eBay Prices

[Tinkerman]

This is becoming my favorite rant. I have been following TR2-3A parts prices on ebay for about five years maybe more. I have bought and sold. Mostly do OK in the buying side, in fact have scored some real treasures.
Before I buy or sell I do my due diligence on current prices. I was reviewing my saved searched and noticed a NOS first gear cluster up for sale. Opening bid $599.99. I almost fell out of my chair. National supplier offers them for $90. The seller is an experienced seller, in fact I have bought from him in the past. I am particularly sensitive to tranny prices because I'm beating my brains out on mine right now.
I seem to recall seeing a thread or two about how our hobby is getting more and more expensive. I offer this as a good example why. Sad thing about it is that someone out there will probably bid on it. I might add that the $599.99 was starting bid, not a buy it now price!
I know that someone is going to point out that on eBay the market determines the pricing and I agree with that, but starting bids also help determine the final selling price.
I book marked it just to see if and what it goes for.

Excuse me same part from the national supplier is $190!

Rant is done, Tinkerman

 

[TR4]

Could the seller have added an extra 9 when setting the opening price? Send a question to them to confirm the opening bid price if you are interested in the item. Seems it would be a good buy at $59.99

 

[billspit]

Its the old adage, let the buyer beware. It too have seen used parts starting for more than the cost of a new one from a vendor. You have to do your homework, which it sounds like you do.

I've been looking at soft tops, tonneaus, overdrive tranny and a hardtop for a Spitfire. They all get bid up way more thatn I am willing to pay. But I did let a hardtop in Charlestown, SC get by me for $49.

 

[Moseso]

It IS the old "supply and demand." "what a willing buyer will pay" deal...

I've been involved with two lunatic markets besides old cars. Guitars and woodworking tools. Both are seen as collectible by some people. Both are seen as "better than the new crap they make these days" by others who wish to actually use them. Prices have gone FAR beyond what the actual woodworker or guitar player can afford in both markets, driven largely by collectors.

"Real NOS" parts will always be worth more than a repop in the old car market, where (as in all collector markets) originality is king. Not that long ago, a really nice looking unrestored TR3 got nearly $40,000 on ebay. Originality is king! That's nearly twice what some really complete and shiny restorations get.

I needed a new T-stat housing for my TR3. It's $49.95 at Moss. Used ones on ebay seem to go between about $20.00 - $60.00 (Watch out for the temp sensor threads!). An NOS parts dealer I asked wanted about $80.00 for a genuine unused old one. That's just the way it is. I got lucky and got a nice used one on ebay for $25.00 that had a perfectly serviceable skirted T-stat inside it at no extra charge. Ebay can be a bit of a crap-shoot, buying parts unseen but, overall, I've had more winners than losers. It's been an invaluable resource in restoring my TR3, producing a few actual unobtanium parts at prices that didn't seem to reflect their actual scarcity.

 

[Brosky]

I learned a long time ago, it's never the deal that you got, it's the deal that you THINK you got that really matters.

 

[TR3driver]

Excuse me same part from the national supplier is $190!

Yes, but what the national supplier sells is not NOS!

Some people really go nuts with that stuff (which is the crowd I think the auction is aimed at). But there is also something to be said for using NOS parts when possible, given all the grief we've seen with erratic reproduction part quality.

Er, what "national supplier" has that part for $190 ? I don't find 510325 listed on TRF at all, and Moss wants $790 for their 845-000. TRF wanted over $600 just for the inner sleeve, before it went NLA.

 

[PATR8]

I have gone completely away from Ebay. The last three times I bid I was out bid in the last few minutes and amazingly the winnning bidder decided they did not want the item so I was offered it for what the winning bid was. Between the sellers bidding up their own items and companies that have the ability to freeze you out the last minutes, I have lost the desire to bid. Although, it is the only place you can sometimes find some stuff

 

[Tinkerman]

Hi Randall, Moss part # 847-050, $188.95 Item # 26 their page #37.

InRe NOS, I buy it always when I can. In fact I have scored some really good buys on eBay NOS parts. I just have a real problem when folks put out items for auction at way out of sight starting figures, but thats me. The fun is in the bidding.
However, Sniper services have turned the auction process into not much fun. I used to sit up late at night with a stop watch trying to be the last one in with the best bid. It was all part of the game. Today as I say it's not fun. I push four or five buttons and go to bed I get up the next day and find out if my sniper service did a better job than the other guy's service did.
I had to do that or stop buying on eBay. I still buy because I can still find a bargan here and there. Course I don't need much anymore.
Sniper services will put your bid in within tenths of a second of the end of the auction, you cannot manualy beat that. I know, because I tried.
I am also aware of the "schill" bidding process. Against eBay rules but tough to inforce. I usually send them back a note offering to buy at my high bid. I have not seen to much of that on TR stuff though.
I am big on doing my due diligence both on the seller and the item. Safer that way.

My thoughts, Tinkerman

 

[TR3driver]

Hi Randall, Moss part # 847-050, $188.95 Item # 26 their page #37.

But that's not what's listed on eBay for $599.99. First of all, the eBay item is for a TR2-3A 3-synchro "crash box", while 847-050 is for the later 4-synchro box. The 3-synchro part is more complicated (expensive) because it also has gear teeth on it, which the 4-synchro part does not.

Plus, the eBay item includes the hub (etc), while 847-050 is only the outer shift ring.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Sniper services will put your bid in within tenths of a second of the end of the auction, you cannot manualy beat that.[/QUOTE]Sure you can. All you have to do is bid more than the amount the other sniper bid. In the last few seconds, he has absolutely no way to know what you bid, all he can do is name his "best price". If you bid more than that, he loses.

I should know, I've lost enough items that way.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I am big on doing my due diligence both on the seller and the item.[/QUOTE]Well, you sure picked a poor example of due diligence

 

[Tinkerman]

"Well, you sure picked a poor example of due diligence"

I wasn't planning on buying the item I was just ranting on about high prices on eBay, mostly high starting prices.

Your right about the four syncro box, thats what I'm rebuilding and thats the blow up picture on my wall. Screwed up there. However I read it as the outer shift ring, one syncro ring and the inner gears for the shift ring. Course I'm not in your league with TR3 & 4 knowledge.

I agree with you on sniper to sniper bidding, I've lost my share that way. I was realy refering to trying to put your bid in manually at the last minute without using a sniper service. Got my head kicked in really often there for a while so thats why I broke down and started using a sniper service. Not really the same amount of fun but you do what you have to do if you want to buy on eBay. I really kind of miss the old style bidding wars I used to get involved in.

Tinkerman

 

[Tinkerman]

"Well, you sure picked a poor example of due diligence"

I wasn't planning on buying the item I was just ranting on about high prices on eBay, mostly high starting prices.

Your right about the four syncro box, thats what I'm rebuilding and thats the blow up picture on my wall. Screwed up there. However I read it as the outer shift ring, one syncro ring and the inner gears for the shift ring. Course I'm not in your league with TR3 & 4 parts knowledge. I know just enough to get in trouble most of the time, thats why I love the forum. In fact this is my first tranny in a looong time.

I agree with you on sniper to sniper bidding, I've lost my share that way. I was realy refering to trying to put your bid in manually at the last minute without using a sniper service. Got my head kicked in really often there for a while so thats why I broke down and started using a sniper service. Not really the same amount of fun but you do what you have to do if you want to buy on eBay. I really kind of miss the old style bidding wars I used to get involved in.

Regards,Tinkerman

 

[TR3driver]

Turns out I mis-stated the case. The older Moss catalog I was looking at describes 847-050 as only the outer shift ring; but their website says it's the entire hub, inner and outer. And my memory played me false about the gear teeth; both versions have teeth on the outside for reverse.

But still, the eBay auction is for the 3-synchro part, while the part you referenced is for the 4-synchro version. The 3-synchro is much rarer and hence worth more (to someone trying to keep a crash box going, anyway).

I agree in general about the high prices on eBay. But a $600 starting price for a NOS item where even repros list for nearly $800 seems pretty reasonable to me.

As far as "bidding wars", you are quite right, IMO. That's exactly the good part about sniping (whether by program or by hand), it effectively turns the auction into sealed bids. I don't know your highest bid until it's too late, and you don't know mine. So, we both have to figure out beforehand what the item is worth to us; and bid that much. If it's worth more to you than to me, that's fine; but what it's worth to you should not depend on how much I am willing to pay. And the last bidder is actually at a slight disadvantage, because the first bidder wins any ties.

But unlike a regular auction, you still pay only what the other guy bid plus a little bit.

 

[NutmegCT]

As an aside, I'm constantly amazed at the number of items on eBay at a starting (or fixed) price *way* over the online (or in store) price at retailers.

Right now I'm watching an eBay Dell laptop at the buy-it-now price of $1299. But I can get exactly the same configuration directly from Dell at $699.

And the eBay seller sold three at the $1299 buy-it-now price in the last two weeks. And has 100% positive feedback.

Another seller has a 30 year old computer for sale in Antiques at the Buy-it-now price of $900.00. Marked "never used, collector's item, a real classic". But the same old computer sells in the Computer section for under $50 plus shipping.

My neighbor's wife buys dozens of things a week on ebay - mostly kitchen stuff. She's really proud of saying "I bought it on ebay!". I've stopped telling her husband that she's getting ripped off.

argh.
Tom

 

[Don Elliott]

I like to keep my 1958 TR3A "looking" as original as I can, but I would not pay $600 for a deal like that when no-one will ever see that part deep inside my gear-box.