popnrock
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posted on December 1, 2003 07:47:44 AM new
My friend Richard went to WalMart to buy a DVD player. It was on sale for $29. When get their, they were sold out. They told him they were all gone because people were buying many at a time.
A man over heard my friend telling me on the phone that he missed out on the DVD Player. He told my friend that he would sell one of the DVD players.
The next day, he meets this guy and buys his DVD. The guy told him he bought them to sell on EBay for double the price and he already made over $1500.
Now my friend thinks Ebay is a golden cash cow and wants to get in on the act.
Since I sell collectibles and do not have too much competition I do alright.
It seems to me that there are so many sellers these days that very few are getting rich off of Ebay.
Am I far off the mark?
Would you encourage friends to sell on Ebay?
My father wants to sell on EBay now and I told him four years ago to get on it.
I can't believe Wal-Mart didn't have a limit on the DVD players. I heard someone was crushed trying to buy one.
Opinions please.
Thanks.
Jeanine
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uaru
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posted on December 1, 2003 08:01:56 AM new
The guy told him he bought them to sell on EBay for double the price and he already made over $1500.
Don't believe everything you hear is what I'd tell my friend. The DVD player sells for $39.74 regularly at Walmart. Even if they sold on for $15 less on eBay the shipping would take them over that price.
When you take into account shipping fees which would you buy between these two Walmarts DVD or EBay's DVD?
[ edited by uaru on Dec 1, 2003 08:03 AM ]
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neglus
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posted on December 1, 2003 08:05:39 AM new
..and I got a couple at $19.99 at Best Buy..maybe they are selling to the poor souls in outer Slobovia where they don't have a Wally World or BB?
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robbiec
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posted on December 1, 2003 08:30:56 AM new
Slovenia, rest of Europe and Africa as well as Asia have different DVD systems and ours would not works. Same with VCR. Plus the voltage is different and you'd have to acquire a adapter. Some people don't want to go through that. Furthermore, there may be an issue with the TV/monitors' ability to play these things.
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NearTheSea
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posted on December 1, 2003 08:58:33 AM new
Those cheaper DVD players... you better be careful. We went for my daughter, to just buy a new TV for her bday, at CompUSA. We went to all the electronic stores to check 'em out. They had a DVD player at Comp for $29.99. Talking to the guy who worked there, he laughed, and said, people were grabbing these up like crazy, but they are pieces of sh*t. I beleive he was telling the truth, as we were not going to buy a DVD player at that time.
He said poor quality, and more or less 'disposable'. You'd be better spending a few more bucks and buying a better quality one.
And I don't think I believe the guy who says he made over $1500 back on these DVD players. But then, who knows, maybe people who have absolutley NO access to any Walmarts or electronic stores... but then they DO have Walmart ONLINE, why would they pay more on ebay?
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
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neglus
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posted on December 1, 2003 09:16:27 AM new
I have come to view many gadgets as "disposable" (this includes computers)..I bought a cheapo dvd player last year and it still is working great...i bought 2 emachines 2 years ago and they are still working great..my first VCR cost $700 and my first computer $4800 my first camcorder $1500 (bought one day after thanksgiving this year for $100)..who even WANTS them to work forever??
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ihula
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posted on December 1, 2003 09:29:38 AM new
I bought 3 of the ones at Best Buy for $19.99. One is going to my boys from "Santa", one is going into a gift exchange and the third will probably go to my father, even though it will take him another year to figure out how to hook it up. I don't know why but it didn't even dawn on my to pick up more to resell - you could get as many as you wanted, and they had plenty. I remember the days when I used to go shopping and wonder to myself "what wouold you get for that on Ebay". Maybe I have to get back in that frame of mind. But I do highly doubt that he made that much.
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auctionACE
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posted on December 1, 2003 09:57:09 AM new
When the salesman called the the low end DVD crap he was playing the prospective buyer much the way a carney in a carnival plays the suckers at the midway in the carnival. " Go ahead and buy the cheapo if you're poor " types of psychology.
The cheaper models have to be decent or the return rate would eat them alive and the company would fold.
The stores do everything that they can to get you to buy the higher models. Many times the cheaper items are made messy on purpose by the store to discourage buyers.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
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ahc3
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posted on December 1, 2003 01:33:18 PM new
I have to agree that nobody is making a fortune selling DVD players they purchased for $29 on ebay.
First, most of you pay sales tax. That makes this about a $32 to $33 DVD player. I regularly see low end dvd players for around $40 to $45 now. Assuming you can sell on ebay and it goes for $45, you are paying $3 for ebay fees, another $1.50 for paypal (I would never consider buying an electronic item without paypal no matter HOW cheap) - That is a profit of $8 per item. Assuming you could purchase 20 of these, that is $160 in profit. Then you have to list, deal with the post office, etc. Seems like a lot of work for not that much profit.
Ebay is a good business for me. I am not making a fortune, but I am happy with what I am making. I work hard, and it pays off. I am not going to be retiring in the next couple of years because of ebay, but I do plan on taking a very long vacation this summer because ebay has been doing well...
As far as recommending ebay to others, it is a mixed bag. My parents got in on this a couple of years ago, and they are doing well. They still call me all the time asking questions about how to do things, but they call me anyway so that is ok. I don't know I would want to be the tech support for a group of friends. After doing this for so long, I have things down pretty well. I believe that someone who just started this would probably spend 2 to 3 times as long to do the stuff I do.
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popnrock
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posted on December 1, 2003 02:35:50 PM new
ahc3: What you say make sense. I told Richard that I think this guy was pulling his leg about the profit he had made.
I was always under the impression that buying and selling electronics was a iffy thing. I know I would not do it.
Miss J
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fenix03
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posted on December 1, 2003 04:28:14 PM new
Sure they are selling on ebay in the $30-40 range but have you checked out the postage? I just purchased a 30some dollar region free player with a nearly equal postage charge. The region free aspect made it worthwhile. I consider it disposable, I'll be happy if it works for a year. Of course I put DVD players thru hell with regular marathons thanks to Netflix. Today has been a West Wing season 1 marathon, Last weekend it was 24 seasons 1 and 2. I don't think you are supposed to run these puppies 18 hours a day but I seem to on a regular basis.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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bunnicula
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posted on December 1, 2003 04:46:03 PM new
Ooh! Ooh! which brand of DVD player is region free?!?
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
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horsey88
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posted on December 1, 2003 05:15:00 PM new
popnrock...
Ebay is EASY MONEY. Get the whole family and all your friends involved.
The lady at the flea market told me she was getting $100 on Ebay for the book she was trying to sell me for $25.
[ edited by horsey88 on Dec 1, 2003 05:17 PM ]
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fenix03
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posted on December 1, 2003 06:16:53 PM new
Bunni - I just bought a Daewoo - it's actually my second one (other one still works, I just needed a new one in my office). It is Multi region, plays NTSC or PAL format plus CDs, VCDs, and MP3s.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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bunnicula
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posted on December 1, 2003 08:43:13 PM new
Thanks--I'll keep my eye out for one. There are some DVDs that I want that are only available in the UK, darn it.
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
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fenix03
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posted on December 1, 2003 08:57:01 PM new
Like West Wing Season 2? You know it's just plain wrong that DVDs of some of the US series are available in the UK long before they are available here.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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NearTheSea
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posted on December 1, 2003 09:11:41 PM new
fenix {ok everyone, not ebay related, sorry!) but I have never talked to anyone that used Netflix, and was wondering how it was, is it worth it, how the heck does it work? I *usually* do not rent DVD's anymore, I buy them. But have always been curious about this Netflix.
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
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fenix03
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posted on December 1, 2003 09:52:35 PM new
I LOVE Netflix. My old building had no cable qccess so it was rental or broadcast TV for me. Because of that I have the 8 dvd Plan. I pay 49.99 a month and can get as many DVDs as I want a month with a maximum of 8 at any one time (they also have plans for 3 or 5 at a time) . I go to their website about once a week or so and cruise thru the various listings and new additions to create my queue of upcoming rentals. I have this down to a 3 DVD a day science. As long as I do not decide that I want to run continual marathons of a series I can return and receive 3 dvds a day - in reality I average about 75 dvds a month. I pick what I want and they send it to me along with a postage paid envelope to return it in. I'm close to a distribution center so traditionally they recieve my return the day after I mail it. That afternoon they mail out the next available titles in my queue which I usually recieve the following day. There is no actual limit on how long you can keep a title so so save a fortune on late fees and they have an amazing collections so whether you want popular releases, classics, foreign films, obscure or cult favs (I noticed a whole new crop of Dr Who and MST3K stuff this week) you should have no problem finding it. Give it a try - If I remember correctly they have a free trial period.
I like to buy my favs too but using Netflix rentals is a great way for me to figure out if something is a good "been there, seen it" movie or one actually worth owning. Added plus is that most of the foreign films do not have the annoying copyguards that cause screwy video copies so I can dupe them for those times I really want to work on my spanish comprehension.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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throughhiker
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posted on December 1, 2003 10:32:53 PM new
Hi Nearthesea,
JM2cents worth. I just signed up with Netflix about 6 weeks ago. There is a 15 day trial. I love it! Fenix03 gave a great review but I would like to add that my bigest reason for leaving video stores behind is a combination of very low selection and many only in full screen which I refuse to watch. Until DVD I was at the theater three times a week because I prefer to see the entire movie in wide screen rather than the 60% presented in the full screen vcr/tv format. Why in the world they produce DVDs with full screen as the only option is beyond me.
Netflix has a seemingly unlimited selection, if it is on DVD I think they have it. Great service also. I have experienced about a 6- 7 day turn around from the time I mail it back till I recieve the next one.
Fenix03, I thought I was bad watching 3-5 movies a week!
Don
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bunnicula
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posted on December 1, 2003 10:38:42 PM new
Netflix would cost me too much money: it would lead to me watching many more movies than I already do. And when I see a movie I really like, I want to have my own copy. Which would mean that I'd be buying many more movies than I already do... The mind boggles.
Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
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NearTheSea
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posted on December 1, 2003 10:44:47 PM new
Thanks fenix and throughhiker! I think I might give it a try, esp. if they have a free trial! 
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
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fenix03
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posted on December 1, 2003 11:09:56 PM new
Bunni - you know there are decoders that allow dvd to vhs duping or you can buy the softwar e that the RIAA is trying to get pulled and rip the movie to your computer then burn your own copy. 
No - I don't do this myself - I don't have the patience but Wed. I finally get cable (I moved last week) and between the digital recorder and my DVD recorder I am going to be swimming in new stuff to watch. I may have to downgrade my subscription to only 2 movies a day : )
Hiker - I am an insomniac that works out of my home. There is a never ending stream of movies in my office. You should be here when I decide its time for Mafia Week - All Mafia movies, All the time. You don't want to be a bidder asking a stupid question a few days into that one
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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Japerton
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posted on December 1, 2003 11:11:14 PM new
I love Netflix, too, it's great, because MOST audio tracks and extra features hyped with movies....are not worth it!!!!
So you can try before you buy.
I am in seattle so turnaround is whopping fast!!
Besides...Walmart sucks on oh-so-many levels!
J
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
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popnrock
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posted on December 2, 2003 04:14:57 AM new
NetFlix rules! However my roomate has been catching up on "24" and rents the max DVDs at a time. So I think it's time I get my own subscription.
Why is it when you have the super duper cable package there is still never anything on?
Miss J
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fenix03
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posted on December 2, 2003 05:51:56 AM new
Miss J - Just upgrade your subscription - for the price of two basic subscriptions you can get the one I have which allows you to have 8 at a time instead of two sets of 3.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
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