[SEL] Ebay 7547447664 suffering in the wrong area

bill at antique-engines.com bill at antique-engines.com
Wed Sep 21 05:04:33 PDT 2005


Could be wrong, but I still maintain that people who REALLY are looking,
and looking to buy will find it. Those are the people who know how to
search.
Engines with higher viewings doens't mean that it's buyers looking.
Here's an example I found recently.
The TSM for 1970 AMC cars typically sells for about $49 a pop. The
originals in good condition aren't easy to find but are out there. The
reproductions are also about $49-50.
I was looking for one. When I was looking, that particular week there was
a repro and two originals. ALL in the exact same category, all had similar
words in the title of the auction. The repro went for the typical 50
bucks. One of the originals went for $48. I got the other for $21. The
pictures actually made the one I got look a bit better, although both
originals were decent for the age and typical use they got.
Tell me why one got MANY FEWER viewings and went for LESS THAN HALF the
price of the other.
I maintain that viewings means nothing more necessarily, than the auction
or title is loaded with key words that end up getting it views. Views
doesn't mean sales. A lot of folks browse. Few can afford engines in the 4
grand and up range. Those few will find and view every auction.
Serious buyers will find it and bid. Non-serious may find it but won't bid
anyway.
In a more common area, or area YOU believe it should be in, it will get
the same serious bidders but many more browsers, depending on keywords.
Folks in the other hobbies I'm in don't even mess with categories, they
search the auction text for certain words and can fish out auctions you'd
never expect them to find - and they are the serious buyers.
Again, my example of the books above shows how this same engine posted a
month from now, even in the same section COULD bring a couple grand more.

How is anyone gonna "agree" where to post certain auctions?
And if you all did, that guarantees you nothing, not even more views.
Even professional auctioneers differ on how to offer things or market and
advertise. And they are all correct as buyers are curious creatures with
few habits. All it takes is one or two people who at a certain time
decided they want something and they could double the price of that item.
If those buyers aren't in the market because they had a bad week, their
truck broke down, etc., then the price will suffer because those fellows
weren't buying.

Just some thoughts. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with ya.

Bill
Runnells, IA


> Hi guys,
>            following your comments about incorrect listing I found this
> (7547447664)  in the contruction/machinery section and with
> only 100 viewings it to me is seeming to suffer because of
> where the guy has put it.
>
> To me this is steal for 6,500 considering what it is firstly if you got
> the $$$ and secondly if you got the equipment to move it as it would be
> easy 3ton maybe even pushing four. (I have the 7hp model and its 2t)
>
> Is there anyway in which we as the hobby can come to a general agreement
> on what to list this stuff under? maybe this is opening a can of worms but
> hey im sure its going to make good topic discussion.
>
> regards,
>           Adam
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SEL mailing list
> SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
>




More information about the sel mailing list