[meteorite-list] AD... Time to get back to work

[Galactic Stone & Ironworks]

Hi Jim, Doug and List,

eBay is a fickle mistress.

I have heard one well-known dealer describe eBay as "a hell for
sellers and a heaven for buyers."

I've been selling collectibles on eBay for about 10 years - since the
days before PayPal (remember BillPoint?) and the behavior of other
eBay members has always confused me.  I try to make sense of the whims
of the market and just when I think I have it figured out, the bidders
(or the sellers) throw me a new curveball.

I concur with Doug's conclusions about watching a cheap BIN item.
There are many reasons behind this phenomena - some financial and some
that are quirky at best.

I have a cheap $10 USB Wi-Fi dongle on watch right now.  Why?  Well,
it's a little complicated, but here goes - I have a backburner project
right now that involves building a "Wok-Fi" parabolic amplifier to
boost my wireless internet reception.  I discovered this need for this
while staying at a rental beach cottage whose promised "high speed
internet connection" was slower than dialup and more sporadic than
Robert Downey Jr.  The project requires a few ingredients - a
parabolic dish (or facsimile there-of), a USB Wi-Fi dongle, and a USB
extension cable.  I searched the web to find a suitable dongle (hold
your jokes) and found this one on eBay.  I am not ready to buy it yet,
because I don't have the other parts rounded up yet.  My wife's
birthday (and our wedding anniversary) are both next week, so I am in
a cash pinch at the moment.  I put the dongle on watch, so I can go
back and easily find it in a couple of weeks when I am ready to
assemble the amplifier.  Why don't I just BIN because it's only $10?
Because, as sad as it sounds, $10 makes a difference to me right now -
money is that tight.

But, I do have to agree that if money is no object, then it makes
little sense to put a BIN item on a watch list.  Either use the BIN or
move on to something else.  But, who is to say what motivates each
watcher?

Best regards and clear skies,

MikeG






On 9/27/09, Mexicodoug <mexicodoug at aim.com> wrote:

> "I have a question that has puzzled me for some time....... On a cheap

> item, $20- buy it now, why would anyone bother to watch it? "

>

> Hello Jim !

>

> Maybe the IRS.

>

> $20 is more money than 2/3 's of the current eBay prices in the

> collectibles category.

>

> Maybe they debate between (grocery shopping and cooking a romantic home

> cooked steak dinner for two), or (some old rock or 40-kopeck (USD

> $0.01) postage stamp).... so they put it on a watch list so it doesn't

> get lost.

>

> Or maybe long on bids and with a fixed perk budget. Losing other

> auctions, he would pounce on the $20 thingy.

>

> Maybe she is 11 years old and $20 is her week's allowance and she is

> waiting for her "paycheck". Or ditto, retired, fixed income, unemployed.

>

> Do you happen to have several of the same items for $20? Maybe one of

> your competitors thinks $10 has been the standard for whatever the item

> is, and he may be thinking, let's see how quickly Jim sells these at

> $20 !

>

> My money is on the latter,

>

> Kindest wishes,

> Doug

>

>

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Jim Strope <nwa482 at comcast.net>

> To: Meteorite Central <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> Sent: Sun, Sep 27, 2009 11:51 am

> Subject: [meteorite-list] AD... Time to get back to work

>

>

>

> After playing all summer, I find that I must get back to work. So I

> have

> started listing on ebay again. All items so far are buy it now listings

> with

> some of them accepting reasonable offers. Noteable items are a complete

> Portales Valley Stone, nice Esquel slices, complete Millbillillie,

> Gibeon,

> Planetaries etc, Link is below:

>

> http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=catchafallingstar.com

>

> I have a question that has puzzled me for some time....... On a cheap

> item,

> $20- buy it now, why would anyone bother to watch it? It is only $20-

> and not

> an auction where you would want to know where it ended or wanted to bid

> at the

> last minuite? What is the logic behind cluttering your watched item

> list with

> this kind of cheap item?

>

> Good luck to all as I have some exceptional items offered and plan on

> adding

> more in the next few days.

>

> Jim Strope

>

> http://www.catchafallingstar.com/

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-- 
.........................................................
Michael Gilmer (Florida, USA)
Member of the Meteoritical Society.
Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
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