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

Dave Hammelef davhammcar@yahoo.com
Fri, 27 Aug 2004 14:12:30 -0700 (PDT)


Yes,
Ebay is just one more step into the future of
technology. Those who think print ads and print
catalogs will be all thats needed to keep a mail order
company going will soon find out the truth. With
Highspped connection its faster to go the pc and
search an online catalog, get the price and order at
say 3 in the morning then wade through a stack of
catalogs flip pages to find the right one, then either
leave an order on a machine (no imediate confirmation)
or wait till they open to call it in if your not busy
then, and then hope they wrote it all down correctly
cause you dont know untill it (or some of the order)
arrives.

Ebay, is the great american garage sale and just like
2nd hand stores never took the major retailer out of
business ebay wont be the downfall of well run
companies but not embracing technology will be. Yes,
using technology for technology sake is not good
either but I think this one is a proven horse by know.

Dave Hammelef
'64 vair
--- "Eric S. Eberhard" <flash@vicspdi.com> wrote:

> 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
> >_______________________________________________
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> 
> >_______________________________________________
> 
> 
=== message truncated ===



		
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