used photography equpment on ebay (Page 3): I buy quite a bit of Epson ink and many times it is cheaper directly from Epson than from anyone on EBay so why would I pay more to a seller...

Richard Spencer Loc: Evansville, Indiana

I buy quite a bit of Epson ink and many times it is cheaper directly from Epson than from anyone on EBay so why would I pay more to a seller on EBay?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I've seen many items on eBay go for much more than they are worth. People get caught up in the bidding and the concept that I have to have that item. Personally, I decide well ahead how much I'm willing to pay and that's it. There will be another one.

As for your situation, I'd simply purchase a new one for the few dollars more. I'd suggest strongly NOT buying something and then trying to sell it on eBay as new. Technically, it's not new. Even if you never open the box, it's still used equipment. You can sell it as never used, but not new. I think it has to do with some legal stuff.
--Bob

bkyser wrote:

OK, I'm lost. br I use all Paul C buff, mostly Ult... (show quote)

jayluber Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Gotta take the prices with a grain of salt. I was looking for a used canon 6D. New on line stores available for $999. Some used with 45k shutter clicks were asking $950+. I picked up one with 2145 shutters for $700 plus a lens I can sell for $90 off of a Craigslist posting. It was like new.
Jut remember that those listing an item are trying to get the max $$. Some buyers get caught up in the bidding process and pay more than they should.
Establish your highest price and stick to it.

Kuzano

bkyser wrote:

OK, I'm lost. br I use all Paul C buff, mostly Ult... (show quote)

Simply put, eBay defies logic.

I'm a 20 year veteran
I taught continuing education eBay classes for a decade of that time.
I would tell students in my class when asked where I get my items to sell. Simple answer, I buy items on eBay and resell those items on eBay after a "product enhancement" flip. Clean them up if needed, test them, make other slight improvements, and then create a "better" listing than the one I won.
Don't question the system, just protect yourself
Don't get caught up in useless logic
Participate actively and safely
Watch feedback above all
Never bid before the end, and NEVER during auction
Most of my buying now is on FIXED PRICING or BEST OFFER
Most of my selling is now NOT Auction
Most of my selling is now FIXED PRICE W/BEST OFFER
The bulk or my time on eBay is spent on searching, in "sold item"
I require that all of my buy's:
have two years of active listings
have minimum 100 feedbacks at 99.5 % positive feedback

I treat eBay as a business that supplements or even exceeds my regular in some months.
Ebay has been a major source of supplemental income for me for the last 15 years,

Ebay has numerous users who make thousands of dollars monthly and have feedbacks exceeding 100,000 to 150,000 items.

I've never lost money on eBay. Although I have made a few mistakes, I operate my eBay like a fully functional and clean running business.

I have 3 eBay accounts for

1) when I sell for others (commission-28%)
2) when I buy for others
3) Main account for electronics and film gear (very little digital because of the risk involved w/pricing/economics of fast price drops due to product evolution)

Don't judge the system, just use it. It's been incredibly worthwhile for me.

If you are looking for logic on eBay, you are wasting time where you could be making good buy/sell decisions, and good money as a result. Ebay, done right is a lucrative and fascinating business, and run with a good business plan will serve you well. If you are a logical, non risk taking person...eBay is not for you.

Last and most important.

I NEVER make a sell value or buy decision on any item without averaging the SOLD listings on eBay....Never!

No price asked by any person or company has anything to do with real values in the market. The only good decision one can make on anything sold in the real world is based on the price something actually sold in volume. Perhaps some vain or intrinsic value may influence a buy decision.

If you have operated in business, you should know that reasonable market value is:

The price that a willing buyer will pay to a willing seller.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...there are many who *use* Ebay and are successful entrepreneurs. I went to sell an item a couple of years ago and was shocked at the 20% Ebay took from my sale. So, it's probably not the best place to go if you're selling isolated one-shot items, unless you jack your price to get what you think you should get...but then you'd look overpriced, eh? In the end, although I'm not into selling on Ebay, I will certainly *buy* if the price is right. Ebay has excellent sales security in place, unlike Craig's List...

Kuzano

chasgroh wrote:

...there are many who *use* Ebay and are successful entrepreneurs. I went to sell an item a couple of years ago and was shocked at the 20% Ebay took from my sale. So, it's probably not the best place to go if you're selling isolated one-shot items, unless you jack your price to get what you think you should get...but then you'd look overpriced, eh?

Nice point, but the final value fee on eBay is sell price based and normally rounds out to 10%. Round that up by another 1% for posting fees that are non refundable. Posting fees are negligable and avoidable for the most part. If you sell low priced goods posting fees are a factor. As the price goes up costs on eBay go down as a result.

Paying for the item via PAYPAL addes 3%. Ebay is working on another model for payment, but who knows.

You surely need to watch shipping and handling which is not governed by eBay but by the seller.

Lastly, if you need help and you are really looking to get screwed, sell your items to the known buying vendors, KEH, B&H, MPB, and so on. Usually get half of a real sale value. But that's another whole shell game.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

bkyser wrote:

OK, I'm lost. br I use all Paul C buff, mostly Ult... (show quote)

What I have found is that the pricing is different for each geographical area and what seems 'normal' for a given area like Los Angeles is ridiculously high for Peoria. So if somebody buys something at their local Best Buy, and decides they don't want to keep it after the return policy expires, they will list at a price near what was paid. Include local taxes and potentially shipping costs, you can get a very inflated cost for the item compared to other areas.

It was always interesting to me when I lived in DC to see the same sales circular in the Sunday paper for Sears have much higher prices than my hometown Detroit paper. The circular itself was identical in format and photos but with different prices.

Naldo

olemikey wrote:

EBAY is an "auction" style venue...so it requires a lot of due diligence to ensure a good purchase at a good price. I'm quite successful at it (but that doesn't mean I haven't bought a couple of "turkeys"). It is easy to get cought up in a deal (auction fever) and end up paying an artificially higher price. When I decide I'm interested in an item, I look at all other sources, try to determine a realistic $$ figure, and bid based on that... determine my opening bid and how far it makes sense to go with additional bids. Product research and asking specific question of the seller helps greatly. Due to EBAY and Paypal rules and regs, most buyers/sellers are eager to resolve any negative actions with a reasonable solution. For instance, I bid and win a lens I want - but upon receipt it does not live up to the stated condition - so, if usable, I can either negotiate for price reduction, or simply return it for a refund. The downword price negotiation method works well if the item was simply overpriced for what it is (pay $200.00, receive lens, works but not as pretty as hoped for, negotiate downward and end up with a usefull tool for $75, or give it up and send it back). If a seller is uncooperative, they may have had poor judgement or simply bad intent...but the message is "buyer has recourse". Checking what items actually "sold for" is very important - gives a realistic picture of what things are actually worth. I never even start to bid until I have looked at all the aforementioned parameters....

Some things I've found interesting about the EBAY venue:
- You can tell a lot about the quality of a deal by the presentation / picture - number and quality / serial number easily seen / description and I always look at their other offerings to try and determine if they are a reseller, or just someone clearing out their closet.
- Lack or detail can be "lack of knowledge" or it can be "deception". Sometimes it can be hard to determine, and thats a factor all through life....poke at them enough and you will determine "go - no go".
- Don't Pooh Pooh pawn shops (Goodwill, and shops tied to charity can be OK, but often lack knowledge, or can't test an item, etc.), I've bought some very nice pieces at fair prices from them...they don't want issues, and (just an observation) seem pretty honest in general (not always the case with individuals) plus they are required in many states to run the numbers with local law enforcement to limit "stolen" merchandise - individuals, not.
- If it sounds tooo good - toooo cheap - or info is sketchy, move on...if seller responds in an uninformative manner...move on.
- Many EBAY sellers ship priority mail so you actually get the item quickly - even if it is free shipping. Much faster than Walmart for instance!
- To avoid "price runs" I never bid till the end of an auction, generally in the last minute.....no sense in bidding until the end, just put it on your "watch list" and wait till it is time. If you can't be there, pick your high dollar limit and bid, you either win or lose.
- If you don't like bidding, look for the "buy now" and "best offer" listings.

I don't know if any of this helps....but my message is "Don't fear EBAY", use it for the great tool it is...and use DUE DILIGENCE in your purchases.

EBAY is an "auction" style venue...so it... (show quote)

THIS ^

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Are those eBay prices final-bids or seller prices? My problem with eBay is that product descriptions are just someone's words. Some people have had good luck with eBay - the operative word here is "luck."

therwol Loc: USA

bkyser wrote:

OK, I'm lost. br I use all Paul C buff, mostly Ult... (show quote)

Some of the stuff on eBay comes from dealers and has a fixed price. I've bought used manual focus Nikon lenses from Japan that looked like they were never touched and worth every penny, even though similar lenses could have been obtained cheaper from dealers over here. It all depends on whether you're really getting the same used product in the same condition, and obviously that's not easy to tell.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

John_F wrote:

Are those eBay prices final-bids or seller prices? My problem with eBay is that product descriptions are just someone's words. Some people have had good luck with eBay - the operative word here is "luck."

The "sold for" search in the sidebar will tell how much an item sold for and when. I don't believe that it reflects "adjustments" for disputed transactions. If I receive something that does not live up to the ad, I contact the seller and start a "what do we do with this situation" conversation. I never insult or insinuate, just state my reason for unhappiness. 98% of the time this results in negotiation and I get a agreed upon refund amount, often greater than 50%, sometimes as much as 75% (kind of "tells" how much the seller has in an item). Any experienced buyer/seller knows that if a call for assistance is made, EBAY will "fix" the issue, including forced refunds, block the perp from EBAY, etc. Most US sellers with very high "good business" percentages can be counted on for good service. Off continent, I don't know, I stay with North America only. I always contact the seller for description where I'm unsure..I've had sellers email a jpeg so I could check shutter actuations if they don't know how, etc.

All that said, I'd rather buy from EBAY than say Walmarts/Amazons 3rd party vendors - I've had some pretty ragged dealing with them, and not much help from wally/amazon for resolution.

Yes luck plays a part, but that goes way beyond EBAY. I'm an honest person, and do good business....if I get a feeling about a seller, I slow down and start checking.

2cents worth!

DanInPhx

I actually have a Canon OEM off-shoe cord OC-3E on ebay right now current bid $9, currently selling new on Canon’s site for $80. 2 hours left in auction.

trainspotter Loc: Oregon

The deal with e-bay is: watch an BID....I ONLY use the auction part of e-bay...never buy it now. yea it may take a while...but bidding is an art form in its self. That waiting till there is only 9 seconds left and tossing in a bid...is a rush! Remember to add a few cents extra to your bid.

tenny52 Loc: San Francisco

I always check Ebay items on Amazon which have rating and sometimes cheaper. I will check the final price including tax and shipping. Ebay have a lot of items shipped from China which usually takes 3 weeks.
I wonder if some of the Ebay sellers use smoke sites so that they can sell at higher price.

BartHx

Another thing worth checking when looking at an item is the shipping cost. It is not all that unusual for an item that should sell in the $20 to $30 range to have a shipping cost of $75 to $100 added on. If you win the item, outrageous shipping costs can be disputed through eBay, but why set yourself up for that in the first place?