darn it, I did it again!

ptpalpha · Dec 3, 1999

I picked up a nice little hunter on EBAY today-an A.K.Daniels burr-oak drop point hunter. Sweet looking little knife, and not a bad price. My question: am I the only one who gets caught up in EBAY, then realizes he has bid on more items than he can afford??? I was also the "winner" on another little burr-oak hunter, and with both auctions ending today, I find myself scrambling to gather the cash! One good point: the guy who sold me the Daniels had never heard of Bladeforums, and seemed very excited when I told him about it. I hope to see him here soon! NOTE: please disregard my signature line. Even I don't believe it anymore.

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"This is the last one. I mean it this time."

Squid · Dec 3, 1999

I just got hooked on Ebay recently. Thank goodness! If I got on sooner, I'd be totally broke! I've gotten some pretty good deals there. You do need to be careful, though. There is a lot of CRAP - those Spyderco knock-offs that sell of $1.99, etc. Buyer beware!

ptpalpha · Dec 3, 1999

I agree, Squid. On the Daniels I was sneaky and posted a thread here on BF asking about the maker. Got good feedback, so proceeded with the bidding. BUT I MUST NEVER, EVER RETURN TO EBAY! IT IS EVIL. Phew! Now I feel better.

HarlowJ · Dec 3, 1999

Are the deals all that good on E-Bay, Amazon, and Yahoo auctions? I've seen a lot of prices on there that are higher than you would pay on Knife Exchange, both dealers and individuals. Plus, as you mentioned, there is a lot of junk. I'd also trust someone on BladeForums before someone I had no idea about atall. (I have bought a lot of stuff on these auctions, from TV sets to knives, and outside of a case of Ginsu knives (for Xmas presents), I don't think the deals I got were really low. Plus if you get hooked, it takes ALL your time.)

A T Barr · Dec 3, 1999

I've bought several items on Ebay, mostly golf clubs. But I always pay with a credit card. If I don't get the item exactly as described, I would contact the card company. They would charge back the sale to the seller.

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A.T.
http://www.customknives.com

Senator · Dec 3, 1999

ptpalpha - you must save some cash for next weekend's Charlotte show! Heck, even if you're broke (like me), you'll still have a good time.

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Kelly

SenatorsPlace.com
AKTI Member #A000289

Deo Vindice

Chinook · Dec 3, 1999

Hard to categorize all the possibilities on ebay. I have bought some real dumb things, a Hopalong Cassidy knife cause he was the wife's fav as a kid (broke her nails opening the danm thing)
And Office97 supposedly upgradeable to Version2000 (shrinkwrapped crap)
Butt I have also bought a few really nice knives at fair prices from nice people. I do not yet feel like I have been ripped off. I should have been better informed before bidding in the cases where I was disappointed, or emailed the seller with more questions.
Tonight was no exception.....I'm eagerly awaiting my burgundy micarta scaled Jess Horn Spyderco collaboration that I was high bidder on.
(And no, my wife does not know about it)

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><CHINOOK*>
--
Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult

ptpalpha · Dec 3, 1999

I agree. When I first got into EBAY, I did pay a little more than I should have for a few knives. I have since traded or sold these, and now I do a lot of research before bidding on a particular knife. I also now stick to one rule: I decide what the highest price that I'd pay is, bid that number, and then I BID NO MORE!!! If you use the search function, email the seller for more details, then research here on BF, you're usually pretty safe. All in all, though, I too prefer to do business with fellow forum members.

L6steel · Dec 4, 1999

I used to sell factory knives on Ebay. Me and a friend made alot of good money off em till all those Spyderco knock-offs showed up. It got to where you had to look through 100 junkers to find one good knife. Ebay is a great money maker and saver for buyers, but ya gotta watch what you're doing and what you're bidding on. I've seen alot of junk knockoffs portrayed as the real thing.
Heres a tip for you buyers.
When you go to Ebay looking for knives, do not use the find window where you simply type in knives. Thats what most people do so you have more competition. Also, you'll miss out on 4-5,000 knives. Go to miscellaneous then down to knives general. You'll find around 10,000 knives for sale. Alot of sellers don't put the word knives in their titles, so when you type knives in the find window, their auctions don't show up. Those auctions are where you'll get the best deals.Also, once you're in the knives listings, click on "ending today". That way you'll see the auctions that are closest to ending and it's easier to tell if it's going to be in your price range. Another thing I do, I check out auctions that have ended. Look for the ones that didn't get the opening bid. If it's something you want and will pay the opening bid for, simply email the seller. Most of the time they will take the opener for the item. Whew, didn't mean to write a book!! Take care! Michael

P.S. Keep an eye out, you might see one of my knives on Ebay soon!!

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"

shappa · Dec 4, 1999

Hey L6, I already have too much competition for bargins. They are few too many as it is.

You must know your prices! Check the feed back section carefully. Ask questions of the seller early...sometimes it takes awhile for them to get back to you and the auction could end. Remember to factor in shipping. Sometimes shipping will put what you want just out of bargin catagory. Coming in with the high bid is a rush.

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~~TOM~~
Spyderco Starmate winner! Thanks Sal Glesser!!!