Elan II wrote:
I don't mean to create the wrong impression. I actually find ebay to be very useful and generally safe. I have several rare old lenses that even on ebay only come up a few times a year. Without ebay, there would be none for me to find.

What I see happening a lot is a temporary surge in the price of a particular lens because of a very favorable post at one of the larger photo forums. If I go to a DP Review forum right now and post a glowing review of a particular lens, with a few really nice images, ebay prices can jump as much as 50% for a couple of weeks. Especially if this is a lesser known lens that doesn't usually fetch a premium price. I think photographers as a group are pretty impulsive, where ebay is better suited for cool heads.




I completely agree. 2 years ago I bought a mint Voigtlander 125 Macro for $800 from Ebay and I thought I paid too much since the original price was $699. Then 2-3 months later at NikonCafe someone started comparing it to Zeiss ZF 100/2. Guess what, Ebay prices jump to $1500 average. So I sold it to fund 2 Zeiss ZFs. I also got a Voigtlander 180/4 used from B&H for $260 couple of years ago or so just months prior to its being discontinued. I monitor Ebay and price was in line till late last year when the forums created a buzz and comparing its performance to the CV 125 as the same. Now I can easily get $450-500. But I will hold on to this one this time.

Robert Spencer wrote:
One thing that has always bothered me about ebay is know that winning an auction ( or buy now) means that I was willing to pay more than anyone in the world to get that item! Its hard to come away feeling bright about that kind of purchase. My two cents. Take care. Bob


Bob, you have to tell yourself you won the auction because most people in the world did not realise the good deal to be had here and missed the opportunity they would otherswise have jumped on!

That's how I sleep at night

tuannie wrote:
I wonder what the owners are going to do to these when Nikon finally announce the replacement. Whatever it is...I don't think it will be 3.5-4K for the new replacement. Ridiculous!

Tuan

For sure. Nikon needs to get hot on this one and put a stop to this insanity!

David

I've bought quite a lot of stuff off ebay (photography gear included), and the only issue I've had has been a DVD that was cracked on arrival (seemingly dislodged from it's holder in the post) that the postal carrier wouldn't cover because it was a couple of days between my receiving the package and opening it, and I'd thrown out the packaging.

Bidding on an item before the very end of the auction is silly in my opinion, that's what encourages bidding wars, just waiting until the last minute and bid as much as you're willing to. I have never bought anything off ebay that I wasn't getting at a considerable discount.

globalkiwi wrote:
There are good things to be had on eBay but you do have to know how the system works & be knowledgeable about the item you are buying. Just as there are people who will let themselves be drawn into expensive bidding wars, there are sellers who either time or price their auctions poorly & consequently let things go for less than they're worth.


Exactly. Many people who don't know what they are doing blame ebay.

I have bought and sold great gear there. As a seller, it gives my a far larger audience for an item where I can get actual retail value rather than wholesale from KEH.

As a buyer, if a particular lens has a number of listing, you can often get a good deal by offering the seller something on the side. I just bought a mint 300 F4 D lens for $400.

It has its uses.

Occasionally a seller will put up a listing with an unrealistic price to see the level of interest. I have done that too, put a lens up for sale, just to see if there is any interest. There won't be any bids but people will enquire and add it to the watch list, so if you see a couple of dozen people watching it but no bids you know that there is interest, you just need to adjust the price.

Overall, I've bought and sold most of my equipment on ebay and have had no problems whatsoever, but I am very careful on who I sell and who I buy from.

What sucks about the high price ebay sales, is that this sets the market rate for other FS venues--like this forum.

Elan II wrote:

And I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.



A coconut? Oh lordy...have to dig out my Monty Python script....

Soldier #1: Where'd you get the coconuts?
Arthur: We found them.
Soldier #1: Found them? In Mercia? The coconut's tropical!
Arthur: What do you mean?
Soldier #1: Well, this is a temperate zone.
Arthur: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land?
Soldier #1: Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
Arthur: Not at all. They could be carried.
Soldier #1: What? A swallow carrying a coconut?
Arthur: It could grip it by the husk!
Soldier #1: It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.
Arthur: Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?
Soldier #1: Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?
Arthur: Please!
Soldier #1: Am I right?
Arthur: I'm not interested!
Soldier #2: It could be carried by an African swallow!
Soldier #1: Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's my point.
Soldier #2: Oh, yeah, I agree with that.

Haha! You're thinking this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFXG3r_0B8


I was actually referring to Benny Hill. That line was a recurring theme in his show.


This was the Merv Griffin tune that started all this coco-nuttiness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGSWH66FpA0