dxAce wrote:
wrote:
mike maghakian wrote:
a used sony 6800 just went for over $800 on ebay, even though the past few
have sold for less than $400. there was nothing special about it !
Wow, thanks for posting that link. Now that is truly astounding. How
can Ebay allow such bidding to happen in a public place. Collectors
should not be allowed to perpetrate that kind of bidding action and run
up the price. It's just terrible to think that Ebay actually allowed
the final bidder to pay more for the radio than the next-to-the-last
bidder.
And when Mike Maghakian bids, the auction should end right then and there. After
all, the radio can't possibly be worth more than what he is willing to pay,
right?
Shame on eBay.
dxAce
Michigan
USA
Mike comes by some of his skepticism honestly, though. One of the
groups he was involved in was a rather close group of Grundig
collectors, some of whom put radios up for time to time. And other
members would bid up the price to see to it that legitimate bidders paid
their maximum bid. I left the group because of it.
That group, as I understand it, is no longer in existence, but
watching that kind or activity definitely leaves a bad taste, even for
legitimate auctions that reach stratospheric prices. Add to it the noise
of Radio-Mart and others who prey on novices to the hobby with their
deceptive practices, and....well, you get a pretty jaded view of not
only e-Bay but some sellers here on the newsgroup.
The real problem with e-Bay is that it tends to attract a very large
group of individuals, some with deep resources, with interest in any
given product, creating the potential for a bidding war with absurd
outcomes. Whereas a local brick and mortar auction draws from a limited
pool of interested individuals, most of whom may not be interested in
any given product. Prices remain reasonable. Values can be had.
By its nature, e-Bay favors the seller, and the house...the very
reasons e-Bay exists. No one should be surprised at the nonsense that
occurs there. Unfortunately, it's popularity makes it the prime location
for the sale of products that we're all interested in. And few of us can
outbid Joe Walsh, or any like him, if he should decide he really wants
something.
Thom Monaghan entered the collector car market and virtually
singlehandedly drove most legitimate collectors out of the market by
driving up prices. Though that's not really likely to happen with SW
radios, a lot of formerly affordable rigs have been priced out of reach
by speculators and the antics of Radio-Mart and his kind.
Mike's disdain for these goofs is easily understood.