The Ebay effect

[Anonymous]

I agree with both of you. I became an ebayer about 6 years ago, and have met some wonderful sellers out there, and even become friends with a few of them. It has allowed me to aquire items, that I would never have had access to, or allowed me to purchase items at a minimum 1/3 less than retail. I collect and operate O-Gauge Trains, as well as Dept 56 Snow Village buildings for our Holiday setup. These buildings never go on sale in the stores unless they are closing them out. I found that it is very easy to get hooked on Ebay. It is almost like gambling..... Ya know that feeling you get when you win that wanted item?

Well, I learned never to bid in the early stages of the auction, becuase all you are doing is running up the price. You need to be patient and bid at the end. You also need to know what the item is worth, or decide a head of time what you are willed to pay. It is very easy to get caught up in it all and pay more than an item is worth.

It kinda is a double edged sword though, becuase this kind of buying can hurt your local train shop, or other hobby stores that you like to frequent, so I believe in spredding the wealth. I spread my purchases over local stores, ebay, and mail order houses.

Joe

[csmith9474]

There was another thread in regards to purchasing from your LHS that skirted this topic. Ebay is great for those oop or rare items no longer available through retail (at least in my opinion). I started to become seduced by the prospect of cheap new production items through Ebay, but quickly realized that it is a good idea to get off my a@# and off the computer and get out into the real world and support local small business. True that it may cost you a little more to shop "downtown", but I think you are getting much more for your money than just a model. There is one thing about Ebay that I definately agree about. It has allowed me to acquire things that would otherwise be unavailable, such as that Walther's Santa Fe Shorty Division Super's Car with the plastic roof for less than $15 (unfinished kit).

[Anonymous]

I agree with you,though I no longer have an account with them as I was threatened by a seller to send out a payment ASAP, even BEFORE the 7 day rule was up.I liked looking and buying old Tyco stuff,and Yatming semi trucks,I have many that I bought from Ebay,though now...I'm glad to be done with them.Yes when you agree to buy the item you are expected to pay for it,though ALOT of sellers are VERY impatient.Alot of things happen in a day,and in peoples lives.ie; accident,personal crisis,financial problems,etc,and most sellers dont even care about your problems. They lack the patience,and I feel that they are ONLY interested in getting the cash.Granted I have had many sellers who are understanding and are patient,but they are far and few,though they are the ones to do business with.To them, there are other things MORE important than money.Its interesting to read all the negative feedback from others whom have bought stuff from the seller.Makes you wonder if its REALLY worth it.

[Anonymous]

You've had the same thing happen to you that's happened to a lot of people out there including myself, and were bitten by the ebay bug. But eventually you'll either burn out or get burned one good time and start having second thoughts about it-at least that was my experience. You have to be careful who you buy from, and always check their feed back. I can live with a couple of negatives if they've sold several hundred item, but I always like knowing why they got the negatives if possible so I'll know whether or not I'm taking a risk by dealing with them.

trainluver1

[tpatrick]

Ebay is a seductive thing. It draws you in and holds you. For me it started last year. I had been on the lookout for a P2K Erie 0-8-0, but with no luck because it was long oop. So, I thought, why not check Ebay. And there it was! Better yet, I won the darn thing! It was cheap, too. Way below msrp. And so I was hooked.

Every day now I look through listings for my favorites - Erie, PRR, NYC, NKP. Every morning begins with coffee, the newspaper and Ebay. Part of the effect is that it has stirred a stronger interest in the hobby. Even when not buying, I like to look at the listings and track the most interesting ones to see if they sell and at what price. There is so much to learn, even for the casual observer.

But it also strikes you in the wallet. Inevitably there is a "must-have" item, like that PRR 4-6-2 from BLI or some piece of brass that is no longer in production. So my locomotive fleet has grown by ten units, including three brass steamers. Every deal has gone well. Every seller has been aboveboard and honest. My only disappointment has been a PRR 4-8-2 with unexpectedly heavy wheel wear, but it runs well and it's the best hauler in the fleet. Oh, and there was an Athearn PA which was, well, Athearn. I thought it would be better.

So there it is. Ebay has deepened my involvement in the hobby. It has given me a chance to obtain items I thought were long lost. It provides hours of entertainment and lots of free information. All in all, not bad.

What do you say? [:)]