Message

Hi = everyone - Hugh has=20 let me join this inner sanctum today - Thanks Hugh!

Regarding=20 Ebay...

I think = you're=20 generally right here Frank.

Last = minute - (Or=20 second!) bidders seem to take up the majority of the serious buyers on = Ebay. To=20 tell the truth, I don't blame them - inexperienced purchasers regularly = click=20 the prices up on auctions, faithfully replying to the "Outbid" notice = that they=20 receive with another bid.

It must = be pretty=20 disheartening for new buyers to faithfully follow an auction for 7 or 10 = days,=20 bidding whenever they get outbid, only to get the "midnight assassin" = coming in=20 at 3 seconds to go and winning the item!

Maybe = that is why=20 there are only a handful of serious, high end buyers on = Ebay.

I would = prefer Ebay to=20 have the Deseret Book Auctions policy of extending the auction if there = is a=20 last minute bid, but I tend to stay with Ebay because it does reach a = wider=20 audience.

Summer = is always bad=20 for auctions - but I find the higher quality items - $200.00 - $2500.00 = always=20 sell well at any time of the year. Very high end items always seem to = sell=20 erratically - probably because there is a limited amount of buyers on = Ebay - and=20 maybe after a while, they already own the readily available items - and = the=20 harder to find items (not necessarily the most expensive) come up very=20 infrequently. Maybe that is why you feel that there is little for you to = buy=20 Frank! You already have it all!!!

Ebay is = a great place=20 to generate new buyers, I have found some of my best long term (outside = of Ebay)=20 customers here - although there are many that come in strong for a few = weeks,=20 spending money like crazy and often paying way over the reserve on = things - but=20 they either learn very quickly to be a little more discerning, or else = burn=20 themselves and their Bank Accounts out before very = long.

I think = now as=20 Sotheby's and other "respectable" auction houses - (After the Hoffman = Seminar=20 I'm not so sure Sotheby's IS respectable) have decided to sell on Ebay - = Ebay=20 has risen in the estimation of many people.

Whatever = your=20 feelings, Ebay is here to stay, and will be always a source of bargains = for=20 those diligent enough to search. It is also a wonderful tool for people = that=20 live outside of "Happy Valley" to purchase books that otherwise they = might not=20 readily find.

Malcolm = J. Vickery -=20 Distinctive Books

Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 04:41:28 = - -0400

From: Frank Marotta=20 <fmarotta@juno.com>

Reply-To: = lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com

Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] A few = comments to stir=20 discussion

To: = lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com

A comment on eBay prices. Since 1999 = (when I started=20 bidding on eBay), I have noted a summer price lull, where high bids are=20 depressed generally (not = absolutely) in=20 the summer. Usually, there is a pick up after Labor Day, but it has not been as strong = this year.=20 Perhaps that is in part due to the doldrums of the economy.

Also, since more and more people bid late = (snipes and=20 pseudosnipes), some auctions seem really down unless one looks at the = post=20 auction results.

And it seems to me that less and less = interesting=20 material is being offered. =

Frank = Marotta