the things you learn on ebay

Tonight I learned that the Sigma 28-80 f3.5 is a "Pro" lens and that the EFS 17-85 IS USM is the "ULTRA of lenses".

Feel free to share any other tidbits of wisdom that can only be learned on ebay...

I learned some interesting family history once. I was looking at a vintage Volkswagen tool kit from a seller who claimed it came out of his grandfather's Beetle that he bought in the '50s, with a big story to match. Funny thing is I bid on a similar tool kit several weeks before, with exactly the same markings and condition as this one, that I lost to the seller selling this one. Gee, I guess he must have bought it from another relative . . .

Have Fun,

If they said Sigma was a piece of s### nobody would buy it.

I learned that 6 months later some lenses (in this case a 100 f/2) will sell for $25 more than you originally purchased them from.

eBay and and Camera's = DANGER.

How many camera's and equipment are sold every day on eBay that don't work and are junk? More then one, more then 10 probably more then 100. Granted you can get some really screaming deals like Canon White Lens for half of what they sell for in stores because they guy selling them got way over his head and needs to pay is credit card bill.

I have bought many great things off eBay, some things were junk (like a Canon Rebel 2000) and other things were bretty good deals. eBay is a buyer beware place. And the only thing more dangerous then some of the sellers on eBay is the customer service department of eBay. On eBay you are on your own. I learned that after 1600 different transactions with different people on eBay.

WOW then you are our ebay expert here.

ebay is ok if you a carefull,a lot of my kit is off ebay,mostly new.when you live in the uk
your best option is ebay.just got my 17-40 from a seller in hong kong for just over £400.over here it was about £570 and it only took 4 days.all my cf cards from a seller in the usa.only had one problem in 3 years and it was a usa seller who tried to rip me with a 1gb ultra 2 his id is PCConnect4U it took 3 months for me to get a refund.apart from that i think its fine.

Yeah, ebay is good, just be careful. If you get even a slight bad feeling about something back off, the same deal will probably be just around the corner.

I always sell sfuff starting at a dollar and no reserve. Only once have I ever got less than I really wanted for something and then not by much. ebay is a great place to be selling, so there must be plenty of good deals in amongst the crap.

You have to be smart when shopping eBay. Scammers love Camera's, Laptops and other high end electronics. So thinking that you'll get a Canon 20D of eBay for $500 or even $1000 is unrealistic and basically stupid thinking. Well at least in the present, in 5 years then ok.

It would either be a scam as in, you're bidding and paying for thin air, or the camera is broken and some jerk (who in my mind should be shot) is selling is broken camera and ruining someones dream/hobby. So buyer beware. If it is too good to be true? then it is!

Any one reading this, if you see a camera you want to buy on eBay but are not sure, maybe ask here or email me (or others) to look at it for you. Doesn't hurt to ask.

I kind of thought this would be a humor type thread, but now I see we're offering practical advice. I'm cool with that.

Here's another tip...

Use your watchlist and track sale prices for about 2 weeks. It will give a decent idea of current market price and where to set your max bids.

Plus, if you're a seller, you can get an idea of what kinds of things to include in your ads that help you get higher sale prices. For instance, I always include large detailed photos that I host myself (ebay sizes them down on you). I also always include detailed descriptions, and write as if I were talking face to face with the potential buyer. if you use the watch list, you can spot the ads that sell above the average, and try to identify the sales technique.

If selling a SLR camera, include a lens if possible, you'll get a higher end result. And if hosting your own pictures, include photo's you actually took with that camera.

Last summer I sold my 1995 Rebel G camera on eBay with lens for $160 US which was 25% more then most other similar camers sold on eBay. Because I included lots of pictures of the camera and lens and I also included a range of photo's I took with it, from Portrait to Landscape to water. And most important I offered a NO DOA to the buyer, if it was DOA then they would send it back and get a full refund.

Some other bit of advice ... be truthful about what you're selling

Best regards,
Andy

Its often humorous to read some of the listings on eBay. Or at least it would be if they were not selling their crap to unsuspecting buyers.

I once saw a Camera sold with a broken mirror in it, the seller said any camera shop will charge you $25 to fix it. The Camera was a EOS 3 and ended up selling for $700 US. I checked back on that auction a month later, the buyer left Negative feedback saying that it would cost about $700 in labor and parts to fix the camera, not $25. It would be funny if it didn't actually happen to someone in real life. That is the danger of eBay/Auction's on Web. This was 2 years ago.

I am not a great buyer on e-bay but I have sold a Canon EOS 1N+Grip and a D60, a stack of Bronica medium format stuff (including 3 lenses), shedfulls of darkroon equipement and a Video Camera.

The quality of the stuff I sold was excellent and the price I recieved was fair so all in all my experience on e-bay has been good.

Mind you, you do hear some horror stories

N

hi again,one thing to be verry careful of is the end of auction scamers.when you dont win a
expensive item scamers email you saying they can give a verry good deal.for example
2 weeks ago i bid for a pair of krell kas 11 monoblock power amps reserve not met at
£3800 so i did not win.yesturday i get a email and here it is.
Hello ,
I saw that you are interested in buying **KRELL KAS 11 MONOBLOCK POWER AMPLIFIERS.** Just let me tell you that i
can make you a great deal on the same product and you will not
even have to pay the shipping .
My name is Gary Baggett and i live in Roma Italy , But this will
not be a problem for you since i will pay for the shipping .
I can give you this item at a low low price US $2,100.00 and if you want to
buy more than one form me i can make you a BIG discount . So
if you are interested please do not hesitate to contact me .The items i have for sale are in excellent condition , brand new in factory selaed boxes with 1 year warranty .

Regards
Gary Baggett
so i told this idiot that i will buy the lot off him,not to bother with shipping as i have family in italy.do you think he will reply?NO HE WONT.
1 WHEN THESE AMPS COME OUT THEY WERE £20000 IN THE UK.
2 THEY NO LONGER MAKE THIS MODEL.
this is not a isolated case it has happend to me with various camera parts.
malcolm