posted on May 11, 2003 10:07:58 PM new
I got an IM tonight from someone asking about one of the lines of widgets I am selling. Person asks if I have a specific widget with specific charachteristic, they are willing to pay any price. I inform them that I don't - because it was never made. but I do have the standard vesion of the widget.... they respond - "Nevermind - I'll keep looking for the other one"- OK champ -you do that......
Next question - "Do you have Widget B with this specific charachteristic? I'll pay anything. " As a matter of fact, yes I do have one. In fact, I just listed it. ( for reference sake - the widgets in question are out of production, manuafacturer is out of business but the widgets themselves have a very large following ) Response - Yeah - but they usually go for $50 and I only want to pay $25..
What is it with people that think they are going to bargain basement a collection and don't bother to research what it is they collect?
I call it the something for nothing syndrome and it seems that 95.5% of all buyers are afflicted with this terrible disease. Maybe it's caused by the inability to attend garage sales and flea markets over the winter. Some of the symptoms are:
1. Ill fated attempts at getting you to part with a $199 object for $1.99 (they seem not to understand the decimal point system at all);
2. Fruitless attempts at getting you to end the auction early thus avoiding having to enter a bidding war and having to pay more than $1.99 (somewhere in their family tree is a Frenchman, I'm sure);
3. Attempts at contacting other bidders to tell them your $199 object is broken thus it's only worth $1.99 and they might want to reconsider their bids (for some reason, a small percentage become psychic and can see the object you have on the top shelf of your closet behind aunt Martha's wide brim hat);
4. In the final stages of the disease, they will email you with countless, fruitless questions in hopes that they will bug you enough to finally sell them your $199 item for their top price of $1.99.
The only cure for this terrible disease is that they must, repeat MUST, attempt to attend more garage sales and flea markets and quickly before this syndrome spreads.
I have a ring up right now. It's 14k gold with Iolite, Citrine and Pink Tourmaline. I just had an offer of $35 for the ring. What are they nuts? I'll keep it for myself rather than give it away.
posted on May 12, 2003 05:31:19 AM new
some bidders figure it does not cost anything to ask,and they may even get the item sometimes.
once they get the item at their price,they will brag about it and others will follow suit.
posted on May 12, 2003 08:10:07 AM new
About a year ago, I listed a very limited-edition cosmetic item that was only available at one store, and only for a very brief period of time (right before Christmas.) I got lucky; I happened to be in the store the day they arrived and I had some cash, so I bought four, thinking that I could use them as "backup" gifts and eBay the rest. As it turned out, I gave one, kept one for myself and listed the other two ... but I waited a few weeks to see how they were running.
As it turned out, they were so sought-after that all the ones listed ended up at about 2x retail. I started the first one at 1/2 retail and it got two bids right away. Then the emails started, all from (apparently) teenaged girls who wanted me to end the auction right then and sell it to them for the current bid price. One was just intolerably persistent, alternating between pleading and insulting within the text of the same email, Within a few days it was up to the retail price with several bids, at which point she really got frantic - I had, of course, blocked her by then. The weird thing is that in all her emails she never mentioned the block, which tends to indicate that she never even tried to place a bid.
I half-expected to hear from her again when I listed the second one, but I didn't. That bidder was equally nutty, however. ... After the auction ended, she sent me a long rambling dissertation on how it was an "unfair trade practice" to sell something for higher than its retail price, as if I had something to do with setting the bid price in the first place ... and that she was going to pay, but she wanted to let me know that she could "turn me in" if she felt like it. (She may have been accusing me of shilling, but the bid history just couldn't support that.) I just emailed her back and gave her the option of backing out, which to my gratitude, she accepted. I offered it to the next underbidder, who turned out to be a guy buying for his wife. He was perfectly easy to deal with.
posted on May 12, 2003 09:42:13 PM new
Got a good one tonight...got an item up for bid that has 29 bids on it, at $45.00 (yes, nickel and diming me to death, but what the hey, bought it for $2.00). This person emails me and says "I'm new to eBay. I tried to bid on this item, but it won't let me bid less than $45. If you get desperate I'll take it off your hands for $20."
???????
My reply..."Hello - It won't let you bid less than $45 because it has close to 30 bids on it, driving the current price up to $45. Since this item will go for $45, or most likely higher, chances are pretty slim I'll sell it to you for $20. Thanks for your concern though."
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
Sniping works up a thirst"