Whatever Happened to EBay?

[Paul_Maul]

Why does ebay suck so much more than it used to? There are no real auctions anymore, and so few interesting items.

I just searched "wacky PSA". 950 results came up. 37 of them were actual auctions, and 4 of those had a nonzero number of bids.

So of 950 items, exactly four are priced reasonably enough to attract buyer interest. What fun!

[Paul_Maul]

Granted, I'm not factoring in the BIN items that have sold. But so many just seem to be listed and re-listed. If I see that gumless pack at $70-100 one more time I may scream.

[koduck]

Why does ebay suck so much more than it used to? There are no real auctions anymore, and so few interesting items.

Hasn't it always kind of sucked?

[Campy]

I have to agree, eBay as fare as Wacky product is a joke, there are a few sellers that sell back and forth to each other to keep the prices up but the same items are listed by all of them and they are way over priced. I have stopped "bidding" on items now. I just put in the price I am willing to pay and forget about it, if I bid at all. There seems to be fewer and fewer people selling on eBay (maybe due to the fees) but whatever the reason the selection stinks!

[Paul_Maul]

Hasn't it always kind of sucked?

Not nearly as much, ten years ago high quality vintage items would come up pretty regularly in an auction format. Never happens anymore.

[jleonard1967]

I agree with all of the concerns, however if eBay is not working, we have to find a forum that does work.  I think it is people putting up all their crap, hoping it is going to sell for big dollars, when in fact most if it is crap.  I also agree that I could look at 1000 auctions and only a few are worth even bidding on.  I just have no other way of looking for Wackys.  That is why I drive the 800 miles to the Philly Card Show, and hit as many little card shows as I can.  I have teamed up with many Sport Card Shops to buy their non-sports cards.  However I am now seeing that those guys are slowly raising the prices of what they sell me.  My final straw was when one of the shops called me and said he had a bunch of cards (about 300) from various sets from the 50's.  However he described one as 1953 when it was 1961.  his mistake was going on eBay for verification.  I finally told him if you are going to Cherry pick the cards he could keep them all.  Now I agree it is his choice to do that but if you call me in to buy cards,  well you know what I am getting at.  I am out of Ideas of what can be done.  What I know is people think Old = Money,  and it is hard to convince them that not all of their cards are worth big $.  ( have got out of craiglist and ad flyers for this reason).  The most efficient way I have purchased cards is Networking.  I have gotten the best finds this way.  I know this is a big rant, however if anyone does have any other ideas to find non sports cards let me know.  Next week I am going to the Chicago National Sportscard show to network there. -JOE

[jaylynch]

It's true that you gotta' search... But there's always that one in a million deal.  For example:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261253125049&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

I also have two cancelled checks I made out to Art Spiegelman in l977, endorsed on the back by Art.  These I will sell separately.  I'm willing to entertain offers for these two right now.  If no good offers come in, I will put 'em on ebay.   If you have a signed edition of the first Wacky Packages Abrams book, these vintage checks signed back in '77 by me and Art would make excellent bookmarks.

[Shrunken Donuts]

as a seller I have to use buy it now or best offer format to protect myself against the cheapskate yard sale mentality buyer.  (in my opinion if you're going to use a reserve you might as well just use buy it now or best offer).  I get way too many cheapskates sniffing around my listings and have been burned in the past when using the traditional auction format. for example not long ago I had a flashback series 1 gold listed at 39 dollars or best offer. I think that was a very fair and reasonable starting/maximum price. Yet I did not get one single offer on it. What the hell do people want?  A Flashback gold for $10??  that's exactly what would have happened to me if I had done the traditional auction format. No thanks.  I'll just hold onto it if that's the way people are going to be.  Buyers need to be reasonable too.

[BumChex]

I've already mentioned that I hate the new search engine. It also searches by category and not just words in the subject. I think they want more exposure for other auctions but it really stinks.

[Kook]

Not nearly as much, ten years ago high quality vintage items would come up pretty regularly in an auction format. Never happens anymore.

I think the bulk of the high quality vintage items have found their way into collections, and the majority of people from the 70s have had their attics cleaned out by now, so fewer untouched misc vintage collections hitting ebay. It's more all the leftovers that are sloshing around waiting for beginners to scoop up what's left.

[Bigmuc13]

Granted, I'm not factoring in the BIN items that have sold. But so many just seem to be listed and re-listed. If I see that gumless pack at $70-100 one more time I may scream.

Dave,

I see that auction as your fault.  I am sure that seller is certain that there is a PSA 10 Grime Heavy in that pack!! 

[BustedFinger]

I think one of the big factors for why you see so much overpriced crap being listed on eBay over and over is the fact that they eliminated listing fees.  I think you can list up to 50 items per month and not have to pay anything unless the item sells.  So why not throw some stuff out there that is overpriced to see if you can get someone to buy it?

And eBay now also has a feature where your auction can be automatically re-listed if it does not sell.

[dth1971]

I never use e-bay.

[jaylynch]

The enhanced fees ultimately lead to a different type of item we ebay users must concentrate on.  The cancelled check collectors are a major force to be reconed with.  Today, I am selling my cancelled checks made out to utility companies in the year l977.     http://www.ebay.com/itm/JAY-LYNCH-underground-comix-21-cancelled-1977-checks-AUTOGRAPHED-utilities-/261256801656?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd41e6d78