Another Ebay mystery


Rico

BN Modeller
Okay we all know the pros and cons of Feebay and there’s tons of topics both praising and blasting it.
I still like to peruse the listings tho for hard to find items or to get an idea of what an item is fetching on the market and I do have some goodies that I’ll likely list there.
For the most part tho it seems to be full of overpriced common items by greedy donkeys hoping to retire on that one big sale combined with outrageous shipping costs. (I refuse to deal with the global shipping scam.)
But every now and then you come across something that truly defies logic, like this little gem of an auction...
2) Roundhouse Freight Cars Bulkhead Flat Car & Covered Hopper HO Scale 1/87 | eBay https://ebay.us/9YkNWp
So what am I missing here?
 
Okay we all know the pros and cons of Feebay and there’s tons of topics both praising and blasting it.
I still like to peruse the listings tho for hard to find items or to get an idea of what an item is fetching on the market and I do have some goodies that I’ll likely list there.
For the most part tho it seems to be full of overpriced common items by greedy donkeys hoping to retire on that one big sale combined with outrageous shipping costs. (I refuse to deal with the global shipping scam.)
But every now and then you come across something that truly defies logic, like this little gem of an auction...
2) Roundhouse Freight Cars Bulkhead Flat Car & Covered Hopper HO Scale 1/87 | eBay https://ebay.us/9YkNWp
So what am I missing here?
The bid history is what your missing, Some one is either bidding on their own item or has a grudge against the seller and is trying to keep them selling anything and will retract the bid. Its nothing to do with the item.
 
I shouldn't think you would be allowed to bid on your own item. Unsavory characters might use that as a leverage technique. The Bay should understand that and protect the unwary public from such an action.
Shill bidding is not allowed there. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but it gets taken care of when it is reported.
 
The bidding started at under $10, but one person ran the bids up to $200, making 18 successive bids.

Don't blame the seller for this one, this is one bidder driving the price up.
 
Shill bidding is not allowed there. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but it gets taken care of when it is reported.
I think it happens a lot more often than some bidders think , Its not unusual for an item to sell on auction then show up a week or two later , and I am not talking mass produced items . I dont think its all that difficult for a seller to use / create multiple ebay IDs with multiple bank accounts and email addresses.

Again they themselves might not run it up , but their son , daughter, aunt , uncle , best buddy ....might . And ebay might not count that as a shill . And then mutually agree to a retraction or auction cancellation.

Most bidders including myself will wait till the last seconds of an auction to minimize the chance of any funny business.


The bidding started at under $10, but one person ran the bids up to $200, making 18 successive bids.

Don't blame the seller for this one, this is one bidder driving the price up.


You cant bid against yourself . All you can do is raise your max . The only way the amount would go up is if someone is bidding against you.
 
Yes there is a lot of funny business on Ebay. take this flat car for example.


20200413_123458.jpg


It sold for $232. I bought it a week later for $35 from the same seller. Go figure.
 
Painful....!

I do have several cars that once belonged to famous model railroaders in the Wisconsin area so anything is possible. Three of the cars I purchased are from an estate sale at a swap meeting and found some of their history from the work of other models who know the past owner of this cars.

The fourth car was purchased at TrainFest and the car is marked with the modeler's initial on the underside.

Greg
 
The previous owner of the car used white paint or maybe White Correction fluid to sign his initials and the person who sold the car at TrainFest was also well known as a model railroader and likely a friend of the former owner of the car.

The other three cars are flat cars that were detailed and decaled by Don Manlick, a Master Model Railroader of Manitowoc, Wisconsin who used the cars to push cars on and off his ferry boat the "Manitowoc". The ferry is now on the layout of Mark Preussler, the Soo Line Stevens Point division.
 
Actually the shipping to canada shows up as 55 bucks [US], really shadey, lol

Yikes...
Shipping: US $55.00 (approx. C $74.62) USPS Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Box See details
International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

I just noticed that there are two bidders upping the price, 0ne has a rating of 8 and the other 19, very strange...
 
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The odd part about the bidding it seems there are 2 given the same I.D., although the *** could differ, I guess. A bidder can increase their's at any time, but as I remember, only the bid that beats the previous other bidder/s highest will show on the list while active. If any other wants to try again they have to make a guess at what the current winner might have placed their new top offer at. I have, when I was doing it, taken a punt, swallowed hard, and gone higher than I would really like, but been lucky and the opposing bidder/s have not increased. So, I got it plus 1 bid. ebay sets the bid steps according to the interest.
The Global Shipping Program seems to work quite well for me out here in Aussie. Always seems to be somewhat cheaper than if the seller had used International Priority themselves.

Just what is going on with this one is strange, being there is apparently only 2 bidders, unless the gold star one comes back again above the one with the score of 8 and 8 wins, they're legally required to cough up the $202.50. They risk penalties for withdrawing/cancelling.
 



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