E-Bay Insanity!

[watlingboy]

Well said Buzzojoe. I don't get this, I have more than a couple of machines in my collection that I knowingly paid more than what they are worth if I were to resell them. In most cases they were very nice original machines that I felt I had to have. The seller is an honest and reputable guy that was the benefactor when two people really wanted what he had to sell, that's it. And don't beat on the buyer, we've all seen this same this happen at live auctions. Can we just move on.

Watlingboy

[Mike Gumula]

Though it is good to keep an eye out for shills & tricksters, I agree with watlingboy & buzzjoe about letting someone pay whatever they want for an item without raising a fuss. I once got run up into the high 70 dollars ( but lost ), on e-bay, for a silly little letter order confirmation from O. D. Jennings to a dealer . The logo on the letter showed a Jennings machine that I'd always wanted, and had just bought,,, so I just had to have it.

Less than 30 minutes after the auction ended, I got an email from the successful bidder, who was cackling about how crazy the 2 or 3 of us were that kept upping the bid. He said that it was obvious that I wanted it for some reason and offered to mail me a color copy for a whole $1 total ( remember,,, he had just paid 70 something dollors for the original ). I immediately agreed, and we went back & forth about how many other times we had done that,,, much to our wive's dismay. Whle commentary on these incidents is natural, we want to make sure that we don't scare off the new collectors by being too derisive about their purchases.
Mike

[nvmos2]

CoinOpNut:
You have a good eye for detail and make an excellent point;
prices should be directly related to Condition, Condition, Condition.
I was just attempting a (tongue in cheek) comment on the wide disparity we see in prices. It used to be in private with little visibility; now it stands out for the world to see on the web.
I really didn’t pay too much attention to the condition of the machines or even read the descriptions. I really messed up on the 3rd machine mentioned and have added an edit to the posting.

buzzojoe:
EXCELLENT points and well said!!!!
There are also factors less objective than Condition that go into every transaction.
However, I think it IS our business what these machines sell for.
Price guides and Auction Prices Realized are popular and valuable tools for anyone wanting to buy an item not carried at Walmart.
The guys who put a lot of hard work into maintaining price lists provide a valuable service in virtually all areas of collecting.
Where can a newbie (or erstwhile housewife on a budget looking for a gift for her husband) find current info to become an informed buyer?
Answer: Places like this forum and organizations like COCA.
I agree that COCA, which is a good org with a lot of good members, could do a lot more to foster the attitudes/approach that you stated so well.
I actually have a Northwestern 60 in my collection (I hope you did not know that and are not making fun of me).

watlingboy and Mike Gumula:
More excellent points (although I’ve never overpaid for a machine, LOL).
I am a firm believer in a free market: HONEST Sellers and INFORMED buyers.
I do not know the seller of the Gateway, but I do know that If I were him, I would not be refunding any of the buyer’s money.
I’m ready to move on after one last point:

Anyone offended by the term newbie:
You are offended too easily.
All our lives we are a novice at something.
I don’t think newbie is any more offensive than novice or beginner, etc.
I’ve been a newbie at sports, fraternity, military, aircrew member, chosen profession.
Many endeavors have special terms for newbies; rookie, pledge, maggot, FNG, intern, and other less flattering terms.
I never really found any of them offensive.
If we stick with the endeavor, we eventually shed the term, hopefully with more than just the passing of time. We never stop learning and I know I still make newbie mistakes in areas where I should know better. Sometimes, others are even polite enough to not point it out.
Perhaps someone could suggest a kinder, gentler term unique to coinop that concisely conveys the same idea.

[edboyles]

I am new to the site here and new to Trade Stimulators as well although I have been collecting other items for years. While I would have to wrestle with significantly overpaying for a item, this entire topic string has been very educational for me and IS NEEDED for collectors like me.

I have bought a few books and been studying past Ebay auctions along with content on this forum. The fact that fakes exist to the point that they do and without some of the books/price guide (guide, not absolute) it would be easy to have been duped even for someone who has seen fakes in other areas of collecting.

Helping surface normal price ranges for common items as well as acknowledging which items are rare and demand a premium is needed to bring new collectors into the hobby. I have been wanting a Rockola Sweepstakes Derby and have learned more on this site in 30 minutes than I could in hours/months/years through the old fashion.

So my $.02 is that the Insanity post was spot on and I am glad the seller received a windfall. Just not at my expense!!