaisional repro they have for sale, but the majority (especially in the Glass categories) are wholesale buyers who knowingly put this crap up in the wrong categories knowing full well they are knock-offs and repros with no disclaimers. Selling repros is fine I guess, if they are marketed to buyers who are INTERESTED in repros and put in the proper category. And the specific category search returns page after page of junk purposely mislisted and misrepresented in categories in which they don't belong. So in a nutshell, sellers don't whine and b**ch about an EBAY that YOU are responsible for creating.
posted on April 20, 2002 11:49:35 AM new
The most challenging thing to me about the entire online and land auction biz is finding good material to sell. It's getting harder and harder, but rather than give up I am just trying harder. I know it's out there somewhere, we just have to be quicker and smarter than the other guy to get it.
posted on April 20, 2002 01:05:03 PM new
Hey Kiara, I've never heard of that show "Incurable Collector". Is it on a local network where you live? I did have a shop for about 6 years, had alot of theft and finally got robbed of over $2000.00 worth of Mchdse. over a weekend when another partner was working the shop. That pretty much put me out of business for a while. I sure do miss having a shop though. Hey Pelorus, I live in Philly. When the Wednesday paper comes out advertising SATURDAY yard sales, there are dealers beating down the doors of the poor sellers on WEDNESDAY morning! I am very Smart and Quick, just not OBNOXIOUS , though I may have to start ))))
posted on April 20, 2002 01:19:17 PM new
When I look at the Newtown Bee or the Maine Antique Digest they always have many pages of dealer ads and auction ads with terrific stuff, week after week, year after year.
Go to some of the top antiques shows and you see booth after booth of great stuff.
posted on April 20, 2002 01:30:14 PM new
", but the majority (especially in the Glass categories) are wholesale buyers who knowingly put this crap up in the wrong categories knowing full well they are knock-offs and repros with no disclaimers."
That's a fact! I wish ebay would do something about these con artists.
What's worse is that they out and out lie
and mislead the unwary.
posted on April 20, 2002 01:36:31 PM new
Incurable Collector is hosted by John Larroquette, formerly of Night Court and it is on A and E. They feature special collections and go to flea markets, auctions, etc. Here is an url for the show.
posted on April 20, 2002 03:52:50 PM new
i just came back from a trade show,talk about lots of stuff???
wow,indian ruby necklace for 160-280,big thick pigeon red ruby beads all strung together ,this is wholesale price.
there is no lacking in stuff out there,who is to say when someone buy from that show and rub some mud on it and call it antique or vintage??
i know i would look good in one of those ruby necklace,if only i can find the money,well i just have to keep PECKING for some .
posted on April 20, 2002 04:48:37 PM new
I'm coming to the conclusion people aren't listing the good stuff anymore because of the lack of interest and bidders -- my thoughts being the repros, poor packaging and high shipping have turned a lot of bidders off resulting in low or no sales. I've gotten stung by all three in buying, and decided it was time to put the good stuff back on, offer a buyer a deal and continue to pack as though I was shipping to myself. In the past month several buyers have told me how many of their items have been received broken (one wasn't even wrapped in bubblewrap) and that they've become discouraged in buying on eBay because they don't want to get disappointed again. Since my new "policy", besides the normal ups and downs, things have picked up! I look for some good, old stuff for my collections, and it is hard to find! Good luck, everyone!
posted on April 20, 2002 06:13:59 PM new
When all the good and resonable buyers come back,so will the good items Old and New.Notice I said resonable,all I want as a dealer of fine and scarce collectibles is someone who knows a fair price and will spend it on such item without after auction haggle and without insualting offers.When these GOOD buyers return so will not only the good stuff but also the great stuff.I never understood how one could settle for things of lesser condition and just not go and buy a primo item for mabe 3x the cost of something less then lower grade.But thats just me I guess,Buy it nice the first time and never have to upgrade.
posted on April 20, 2002 07:02:41 PM new
I have hardly put anything old up, let alone my good stuff. Last week I finally put some good stuff up and not even one bid, pulled them in the last hour so someone didn't get it for a steal.
posted on April 20, 2002 07:12:40 PM new
if a seller lists some nice items with reserve which cost a dollar more,and the bids never reach reserve,how many times can he keep listing with reserve and waste more and more money??
posted on April 21, 2002 10:25:10 AM new
Where have the good buyers gone? We put up things that are scarce and in good shape. And the people who bought things like this in the past from us do not bid. They said they were happy with our merch and service. And these are things collectors of this particular item should also want. We have tons of hits and very few bids. It is like people are really afraid of something.
Had one person write on a piece. Explained her family connection to the item, had her name on it. Great email with lots of information, really nice perswon. Then said that 24.99 was far more than she could ever spend on a family piece that she wanted and did not have already. How can someone who owns a computer and has online service and who knows how to use this find 24.99 a humungous sum of money? Very strange.
posted on April 21, 2002 02:43:36 PM new
By the way, have to been to the one at the Wisconsin Dells with all the high priced antiques? Great place to visit if you haven't but prices are rather steep. It's on highway 12 just before the Casino. That is where I usually leave my money.....
posted on April 21, 2002 03:37:30 PM new
Nope, up in NE Wisconsin at the Fox Valley Antique Mall, Appleton, WI. Just look for the booth with all the beautiful Cherry Blossom, Candlewick, and Northwood carnival glass.... (all reasonably priced, I might add....)
[ edited by revvassago on Apr 21, 2002 03:39 PM ]
posted on April 21, 2002 09:42:24 PM new
What is wrong with carnival glass? I personally like carnival glass, and have some wonderful rare pieces.
Not only do I have that, but I have an extensive Candlewick collection, some wonderful pink Cherry Blossom bowls, a huge assortment of Dresden Lace Figures, and some beautiful jewelry.
posted on April 22, 2002 06:52:06 PM new
Looks like you need my Candlewick punch bowl set with the 12 cups. I was going to put it up on eBay, but the other 8 items I've listed out of my personal collection aren't doing so well.
True, two have met reserve, but the one really good piece has gotten nary a nibble. I'm seriously considering consigning it to a London auction house. Antique silver fetches much better prices there.
))))
