I know this subject has been visited ad nauseum before, but I gotta mention this one. I'd been watching this auction, not with intent to bid, but just because it was for something in which I'm interested and was curious what they'd go for
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=380452998204&nma=true&rt=nc&si=V1yREDiIrZoMLp19%252FNGk2df9mZc%253D&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
A final bid in the $20-30 range seemed reasonable for four Kadee-equipped Blue Box hoppers with loads. So when I checked in this evening and saw the winning bid was $100.99, it made my head spin.
I have a bunch of Blue Box and MDC/Roundhouse cars I've lettered for the Monon. Maybe I should put a few of them up for bids, too. I just might be able to pay for my kids' college after all!
Jim
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
At my local club, I got 4 of these with handmade coal loads and kadee no5s for $40.00. I must have gotten a steal. OTOH, I got a kato sd40-2 for half of the retail price on ebay.
Samuel A. Kelly
I can draw pictures with my keyboard!
-------- ( It's a worm)
On the bids, notice it went from $40.00 to $99.99 in one bid.
Folks will pay what they want for what they want. I know what I'm willing to pay for a particular item. When it goes above that amount, I either lose the auction or move onto another one.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
What I noticed was the four cars on the display's top line - the two low-priced ones appear to have Kadees or clones, the two higher-priced ones obviously have horn-hooks...
Also, he might think he has two trestles, but they look like trusses to me. (People who call a bridge a `trestle' because it's being used by trains are one of my pet peeves.)
Fortunately, due to my choice of prototype, nothing he has tempts me.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Notice ...Condition: Used Road #: all the same, 4038
Hi!
That sale price may not be all that out of line. The buyer got 4 different number unusual road cars, with the KDs and the coal loads. Assuming they are as advertised, the seller likely put a good $15 each in them, plus the decaling installation. I suspect if sold separately they would have gone for about $15, but the fact that the buyer could get 4 at once made them more desireable.
I would assume the buyer has a soft spot for the Monon, and of course nobody wants just one hopper for a particular road.
As an aside, over the last 12 years I first bought - and more recently sold - literally hundreds of cars on Ebay. The cars I sold were either still in kit form, or built with KDs, DullCote, and original packaging. Many of these were very old Athearn stock or special runs from Bev-Bel and the like.
On the sales end, it almost always is the lesser known (modeled) RR that got the bigger bucks. Some of these cars were just "plain janes" 40 foot boxcars or two bay hoppers, but they were more likely to get into bidding wars than the Santa Fe's, UPs, and the like.
While I am still surprised at what sells and what doesn't, all it takes is two buyers with a stubborn streak wanting the same item..................
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
At least it was not an L&N coal car .....
Or summat from PC....for those PCholics....
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Look at the final 2 bids. Both were placed almost simultaneously, right at the end of the auction. 2 eBayers using classic last second raid bidding to win the item. The tactic is to hit it high and late to overwhelm the competition. If only one of them had done it they would have got the item for $41 but because 2 used the same risky tactic at the same time, one got burned. I suspect that neither really thinks the cars are worth $100 and probably did not expect to pay that amount. The seller must have a big smile on his face.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
5 years ago I would have said the bidders where nut's. now I don't know. Lot of the current RTR cars are in the $18.00. Being a Monon fan my self I know there are not a lot of there rolling stock out there. Lot of folks do not know who easy it is to make a coal load so that may be a factor as well. So if you really want Monon $25.00 a car may seem fair to them.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
simon1966 Look at the final 2 bids. Both were placed almost simultaneously, right at the end of the auction. 2 eBayers using classic last second raid bidding to win the item. The tactic is to hit it high and late to overwhelm the competition. If only one of them had done it they would have got the item for $41 but because 2 used the same risky tactic at the same time, one got burned. I suspect that neither really thinks the cars are worth $100 and probably did not expect to pay that amount. The seller must have a big smile on his face.
That's not at all what happened. If you review the bidding on that auction, and understand the eBay process, Bidder #1 was leading the bidding with a $40.00 bid. Then, along comes Bidder #2 who is determined to win by launching a bid of $99.99. Had Bidder #1 only bid $40.00, then Bidder #2 would take the lead with a $41.00 bid. But, in this case, Bidder #1 had a "silent maximum" of as much as $98.99, so it took $99.00 to beat that silent maximum bid. Then, along comes Bidder #3 who won the auction with a $100.99 bid but, for all we know, he could have placed a $500.00 silent maximum.
Rich
Alton Junction
Trust me, a lot of times "bidding wars" are more about winning, then actually wanting the particular item.
mobilman44 Trust me, a lot of times "bidding wars" are more about winning, then actually wanting the particular item.
I respectfully disagree. The winner and the second place finisher both "wanted" the item. Maybe they didn't expect to pay as much as they did, but they were willing to pay as much as they did, because they both placed those silent maximum bids. I say that they both wanted the item bad enough to engage in a "bidding war". Of course, in this case, there was no bidding war since they each only made one last minute bid. It was more a case of sniping that a bidding war. Trust me, this was all about wanting that particular item.
blownout cylinder Or summat from PC....for those PCholics....
HEY! I resemble that remark!
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Sorry for the lack of references and clarity.............
I was not referring to this auction, but to "bidding wars" - of which I know what I speak.
richhotrain mobilman44: Trust me, a lot of times "bidding wars" are more about winning, then actually wanting the particular item. I respectfully disagree. The winner and the second place finisher both "wanted" the item. Maybe they didn't expect to pay as much as they did, but they were willing to pay as much as they did, because they both placed those silent maximum bids. I say that they both wanted the item bad enough to engage in a "bidding war". Of course, in this case, there was no bidding war since they each only made one last minute bid. It was more a case of sniping that a bidding war. Trust me, this was all about wanting that particular item. Rich
mobilman44: Trust me, a lot of times "bidding wars" are more about winning, then actually wanting the particular item.
Rich, that is exactly what I wrote! Why tell me I don't understand eBay and then point out that these were last minute bids as well. Neither of these two bidders had participated in the auction until the last 12 seconds.
If you "know ebay", then it is clear that the bidder that placed the $40 bid had acually placed this as a secondary incremental bid. They were winning the auction at $32, their first bid, until the first of the high bids came in at $99.99 with 12 seconds to go. This blew past the $40 increment bid and would have been holding the winning bid at $41 for 6 seconds until the final bid came in. All we know about the final bid is that it was $1 more than the $99.99, it could have been a million$ for all we know.
simon1966 richhotrain: mobilman44: Trust me, a lot of times "bidding wars" are more about winning, then actually wanting the particular item. I respectfully disagree. The winner and the second place finisher both "wanted" the item. Maybe they didn't expect to pay as much as they did, but they were willing to pay as much as they did, because they both placed those silent maximum bids. I say that they both wanted the item bad enough to engage in a "bidding war". Of course, in this case, there was no bidding war since they each only made one last minute bid. It was more a case of sniping that a bidding war. Trust me, this was all about wanting that particular item. Rich Rich, that is exactly what I wrote! Why tell me I don't understand eBay and then point out that these were last minute bids as well. Neither of these two bidders had participated in the auction until the last 12 seconds. If you "know ebay", then it is clear that the bidder that placed the $40 bid had acually placed this as a secondary incremental bid. They were winning the auction at $32, their first bid, until the first of the high bids came in at $99.99 with 12 seconds to go. This blew past the $40 increment bid and would have been holding the winning bid at $41 for 6 seconds until the final bid came in. All we know about the final bid is that it was $1 more than the $99.99, it could have been a million$ for all we know.
richhotrain: mobilman44: Trust me, a lot of times "bidding wars" are more about winning, then actually wanting the particular item. I respectfully disagree. The winner and the second place finisher both "wanted" the item. Maybe they didn't expect to pay as much as they did, but they were willing to pay as much as they did, because they both placed those silent maximum bids. I say that they both wanted the item bad enough to engage in a "bidding war". Of course, in this case, there was no bidding war since they each only made one last minute bid. It was more a case of sniping that a bidding war. Trust me, this was all about wanting that particular item. Rich
Simon, that is the trouble with the written word. It can be misinterpreted. I did not mean you personally. When I used the word "you", I was referring to no one in particular and anyone in general.
Sorry, I did not mean to offend you or challenge your knowledge of the eBay process.
This particular eBay auction was interesting though in the sense that the upward bids are usually more gradual. It is interesting to note, as you did, that the $40 bid was actually higher than even that bidder had hoped to make, but the process forced him to do so since the preceding bidder had obviously set a higher silent maximum.
My only point in making my initial reply was to note that the last minute bidders indeed wanted that item and were willing to pay $100, if necessary to get it. Neither one was going to get it for $41 since there was a shared interest at work there.
"Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost. Bet dollars to donuts I can look at eBay over the coming week and find AThearn Monon hoppers, maybe not a set of 4 in one auction, but certainly less than was paid for those. Heck I might even be able to find unbuilt kits of them! The loads are always available from Motrak and others, $5 for 2 cars. 4 pairs of Kadees - $6 or less. And those still have the Athearn plastic wheels.
I've benefited in the past - I got nearly $80 for a $2 AHM/Pocher car that wasn;t particularly rare or anything.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker "Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost.
"Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost.
Randy, once again with all due respect, I diasgree with both you and mobilman44.
I say that those final two bidders wanted that item and wanted it badly. That is why they bid as high as they did and there was no bidding war or frenzy involved here.
I have been on both sides of the eBay process, as seller and buyer, and I have experienced this very situation in both positions.
As seller, I have witnessed bids being made where it became obvious that it was a "must have" item. And, in a few instances, the eventual winner told me just that.
As buyer, I have won auctions on items, including model railroading items, where I had to get the item "at any price". Sometimes I paid more than I wanted to pay but never more than I was willing to pay.
I imagine that ego takes over in some cases, but it didn't happen here.
Before this tread gets locked for no reason other than boring or a rehash (interesting to me and there are those that have not seen this discussion before). I have seen both sides of the coin and you have to relize that there are many types of people on e-bay, the very rich to the very poor and the people in both categories that will only buy a real bargain (me) and those willing to pay more. I have seen people pay more than retail for an available retail item, they may have not known (a lot of people are surprised to find out most of the mass produced stuff is still available but from another manufacturer (anyone ever hear of Varney). I needed a lot of track cans for my layout room and was able to buy them cheap because they were sold under a different name, now with model stuff it can be the opposite with people paying a premium because they don't relise they can get the same product only under a different name.
rrebell I needed a lot of track cans for my layout room and was able to buy them cheap because they were sold under a different name,
I needed a lot of track cans for my layout room and was able to buy them cheap because they were sold under a different name,
What's a track can?
maxman rrebell: I needed a lot of track cans for my layout room and was able to buy them cheap because they were sold under a different name, What's a track can?
rrebell: I needed a lot of track cans for my layout room and was able to buy them cheap because they were sold under a different name,
Track lighting fixtures?
Milepost 266.2 maxman: What's a track can? Track lighting fixtures?
maxman: What's a track can?
Oh . LOL I was thinking something that went on the layout, not above.
Tom, I couldn't agree more. eBay's loaded with too many fools just begging to be separated from their money.
richhotrain rrinker: "Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost. Randy, once again with all due respect, I diasgree with both you and mobilman44. I say that those final two bidders wanted that item and wanted it badly. That is why they bid as high as they did and there was no bidding war or frenzy involved here.
rrinker: "Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost.
Rich,
I think you and Randy are basically saying the same thing; you just have different definitions of "frenzy". For me - if two or more individuals are vying for the same item(s) and the final bid is 20% or more above fair market value - that would be a "frenzy."; whether done throughout the auction...or in the last 12 seconds.
tstage richhotrain: rrinker: "Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost. Randy, once again with all due respect, I diasgree with both you and mobilman44. I say that those final two bidders wanted that item and wanted it badly. That is why they bid as high as they did and there was no bidding war or frenzy involved here. Rich, I think you and Randy are basically saying the same thing; you just have different definitions of "frenzy". For me - if two or more individuals are vying for the same item(s) and the final bid is 20% or more above fair market value - that would be a "frenzy."; whether done throughout the auction...or in the last 12 seconds. Tom
richhotrain: rrinker: "Auction frenzy" is more like it. Rather than look for a similar item elsewhere, the bidder becomes fixated on winning at all cost. Randy, once again with all due respect, I diasgree with both you and mobilman44. I say that those final two bidders wanted that item and wanted it badly. That is why they bid as high as they did and there was no bidding war or frenzy involved here.
Tom,
I see your point.
But, I would say this. Call it what you will, auction frenzy, bidding war, silent maximum, I refuse to believe that these actions are more about winning than actually wanting the particular item.
It all starts with an interest in the item. Otherwise, the bidder wouldn't be watching a particular auction in the first place. If a bidder decides that he wants the item bad enough, he will do whatever he needs to do to win the auction.
I have done that myself. The most recent example was a desire to purchase the long retired Walthers Bascule Bridge. It really didn't matter to me what the oriignal purchase price was for the item. It was now retired and hard to find. I "had to have it" for my layout, so I was determined that no one would beat me.
What does happen is that buyers sometimes pay more than they want to pay but never more than they are willing to pay.
You folks think 4 of them for $100.00 is high?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-Scale-Monon-50-Ton-AAR-Offset-Hopper-w-coal-load-By-Kadee-/251044491743?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item3a736af1df
There where quite a few in the $15.00 range.
cudaken You folks think 4 of them for $100.00 is high? http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-Scale-Monon-50-Ton-AAR-Offset-Hopper-w-coal-load-By-Kadee-/251044491743?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item3a736af1df There where quite a few in the $15.00 range. Cuda Ken
Ken,
That car retails at Walthers for $41, so the eBay price is not that much higher.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/380-7016
If you need the car, and if it is hard to find, then that eBay Buy It Now is not such a bad deal. Plus, it is free shipping.
Rich, you can all so get it here for $27.39.
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Kadee-HO-7036-50-T-AAR-SD-2-Bay-Offset-Open-Hopper-p/380-7036.htm
Glad I have all the coal cars I need.
Ken