Re: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike

(Example: Bike Shops:R.E.W. Reynolds)

Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:38:21 -0800
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, Michael Schmidt <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>, Thomas Adams <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <830693.89834.qm@web35601.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike


Well actually, I like these auctions in a way as a buyer. Sometimes one can pick up a real bargain because a poor description and poor photos discourage other buyers. I bought a complete 753 Raleigh Team Pro a couple of years ago for a couple of hundred dollars because the auction just described it as Raleigh Bicycle or such like and from the photos one could not be totally sure it wasn't a gaspipe model in team colors. But I could make out just enough detail to make me think it was probably a quality frame and likely a Team Pro. I think one other CR member guessed the same or I'd have gotten it even cheaper.

Of course, one can guess wrong and wind up with a gaspipe bike. And a clever seller can lead one to believe a cheap model is something better and use poor photos to disguise the truth. But only a foolish buyer would pay big money based on poor description and photos, so such a scam will rarely be profitable enough to make it worth a scamers effort. And I think is honest seller will always do better by providing accurate description and good photos.

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA


--- On Sat, 1/16/10, Thomas Adams wrote:


> From: Thomas Adams <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com>

\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike

\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, "Michael Schmidt" <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>

\r?\n> Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 7:48 PM

\r?\n> Or maybe your sig. other is demanding

\r?\n> you try to get rid of some bikes, so you try to make sure it

\r?\n> doesn't sell:  "well, honey, I tried, but in this

\r?\n> economy---".   As it is, you can't even tell for sure it

\r?\n> is an Eisentraut.  But we should cut some slack, the seller

\r?\n> has only 5 transactions, not an experienced ebayer by all

\r?\n> appearances.  If he's serious, he'll learn.

\r?\n>  

\r?\n> Tom Adams

\r?\n> It is my size but I'm working on my custom Fat Man frame

\r?\n> now in Manhattan, KS, USA

\r?\n>

\r?\n> --- On Sat, 1/16/10, Michael Schmidt <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>

\r?\n> wrote:

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> From: Michael Schmidt <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>

\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike

\r?\n> To: "Anthony Taylor" <ajft1942@yahoo.com>,

\r?\n> "Charles Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>,

\r?\n> classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

\r?\n> Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 3:00 PM

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> At the end of the day, it's THEIR bike, THEIR time, THEIR

\r?\n> auction.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Your viewpoint.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Mike Schmidt

\r?\n> Millington, NJ

\r?\n> USA

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> On 1/16/10 3:55 PM, "Anthony Taylor" <ajft1942@yahoo.com>

\r?\n> wrote:

\r?\n>

\r?\n> > It's amazing how many sellers are so lazy that they

\r?\n> can't remove all the crud

\r?\n> > from behind their bike/frame/whatever to present it

\r?\n> well on an ebay, or

\r?\n> > craigslist site. This has to detract from the sales

\r?\n> price. 5 minutes planning

\r?\n> > must be worthwhile???

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > Tony Taylor

\r?\n> > Manchester NH

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > ________________________________

\r?\n> > From: Charles Andrews <chasds@mindspring.com>

\r?\n> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

\r?\n> > Sent: Sat, January 16, 2010 11:43:43 AM

\r?\n> > Subject: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > So, here's my question:  how does it happen that one

\r?\n> comes to sell an

\r?\n> > expensive bike on ebay, and one does not, apparently,

\r?\n> bother to look at other

\r?\n> > successful auctions of similar bikes, to see what sort

\r?\n> of presentation is most

\r?\n> > effective?  I am baffled by auctions like this:

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > http://ebay.com/<blah>

\r?\n> > ADME:B:SS:US:1123

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > Charles Andrews

\r?\n> > Los Angeles

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > Q:  "Why do people spoil everything for

\r?\n> > themselves?

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > A:  "In big ways, and little ways too,

\r?\n> > people do that all the time to themselves.

\r?\n> > We can't stand prosperity.

\r?\n> > We have to tinker with the machinery."

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > --John D. MacDonald