Who Here eBays?

[Bimmer325]

Buying/Selling/Browsing...whatever. Who does it?

[NOS2006]

Hell yeah!

[Nick]

that wasn't an answer :P I buy stuff from ebay...selling stuff seems like a pain in the ass, so if I want to sell something I'll just take it to a local store which sells stuff on ebay for you

[Bimmer325]

No, it wasn't. :lol: Anyway, I've just begun using eBay in my quest for replacement IS300 wheels. Any tips on bidding/winning auctions from veteran users are greatly appreciated.

[Northstar]

I've bought a few things off eBay and my parents have bought stuff too. I got my golf clubs off eBay a couple years ago. If you're bidding on an item, I would reccomend not bidding until there is less than 1 minute to go in the auction; that way you don't inflate the price of the item by bidding when there is still 5 days left to go or however much time there is left. Your "opponets" or people who you are bidding against won't know you're even bidding or interested if you wait until the last moment. Let's say you're willing to pay up to $1500 on rims for your car; I would suggest putting in $1500.02 or $1500.03 because often times people bid $1500.01 so that if someone does bid $1500, they still are winning the auction. Also, I would definetly bid the maximum amount you want to spend; if you want to spend $1500 and the auction is only up to $700, that doesn't mean $700 is the top bid; the person could have bid $1500 and it just happens that the next highest bid was $700. Hope that helps.

[Bimmer325]

Also, I would definetly bid the maximum amount you want to spend; if you want to spend $1500 and the auction is only up to $700, that doesn't mean $700 is the top bid; the person could have bid $1500 and it just happens that the next highest bid was $700.

Hope that helps.

[post="8929"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Wait, so the "Current Bid" doesn't display the highest bid in the auction up to that point? I'm confused.

[Northstar]

No, the current bid isn't necessarily the highest bid. If someone bids $500 and the next person bids $1000, it will display like $550 or something but the person that bid $1k still has that bid, so until someone bids over $1k the person that bid $1k is still the leader. So, if it says the current bid is at $500 and you bid $750, then the person that bid $1k will still be the leader at $750.

[Nick]

I think what he means is you can put down how much you are willing to spend...so fot that example, you are willing to spend 1500 bucks on rims...the rims have no reserve price so if the rims go for 500 then they go for 500...but you can put down 1500 so if somebody bids and the current highest bid is 700, then your money you put down will always be higher until it reaches 1500 or more...

[Flybrian]

He's referring to proxy bidding. The item costs $100. I enter a maximum bid of $200, but it doesn't show that; only the least 'required' bid of $110. You bid $120, to which my proxy bid responds with $130 and matches YOUR bid up to $200 (or whatever I specify). My bidding will not exceed $200 unless I specify so later. If I don't and you give up after $150, my proxy will end with $160 and I'll win. However, if you bid $200.01 or anything above my maximum, you'll win. That's why I suggest watching the item and waiting until the last 10 min (if you can) or so to actually start bidding. That way, if the item look unpopular, someone may go ahead and big $10 three days before thinking no one wants it, then you come in 10 min before and win it for $10.50. It also allows you to exceed the other person's proxy bid with less time for them to react and raise their bidding. I learned all this from my girlfriend, btw, who loves eBay.

[capriceman]

i would buy but i dont trust giveing my Credit card to ebay/paypal if i did it would be money order only6.

[Bimmer325]

So basically if the current bid is $100 and I bid $110, the person who has a "proxy" bid will automatically have their bid increased to $120, or whatever the increment is. Correct?

[Flybrian]

So basically if the current bid is $100 and I bid $110, the person who has a "proxy" bid will automatically have their bid increased to $120, or whatever the increment is.  Correct?

[post="8949"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Exactly. Their bid will increase by that increment until it reaches their preset maximum. Obviously, there is no way of knowing their maximum.

[balthazar]

You have to give a credit card # to register with eBay; either to buy or sell; no way around that.

FlyBrian gave a spot-on definition of how the bidding works. Only thing I would add to all of the above is: if you do wait until the last actual minute and there are a few other bidders involved, you might not have enough time to find out what their bid might be, and you may --in your frenzy to be high bidder-- end up spending more than you wanted to finding out the max bid the current high bidder entered.

My suggestion if you choose to be a last-minute bidder (called 'sniping'): open at least 1 new browser window (if not 2 or 3), all set up with increasing bids. You enter the lowest bid and if you are not then the highest, you can one-click the next bid in in a few seconds. This is mandatory for those sad sacks still using dial-up. (HI THERE!)

I've been on eBay for about 5 years now, primarily selling. I do sell a large quantity of other's stuff for a cut; anywhere from 25% to 50%. Best item I sold was my wife's cousin's never-assembled pedal boat from the '60s. He thought it might have gotten $100 or $200 and about fell on the floor when I showed him it sold for $2100. Edited September 3, 2005 by balthazar

[Bimmer325]

So the primary downfall to bidding at the last minute (or "sniping") is that you won't know if your bid will be the highest until after you've entered it, and then potentially won't be able to bid again for lack of time. Sound about right?

[Northstar]

So the primary downfall to bidding at the last minute (or "sniping") is that you won't know if your bid will be the highest until after you've entered it, and then potentially won't be able to bid again for lack of time.  Sound about right?

[post="8955"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yeah, but if you are only willing to pay X amount of dollars then it doesn't really matter that much. If you don't want to spend more than a certain amount, IMO you should just enter that at the end because then the other bidder(s) won't be able to outbid you when you're already at the maximum you want to pay.

[balthazar]

Right, that's why I recommend having multiple browser windows set up with ascending bids, so you can just click 'submit bid' in a second. Covers your ass if you really want the item.

[ToniCipriani]

Bought a few times from it. Particularly I got my Oakleys there B)

[PARANOiA]

Dad sells GM NOS parts on there for a living

[LosAngeles]

Someone post or PM me and school me on selling. I know that paypal (who I'm already registered with) will take a cut, and I know it helps to have pics of some sort. But how much does it cost to post something; how many items can you post that are tied to your account; is whatever you post guaranteed to sell; and what comes first, getting paid for the item, or shipping the item to the person? I got all kinds of stuff I'm ready to get rid of, from records to crap in the garage to the car.

[bobo]

I've bought a few things on eBay, a couple of cheap things, and of course that troublesome Aurora. I've also bought a couple of things directly from eBay sellers and bypassing the auction. Sellers' good feedback helps give confidence, but it is not a guarantee that things will go well. I've pretty much soured on the whole eBay thing, though I still look daily on it for Auroras just for fun. You need a credit card to register with eBay only if you use one of those free email accounts. If you use one with your ISP, there's no need.

[Bimmer325]

Yeah, I never had to enter a credit card number during registration.

[balthazar]

>>"I know that paypal (who I'm already registered with) will take a cut, and I know it helps to have pics of some sort."<<

5 years running and I still don't use PayPal. I take personal checks, money orders (and sometimes I even get sent cash). It's never been a problem and PayPal doesn't get any of my money.
You really have to have pics. I've seen a number of rare, desireable items listed but with no pic: no bids.

>>"But how much does it cost to post something;"<<
Varies depending on a number of options. Items starting less than $10 with no extras (such as reserve price or 'Buy It Now', etc) are 35 cents IIRC. Add to that a percentage based on the selling price. For instance I just sold a pair of '60 Caddy taillight bezels, cost me .60 cents to start it, they sold for $46 and based on that eBay took $1.89 more. Gross: $46, net: $43.51


>>"how many items can you post that are tied to your account"<<
I don't believe there's a limit, I've seen individual's selling around 100 items at once. (How they keep track of the payments & shipping, I cannot imagine.)

>>"is whatever you post guaranteed to sell;"<<
Of course not.

>>"and what comes first, getting paid for the item, or shipping the item to the person?"<<

Always get paid before you ship it. And if it's a check- wait until it clears before shipping. Buyers always pay for shipping costs, too, unless you're extraordinarily generous. I have gotten pretty good at estimating; sometimes I'm over, sometimes under. It equals out over the long run. If you want to make 2 trips to the post office over one item, knock yourself out.

>>"I got all kinds of stuff I'm ready to get rid of, from records to crap in the garage to the car."<<
Cars are a different catagory. They cost $40 to list. I sold one last year for $1000, eBay's cut on top was another $40. All cars & car-related stuff is actually on ebaymotors.com

If you poke around on the ebay home page, you'll eventually find all the requirements & charges explained.

I love eBay. I found this baseball ticket stub in a book I bought. I could not throw it away, it was from 1944 (Boston Braves). It sat around on my desk for 8 months before I took a pic and threw it up. Sold for $26. You start looking at everything around the house... Edited September 4, 2005 by balthazar

[LosAngeles]

Cool with me....once I finally find a digital camera, I'm getting a GANG of crap out of this house....

[Petra]

I've only bought anything off eBay once: My CD Walkman. That was a couple years ago. I haven't won anything since, though I have bid on a few items. But it's really frustrating when you think you're going to win but somebody steals it from you at the last second. Also, since I live in Canada, I'd have to pay duty on anything I bought from the U.S.

I still like to browse around eBay and look at stuff, though. There's lots of interesting things for sale that are hard to find anywhere else... Like this unusual, Japanese-made Fender Jaguar with humbuckers and a fixed bridge:

[Bimmer325]

At this point, I'm having trouble understanding why anybody would bid so early on in an auction. Wouldn't it benefit everyone to wait until the end? In one of the auctions I've been watching, two people successively outbid each other several times in the first day! All I see that doing is adding on to the final price they'll have to pay in the end. One user (new to eBay), keeps outbidding himself for some reason (I'm talking 6 or 7 bids until someone else bids). Why would anyone do that?

[Northstar]

Well if it has a reserve maybe they are trying to meet the reserve so they can actually buy it. Another thing could be that they are trying to knock each other out of the auction by seeing who wants to pay more. They also would probably get rid of people who have a certain limit they want to spend if they go over that limit. But yes, for the most part it is pointless and only raises the price at the end of the auction.

[Bimmer325]

Also, could someone explain how PayPal works. As you can see I'm really new to this and need all the information I can get. Thanks.

[Sixty8panther]

My feedback is 466, 100% positive. Mostly I buy and sell License plates and car emblems. I've sold hundreds of emblems. Mostly GM, I scouer the Chevy, Pontiac, Cadillac, Oldsmobile & Buick section fo the junkyards and grab emblems, trim & other small items to sell on ebay.

Last night I sold my Friend Sean's Camaro (mentioned in another thread)

Check it out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...QsaspiZ2QQfviZ1

[Bimmer325]

I'm new to the whole PayPal situation. I don't know the first thing about how it works. Can someone explain? Thanks.

[NOS2006]

i would buy but i dont trust giveing my Credit card to ebay/paypal if i did it would be money order only6.

[post="8947"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I've done money order once. Worked fine but took twice as long to get the product.

My mom and I just have a separate bank account ONLY used for eBay. When we win a bid, we just put the exact change in the account. Works great!