[meteorite-list] OT eBay (was AD Time to get back to work)

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:25:02 -0400
Message-ID: <e51421550909280825s38cec1e4if49406c2210659c4_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Doug, Jim and List,

"Now I won't get too started on why government should regulate eBay's
monopolistic and bloated fees just as they regulate pawn shops gouging
and credit interest rates for consumer protection - it makes sense
until eBay is forced to be broken up just like AT&T was: to everyone's
benefit, it is too much power in the hands of two few billionaires
suckling their cash cow on our backs for too long."

Wow, Doug just described 75% of corporate America and 95% of Fortune
500 companies. LOL

Best regards and clear skies,

MikeG


On 9/28/09, Mexicodoug <mexicodoug at aim.com> wrote:
> "Or...... they are just saving up money from cashing in all their empty
> beer cans. Case in Point........ Sikhote-alin stamp Buy It Now for $20-
> and I have 9 of the left. It has 3 watchers: BTW the auction has had
> only 25 hits since I loaded it !"
>
> Hi Jim
>
> You're right: that is a case-in-point. But if Jughaid is saving
> aluminum cans to cash in, he's likely to be a way more decisive buyer
> than what you've described - the can collectors get my respects for
> being hard working and thanks for cleaning up the environment.
>
> I would say with 99% certainty that these case-in-point "The Watchers"
> are your direct competitors on the stamps. I'd also say with 95%
> certainty that you already knew that ... and just posted to let them
> know they are ubiquitously annoying Taters. And with 75% certainty you
> could guess exactly who the young 'uns are !
>
> The Sikhote-Alin stamps you are selling are actually really cool and
> the brochure that comes with them adds a lot of value IMO. But while
> browsing some of your other auctions, I think the exquisitely patterned
> Esquel slice among others is blinding us to the facts of life on eBay.
> So why even take the time to list minor items if other stuff you have
> is leagues above them - everyone has their needs and priorities ...
>
> Rant: eBay is a cruel mutation of a classified ad, where eBay Inc.
> learned to be unethical and call it an "auction" so they can fool
>
> people into taking a percent of the sale, rather than a simple
> insertion fee for screwing the seller (since when did newspapers worry
> about the final sale price - printing costs are the same).
>
> In fact eBay is not an auction in the sense of Blood's "English
> Auction" at all, since there are no auctioneers doing any work or
> having any responsibility to Sellers, especially busting their butt
> promoting the larger items to earn their fees; An auctioneer for the
> Seller is typically under a consignment relationship - contradicting
> eBay's case. For those complaining about Watchers being useless to
> Sellers, check your basic assumptions. Watching is a tool for BUYERS,
> not Sellers. It is not meant to be especially useful to Sellers.
>
> In a real auction, it may well be unethical to start the bidding and
> then pull the item. But in a classified ad, the Seller has no
> obligation to sell the item: no surprise - this is eBay, love it or
> leave it - the Seller actually has no obligation (bids or not: not
> something in anyone's interests to publicize) to sell and like the
> newspaper could care less what happens: eBay.
>
> So actually the power of the Seller is the power to sell only when
> convenient, and the disadvantage of the Buyer is that eBay commits him
> to pay unless the Seller allows the contrary. If you look at eBay in
> these terms, the protections need to be structured around the buyer.
> Whatever your opinion,20it is wrong to confuse eBay with most common
> auctions just because they call them "auctions". During (live) "English
> auctions", the auction most of us assume when hearing of "an auction",
> there is no "sniping", and other eBay self-crafted academic auction
> crap, the auctioneer simply starts do I hear.... do I hear.... do I
> hear.... once ... twice .... sold cycles until he is satisfied everyone
> had plenty of time to bid and works for the benefit of the Seller.
>
> Now I won't get too started on why government should regulate eBay's
> monopolistic and bloated fees just as they regulate pawn shops gouging
> and credit interest rates for consumer protection - it makes sense
> until eBay is forced to be broken up just like AT&T was: to everyone's
> benefit, it is too much power in the hands of two few billionaires
> suckling their cash cow on our backs for too long. What we need is a
> Linux version of eBay linking many independent auction sites in a
> Bit-torrent fashion ... where independent escrow companies have equal
> access to process buyer commitments. That would introduce the
> competition where it is needed and online selling fees will plummet in
> consumers favor and finish eBay as effectively as AOL died.
>
> http://joshreads.com/images/08/12/i081223bgss.jpg
> (meteorite impacts?)
>
> Best wishes,
> Doug
>
> PS - Everyone could humor Jim by watching this auction
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200387668267 !
>
> PPS - Mike Miller'
> s point about "spousal" consent was hilariously true
> ... (Loweezy could spend hours gossiping with Elviney: Has any woman on
> the list -or in the known universe- ever had her husband deny
> permission when she wanted to buy herself a meteorite?)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Strope <nwa482 at comcast.net>
> To: Mexicodoug <mexicodoug at aim.com>
> Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Sun, Sep 27, 2009 7:47 pm
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] AD... Time to get back to work
>
> Or...... they are just saving up money from cashing in all their empty
> beer cans.
>
> Case in Point........ Sikhote-alin stamp Buy It Now for $20- and I
> have 9 of the left. It has 3 watchers: BTW the auction has had only
> 25 hits since I loaded it !
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200387668267
>
> Jim Strope
> http://www.catchafallingstar.com/
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mexicodoug" <mexicodoug at aim.com>
> To: nwa482 at comcast.net, meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2009 11:12:49 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada
> Pacific
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] AD... Time to get back to work
>
> "I have a question that has puzzled me for some time....... On a cheap
> item, $20- buy it now, why would anyone bother to watch it? "
>
> Hello Jim !
>
> Maybe the IRS.
>
> $20 is more money than 2/3 's of the current eBay prices in the
> collectibles category.
>
> Maybe they debate between (grocery=2
> 0shopping and cooking a romantic home
> cooked steak dinner for two), or (some old rock or 40-kopeck (USD
> $0.01) postage stamp).... so they put it on a watch list so it doesn't
> get lost.
>
> Or maybe long on bids and with a fixed perk budget. Losing other
> auctions, he would pounce on the $20 thingy.
>
> Maybe she is 11 years old and $20 is her week's allowance and she is
> waiting for her "paycheck". Or ditto, retired, fixed income, unemployed.
>
> Do you happen to have several of the same items for $20? Maybe one of
> your competitors thinks $10 has been the standard for whatever the item
> is, and he may be thinking, let's see how quickly Jim sells these at
> $20 !
>
> My money is on the latter,
>
> Kindest wishes,
> Doug
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Strope <nwa482 at comcast.net>
> To: Meteorite Central <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Sun, Sep 27, 2009 11:51 am
> Subject: [meteorite-list] AD... Time to get back to work
>
>
>
> After playing all summer, I find that I must get back to work. So I
> have
> started listing on ebay again. All items so far are buy it now listings
> with
> some of them accepting reasonable offers. Noteable items are a complete
> Portales Valley Stone, nice Esquel slices, complete Millbillillie,
> Gibeon,
> Planetaries etc, Link is below:
>
> http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=catchafallingstar.com
>
> I have a question that has puzzled me for some time....... On a cheap
> it
> em,
> $20- buy it now, why would anyone bother to watch it? It is only $20-
> and not
> an auction where you would want to know where it ended or wanted to bid
> at the
> last minuite? What is the logic behind cluttering your watched item
> list with
> this kind of cheap item?
>
> Good luck to all as I have some exceptional items offered and plan on
> adding
> more in the next few days.
>
> Jim Strope
>
> http://www.catchafallingstar.com/
> ______________________________________________
> http://www.meteoritecentral.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________
> http://www.meteoritecentral.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>

-- 
.........................................................
Michael Gilmer (Florida, USA)
Member of the Meteoritical Society.
Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com
FaceBook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale
Twitter - Twitter - http://twitter.com/GalacticStone
eBay - http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/maypickle
..........................................................

Received on Mon 28 Sep 2009 11:25:02 AM PDT