As a long-time eBay junkie, I can tell you that it is almost an everyday thing to see a three-to-one ratio of end-of-auction pricing on identical, NOS vintage bike parts over a relatively short period of time! It's just a whacky place sometimes. Take a dollop of ego, a pinch of legend, a lack of product and/or historical knowledge on either side of the equation, add gobs of hype and maybe too much caffeine, stir well, and darn near anything is possible. It's all "rare" and "collectable." Yeah, right. What I find particularly amusing is bidding wars for something that a seller obviously has a pile of that he lists over and over again for the same, no-reserve, low minimum bid. Patience, grasshopper, patience. Information is power. :-) I also note with interest that all of the recent "improvements" that eBay has made to the "my eBay" page and elsewhere have been implemented solely for eBay's sake. IMO, now eBay doesn't even favor sellers any more - they only favor themselves!! Methinks eBay has peaked (in the US; their growth from now on will virtually all have to come from elsewhere around the world, mark my words) and their (rather long) 15 minutes is more than half-over.... That said, I'm still surfing it regularly, so what do I know? (A somewhat jaded, but hopefully street-smart) Greg Parker Ann Arbor, Michigan near Detroit, where the next big "new" thing in cars is: Station Wagons!! (But we don't call 'em that, 'cuz it's not cool enough...).
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 07:58:57 -0400 From: WD Baseley <wdb@pobox.com> To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]High Prices on Ebay
At 07:49 AM 8/3/2004 -0400, LouDeeter@aol.com ushered forth:
>I've enjoyed reading all the "ooohhs and aahhss" about the Derosa that
>Charles bought, the Mavic derailleur, the $180+ Regal saddle (maybe that
>one wasn't discussed on the list but sent off-list).
To which Dave replied:
Me too (with exceptional exception to the vitriol). I keep an occasional eye on prices via eBay, and often see interesting trends. For example I purchased a NOS Cinelli Volare saddle about a year ago for $50, which was pretty much the going rate; last week an identical saddle sold for more than twice that amount. In the same span of time prices for Campy SR chainrings of a particular tooth count have come down by half.
Marveling at the fickle winds of desire,
Dave Baseley in soupy Berks County PA