Looking For Conjectures & Speculations

[Phostenix]

I've noticed over the years that items on ebay that are in need of repair typically go for nearly what working items go for (or more). This is especially true of tube amps and guitar pedals. I also have noticed that items that need repair will get far more views than a corresponding working item, which leads me to believe that there are lots of people (like me) who are searching for broken items.

My thinking as a potential buyer who will probably sell the item after it's repaired is that I need to factor in the worst case parts scenario (power transformer, etc.) & be able to make at least enough money on the deal to make it worth the time & effort. That usually equates to 1/2 the price of a working unit, in my mind. But, the prices people pay for broken gear suggests to me that there are lots of bidders out there that:

A: Want an item anyway & feel they are capable of fixing it, so a small discount is all they want.
B: Get so caught up in the desire to win an auction that they overbid.
C: Think most broken items are a simple & cheap fix and are willing to gamble.
D: Don't care what about the cost, they just want something to fix.

Since the internet is all about uniformed opinions, hear-say, & conjecture, I thought I'd ask if anyone has any other theories?

These are the things that keep me up at night....

[booj]

I agree. Problem is, I'm one of those guys the buyer goes to to get things fixed "cheaply". It can be a nightmare. That's just another reason for building my own stuff. Hey, some of my stuff doesn't work. Maybe I could sell it on Ebay! (That's a joke. All of my stuff works great) but if it broke...

[tedmich]

many ebay fools looking for a bargain will buy something the buyer KNOWS is irreparable: "can't test, sold as is" "tech says its an easy fix but I have no time/money/equipment." "Maybe you can figure it out" Its like the Nigerian scams; they think they are taking advantage.

Along the same lines many items (especially computer gear) sells for more money than a new item from newegg...go figure.

[Chuck H]

The answer is "C".

But... These buyers are willing to accept the possibility of a greater repair cost and will:

A) Resale the item as is (after all it did go for whatever they paid in it's current condition)

B) Accept that they won't make a killing on every transaction and do the repair hoping to break even

C) They just want the item and feel it is worth fixing to get a consistent price on that particular unit.

The information age is a real bitch in some regards. I personally hate that someone with very little time invested in a specialized area can gouge into the value of an item, broken or otherwise, and niche in on territory previously exclusive to me (and others here). But that's the way it is and we all play on the same field, so...

I would assume the worst case scenerio for any ambiguous "needs repair", "broken", "as is" or "doens't work" item being sold on Ebay. It's not my practice to make shady deals, but if I did, and I had a "worst case" broken amp to sell I would surely play it down and even pretend I wasn't really sure what I was doing so that I could get bids from guy's who think they could repair it cheap. This probably won't be the case most of the time, but it will happen some of the time. Either learn to play the odds and break even (a hard lesson that won't get you ahead most times) or always assume the worst case scenario and bid accordingly.

JM2C

Chuck

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by tedmich

Along the same lines many items (especially computer gear) sells for more money than a new item from newegg...go figure.

Used laptops on ebay go for stupid prices. It makes me wonder if people ever check to see what things are worth before they start bidding.

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by Chuck H

... always assume the worst case scenario and bid accordingly.

That's what I do & it's why I win so few auctions....

I've actually had 1 pedal that was just a dead battery (doh!), but usually the fixes aren't bad. You certainly couldn't make a living doing repairs on ebay, but I like to think of it as a hobby that actually can make a little money. There aren't many hobbies like that.

[gbono]

I've noticed that certain "vintage" amplifier footswitches almost sell for what the amplifier goes for.

So am I the only one that believes shill bidding is standard practice on ePay?? If you are looking for items to repair and resell to make money $$ it's not happening on ePay.

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by gbono

So am I the only one that believes shill bidding is standard practice on ePay??

So THAT'S why my Vibro Champ didn't go for what everyone else was getting!

[tedmich]

Originally Posted by gbono

I've noticed that certain "vintage" amplifier footswitches almost sell for what the amplifier goes for.

So am I the only one that believes shill bidding is standard practice on ePay?? If you are looking for items to repair and resell to make money $$ it's not happening on ePay.

and ebay would have no interest in controlling this, would they...

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by tedmich

and ebay would have no interest in controlling this, would they...

No more than they care about stopping counterfeit parts from Hong Kong, but that's another story.

[gbono]

ePay has only one interest and that is ePay must make money with a minimum of investment of resources and/or assests. Obviously you don't sell much on ePay if you think ePay "cares" about anything but the above prime directive. To make it all about work ePay must get the buyers to: pay with PAYPAL and be the happy sheep that feel the ePay experience is safe and fair. Sellers are a necessary evil in the equation.

Probably should move this thread to Soap Box.

[Steve Conner]

I've also noticed this effect and I think the answer is B. The tendency to overbid kind of makes up for the big cut that Ebay/Paypal take out of your winnings. As a small-time seller, they force me to offer Paypal as an option. But I'd probably offer it anyway, because it seems to make buyers feel safe, and that encourages them to buy. 80% of a sale is better than 100% of no sale.

When I bid for something big on Ebay, I always decide the amount I'm willing to pay beforehand, and then place one bid for that amount in the last 5 seconds of the auction. If I don't win, that's too bad.

"Untested" or "sold as seen" translates as "We didn't test it because we knew it was completely f***ed and we don't want you, the buyer, to know that."

[Phostenix]

Originally Posted by Steve Conner

When I bid for something big on Ebay, I always decide the amount I'm willing to pay beforehand, and then place one bid for that amount in the last 5 seconds of the auction. If I don't win, that's too bad.

That is usually my strategy, too. I figure out what I want to spend & then add a few dollars. I hate losing by a dollar.

I will snipe on a normal auction, but on broken items, I'm trending towards just putting up the bid when I see it & letting it ride. It seems that on a lot of broken items, the bid will stop at a certain point (when people are actually being reational) and the first bidder to that point will win with no snipers at the end.

[Ted]

I'm actually even more cynical about buying stuff thats supposed to be working. I always factor in a new set of valves for anything that the seller can't show has been revalved recently.

House clearance type companies often quite genuinely do not have the facilities to test old valve amps - I've taken a few punts on stuff from them and mainly done quite well. Best buys are stuff that blew up in the 70s when it was worthless and not worth fixing and was put in the attic for 30 years. But you only know that when you have it in your hands...