RE: [Leica] Which stampede?

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

The main point with Ebay is that, indeed, you can get things for less money
than would expect to pay a deal for them - as you are, in effect, buying
them from an individual who doesn't have the dealer's overhead - and
sometimes lacks the dealer's greed - and, at the same time, as Duane points
out, there are some items one can sell for a much higher price on Ebay than
anywhere else because it does bring in buyers from all over the world.

By the same token, there is some absolutely stupid stuff on Ebay that sells
for rediculous prices because Ebay creates a market for it....like the Leica
boxes, etc., we've all kidded about.

B. D.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Birkey,
> Duane
> Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 4:36 PM
> To: Leica Users (E-mail)
> Subject: [Leica] Which stampede?
>
>
> Donal wrote:
>
> but I am putting my entire Pentax 67 system (2 bodies, 5 lenses,
> polaroid back) on market and finally looked at eBay for the first time
> today and it looks a wonderful place to buy gear cheap, but a terrible
> place to sell for anywhere near what prices are advertised in
> Shutterbug.  Or am I missing something??    Sure a place to buy Leica,
> though.
>
> donal (who hopes he hasn't started a stampede).
> - --
>
> The first stampede was from Shutterbug to the WWW and E-bay....  Have you
> noticed how few ads are in Shutterbug as opposed to 2 or 3 years ago?
> Second... ebay and the www have really brought in the supply and demand
> economics to the sale of many items....   It used to be that your local
> dealer could charge really high prices for uncommon items as you weren't
> likely to find them at the competitor down the street.  Now things that
> weren't so common at your local store are "everywhere" on the www and the
> price has dropped.....   I've noticed over the last couple of
> years certain
> items that are now selling for 50% or so of their former value on e-bay as
> well.
>
> I've bought stuff for a lot less on e-bay than I had ever seen at
> a show or
> dealer.  And one can now find nice Scoville Waterbury cameras and other
> stuff that you never saw before.  On the other hand, when I sell
> my Canon FD
> system... I won't get anywhere near what they used to sell for.
>
> At the same time...  things that are truly unusual or in great shape can
> bring higher prices because now you've got some guy in Wisconsin,
> Montana or
> New York who is willing to pay more for an item than any of the people who
> would drop by the local store.
>
> Remember that store prices will always be higher because they
> have salaries
> and overhead to pay and in many cases offer a 90 day mechanical guarentee
> that costs money too...  and dealers tend to ask a higher price hoping
> someone will pay it and lower it over time as opposed to giving it away
> early on.
>
> But you will probably find that you will end up with more money by selling
> it yourself on e-bay as opposed to paying a commision to do so on
> consignment through a store or trading it in.   But I've been
> wrong before.
>
> Duane Birkey
> HCJB World Radio
> Quito Ecuador
> Duane's Photographs of Ecuador
> http://duane_birkey.tripod.com
>
>