Are some eBay sellers hurting Classic Computing?

[Omega-TI]

I really like my classic computer, but to be honest, some of the fun is wearing off.

Why? ... Well, feeding a 'Classic Computer' can get time consuming, and even aggravating. Then there is the expense of trying to get your system 'just so', only to be thwarted by an auction or a greedy seller.

 

My main pet peeve(s)?

 

#1) Greed. I'm no cheap bastard, but some of the sellers would rather let an item set in a box unused and gathering dust for decades, rather than sell it at a fair price. Some of the minimum bids are so outrageous they are not even funny. One would think that after re-listing an item 20 times or more, even a mental midget would get a FRIGGIN A CLUE! You know, the easy stuff like, their item is not made of of gold or it's not worth as much as they think.

 

These sellers are wasting peoples time, and I believe they even drive some people away from the Classic Computer market out of frustration and futility. They might want to consider the gravy train will not go on forever, a lot of these buyers are getting old or even dying. Do they really think some 20 year old kid is going to pay a premium for some "old next-to-worthless (to them) box"? Maybe his grandpa used one, but the youngsters have no emotional connection to this stuff. So just keep holding on to this stuff forever, you may get caught holding the bag when the market dries up.

 

#2) Dishonesty of a few sellers can poison a buyers enjoyment of their hobby and even drive them away and out of the market. It's pretty bad that a person has to get a magnifying lens out to look at the pictures, or read every carefully parsed word in a description. Also, is there only one photo? What are they hiding? I purchased an item once that looked good, only to find out later that a stock photo was used. It cost me twice what I expected just to restore the item.

 

A hobby is supposed to be enjoyable, right?

[Andre81]

They might want to consider the gravy train will not go on forever, a lot of these buyers are getting old or even dying. Do they really think some 20 year old kid is going to pay a premium for some "old next-to-worthless (to them) box"? Maybe his grandpa used one, but the youngsters have no emotional connection to this stuff. So just keep holding on to this stuff forever, you may get caught holding the bag when the market dries up.

 

So where can I pick up a Ferrari Dino for free? All those teens who once wanted one must be dead now.

[kevincal]

The problem is ebay charges little to nothing to list something for sale for 30 days, that lots of collectors are basically putting their collections on ebay for top dollar and not really minding if the stuff doesn't sell... Yes lots of greed and stupidity on ebay. You just have to be persistent and smart with your ebay searches and you will ALWAYS find great deals. Just takes time. And a bit of luck. First rule about buying on ebay is having low expectations. Most sellers are not professional and don't know how to properly take pictures, condition grade, description, bad packaging, slow shipping. So you gotta have kinda low expectations which means only buy good and great deals. If you spend top dollar and get bad service over and over, you will end up hating ebay, but its partly your fault for paying top dollar! Find those steals, they are on there. Trust me.

[sega_SHARK]

I really like my classic computer, but to be honest, some of the fun is wearing off.

 

 

A hobby is supposed to be enjoyable, right?

Then enjoy what you have.

 

Let them post auctions at crazy prices and let them sit there. It takes a seller longer to take pictures (or post stock photos) and list an item than it does for you to scroll past it and say "fuck that."

[+save2600]

eBay policies and the culture they've created and foster, clueless and greedy sellers alike all contribute to both the enhancement and destruction of the hobby. What gets me are the people that think everything they have is rare and worth big bucks. That mentality (which has resulted in a false over-inflated market) has really put the brakes on my Amiga collecting. Too much speculation these days across the board and on too many things that in all reality, are hardly even worth the cost of shipping.

 

To enjoy the hobby anymore, one has to really wade through and filter out all of the crap. Craptastic sellers especially. Takes a lot of time and energy though, so easy for some of us with disposable income to just say "screw it" and move on to something else. I know lots of people that have gotten out of collecting for these very reasons. Only natural I guess.

 

So yeah, enjoy what you have. Or not and move on!

[+Gemintronic]

The only thing that hurts is when local shops and flea market/salvation army places treat eBay like a price guide. I'm not going to fall for that and they wont sell anything. Everyone loses.

[sega_SHARK]

A lot of topics have come up over the last year or so about what is destroying the hobby.

 

VGA grading, promotion of rare games through youTube channels, crazy high starting prices for eBay auctions, all of that points to a bubble.

Video games are seen as a new get rich quick scheme by a lot of sellers who believe that they are sitting on gold.

 

My two cents?

I sold off a lot of video game stuff recently and built some fun shelves for the games I've kept. The awful side effects are:

 

My video games are easier to get to and more organized.

It's faster to fire up a system and play.

I spend less time on eBay. (I'm still on too much though)

I'm playing more.

 

 

The only thing that hurts is when local shops and flea market/salvation army places treat eBay like a price guide. I'm not going to fall for that and they wont sell anything. Everyone loses.

Nah, only they lose. You walk away with cash in your pocket and the knowledge that you didn't get ripped off.

[homebrewreseller13]

I have been reading these threads for a few years and just not commenting because I like to see what other people have to say but I also sell some on ebay and I think you guys are bit hard on sellers. I mean not every seller is out to get rich and I don't think some of you take into consideration that Ebay and Paypal both charge final value fees including shipping cost. All most of you see is this guy wants 14.00 for said game or item and think he is making 100 percent profit well after all the fees, shipping cost, and what he paid for it did you all ever consider he may be only profiting 2 or 3 dollars. Give it some thought before you go bashing ebay sellers we are not all crooks. I just want to add that some E Bay sellers do make me angry also like the guy trying to sell a HALO 2600 for 500.00 or best offer what a joke. but for the most part most of us (at least myself) sell just enough to support my purchase's of used, new, and homebrews.

Edited July 27, 2014 by homebrewreseller13