warwickhunt Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I've always thought this and I've voiced an opinion on it once or twice but I feel that it needs raising again! We all love eBay bargains and secretly hope we are going to bag that xyz bass or amp that no one else has seen as it's in an incorrect category etc.... then you come onto BC and it's been flagged up on here for all to drool over! Bang goes potential bargain. Isn't it a bit defeatist to flag up all auction equipment on this section? Fair enough if it is a Buy It Now that others might not have seen, first come first served great but you may well be urinating on someone else's parade by letting all and sundry know about it. I can appreciate that we are just trying to help out fellow BCers who may want something that we ourselves don't want and it is very community spirited but I feel that if it isn't a Buy It Now item we are potentially pushing up the price for those members that have already spotted it. Please feel free to call me a miserable git and argue otherwise. However, bear in mind that I have personally highlighted several BIN bargains for members and have even PMd links to items that I know members are interested in, so I'm not being a money grabbing barsteward. I simply think that it is self defeating posting about every potential bargain that we come across! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 i was thinking the same thing this afternoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='99029' date='Dec 4 2007, 06:14 PM']I've always thought this and I've voiced an opinion on it once or twice but I feel that it needs raising again! We all love eBay bargains and secretly hope we are going to bag that xyz bass or amp that no one else has seen as it's in an incorrect category etc.... then you come onto BC and it's been flagged up on here for all to drool over! Bang goes potential bargain. Isn't it a bit defeatist to flag up all auction equipment on this section? Fair enough if it is a Buy It Now that others might not have seen, first come first served great but you may well be urinating on someone else's parade by letting all and sundry know about it. I can appreciate that we are just trying to help out fellow BCers who may want something that we ourselves don't want and it is very community spirited but I feel that if it isn't a Buy It Now item we are potentially pushing up the price for those members that have already spotted it. Please feel free to call me a miserable git and argue otherwise. However, bear in mind that I have personally highlighted several BIN bargains for members and have even PMd links to items that I know members are interested in, so I'm not being a money grabbing barsteward. I simply think that it is self defeating posting about every potential bargain that we come across![/quote] What have you spotted, Mr. Hunt? Come on... dish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99ster Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 +1 I think I'd have to agree... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='99035' date='Dec 4 2007, 06:19 PM']What have you spotted, Mr. Hunt? Come on... dish it. [/quote] You evil minded swine Not me! However I do know someone who was intent on bagging a bargain that was recently blown out of the water. I genuinely have no axe to grind (nor have I ever had in the past) but I do wonder how I'd feel if I was hugging a little buried treasure close to me electronic heart and some well intentioned BCer plastered it all over here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Completely agree and I think this has been raised a couple of times. Pretty sure I will end up backing out of an item tonight because of this very issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassaussie Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Yep, I agree. I think if you've spent the time to try and find a bargain, it seems a bit counter-productive to then tell everyone else about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenofthedepths Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I think it's fair enough if there are no bids and hardly anyone's likely to want it, but encouraging multiple people to bid on it certainly detracts from the idea of it being a bargain... that said, if someone is only prepared to pay a bargain price and someone else is prepared to pay more, why shouldn't they be informed..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 (edited) [quote name='queenofthedepths' post='99077' date='Dec 4 2007, 07:15 PM']I think it's fair enough if there are no bids and hardly anyone's likely to want it, but encouraging multiple people to bid on it certainly detracts from the idea of it being a bargain... that said, if someone is only prepared to pay a bargain price and someone else is prepared to pay more, why shouldn't they be informed..?[/quote] I think most people in that situation would probably wait until the last minute to bid so the logic of that argument escapes me. If an item is listed on e-Bay let's say very badly and in the wrong place and you spot it. No-one is bidding because they are looking in the Bass Guitar section and this is in Guitar Amps. You have a chance to bag a bargain and then suddenly it is announced on this forum. Suddenly the world and his wife know and a bidding war ensues. This isn't about what you are prepared to pay, it is about the fact that you have found the listing by being creative in your searches. Why should anyone else benefit from that.... Now I may have a biased view as somewhere in this very section is a posting about a MM Sub I "bought" only for another scrote of a BassChatter to offer more for it and take the sale. I would have happily paid more for it as I know the value, but it didn't have a reserve and mine was the highest bid. One of the comments on that posting was, "Well it went too cheap".....and that is why i got stiffed. Yes it did, but I spotted it and "bought it" for that amount but didn't get the candy. I have no issue with BIN sales or highlighting rogue e-Bayers. Rant Over Edited December 4, 2007 by BassBunny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='queenofthedepths' post='99077' date='Dec 4 2007, 07:15 PM']I think it's fair enough if there are no bids and hardly anyone's likely to want it, but encouraging multiple people to bid on it certainly detracts from the idea of it being a bargain... that said, if someone is only prepared to pay a bargain price and someone else is prepared to pay more, why shouldn't they be informed..?[/quote] As it has been pointed out most regular eBayers hang fire till the end but my point still stands... are you doing any fellow BCers any good by highlighting an auction style listing? We then start outbidding each other! Fair enough you'll only pay what you want to pay and if someone has deeper pockets they win but you've hardly done the other fellow BCer(s) any favours by turning the general populace onto a potential bargain and a subsequent bidding frenzy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phsycoandy Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Warwick man u have a point well made and something ive often been concerned about......perhaps this forum title should be removed! we all like a bargain.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Hmmm. No easy answer on this one. It cuts both ways. One of my best buys this year was an old Ibanez P-bass which I got for around £100. I wouldn't have known about it were it not for Bassassin pointing it out, and also remarking that it was worth substantially more than that. That was open for any other BC-er to bid on. No one did. Also, bear in mind that a lot of highlighting of eBay basses relates to warning people NOT to buy the real dogs, or to fall for the scams. That doesn't mean that Warwickhunt is wrong, of course. Just that there's good to set alongside the bad. FWIW, my own preference would be to continue posting these finds. It may reduce the number of bargains brought about through vendor error, but there are plenty of other routes to a bargain than relying on the vendor screwing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 There's a lot to be said for that Warwickhunt. If you're on the look out for for a specific item or just a bargain in general, and have put the time in on ebay, you'd not be overjoyed to see a thread about it. On the other hand, some BCers have actually benefitted from these kind of threads. It's a bit of a two way street. Plenty of links go up in the JapCrap thread, and I consider these more of an information service more than anything else - a lot of these basses go for bargain prices anyway (for what they are) and Jon's comments are usually an education. I'm equally as sure that particular thread has prevented a few unsuspecting people from buying Japcrap in the truest sense of the word. I wouldn't like to see a ban but yes, maybe people could pause to reflect before posting a link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 My suggestion would be to encourage postings of any BIN offers. Members can take them up if they are what they want OR if you know of a specific member looking for something then by all means PM them (me... anything Warwick and pre 91 ). I really don't want to see the eBay section closed it's very informative but I'm sure for every member that has found a bargain due to its mention on here there is someone kicking the cat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='99118' date='Dec 4 2007, 08:08 PM']As it has been pointed out most regular eBayers hang fire till the end but my point still stands... are you doing any fellow BCers any good by highlighting an auction style listing?[/quote] Maybe one of your 'fellow BCers' , whatever that means, is selling the item? I don't agree with your point of view, and reserve the right to highlight what I think are interesting listings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I do broadly agree with the central point here - even though on paper, I'm probably one of the worst offenders! However, Musky has the nail/head interface thing right about the reason I post the stuff I do - there's a hell of a lot of good stuff out there for people who don't care about brand reputations & have a taste for stuff that's a bit old & off-the-wall. Obviously I reserve the right to keep the occasional thing to myself, for example: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300177718082"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=300177718082[/url] (hopefully only needs a clean & a set of strings) but the fact is I buy & sell quite a bit on Ebay, therefore I do have some fairly refined searching techniques which turn up a fair bit of stuff I think people might be interested in, but might not otherwise see. If the general concensus is to cease & desist, then I'll go along with it, but I think on the whole it would be a loss to BC. I've had a fair few last-minute big disappointments, (although I doubt it was any of you lot) but the nature of Ebay is that whatever it is, another one will be along in a bit. Only cheaper. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenofthedepths Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 It's all very well if you discover a bargain and want to keep it to yourself - don't post it on here... but if you decide not to bid, why not give someone else the chance to do so? And if more than one person goes for it, the one who's prepared to pay the most will get it - what's unfair about that?! It's how ebay works and posting links is great advertising, so it does the sellers (usually bassists, right?) a favour! And nobody can complain if they pay what they're prepared to bid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='BassBunny' post='99038' date='Dec 4 2007, 06:25 PM']Completely agree and I think this has been raised a couple of times. Pretty sure I will end up backing out of an item tonight because of this very issue.[/quote] Groove 5? I was sat watching it thinking "I [i]really [/i]don't need it but it does look a bargain". Only two bids though (neither mine - sanity prevailed) & a cheap price on the face of it even though it had been flagged here. I suppose it depends on what it is, whether you re really on the look out, and whether it really is that early Fender no one has cottoned onto that you might want to take a speculative punt on - like someone we know around these parts!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='WalMan' post='99295' date='Dec 4 2007, 11:31 PM']Groove 5? I was sat watching it thinking "I [i]really [/i]don't need it but it does look a bargain". Only two bids though (neither mine - sanity prevailed) & a cheap price on the face of it even though it had been flagged here. I suppose it depends on what it is, whether you re really on the look out, and whether it really is that early Fender no one has cottoned onto that you might want to take a speculative punt on - like someone we know around these parts!! [/quote] Correct WM. It was the neck that put me off. The bend at the END might not come out with a truss rod tweak. The guitar tech i normally used agreed with me. Might be OK, Might not.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 4, 2007 Author Share Posted December 4, 2007 [quote name='pete.young' post='99275' date='Dec 4 2007, 10:57 PM']Maybe one of your 'fellow BCers' , whatever that means, is selling the item? I don't agree with your point of view, and reserve the right to highlight what I think are interesting listings.[/quote] First off 'whatever that means' I consider BassChat to be a community whereby we have a bit of banter, help where we can and generally have a laugh, so fellow BCers are like minded individuals. 'IF' one of my (our) fellow BCers was selling the item then surely the more coverage and higher bids the better... So that's not particularly well thought through! You may not agree with my point of view as is your prerogative. Highlight all the links you like; all I'm trying to point out is, it may well hack you off if you happen to come across an item of particular interest to you, that you're hoping to bag at a bargain price, when a 'fellow BCer' points it out to all and sundry thereby ruining any chance of you getting a bargain! I'm simply playing Devil's Advocate as nothing so far highlighted on this section of the forum has ever pertained to anything that I am watching but I am aware of others that have been less fortunate... let's hope it never happens to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3V17C Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 yeah have to agree with the OP - i occasionally post the odd interesting ebay item in here but if it was something that i was personally intending to bid on then i'd keep schtum. i would guess however that most people who suffer from bouts of GAS (is that pretty much all of us?) check ebay themselves on a regular basis anyway. with a few exceptions of ebay items posted in the wrong categories (a rare case when there may actually be a chance of getting a bargain) pretty much everything in this topic i've seen on ebay myself anyway. of course, i am an ebay addict and go on there at least once a day while bored at work - some people might not be able to that though and as such this forum could be a handy shortcut to items of interest. peace c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Cooke Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I've just bagged a cheap 5 string bass on ebay... probably regret it, but I need a cheap 5 stringer asap and the only ones in the shops are outside my immediate budget... It's this one... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330194343949"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=330194343949[/url] Never heard of the make before... but it came in my range and I (well my proxy) was the only bidder at £69.50 + £16.85p&p well, we'll see how good it is when it arrives... [b]If I'd discovered it had been posted in here and I'd ended up in a bidding war with a fellow BC'r, I'd have been upset...[/b] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I completely agree with the original poster. Would add though that I don't have a problem with BIN items being linked.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 The bargain count on eBay is dwindling anyway, too many people fighting for stuff. Used (and abused) Squier Bronco > £80 + postage when you can get a new one for £88 + postage? Some people are craaaaaaazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 [quote name='cetera' post='99425' date='Dec 5 2007, 10:55 AM']I completely agree with the original poster. Would add though that I don't have a problem with BIN items being linked....[/quote] As I said on the first page, I'd positively encourage any BIN links! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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