I've put 2 very nice signs on ebay at about half the price that one should sell for. Check out 380087954020. How can you go wrong
Ray
Wow Oh Wow. Nice signs Ray.
Mike
signs are sold. thanks for all emails
Ray,let me say up front that I've never met you nor talked to you and I am sure from posts here on Old Gas that you are a super guy and a great asset to the gas and oil hobby. After seeing what has happened with your auction since last night(ended early), I have to ask this question:Why does one(not just you but others also who list items on Ebay and end auction early to sell off Ebay)put the hype out there for everyone to see about their auctions and then not let them run the distance?
I bookmarked your auction and thought,
yeah,I'm going to bid on these. I come in tonight and get on Old Gas as I always do, go straight to the For Sale and see you've ended auction early and sold them off line. A few months back a California collector listed an enameled or cloisonned Havoline Oils brass clipboard on Ebay that I said to myself, I gotta have that! Bookmarked it and started thinking, how ridiculous do I
want to get with my bid? About the second night I check auction and guess what? Auction ended!
Now I know we've all had this happen at one time or another. It's a bummer to see that seller ended auction early. I know that it is the sellers right to do as he pleases and can sell it off line for a fraction of what it would bring if the auction ran it's course.
I haven't sold anything on Ebay for a couple of years now. For about three years prior to that I sold a fair amount of items. I often had offers to end auctions early but I never would to be fair to all who might want to bid on my items. Often the offers were higher than what the final bid was. I always use E-snipe to bid and therefore don't place bid until 5 seconds before end of auction. No emotional bidding that way!
I guess maybe I should email people all the time and try to get them to end their
auctions early(think of the fees they could save!)Maybe if people would say up front,Hey,if I get a good enough offer I will end auction early! At least you'd know, better contact them and make an offer.
Ray, I don't mean this as any kind of a personal attack and I hope that no one will attack me for having said this. It's just frustrating when you see something you want to bid on in what you believe and is stated up front to be an auction, that just turns out to be a for sale(make me an offer or contact me and I'll see if we can agree on a price so I can end the auction early) advertisement.
Maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, but I doubt it. Pat.
[This message has been edited by puregas (edited 12-13-2008).]
Your probably not the only buyer that feels that way, BUT, if your a seller and you list an auction without a reserve price and there are no bids or there are bids but not close to what you need out of the item then do you really want to take a loss, ( sometimes hundreds of dollars), I don't think so. When I buy on Ebay I also use a snipe bid system. You need to understand that as a buyer your trying to buy as low as you can thats why your using E-Snipe,as seller your trying to sell as high as you can and thats why if its not bringing what you need to either break even or get your money out of the item you end the auction early. I understand Ray,, very simple...
You the buyer is trying to look out for yourself and Ray is trying to look out for Ray... thats how this ole world works...
[This message has been edited by Wes Hague (edited 12-13-2008).]
Ray had them listed with a buy it now. They were sold for that price.(I bought them) The removal was a fee saving move. Can't be upset when an item with buy it now disappears. Shouldn't fault Ray for wanting to save a few bucks considering the price they sold for.
Pat; I know where you're coming from , I like to wait until the last minute to bid. If it has a buy it now or it is explained in the description that it might be sold off line or ended early then all is fair. If this isn't the case then I think the auction should run it's course, after all this is the way real auctions work;;;;;;;;;;;;;Ron
[This message has been edited by oillease55 (edited 12-13-2008).]
Well,I guess I can eat some crow now! Need to wear my glasses and look closer. I didn't see the buy it now. I fully
understand the reason it was ended early now! Avoid paying Ebay their fees that would be due them if Greg had exercised the buy it now option.
Greg,"Should'nt fault Ray for wanting to save a few bucks considering the price they sold for??" Did someone hold a gun to his head? Twist his arm? Didn't he make the decision to list at that price,consider the fees he would have to give up? It seems like more and more with Ebay, it's about people not wanting to pay the fees.If one doesn't like it, don't participate. They are in business to make money even though we don't always agree with their policies. My opinion is that if you're not willing to pay the fees and let the auction run it's course then don't use their services. Like any business, it does cost them for an ended early auction. But then I guess"It's Ebay,they can stand the hit". Would it be any different if it were a Mom And Pop operation? And Greg, as far as Ebay is concerned, the auction did not end with a buy it now price of $1000. The seller simply ended it early, and with possibly a few exceptions, everyone, including E-bay knows what that means: seller sold off line to avoid fees they would have owed Ebay or seller got an offer they thought was way more money than the auction would have brought plus avoided the fees. How many times have sellers cost themselves money because they didn't let auction run it's course.
Wes, yes I use E-snipe hoping I will get it at a low price, but that's not the main reason I do. It is so that I don't have to sit in front of a computer with a second hand watch in front of me and hoping my computer doesn't lock up and miss bidding. I am not going to bid till the end of the auction in an E-bay auction period. E-snipe is great! Decide what you're willing to pay and forget it. If as a seller you're afraid it's not going to bring what you want, then you should have put a reserve on it, suck it up and pay the reserve fee if it doesn't meet reserve.
Wes, with E-snipe and other similar services(I assume there are others)both buyer and seller should know that on good items, the final price will usually be run up in the last minute or seconds.
When I was selling on Ebay, I chose to never use a reserve and always started auction with a low opening bid. I didn't look at how I did on each item but how I did as a whole. I always did well at the end of each year.
I hope that I don't ruffle anyones feathers. I know we all have opinions about what is right and wrong and what is acceptable in the world we live in today. Pat.
Wes,
I am going to have to disagree with one thing you said "if your a seller and you list an auction without a reserve price and there are no bids or there are bids but not close to what you need out of the item then do you really want to take a loss, (sometimes hundreds of dollars), I don't think so."
Then if someone has a dollar amount they want then list it with a reserve then put in the description what your reserve is. some people hide behind a reserve like there is some secret with it and don't want anyone to know. I ask people all the time what there reserve is because if I see a globe that starts out at $9.99 with a reserve and someone's reserve is $500 and I will pay $600 then I know I have a chance but if I see a globe I will pay $600 for and the reserve is $800 than I won't bother bidding.
A reserve is to protect the interest you spent on an item. If you list it cheaper than you paid than that is a chance you take.
On another note Puregas... if I see an item I REALLY want I always e-mail the seller and tell them not to end the auction with out me having a chance to buy it!
Everyone wants to "Get a deal" me included, I might have gotten a deal but to some people I am crazy! LOL Auction are just that... auctions and it takes 2 people to really want it!
I will give you a good example of what happened to me last year. I found 2 Sunoco signs and bought them. I tried to trade someone 1 sign for some cool shakers but I had no luck. I decided I didn't need 2 and decided to sell one. I didn't have a clue of what I had bought! I listed it on eBay and had offers of $1000, $1200, $1500 but the guys wanting it I seen as friends and didn't want to make anyone mad so I said just bid and let the high bidder get it. I if would have only gotten 1 guy e-mailing me for $1000 I might have ended it. Well 2 guys that I didn't know ran it up to $5000+ and I was shocked! Me being a non sign guy decided to sell the best one. I still had in my mind it was a $2000 sign because 2 guys getting carried away bidding didn't make it a $5000+ sign. I traded it to a globe dealer for a killer globe and I know one of the guys wanting the sign ended up with it but then sold it. What is the moral of this story... I don't know because I type so slow I forgot what we were even talking about... it's 35 deg. today and i am going to go take a shower and go to work.
Pat, you say in,,, "My opinion is that if you're not willing to pay the fees and let the auction run it's course then don't use their services",,,
I guess it works both ways, nobody is breaking any Ebay rules here,( ending an auction early), so if you don't like how Ebay works sometimes, then don't use it..., I'm not trying to be nasty Pat,,, but it does work both ways..
If it's so important for you to get the item and probably cheap, then it probably isn't a good deal for the seller.. A deal is only good if it's good for both parties..
Pat I understand and appreciate your point of view. No need to eat crow. Let me clarify what took place. I bought another sign with a buy it now and paid with Paypal, paying all the fees and following the rules. After the fact, I decided to get the pump plates. I offered to send a check and suggested ending the auction. Let's not turn this into a debate over right, wrong and ebay fees. It was Ray's item, per ebay rules he can end the auction. He was willing to pay all the fees involved per his listing. As a friend I didn't think he should. Let's let this go. End of story.
To me, I find it pretty ironic that as a group of collectors we can complain in one thread topic about the unfair tactics of ebay .... and then in the next discussion talk about how we take advantage of ebay and cheat them out of fees that we rightfully should pay.
[This message has been edited by Ohio Oil (edited 12-13-2008).]
Isn't that just basic human nature? The first cave-dwellers learned self-preservation or they didn't survive. How many people who get free ads in local newspapers for garage sales stick to the, "items selling for $200 or less", clause? Someone asks about the old '57 chev in the back of the garage that has been a project before the kids could walk or the old entertainment center or that coffee table your mom gave you. It finds a new home and the seller has some unexpected cash in hand. Never heard of one going back to the newspaper and asking what the bill for selling the item(s) is. Just my 2 pennies worth of trouble, lol.
^^What the heck are you talking about???
Knowingly cheating ebay out of money they have earned on the one hand and then complaining about them on the other is not even in the same zip code as what you just posted.
[This message has been edited by Ohio Oil (edited 12-13-2008).]
& how many of you sellers placed other signs etc in the background that you are hoping someone will email asking what the seller wants for the other items in picture ? I have done it & got some Great deals [BOWSER 300 complete for $1200], NO EBAY FEES EITHER.
Wes and Greg,
I never said that Ray couldn't end his auction early! That's his right! As I said, with a few exceptions, we all know why it's done. To avoid paying fees!
Wes, I never said he was breaking any Ebay rules.It only has to do with why the auction was ended early. Wes, I'm sorry, but I don't have a clue what you mean by "if it's so important for you to get the item and probably CHEAP? It's probably not a GOOD DEAL for the Seller? Why is seller listing it in the first place if he doesn't want to sell it? What's cheap got to do with anything for the seller or the buyer? As I said earlier, as a seller if you want to protect your investment and are not willing to let it go for whatever the ending bid may be, put a reserve on it! As for "if it's important for me to get the item, if it's something I want bad enough,I'm going to place a silly bid on it to assure I get it and then I feel good because I got it for less than I was willing to pay. If I DO get it cheap, it's because no one else bid on it and the buyer didn't put a reserve on it by his own choosing. Ebay is an auction service with fees associated with utilizing their services. They are not a DEAL service. Do buyers end up getting deals at auctions sometimes? Absolutely! That's part of an auction.
Greg,Thanks for clarifying what happened, but I don't think that the first auction had anything to do with the second
auction. After the fact?? Yes they were Ray's items and yes per Ebay rules he could end the auction early which he did. What's with "following all the rules" on the first auction? How many are there with a buy it now? Commit to the BIN and pay! What fees did you have to pay? Any way you slice it or dice it, the auction was ended to avoid paying the fees that Ebay was due whether by his choice,or if you "as a friend didn't think he should." In other words you thought it was okay to withhold the fees Ebay was due. Wait, didn't you say "shouldn't fault Ray for WANTING to save a few bucks considering what they sold for?" I thought you said he was "willing to pay the fees." I think it does have to do with right and wrong and how people can always find a way to justify things. No,I probably shouldn't have turned this into a debate about right or wrong and Ebay fees but I done let da horse outta da barn. End of story. Pat.
[This message has been edited by puregas (edited 12-13-2008).]
OK here is how I justify it. I didn't find out about the pump plates from ebay. I found them through oldgas. In my mind ebay isn't due squat on this transaction. I found them on ebay through a source other than ebay itself. I bought them off ebay. As for following the rules on the first sale I simply mean it was a straight through ebay into paypal transaction with no perception of fee avoidance. Ray paid the fees not me. Who really gives a $#@% whether ebay was left out on another transaction. Pat do you own ebay stock? They were not cheated out of anything at least in my eyes.
Greg,I was relatively sure the "I found them on Old Gas" was coming.The signs were not for sale on Old Gas period. Ray said "I've put two very nice signs ON EBAY" period! Ray used Old Gas as a way to direct Old Gas members to his Ebay auction. Wouldn't Jim have gotten a cut if you had of bought the signs with a BIN bid through Old Gas? No Greg, I don't own Ebay stock and I don't agree with what they are cramming down sellers throats. It's still the best thing out there though. Remember what I said earlier about if it were a Mom and Pop operation? Would you still not give a $#@&? But you don't feel Ebay was cheated so it wouldn't matter I guess. Hey, I said end of story didn't I? My wife says I always try to get the last word in. Sorry.
Hey Greg, don't hate me! Look forward to seeing you in Missouri next month.Pat
The eBay service was used, and you cheated them of the fees. This happens way too often, and it drives the cost up for the rest of us. Greg, do you like it when a client takes your professional photos to CVS or Wal-Mart and makes copies because they do not want to pay your fees? The answer is no. You do not like it because you were cheated out of fees.
Your points were made on both sides. This is enough.
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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
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