posted on July 21, 2004 03:32:35 PM
A friend of mine and I were discussing this disturbing trend of walking into a garage sale and seeing computer printouts of completed ebay auctions attached to items in that sale that were for sale. He concluded that with the rapid growth of ebay and the declining numbers of "people with no PC" the days of walking into a sale and walking out with treasures unknown to the sellers is numbered, He thinks within 5 years there will be no use going out at all. I dissagreed stating that I am having a fine summer so far with little trouble making large profits from the items I have found despite seing a lot of overpriced, ebay appraised items. I say we have more than 5 years of juicy picking left where he is throwing the towel in...
posted on July 21, 2004 04:24:33 PM
I think I'm on the forefront of a new wave -- should have more than 5 years of life in it before the competition from other eBay newbies becomes too tough -- I take my computer printouts of completed ebay auctions around with me to various garbage dumpsters and check things out before I cart them home -- working great -- all kinds of bargains -- price is right, list it on my tax form as "Disposable Income" -- running lots of "as is" auctions though, trying my hardest to scrape the ants off before I sell...only a few complaints so far about the smell...
posted on July 21, 2004 07:56:02 PM
Before Ebay, the people having garage sales used to say it's selling for XXX$ downtown". Nothing has changed. They want retail prices when they start at 7:00 AM, but drop the price 75% at noon when the mercury hits 100 degrees and all they can think of is getting back inside under the air conditioner. At the rate Ebay is going with their category specifics, no one will be able to find anything for a price comparison in about 2 months anyway.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on July 21, 2004 09:55:00 PM
Interesting topic. It's hard to say what buying and selling on ebay will be like in 5 years. Everybody will be on the internet, but after making peanuts selling their stuff on ebay, they might just go back to having garage sales. What really worries me is the large number of ebay sellers willing to work for about $1.00 per hour.
Brick and mortars' websites like Walmart.com are also going to be serious competition. There are some impressive websites out there and I've been buying a lot more stuff lately on non-ebay websites. One thing's for sure, it's gonna be tough making a living on ebay.
posted on July 21, 2004 10:56:47 PM
What happened to that Ebay Live tv show that was talked about months ago. I don't think that will every happen. I think with the changing technologies, ebay will have to change also or die. Interesting to see what 5 years will bring
posted on July 22, 2004 03:55:05 AM
Some antique dealers have done this for years before eBay: "I could take this to (Brimfield/The Pier Shows/Texas, ect.) and get a lot more", and just as with the eBay notice, you just want to say: "Well, why don't you just do that?".
And of course, we already now the answer to that.
As for finding treasure at sales, it would depend on what you mean by treasure. I am only interested in "traditional" antiques, so haven't stopped at yard sales in years, other than ones for charities. And as for "newish" stuff, it is so cheap in the stores right now, what's the point?
I see eBay moving more to "fixed price" sales (which seems to be 90 percent of it now, if you count the "faux" auctions). While good for some, it kills the excitement and de-motivates the bidders.
posted on July 22, 2004 04:28:44 AM
Yesterday, now, 5 yrs. from now, and 10 yrs. from now, I find quite a big segment of the population that are completely adverse to PC's and the internet ... you will still be able to find great bargains at their yard sales.
imho
Matter of fact, my sister-in-law said, "I was thinking of having t-shirts made that read, 'I'm computer illiterate - and Proud of it!'" ... then she asks me, "Ya think those would sell well?" ... I said, "Not on ebay"
[ edited by estatesalestuff on Jul 22, 2004 04:31 AM ]
posted on July 22, 2004 12:16:22 PM
I had one today with a Griswold No.12 pan and wanted $150.00 because she said that is how much they sell for on eBay. I told her she would be lucky to get half that on eBay so she got out her printout to show me. Her printout was for a pan with lid. The lid is over half the value of the set. She said she had not noticed that it had a lid. She did what I have found most people do printout the most expensive no matter what the condition or what is missing.
I think the best picking right now is on eBay. I get great deals to resell at shows and flea markets. Most of the stuff I use to sell on eBay I have found I can take to the flea market and get just as much for and the rare items sell at shows for as much or more than eBay for cash in the hand.
posted on July 22, 2004 10:23:04 PM
When I see those Ebay printouts at a garage sale, I just come right out and tell them that if they are offering to a global market, they might just get that kind of price, but right here in little old Arlington, with maybe 20 folks gonna look at it today, it's very unlikely. Ig they're so familiar with Ebay's prices, why aren't they selling it on Ebay, duh! Dreamers!
posted on July 23, 2004 09:11:40 AM
Yes, there was a time, but that time has passed, basically.
Back in the mid 90’s, we went to an occasional yard/garage sale, but we stopped that years ago. We found such takes too much time, gas, etc., for the little of value procured. Then we started going to local auctions (we live in a rural area and in the late 1990’s most folks still weren’t computer oriented) and you could pick up items at auctions cheap, that others had spent the day buying at garage sales, but that time too has passed.
THEN, there is the endless, redundant time spent photographing “one of a kind, unique items,” and we decided if we were going to accomplish anything on line we had to have a steady supply of items to sell, and we dumped the yard sale/garage sale , auction sources – went with new items, and have NEVER regretted it. We also use to import from England and Europe, but still we were dealing with one of a kind items, and although many brought a handsome price, it is highly time consuming.
Because we have 4+ web sites, we often get mail from folks saying something like:
”My grandmother left me this old widget, and it is in perfect condition,” would you have any idea of the value?”
OUR standard reply, we get this so often that I have a “pre-written reply,” is that the value of an item is what it will sell for (what the market will bear), not what some books says it is worth, or what some local antique dealer says it is worth after they charge you to appraise it or how much sentimental value it has to you. Then I send them to eBay to search to find what similar items are selling for.
Regarding the “it was my Grandmother’s” prelude, their Grandmother may have bought it the day before she passed at the age of 40, and Granny may have died only a few months before you get the question. Just it belonged to someone’s Grandmother doesn’t mean it has value, or age.
We remind everyone who asks such questions, that what anyone, including those TV Road programs, says something is worth, is just that a comment by someone – ONLY what it will sell for determines the value.
