Which irritates you more Ebay or yard sales?

[Deleted]

Yard sales are way, way worse. At least eBay sales eventually approach market value. Yard sales where people try to sell their filthy junk for exorbitant prices are very awkward.

[victoryleo19]

I dislike yard sales also, mainly because it's so hard to find just anything even remotely interesting, and then often times if you do find it, they want ridiculous prices. When I see dirty and broken sectaurs figures with no accessories in a baggie for 50 dollars I just laugh it off, but it's still annoying. Ebay at least gives you the chance of find amazing deals without having to leave your house.

[funkyterrance]

I like yard sales I think because I'm interested in a lot of other things besides toys. I like antiques, tools other interesting things as well. I just like treasure/bargain hunting in general.

[victoryleo19]

I always find it amusing that 95% of the time I meet normal and friendly people on ebay who are willing to conduct business as usual. However, when I do find that 1 person who is not friendly, they are almost always a major crackhead. I don't know if they go about their business all the time like this, but yikes.


Every time it has been "bad" on ebay, it's not just bad, it's ridiculously terrible.

[bowheadwhale]

Apr 11, 2013 18:45:31 GMT -6 victoryleo19 said:

I always find it amusing that 95% of the time I meet normal and friendly people on ebay who are willing to conduct business as usual. However, when I do find that 1 person who is not friendly, they are almost always a major crackhead. I don't know if they go about their business all the time like this, but yikes.


Every time it has been "bad" on ebay, it's not just bad, it's ridiculously terrible.

Some sort of "it's either black or white", heh? I do have a theory why it's like this.
I think it's because Ebay members actually NEVER MEET IN PERSON. So, it's way easier to be "totally friendly" on a rather impersonal site like Ebay than in flea markets, where people are face to face with each other. When we are face to face, we have a "whole view" of the person face to us, what we do not have on Ebay: we see his/her facial expressions, the tone of the voice, the gestures, clues we do not see on Ebay. So, when a person "talks friendly" but has a tiny frown on his/her face, for example, we see there is something wrong, if we are face to face with him/her. But that frown will be invisible on Ebay, just like any expression or gesture. This is why we must be extremely impolite or bad on Ebay so other people notice it. On Ebay, you can hide all your "bad expressions"... until they are too bad to hide. See what I mean? What do you think?

[victoryleo19]

I figured I would ask this in here instead of starting a new thread. So after missing out on one of my white whales recently (which I was extremely unhappy about), I've now gotten even more frustrated that ebay chose to remove the option to see what an item sold for under the best offer choice. Does anyone know or could guess as to why they would to that? I just don't see the point. Ebay prices are supposed to be helpful in determining how much an item sells for. Why would they not let others see a best offer price anymore?

[figurecollector]

I had just figured they changed something and I was not looking in the right place for the selling price. That would make things more difficult for determining values.

[brcthrift]

I don't know, but as a seller, I like it. When people can see exactly how big a discount you gave another user they expect that kind of discount on their transaction. I had several people get rude with me because I have a 40% discount to one user and wouldnt give them a 25% discount on a different item.

The user who got the big discount spent almost 1000 with me, and I gave big discount on several of the latter items he bought as a thank you.

[spockoda]

It probably all depends on the attitude of the person selling as far as a yard sale. Some people have filthy junk and a price guide but don't understand the word CONDITION. My last yard sale experience was excellent so I can't complain. The stuff I bought for $12.50 would have cost me perhaps upwards of $75 on ebay, depending on condition. However, on ebay you can pretty much cut to the chase and find exactly what you want but you pay for that privledge.

[jnorlund]

Neither one has an excuse because closed auctions are available to everyone. It's one thing it your item is unique and unlike others sold. But for common stuff, no excuses.

[bowheadwhale]

In the flea markets, what frustrates me a lot, is that there is little choice in toys. It's not the sellers'fault, of course; it's "fashion"'s fault. On Ebay, the choice is exponential. But in flea markets, I almost only find Disney crap from "outfashionned" movies. As a matter of fact, flea markets are loaded with Lion King's, Pocahonta's, Madagascar's, Kung Fu Panda's and Ice Age's garbage. It seems like Disney is a lot more interested in creating new fashions over and over than investing in long-time values. Children ask, pârents buy and children don't want anymore but want the new thing. And the old not-wanted-anymore piece of crap invades the flea market. Very lame, really.

[brcthrift]

Here is another gripe. People who send low ball offers with best offer feature on ebay. I use it on all my buy it now listings, and will generally do a 10% or 15% discount if it moves the piece quickly. Some people think best offer means I am willing to give something away. I just got an 8 dollar offer for a complete G1 Bluestreak. This thing is complete, and the missiles are still on the tree. Comparable ones sell for 70 to 80 bucks.

I don't even waste my time countering the lowball offers. I just decline them. Sometimes buyers get pissy about declined offers. Like one guy offered me 4 bucks for a complete 1984 Storm Shadow. I declined it and he wrote me a message telling me 4 bucks was the most he could afford, and I had no right to decline his offer. I didn't even respond, but seriously, where does this guy get off? I have no right to not sell my item at a low ball price?

[joeybones]

Brcthrift, I hear that man. Its unreal the amount of bullshit Ive gotta deal with, for having best offer option on everything in my store. Sick kids, Sick adults, this is all I have, Please please please, Karma, religion, etc etc.. c'mon. Make a fair offer, Ill accept. Lowball, and I just decline. These people are using the best offer all the time w/me with a sob story.. and then 2-3 out of 10, Ill accept an offer, and they wont pay. wtf.

[jnorlund]

Set autodecline, problem solved. Only need to deal with people who are serious.......

[loyalwatcher]

The main problem seems to stem from eBay: a general lack of understanding of the fundamental difference between someone saying, "I've seen this on eBay for $500!" and someone saying, "This sells on eBay for $500!"...

[spockoda]

Aug 5, 2013 13:42:45 GMT -6 brcthrift said:

Here is another gripe. People who send low ball offers with best offer feature on ebay. I use it on all my buy it now listings, and will generally do a 10% or 15% discount if it moves the piece quickly. Some people think best offer means I am willing to give something away. I just got an 8 dollar offer for a complete G1 Bluestreak. This thing is complete, and the missiles are still on the tree. Comparable ones sell for 70 to 80 bucks.

I don't even waste my time countering the lowball offers. I just decline them. Sometimes buyers get pissy about declined offers. Like one guy offered me 4 bucks for a complete 1984 Storm Shadow. I declined it and he wrote me a message telling me 4 bucks was the most he could afford, and I had no right to decline his offer. I didn't even respond, but seriously, where does this guy get off? I have no right to not sell my item at a low ball price?

This is why I personally only send offers if I'm serious about the item and I don't want my offer to be construed as an insult.

[rawlin]

Unfortunately here the flee markets called "loppis" pretty much have crap. Unless your in to household stuff, old tape records, toys for children 0-1 years old etc very very rare to find anything good at all.

About the best offer, I'm not sure why some sellers have that up, sometimes I've made offers around 2usd less then the price tag because it in my opinion was just bit higher what the item normally sell for and the seller just decline it anyway. But some sellers are great with discussing a price. I've only used that a few times on my own items and I think there was an option for autodecline at a sum that's to low.

I guess it's the buy now + best offer that make people use it, like maybe maybe I could accept a lower offer but no not right now, decline - I'll wait a bit longer.

[bowheadwhale]

Aug 9, 2013 15:59:47 GMT -6 spockoda said:

Aug 5, 2013 13:42:45 GMT -6 brcthrift said:

Here is another gripe. People who send low ball offers with best offer feature on ebay. I use it on all my buy it now listings, and will generally do a 10% or 15% discount if it moves the piece quickly. Some people think best offer means I am willing to give something away. I just got an 8 dollar offer for a complete G1 Bluestreak. This thing is complete, and the missiles are still on the tree. Comparable ones sell for 70 to 80 bucks.

I don't even waste my time countering the lowball offers. I just decline them. Sometimes buyers get pissy about declined offers. Like one guy offered me 4 bucks for a complete 1984 Storm Shadow. I declined it and he wrote me a message telling me 4 bucks was the most he could afford, and I had no right to decline his offer. I didn't even respond, but seriously, where does this guy get off? I have no right to not sell my item at a low ball price?

This is why I personally only send offers if I'm serious about the item and I don't want my offer to be construed as an insult.

My offers are hardly ever lower than 15% of the price, on Ebay. Maybe this is why my offers have never been refused.

[cmc1214]

I'm generally ok with both. But there are sellers at both that are just out of their minds with prices. I just had a guy yesterday at a flea market tell me that his disgusting beat up vintage Star Wars lunch boxes were worth $250 each, but he was going to let them go for $100. That's nuts. And ebay can be just as bad sometimes.

[bowheadwhale]

Aug 18, 2013 8:56:11 GMT -6 cmc1214 said:

I'm generally ok with both. But there are sellers at both that are just out of their minds with prices. I just had a guy yesterday at a flea market tell me that his disgusting beat up vintage Star Wars lunch boxes were worth $250 each, but he was going to let them go for $100. That's nuts. And ebay can be just as bad sometimes.

Were they that bad? Reading you, there were still food items rotting in those since 1979...

[speeddemon340]

Ebay anoys me the most, because you can't find crap at garage sales in Iowa. Ebay has way to many resellers.

[else3573]

Yard Sales. Good luck building a collection of a certain line like AD&D with garage sales. If you want a bunch of junk clothing, old shoes, 25 cent romance novels and pots and pans from the 70's, yard sales are the way to go. Meanwhile, I'll stay buying and selling on ebay...

[victoryleo19]

I can't prove it yet, but I'm fairly certain there are several buyers/sellers who will specifically target your auctions to try and get them canceled if they "have it out for you". I've had a few times now where weird buyers have contacted me and I knew my answer wasn't what they were after, and in three instances I've suddenly had my auctions reported and canceled by ebay within 24-48 of the conversations. Very strange.

[jnorlund]

Sept 7, 2013 8:18:58 GMT -6 victoryleo19 said:

I can't prove it yet, but I'm fairly certain there are several buyers/sellers who will specifically target your auctions to try and get them canceled if they "have it out for you". I've had a few times now where weird buyers have contacted me and I knew my answer wasn't what they were after, and in three instances I've suddenly had my auctions reported and canceled by ebay within 24-48 of the conversations. Very strange.

That's weird. Why were they cancelled? I've reported actual fake items, etc and they weren't cancelled. I wouldn't think 1 buyer has that kind of power.

[else3573]

I had an auction of 6 packs of those S.L.U.G.S guys, in the listing I put something like
"SLUGS, 6 packs, mini figures like MUSCLE, MIMP", and Ebay shut it down and said I
couldn't sell an item as something else. I don't know if someone reported it or what,
but THOUSANDS of people put other similar toys in the description. I don't know what the problem was. How many people list fantasy figures as "Dungeons and dragons" or random figures as "MOTU Knockoff"

As far as thw low ball offers, I've had them as well, People offering 50% of an items price, BUT, on the flipside, some sellers don't accept ANY offer. There was something I wanted that was listed at $50. I sent an offer of $46 and was REFUSED. I mean, why even put "best offer" if you won't accept them? What would be an acceptable offer, $49.00?

[defzombie]

I have had some recent great experiences with Yard sales. Found some cool toys the other day, and more importantly some sweet Playstation One games. I love PsOne Games, and for 50cents each it was an awesome find!

[else3573]

I don't get too lucky at yard sales, however, I just got a sealed starter kit of Hero Clicks and another 60 or so different loose ones for $10. I know nothing about them, don't play the game, but they look cool and it was too good a deal to pass up.

[victoryleo19]

My frustration with ebay has now become down right ridiculous. Because I don't sell very much (typically 1-5 items a month) and I happen to run into 3-5 insane buyers within a 6 month period, my account as been indefinitely closed. I don't understand how this can be a policy. Because I was unable to ship out items with 48 hours of the end of auction, I've lost the ability to sell. I used to give every buyer or seller 5 stars on every section simply out of respect for having completed the transaction, whether the item took 5 or 20 days to get to me, or if they paid me 1 or 6 days after auction's end.


It's almost that I'm at the point where all I can see as an option, is to give everyone the lowest possible rating no matter how smooth the transaction is. So what should I do, keep being the "nice" guy with ebay? or just sink to the level of the rest of the scumbags?

[bowheadwhale]

One thing that annoys me reading on Ebay: NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING. Crap.

[10incher]

Oct 15, 2013 15:00:35 GMT -6 bowheadwhale said:

One thing that annoys me reading on Ebay: NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING. Crap.

Bowheadwhale, it always pays off to message them and ask. I find sellers many times will ship to Canada even if stating US only on their listings.