Why is eBay evil?

[Miko]

. . . I bought 2 X overtrees from Eduard, PE parts & decals from Jadar in Poland, and the price was less than half the Ebay profipack prices

Hey Dave, I hope you're okay with using your message, it does speak for many who hold your position

Isn't this a bit of a false analogy and a little unfair? There isn't really such a thing as an eBay price, they vary widely for the same item, I and I'm sure many of you have had some brilliant bargins from eBay and had to concede some sellers are pricing us out of the market.

When we buy from retailers they can price their stuff almost as they like, many might use a recommended retail prices, this is how commercialism works, eBay doesn't work this way, eBay are individuals who price as optimistically as possible to get the best price for their item, this is where some use terms like evilbay, I don't see that at all, if what we would like is over priced just don't buy it, only bid what we're prepared to pay. for me it's as simple as that, why is this evil? It can be frustrating when your best bid sits in the winning position for someone to pay a tiny bit more in the last few seconds, so so annoying! But we all know that's how it works. My experience is if a kit I see is over priced or the bid has gone too high I wait, and most of the time I'll get one eventually at the price I'm prepared to pay. Those who price too high usually won't sell and eventually have to reduce the price or keep what they're selling.

This difference is retailers are selling to everyone, eBay sellers are selling to one person who is prepared to pay more than everyone else,that's not always going to be you, it's not a perfect system, but it works, if it wasn't for eBay my stash would be much smaller (good or bad thing? it depends on perspective) but I for one am happy eBay exists

Miko (eBay, good thing not evil)

[Dave Ward]

Hey Dave, I hope you're okay with using your message, it does speak for many who hold your position

Isn't this a bit of a false analogy and a little unfair? There isn't really such a thing as an eBay price, they vary widely for the same item, I and I'm sure many of you have had some brilliant bargins from eBay and had to concede some sellers are pricing us out of the market.

When we buy from retailers they can price their stuff almost as they like, many might use a recommended retail prices, this is how commercialism works, eBay doesn't work this way, eBay are individuals who price as optimistically as possible to get the best price for their item, this is where some use terms like evilbay, I don't see that at all, if what we would like is over priced just don't buy it, only bid what we're prepared to pay. for me it's as simple as that, why is this evil? It can be frustrating when your best bid sits in the winning position for someone to pay a tiny bit more in the last few seconds, so so annoying! But we all know that's how it works. My experience is if a kit I see is over priced or the bid has gone too high I wait, and most of the time I'll get one eventually at the price I'm prepared to pay. Those who price too high usually won't sell and eventually have to reduce the price or keep what they're selling.

This difference is retailers are selling to everyone, eBay sellers are selling to one person who is prepared to pay more than everyone else,that's not always going to be you, it's not a perfect system, but it works, if it wasn't for eBay my stash would be much smaller (good or bad thing? it depends on perspective) but I for one am happy eBay exists

Miko (eBay, good thing not evil)

I don't use the term 'evilbay' ................ prices on Ebay are what they are - if people are willing to pay huge prices for models, fair enough. Of course, the main reason for high prices is rarity, and isn't anything to do with retailers - it's all relative to your own sensibilities ( and how deep your pockets are ). The Eduard Lysander Profipack, for example, is doing for £75+on Ebay, far too high for my tastes. The downside of Ebay is that it attracts the collectors ( ie non modelmakers ), which inflates the prices - which leads me to look for 'no box, tatty box, no instructions', which are no interest to collectors.
Dave

[Waspie]

eBay is what it is. An on-line auction. If 'bidders' wish to pay more than the going rate - fair play to them. (Rich bar persons)
I avoid eBay whenever possible, not for the reasons I have just mentioned but I have found having, in many cases, to use Paypal to pay for goods too high risk for me. (I've been stung and Paypal were no help at all.) So eBay is a No-No as a general rule. Always exceptions!!!
No, if you use eBay, as with all auctions, on-line or real, do your homework, agree a price and stick to it. I saw a Parker fountain pen go for ridiculous money a few years back. I paid over half the bid price from a high street shop for the same item.

[Miko]

I don't use the term 'evilbay' ................ prices on Ebay are what they are - if people are willing to pay huge prices for models, fair enough. Of course, the main reason for high prices is rarity, and isn't anything to do with retailers - it's all relative to your own sensibilities ( and how deep your pockets are ). The Eduard Lysander Profipack, for example, is doing for £75+on Ebay, far too high for my tastes. The downside of Ebay is that it attracts the collectors ( ie non modelmakers ), which inflates the prices - which leads me to look for 'no box, tatty box, no instructions', which are no interest to collectors.
Dave

Yep, you're right, you didn't use the term evilbay, I apologize for that, maybe I shouldn't have quoted you in that case.

As you say, rarity can drive prices and collectors love them or loathe them have the same right to bid as you, same can be said for almost everything that's available to purchase, a tatty box or no instructions even a missing part or two for me can be brilliant, I get the kit at a lower price! a pristine box and instructions go in the bin just the same as a tatty one, it's the plastic that matters to me.

The examples of prices can be inflated as you say, but not always, there are bargins to be had.

Miko (eBay is responsible for a large part of my stash)

[AlanG]

I use the term evilbay. It is purely from the standpoint that it shows me things i could have, and in the past, tempted me to place bids / buy.

Most of the things i buy from there are at vastly lower prices than RRP and also it is the only way of finding rarer kits without having to go to certain rip off kit trader shops.

[Miko]

I use the term evilbay. It is purely from the standpoint that it shows me things i could have, and in the past, tempted me to place bids / buy.

You mean like a the Sirens on the island of Calypso tempting you to dash yourself on to the rocks of financial ruin?

That speaks more of our will to resist temptation or over stimulation of the impulse purchase center in our brains, it can have a powerful short term psychological boost to buy impulsively , it's often referred to as 'retail therapy' and the reason why missus Miko has soooo many shoes!

So it's difficult to argue something is evil simply because of our own weaknesses and inability to resist, many was the time I'd find a package on the doorstep and wonder what it was only to be reminded of the late night 'buy it now' button push from earlier on in the week only to consider 'why the hell did I buy that!'

Insert famous Oscar Wilde quote here!

Most of the things i buy from there are at vastly lower prices than RRP and also it is the only way of finding rarer kits without having to go to certain rip off kit trader shops.

Exactly that, eBay, good thing!

Miko [the other reason eBay is a good thing is it's one of the worlds greatest recycling centers, without eBay a large part of what is sold would end up in land fill!]

[Ian M]

I think the reason that the Evil bay started up was due to this site despite being here befor the shop is owned buy John who owns Scale models Shop and it was a bit inappropriate to keep name dropping other shops. But it kind of stuck.
John is no longer affraid of the competition, (but links to other shops is still a big no no).

[David Lovell]

Right then .....well done Dave sounds like by shopping about you coped a saving i dont doubt for a minuet that ebay was the only place you price checked , there's no way you derised ebay mearly stated that you got your stuff considerably cheaper elsewhere. Hello people no one is making it compulsory to purchase from ebay or any other retailer ,personally fed up with some starting these picky commented threads all Dave did was stated he got a bargin compared to the prices he found on ebay ,no one on here needs lecturing on ebays rights and wrongs were all grown ups and know whats what .

[The Smythe Meister]

Well,I DO use the phrase "Evil Bay",or sometimes "the Bay That is Evil",but purely in a tongue in cheek, humorous,way.The reason is that once on there I can sometimes spend an age looking at many bargains,and can end up getting more things than I'd originally intended, it's as simple as that,there's no deep seated,complicated,or malicious agenda behind it..... I reckon you've over thought this one Miko, although it has been interesting seeing some of the above posts.