As e-bay users know, e-bay as far as getting model railroading bargins has been on the decline for a long time causes being both policy and increased shipping costs. Policy started when they changed their pricing policys, small at first but over time they added up to the point where you have to wade through too much over priced junk that never changes as their is no incentive to ever change the price as the cost is the same to the seller if they have one of e-bays stores (used to be the insertion price changed dramatically with the starting price). So the point is that I spend a lot less time on e-bay and was starting to give up when someone offered up 4 oil and water columns in HO, three in brass for a low start point. Ended up wining for less than $15 out the door and these were not the cheap ones either for the most part, two being Lampert.
I'm a buyer only on Ebay. It still has appeal. It's the only place some things can be found, and if you're patient, you have a good chance of finding it at a decent price.
The down side is that you don't REALLY know for sure what your getting until it arrives. Over all, I find it worth the risk. Dan
Glad you got a good deal.
I use a couple of saved searches to do my watching for me. As you say there is a lot of junk and then there are the high prices. Just saw one that started at a rediculasly LOW price. At the moment it is still a good deal. Too bad I got a good deal on one a few months ago. Yes, I haven't dropped the saved search yet, just for interest.
I've gotten a few good deals, mostly reasonable ones. I've bid too much, and won, on a few, kicked myself that I didn't bid higher on some.. Such is life at the auction.
Have fun,
Richard
I have had good success finding items on Ebay that could not be found elsewhere, and I've been able to recover cash from items I no longer needed. Is it perfect, no, but it works well enough. Brand new items that dealers apparently do not have in stock can be found on Ebay, if I want them badly enough.
John
In the past I have done well both buying and selling on Ebay.
Not so much selling trains, I actually sold custom parts for older GRAVELY garden tractors mostly, just a very few trains.
But they shut me down becuase I would not switch to their new payment system and provide them information I feel is none of their business. They are not my employer, I am not their sub contractor, they do not need my social security number.
When I actually need something, I will shop there as usual, but they are getting lower on my radar.......
Sheldon
I have picked up a lot of things as a buyer on eBay, not just train stuff (but mostly). There have been times that I found items I couldn't find anywhere else. e.g. some 26awg female spade connectors I needed for an electrical project that I couldn't find anywhere else. (Couldn't find the males but I have a plan for that.) Also having an old Branchline kit on the way for a car that I didn't have in my 200+ rolling stock collection.
I will agree though that it seems that they seem to be policying themselves out of the market for both buyers and sellers. As of April 1, they will also elminate the eBay Bucks program other than for special occasions.
I had not bought anything on eBay for almost three months...
The, BAM! I have bought a dozen items in the past week. It seems that a whole bunch of really desirable and hard-to-find items just appeared.
I have been sucked back in.
BTW: One click payment is happening again.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
After a long hiatus I have recently purchased a couple FSM kits on EBay at what I thought was a pretty reasonable price. Just have to be patient and willing to wade through an awful lot of drek to find what you are looking for.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL In the past I have done well both buying and selling on Ebay. But they shut me down becuase I would not switch to their new payment system and provide them information I feel is none of their business. They are not my employer, I am not their sub contractor, they do not need my social security number.
That said, Sheldon, I understand your reluctance to share that information. Here is what I did recently to continue selling on eBay.
I recently tried to sell an item after repeated "warnings" from eBay to link to a bank account. The listing was rejected. So, I opened a checking account with a $100 deposit at a local bank with whom I have no other business. I did this due to my wife's reluctance to give eBay access to general funds on deposit. I will only use this new account for eBay deposits.
After opening this local bank checking account, I signed up for Managed Payments under the eBay system. eBay only asked for the last four digits of my social security number.
However, they also needed to know my userID and Password with that checking account so that eBay could perform two small deposits and withdrawals - - a typical transaction arrangement when opening new bank accounts making withdrawals from other banks (e.g., opening a CD at Bank B with funds from Bank A). I am not sure if that is permanent or if I can change my Password in a few days. But, I will find out.
One drawback with Managed Payments is that eBay takes 3 to 5 days to deposit a buyers funds once an eBay sale is completed. So, a seller needs to postpone shipping the package until the payment to eBay can be confirmed. Otherwise, a buyer might cancel the transaction in which case the seller has no payment and the buyer will still receive the item.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain ATLANTIC CENTRAL In the past I have done well both buying and selling on Ebay. But they shut me down becuase I would not switch to their new payment system and provide them information I feel is none of their business. They are not my employer, I am not their sub contractor, they do not need my social security number. Actually, eBay does need your social security number since it is collecting payments from buyers under the Managed Payments system that eBay has implemented, as required by the IRS. I would also add that PayPal already has every seller's social security number since it collects payments from buyers. That said, Sheldon, I understand your reluctance to share that information. Here is what I did recently to continue selling on eBay. I recently tried to sell an item after repeated "warnings" from eBay to link to a bank account. The listing was rejected. So, I opened a checking account with a $100 deposit at a local bank with whom I have no other business. I did this due to my wife's reluctance to give eBay access to general funds on deposit. I will only use this new account for eBay deposits. After opening this local bank checking account, I signed up for Managed Payments under the eBay system. eBay only asked for the last four digits of my social security number. However, they also needed to know my userID and Password with that checking account so that eBay could perform two small deposits and withdrawals - - a typical transaction arrangement when opening new bank accounts making withdrawals from other banks (e.g., opening a CD at Bank B with funds from Bank A). I am not sure if that is permanent or if I can change my Password in a few days. But, I will find out. One drawback with Managed Payments is that eBay takes 3 to 5 days to deposit a buyers funds once an eBay sale is completed. So, a seller needs to postpone shipping the package until the payment to eBay can be confirmed. Otherwise, a buyer might cancel the transaction in which case the seller has no payment and the buyer will still receive the item. Rich
Actually, eBay does need your social security number since it is collecting payments from buyers under the Managed Payments system that eBay has implemented, as required by the IRS. I would also add that PayPal already has every seller's social security number since it collects payments from buyers.
Well, I'm not a tax attorney, but I have been self employed most of my life and I do my own taxes most of the time.
I would like to see or understand the part of the tax code that requires them to treat me as an employee or sub contractor and potentially 1099 me?
My view of my relationship with Ebay is I am buying a service from them.
I agree with your wife, they are not getting the routing number and account number to my primary bank accounts.
Sure lots of companies I pay money to have that info, but those are people who extend me credit. But there is something about the way Ebay has done business in the past that is less than trust inspiring.
But the real truth for me may be it is simply not worth the trouble to set up a separate account and mess with them for the few dollars I was doing in business on there recently.
And again, I don't have trains to sell, and most recently I was only selling two inexpensive tractor items - almost sold out of the one anyway - the other is intelliectual property - a book I wrote on GRAVELY tractor upgrades.
I simply don't need them from a selling stand point.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Well, I'm not a tax attorney, but I have been self employed most of my life and I do my own taxes most of the time. I would like to see or understand the part of the tax code that requires them to treat me as an employee or sub contractor and potentially 1099 me?
Since eBay did not collect payments before it instituted its Managed Payments program, it was not required to issue Form 1099, but now it will be.
Historically, PayPal was required to issue Form 1099s since it did collect payments on behalf of a taxpayer, but only if the total amount of annual payments exceeded $20,000. But, apparently that changed in 2020 because I got a 1099 from PayPal, and I can assure you that I did not sell $20,000 or more on eBay. LOL.
eBay has never lost it's appeal as a buyer. But because even after many months of no luck on a few items, I am looking forward to train shows starting up again so I have another avenue to hunt.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 eBay has never lost it's appeal as a buyer.
eBay has never lost it's appeal as a buyer.
richhotrain ATLANTIC CENTRAL Well, I'm not a tax attorney, but I have been self employed most of my life and I do my own taxes most of the time. I would like to see or understand the part of the tax code that requires them to treat me as an employee or sub contractor and potentially 1099 me? It is not in the tax code. It is in the IRS regulations relating to businesses who collect payments on behalf of a taxpayer. Since eBay did not collect payments before it instituted its Managed Payments program, it was not required to issue Form 1099, but now it will be. Historically, PayPal was required to issue Form 1099s since it did collect payments on behalf of a taxpayer, but only if the total amount of annual payments exceeded $20,000. But, apparently that changed in 2020 because I got a 1099 from PayPal, and I can assure you that I did not sell $20,000 or more on eBay. LOL. Rich
It is not in the tax code. It is in the IRS regulations relating to businesses who collect payments on behalf of a taxpayer.
OK, thanks, I will talk to my tax guy who helps me when I have questions.
Even when I was selling a lot of tractor parts it was never more than $3,000 or $4,000 and year, and usually more like $2,000.
Makes me glad I'm not in a position to need, or even want, Ebay as a selling platform.....
PennsyLou After a long hiatus I have recently purchased a couple FSM kits on EBay at what I thought was a pretty reasonable price. Just have to be patient and willing to wade through an awful lot of drek to find what you are looking for.
It is not just a dollar amount, it is also the amount of transactions (200).
Some states also have requirements.
https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/how-does-paypal-report-my-sales-to-the-irs-will-i-receive-a-1099-tax-statement-faq729
An "expensive model collector"
n012944 It is not just a dollar amount, it is also the amount of transactions (200). Some states also have requirements. https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/how-does-paypal-report-my-sales-to-the-irs-will-i-receive-a-1099-tax-statement-faq729
I live in one of those states - - Illinois.
Some US States require merchant reporting at a lower threshold:
That's why I got a 1099 from PayPal in 2020. I did exceed $1,000 in gross payments with at least 4 payment transactions processed, thanks to the sale of some older golf clubs that I no longer use.