[meteorite-list] Ebay prices.
From: Mark Miconi <mam602_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:01:36 2004 Message-ID: <000f01c21fec$a4989080$54b60344_at_ph.cox.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C21FB1.F7C43A60 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Mike and list, I will have to tend to agree with you and then say that you must be = patient as with everything else in the world it will come full circle = again. Hip huggers are in again...they were a big item when I was a kid = in the 60's...funny thing is that the kids wearing them now think they = thought them up. My wife and I make our living exclusively on Ebay. When we started 2 = years ago lots of things we sold brought high prices...for example hand = painted china. Now everyone is selling the crap and unless you find the = right item or a rare item, maker or painter, you will not get what it is = worth.=20 Most recently in the last six months we began selling oriental Famille = Rose and Canton Rose Porcelain items. When we first found them here in = Phoenix at auctions and estate sales no one would buy the stuff, we made = a killing buying it at $2.00 - $5.00 a piece and selling some of it for = hundreds of dollars. NOW everyone is bidding the items up at auctions = and running to get it at estate sales and if you look on Ebay there is a = ton of it and it is not selling for anywhere near what it used too. We = recently went to an auction where CHEAP reproduction Crap sold for way = too much and the REAL McCoys barely sold. We bought the real stuff and = listed a couple of pieces and barely got what it was worth. So we have = boxed the rest of it for the future. My point is that in a year or two the ones that are selling meteorites = that are doing the one cent starting prices will get tired of the whole = deal, the ones that deciced the could get rich will realize they thought = of it too late and they too will fall by the wayside. Then the dealers = like you will be able to once again make some money at it. You are ahead = of the curve and still use Ebay as we do...to draw buyers to our = website. One more thing. Tomorrow 6/30/02 the new USPS postal rates go into = effect. Now packages from 1-5 pounds are priced in a zoned by weight and = distance price structure. This is going to have a huge ripple effect on = Ebay. Most bidders are not even aware of it. An item that once cost = $3.50 to send from AZ to east cost could now cost up to $6.00, and that = is not including the insurance that now starts at $1.30 Sellers that are = not smart enough and quick enough to adapt will lose money, and bidders = are going to suffer MAJOR sticker shock when they get their shipping = costs. It will not have such a big effect on the small items and = meteorites that sell, but it will slow down the larger items, meteorites = included. So just as all things in this world, I believe the ones with the smarts = and patience will always be the ones in business. The cycles that effect = everything will too affect Ebay and in a year or two meteorites will = once again be a good thing to sell.=20 My thoughts from my world. Mark M. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Michael Farmer=20 To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20 Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2002 10:11 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] Ebay prices. I must say that I have seen this coming for some years now. I was = about the first meteorite dealer on ebay, that was in mid 1996 when ebay = was less than one year old! There were always about 5 items of = meteorites on there, ALWAYS mine with the occasional Canyon Diablo some = mineral dealer would list. I used to get beyond top dollar there, then = slowly the meteorite people noticed and began the flood. It went well = for several more years, until about 2000, when everyone who owned a = meteorite called themselves a "dealer" and began selling. Many people = bought from me on ebay, then 4 days later I saw the same meteorite on = ebay again.=20 People tend to destroy all good things, as it mostly is with ebay = now. Flooded with some many meteorites, mostly duplicates by the same = people who seem to have little common since about how auctions actually = work. I don't even bother looking through the auctions any more. Too = many items, too many sikhote-alins, Bessy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, = Thursday etc, you get the point.=20 I use ebay like I always have, selling the lower end stuff, small = pieces, to get new customers. It still works well, but the prices there = are in the toilet. My website makes my money, ebay gets me customers. = For those out there now who thought that by selling on ebay they would = get rich, well, good luck.=20 Now, it seems that Mr. Warren among others just keep spouting that = prices on ebay reflect the market. Well, they don't know the market. = Ebay is for the most part, a discount clearing house for low quality or = small pieces. Not to say bad stuff, but it is my low quality stuff that = goes on there, my good stuff goes on my website with prices that fit the = merchandise. If you want quality you pay for it.=20 As with all auctions, ebay has great bargains, even in meteorites, = sometimes the buyer gets really lucky. It never happened until the sheer = glut of meteorites on ebay was so much that there is simply too many to = look through.=20 Ebay is NOT the meteorite market, anyone who thinks so needs to get a = different job, you aren't doing too well in this one.......... =20 Mike farmer ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C21FB1.F7C43A60 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.3314.2100" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mike and list,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I will have to tend to agree with you = and then say=20 that you must be patient as with everything else in the world it will = come full=20 circle again. Hip huggers are in again...they were a big item when I was = a kid=20 in the 60's...funny thing is that the kids wearing them now think they = thought=20 them up.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My wife and I make our living = exclusively on Ebay.=20 When we started 2 years ago lots of things we sold brought high = prices...for=20 example hand painted china. Now everyone is selling the crap and unless = you find=20 the right item or a rare item, maker or painter, you will not get what = it is=20 worth. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Most recently in the last six months we = began=20 selling oriental Famille Rose and Canton Rose Porcelain items. When we = first=20 found them here in Phoenix at auctions and estate sales no one would buy = the=20 stuff, we made a killing buying it at $2.00 - $5.00 a piece and selling = some of=20 it for hundreds of dollars. NOW everyone is bidding the items up at = auctions and=20 running to get it at estate sales and if you look on Ebay there is a ton = of it=20 and it is not selling for anywhere near what it used too. We recently = went to an=20 auction where CHEAP reproduction Crap sold for way too much and the REAL = McCoys=20 barely sold. We bought the real stuff and listed a couple of pieces and = barely=20 got what it was worth. So we have boxed the rest of it for the=20 future.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My point is that in a year or two the = ones that are=20 selling meteorites that are doing the one cent starting prices will get = tired of=20 the whole deal, the ones that deciced the could get rich will realize = they=20 thought of it too late and they too will fall by the wayside. Then the = dealers=20 like you will be able to once again make some money at it. You are ahead = of the=20 curve and still use Ebay as we do...to draw buyers to our = website.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One more thing. Tomorrow 6/30/02 the = new USPS=20 postal rates go into effect. Now packages from 1-5 pounds are priced in = a zoned=20 by weight and distance price structure. This is going to have a huge = ripple=20 effect on Ebay. Most bidders are not even aware of it. An item that once = cost=20 $3.50 to send from AZ to east cost could now cost up to $6.00, and = that is=20 not including the insurance that now starts at $1.30 Sellers that are = not smart=20 enough and quick enough to adapt will lose money, and bidders are going = to=20 suffer MAJOR sticker shock when they get their shipping costs. It will = not have=20 such a big effect on the small items and meteorites that sell, but it = will slow=20 down the larger items, meteorites included.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So just as all things in this world, I = believe the=20 ones with the smarts and patience will always be the ones in business. = The=20 cycles that effect everything will too affect Ebay and in a year or two=20 meteorites will once again be a good thing to sell. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My thoughts from my world.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mark M.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV=20 style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A href=3D"mailto:farmerm_at_concentric.net" = title=3Dfarmerm_at_concentric.net>Michael=20 Farmer</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20 href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com"=20 = title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>meteorite-list@meteoritecentr= al.com</A>=20 </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, June 29, 2002 = 10:11=20 AM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] Ebay=20 prices.</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I must say that I have seen this = coming for some=20 years now. I was about the first meteorite dealer on ebay, that was in = mid=20 1996 when ebay was less than one year old! There were always about 5 = items of=20 meteorites on there, ALWAYS mine with the occasional Canyon Diablo = some=20 mineral dealer would list. I used to get beyond top dollar = there, then=20 slowly the meteorite people noticed and began the flood. It went well = for=20 several more years, until about 2000, when everyone who owned a = meteorite=20 called themselves a "dealer" and began selling. Many people bought = from me on=20 ebay, then 4 days later I saw the same meteorite on ebay again. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> People tend to = destroy all=20 good things, as it mostly is with ebay now. Flooded with some many = meteorites,=20 mostly duplicates by the same people who seem to have little common = since=20 about how auctions actually work. I don't even bother looking through = the=20 auctions any more. Too many items, too many sikhote-alins, Bessy = Monday,=20 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday etc, you get the point. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> I use ebay like I = always have,=20 selling the lower end stuff, small pieces, to get new customers. It = still=20 works well, but the prices there are in the toilet. My website makes = my money,=20 ebay gets me customers. For those out there now who thought that by = selling on=20 ebay they would get rich, well, good luck. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> Now, it seems that = Mr. Warren=20 among others just keep spouting that prices on ebay reflect the = market. Well,=20 they don't know the market. Ebay is for the most part, a discount = clearing=20 house for low quality or small pieces. Not to say bad stuff, but it is = my low=20 quality stuff that goes on there, my good stuff goes on my website = with prices=20 that fit the merchandise. If you want quality you pay for it. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As with all auctions, ebay has great = bargains,=20 even in meteorites, sometimes the buyer gets really lucky. It never = happened=20 until the sheer glut of meteorites on ebay was so much that there is = simply=20 too many to look through. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Ebay is NOT the meteorite market, = anyone who=20 thinks so needs to get a different job, you aren't doing too well in = this=20 one..........</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mike = farmer</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_000C_01C21FB1.F7C43A60-- Received on Sun 30 Jun 2002 12:14:34 AM PDT |
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