<VV> vendor , shipping to Canada/ebay/IA Auctions

Fri, 27 Aug 2004 13:40:29 -0700

Lon,

You make some good points, but, ... you are not "with" the 
technology.  Using standard ebay can in fact be a pain.

However, as a seller and buyer, it can be efficient and useful.

As a buyer I have lots of very specialized searches pre-setup.  I spend no 
time looking.  I also have bidding software (knows as "snipe" software) 
which allows me to enter the auction number and max price.  The software 
bids for me in the last 30 seconds of the auction.   Generally I just get 
my search results, if I want to bid I push a button and enter the amount, 
and then wait.

As a seller, there is also good software to help large volume sellers -- I 
am too small for these.

However, Internet Auctions to me are not a replacement for vendors such as 
yourself, they are a supplement.  Generally I find ebay to be excellent for 
finding unusual stuff no vendor has, or for getting a great price on 
something you do not need.

The latter is amazing.  I like the 62 NOS Dash clocks.  I have seen them 
sell on ebay for up to 500 bucks (really!).  I have purchased them for as 
little as 75 and never paid more than 150.  I know a vendor or two 
occasionally has these, but the will want 300, if they have it.  Another 
example, after a year, I got an NOS gas heater (perfect) in the box ... 
100.00 ... or NOS 62 Monza hubcaps, set of 4, 29.00 ... all great prices on 
things vendors do not generally have.

The good price comes by knowing what it is worth and being willing to walk 
from it if you don't get a good deal.  Wait for the next one and try 
again.  It does help to have the Snipe software and not be in a hurry.

As a seller I just find it a good way to unload things I don't need as the 
local market is non-existent.

For "usual" parts and reproductions I always call the vendor first.  So 
don't worry, Lon, you are not being replaced :-)  If I were in your shoes I 
would use ebay to sell expensive and unusual items (like the ones I 
listed).  The time it takes to list and manage a 5.00 item is the same as a 
500.00 item.  You may surprise yourself by getting more than you 
expected.  In addition, it is good advertising for your business for people 
to see your name and see that you do have unusual and cool stuff ... and 
your add can include and advertisement for your company (under certain 
rules).  You could also use it to advertise reproductions that you carry 
and your competitor does not.  A lot of ebay junkies scan that stuff and 
will see it ...

At 01:21 PM 8/27/2004, corvairs wrote:
>According to Ebay that's a good point. And when it is done and a fair 
>price is being charged for the shipping, then it is a violation of the 
>contract. Unfortunatly I've also seen many cases where sellers will charge 
>excessivly for shipping to compensate for the price they actually receive 
>for the item. Additionally it seems amazing to me how many people bid on 
>$1-5 dollar items then pay shipping on each one. Seems like an expensive 
>way to do it.
>
>We've experimented with internet auctions (IA) and will continue to keep 
>one foot in - but the truth is, for sellers with any kind of overhead (or 
>individuals hoping to make money at it) it's a pretty time consuming way 
>to make sales and an inefficient way to buy - But UNFORTUNATLY........
>
>Have IA's  cost Corvair vendors sales? Without a doubt. If there are daily 
>20 pages of Corvair parts that represents signifigant competition. But I 
>just said that it's a poor way for most sellers to make profit and an 
>inefficient way for Corvair owners to buy many items. It doesn't matter -
>
>Many who go into IA's as for-profit sellers, but end up realizing that it 
>doesnt pay off, don't help themselves. You'd think that would be good for 
>the vendors - nope, because if 100 private/semi-professional IA sellers 
>call it quits, there are 100 more lined up behind them to learn thier own 
>hard lessons. (Obviously an exaggeration, but you see my point). While 
>this is all going on energies and sales are diverted away from the 
>vendors. How long can people with overheads hold out?
>
>Of course if you just bought a set of TRW pistons for below the market 
>value on an IA then you'll think I'm a wanker who just has to face up to 
>modern realities - even if that means a new future without Corvair parts 
>vendors. I realize that nothing that I or anyone else says here will 
>change anyone's minds. Business is business - but consider these facts -
>
>1) How many internet auction sellers reproduce parts?
>2) How many IA sellers actually have a meaningful (if any) inventory?
>3) Since most of these IA sellers do it as a hobby (and not much profit is 
>being made at the end of the day) how long will they continue to "play" 
>before they move on to something more profitable?
>4) How many IA sellers have all the parts you need on demand (when you 
>need them)?
>5) What recourse (realistically) do you have when dealing with the 
>multitudes of  IA sellers should you have problems?
>
>Is the future of Corvair parts an International convention where the 
>indoor and outdoor vendor rooms have been combined as a room with a bank 
>of computers all set to Internet Auctions?     Lon
>
>www.corvairunderground.com
>
>
>>
>>I thought that Ebay auctions were binding.
>>How can someone decide to reneg because they don't like the shipping  cost?
>>Tim Abney
>_______________________________________________
>This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are 
>the property
>of the writer, please attribute properly. For help, mailto:vv-help@corvair.org
>This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America, http://www.corvair.org/
>Post messages to: VirtualVairs@corvair.org
>List info: http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/listinfo/virtualvairs 
>_______________________________________________

Eric S. Eberhard
(928) 567-3727          Voice
(928) 567-6122          Fax
(800) 569-1122          Denver Office (I am never there, you can leave a 
message)

928-301-7537 -- you may call any time day or night, I turn it off when I 
sleep :-)  Please try to use a land line first (reception often poor).

http://www.vicspdi.com

Completely updated web site of personal pictures with many new 
pictures!  Includes horses, dogs, Corvairs, and more.

http://www.vicspdi.com/ourpics/index.html