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 Posted - June 14 2014 : 02:26:44 AM
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After more than a decade of nightly Ebay searching and shopping. I now find myself rarely on the site. There was a time when I searched newly listed Tyco trains nightly, no matter where I was. I've now purchased nearly all train cars, buildings & light ups that I will ever want.. Tons of Tyco slot car track, buildings, light ups etc. I may use ebay to buy the Woodland Scenics products that I'll need. I want only one more building kit...Tyco Truck Terminal...
My eBay addiction has been broken but it was a great way to build my collection... Funny to think about it now, it's like I don't miss it at all !
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Posted - June 14 2014 : 08:59:42 AM
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Walt, sounds like you're in a great place. My participation in ebay comes and goes - and it can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.
I use it mostly for hobby supplies now, with occasional selling.
I hate to abandon my LHS, but on a budget when I figure the cost of gasoline the shipping costs charged come out better for me. And really the selection is limitless.
I love to browse ebay, it's kind of like a virtual train show in that you never know what you might find. On the other hand, it amazes me the prices sellers are asking for things. Crazy.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - June 14 2014 : 11:01:46 AM
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quote:Walt, sounds like you're in a great place. My participation in ebay comes and goes - and it can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.
I use it mostly for hobby supplies now, with occasional selling.
I hate to abandon my LHS, but on a budget when I figure the cost of gasoline the shipping costs charged come out better for me. And really the selection is limitless.
I love to browse ebay, it's kind of like a virtual train show in that you never know what you might find. On the other hand, it amazes me the prices sellers are asking for things. Crazy.
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â June 14 2014Â :Â 08:59:42 AM
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Yes indeed. On Ebay, you never know if the product you buy is going to be a scam or the item on the screen. That's not even the biggest problem actually. I agree that some of the prices the sellers have them go for is completely insane. I know this because I've seem threads on this forum where they showed crazy auctions, prices like that. I've even done my own research to back your information up. Then again, it is a lot like a train show and it does have the thrill of a train show when you find some sweet deal for something awesome. Really, I don't go on Ebay that much either so there you go.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 15 2014 : 6:02:47 PM
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Couple of comments:
1. When it comes to "buy it now" items, E-Bay appears to function (to me) as a great virtual store- nothing I have purchased in that manner has been a disappointment. Then again, I have dealt with LHS hobby shops who have an established internet presence, because they figured out the way to survive is to retail to a larger demographic than those who walk in the physical store. They have a reputation and work to maintain it for, if nothing else, their own business survival.
2. There are " home garage" operations that have solid consumer scores and, as above with #1, an established reputation that they want to preserve, hence good customer service and fairly advertised merchandise (again, buy-it-now mode).
3. I have been a participant in some auctions which ran several days and I was one of only a few bidders- I won a few, and was happy to have that result. The price was moderate (at the end of the process) and I was gratified to get a personal note from the sellers- it showed their character.
4. The bidding process on more-sought after items troubles me, particularly when the bidding cycle is a week long. I wish it were live bidders only during the time frame, rather than automatic bids (robot bidding) cluttering the process and driving the price up beyond reasonable levels. If this happened with only live bidders, physically taking the time to enter each bid and successive upbid of their own, then that would be the market working naturally.
But the robot automatic bidding, even if in increments of 50 cents at a time, is really a stealthy thing and creates an un-natural price pressure that may not truly reflect the real relative value of the item being offered.
That is what sort-of turns me off to E-Bay bidding, as I have patiently placed an initial bid (among others), then waited unti lthe last 15 minutes of the last day, only to be outbid by an automatic bid that was placed electronically at the very last few seconds of the last minute.
Seems a bit rigged, in that respect.
Siouxlake Ron
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Posted - June 15 2014 : 6:49:07 PM
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I have had a pleasant run on eBay for many years. One out of my 14 year auctions was bad (out of 650 plus). A scammer beat us out of $13... I forgot about it quickly and life went on..
I don't bid on an auction I really want. It just drives the price up. I'm one that wait until 3 seconds from the end with an electronic "snipe bid"... There's no time left for others to bid. IF I get out bid, it's because someone bid higher than I did... To me, it can't be any more fair than that... I will gladly use ebay in the future for what ever needs I have... It's just that my nightly needs to search is over
Walt
Luck, usually comes dressed in work clothes...
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Posted - June 16 2014 : 12:52:41 AM
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quote:I have had a pleasant run on eBay for many years. One out of my 14 year auctions was bad (out of 650 plus). A scammer beat us out of $13... I forgot about it quickly and life went on..
I don't bid on an auction I really want. It just drives the price up. I'm one that wait until 3 seconds from the end with an electronic "snipe bid"... There's no time left for others to bid. IF I get out bid, it's because someone bid higher than I did... To me, it can't be any more fair than that... I will gladly use ebay in the future for what ever needs I have... It's just that my nightly needs to search is over
Originally posted by walt - June 15 2014 : 6:49:07 PM
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Glad to see you haven't completely given up on Ebay altogether.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 16 2014 : 02:00:13 AM
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After I found the Rare Conrail Mantua shifter back in December I stopped actively searching on eBay and have t purchased anything off there since the shifter. Just lost interest really. I only go on there to do searches for other people. I simply just don't browse anymore. I focused on the dozens of projects I already have.
I buy, repair, and collect
http://scvr.weebly.com/
http://seyboldlocomotiveworks.weebly.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDeputation?feature=watch
Hyde.
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Posted - June 18 2014 : 7:05:18 PM
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My Ebay pace has also slackened, but not stopped. I still look for specific rare pieces ( Atlas Turbo Express for one ), but for the most part, it's just minor stuff now. I hope to start selling soon, once I get my sorting out started on my immense collection. Hope to turn around my cluttered basement to a more useable state this year.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - June 19 2014 : 01:07:55 AM
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| Say it ain't so Walt...
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Posted - June 29 2014 : 11:02:55 AM
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| I too have stopped buying on Ebay, mainly due to the lack of funds. I also have almost everything I was looking for except for about maybe 5 pieces. The sellers are asking too much now and nothing is really moving unless it is cheap. The days of sellers getting good prices for their trains are gone as is our economy. Folks have less and less to spend on disposable income intems like toy trains, while food, electric and gas prices continue to soar. I have some HO I want to sell but I am not going to sell it at give away prices and/or take a loss on it.....
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Posted - June 29 2014 : 3:57:54 PM
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I don't know - I think it just depends on what you're selling, what week it is, and blind luck. I sold a ton of N-scale track and odds-and-ends last month that I had found at a yard sale. It all sold, even the stuff I considered junk, and for good money. The month before that I sold a bunch of cars on ebay - HO scale - with great results. Last week I put a couple cars on, and not even a bid. I remember that happening last year too.
I know when something comes I'm interested in, there is invariably a ton of other bidders driving the prices up.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - June 29 2014 : 4:23:55 PM
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quote:I don't know - I think it just depends on what you're selling, what week it is, and blind luck. I sold a ton of N-scale track and odds-and-ends last month that I had found at a yard sale. It all sold, even the stuff I considered junk, and for good money. The month before that I sold a bunch of cars on ebay - HO scale - with great results. Last week I put a couple cars on, and not even a bid. I remember that happening last year too.
I know when something comes I'm interested in, there is invariably a ton of other bidders driving the prices up.
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â June 29 2014Â :Â 3:57:54 PM
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What I'm guessing that a lot of people who browse on Ebay like to get stuff in big lots because they think they're going to get something sweet in that specific lot. I can understand that but come on. Not everything I get for model railroading are in lots and I'm still happy with them. 
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - June 29 2014 : 6:52:57 PM
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Yeah, I seem to buy a LOT of stuff for my train layout off eBay, but this is mostly for discontinued products (like the TYCO stuff, older Bachmann and Life-Like products, anything from A.H.M. or I.H.C., some discontinued Walthers products (like their excellent Trainline Dash 8-40 locomotives), etc. Any of the latest stuff I may buy from the Walthers website, or from the local hobby shop (the owner usually sells Atlas, Bachmann and Woodland Scenics stuff... he also used to be a Model Power dealer, and I'm talking him into switching to Life-Like to fill that gap!)
In fact, my Bachmann E-Z Command DCC controller and locomotive came from eBay, sold in new condition for a great price!
And with my steady pay from my Walmart job, I tend to find myself making quite a few purchases a week! I ordered a TCS MC2 decoder off eBay that should be coming in this week.
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Posted - June 29 2014 : 8:40:28 PM
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I don't beLIEve the economy has as much to do with it as the news hypes it to be. I don't wanna play the victim card to the economy drama... I've seen crazy times on eBay in the last 15 years with really nothing to blame it on... I can't let myself feel "victimized" by the economy. IF the economy effects me, I have to do something to overcome it...
I love shopping eBay and will continue to. I just don't have as many needs for now. But I still keep items on my watch page... My whole train & slot collection come from eBay. And I'm gonna say my remaining needs will come from there too!
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Posted - June 29 2014 : 10:37:54 PM
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quote:I don't beLIEve the economy has as much to do with it as the news hypes it to be. I don't wanna play the victim card to the economy drama... I've seen crazy times on eBay in the last 15 years with really nothing to blame it on... I can't let myself feel "victimized" by the economy. IF the economy effects me, I have to do something to overcome it...
I love shopping eBay and will continue to. I just don't have as many needs for now. But I still keep items on my watch page... My whole train & slot collection come from eBay. And I'm gonna say my remaining needs will come from there too!
Originally posted by walt - June 29 2014 : 8:40:28 PM
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Exactly, walt. Just because you think you're done with finding stuff on Ebay doesn't mean you'll never find anything you want on Ebay again. You never know. You could be browsing on Ebay tomorrow and find something you really want.Doesn't mean you will though but still, you get my point.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
Edited by - kovacste000 on June 29 2014 10:39:12 PM
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