Old Timer - Advice Requested (eBay Ad Removed By Moderators)

aj4gq99 said:
OP's auction data deleted by moderators
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Hart - Sometimes Ebay is hard to figure out. I have sold a lot of Schrades, and I try to use three points:

Great Pictures
Low start price
Honest descriptions

The 194OT is up and down, and I've seen them go from 25 to 70 bucks. I almost always start at 99 cents, and it gets several people bidding. Once several people have a stake in the game, competition takes over. The key is to get at least two people bidding. I usually list 5 or 6 at a time though, and look at the total sell price, not just one knife. 90% of the time I get a great selling price. The low start price is scary and is not something I did at first.

34OT-F1.jpg


If you look at the picture above, you can see the blades are full, but there is a bit of tarnish. On your pictures, you have to guess. I would think yours might have blade loss. But you just can't tell. I think your description is fine, but if is "near mint" the pictures need to "do it justice".

Long story short, my thoughts are a lower start price and better pictures, so the buyer can be sure they get a knife that matches the description.
 
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I would imagine that if you started the bidding at .99 cent you would end up selling it for between 40 and 50 bucks.

I did a completed listings search and found one that recently went for almost 50.....without a box as yours has. Starting bid was .99 cents.

Starting bid is a little high for me personally as is the BIN. IIRC, I got one BNIB for 35 plus shipping on a BIN on the bay but the box was not the brown one like yours.

Good luck with it.
 
The last 2 I bought were like new. They had no real marks on the bolsters, and never sharpened or used blades. (But no box) and I got them for 15-20.00. And that was within the last month. Could be overpriced for the market right now? Although with the box, I wouldn't think so. The "bay" can be weird sometimes.
P.S. your not supposed to link an active sale, it's considered spam.
 
First, I've e-mailed Blues with an apology. I did not realize I was violating Forum rules.
Now, thanks for the good advice. The start price is now .99 and I've added some language trying to explain the poor pictures. I took a couple more pics and they were actually worse than what is in the ad. I'd like to blame my camera but I suspect it is a skill issue. Hal, I hope my description is conservative because I would like a buyer to feel that he got something better than he expected. Hope the bidding begins soon . . . . . .
Hart
 
I'll bet is is somewhat of a camera issue, although I take mine outdoors on cloudy days. I bought a new Canon about 3 years ago because I was frustrated with pictures, and it made a world of difference. I think the description is the least important, and the pictures are by far the most. Good luck with the crapshoot we call Ebay.
 
aj4gq99 said:
First, I've e-mailed Blues with an apology. I did not realize I was violating Forum rules.
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Hart, thank you for the note. It's totally understood that these things happen and often inadvertently.

It's fine to discuss the subject of ebay auctions generically as long as nothing is posted that would lead someone to be able to track yours down specifically.

Thanks for your understanding. :thumbup:
 
Blues, I'm a little reticent to use that Company's name now, much less refer to it in a posting. I do appreciate what you do, have a better understanding of the rules, and I learned a valuable lesson. Thank you.
Hal, the camera is a Fuji A170 that I bought on . . never mind. The optical zoom is only 3X so macro shots are tough. I will go try again. Thank you all for the help and good advice.
 
aj4gq99 said:
Blues, I'm a little reticent to use that Company's name now, much less refer to it in a posting. I do appreciate what you do, have a better understanding of the rules, and I learned a valuable lesson. Thank you.
Hal, the camera is a Fuji A170 that I bought on . . never mind. The optical zoom is only 3X so macro shots are tough. I will go try again. Thank you all for the help and good advice.
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Camera's can be tough to reason with sometimes. Mine has a 6x zoom, but I have better luck taking pictures back at about 3-4 feet away, rather than zooming in with the camera. I bring the photo up closer on the computer with Microsoft Office Picture Editor. It took me a while to figure it all out. Having a high res picture to work with is key, rather than letting the computer auto size it to a "small picture".
 
Ohhhhhhhh. That explains it. I can take good quality hi res pics at 3 ft or so (5 or 10 M). I'll try the photo editor. Thanks!
Just got a .99 bid. Now I'm nervous . . . .
Hart
 
Yes sir! Right between the forks of the Whitewater and Walnut Rivers. :)
 
aj4gq99 said:
... Just got a .99 bid. Now I'm nervous . . . .
Hart
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Hava-Hart, that might have been me. I just shipped off all of my chickens for another knife and I only had 99 pennies left in my pocket. If it is me and I win, I'll need time to pick up some aluminum cans to pay the shipping, otay? :D
 
Hal, beautiful country. Don't let 'em fool with the El Dorado Dam.
Mr Codger, er . . Just Michael - "otay"? As in "to pay the shipping, otay?" Ya'll better save up them thar cans for the orthodontist and get that problem fixed. If that was you and you win it for .99, don't worry about the shipping; I'll deliver it in person along with a little present. Now then, would you kind gentlemen please address my most recent inquiry regarding a DU 470T? My own research went badly.
Hart
 
Hart, camera stability is an important requirement for clear pictures too. If you've got a tripod, defeinitely use it, if not, try to hold the camera against something solid like a deck rail post, with the knife positioned below it. Gingerly depress the shutter release when you snap the pic, don't mash it down so the whole camera shakes. You'll be surprised as to how nuch clearer the pics will be when cropped.

Eric
 
Thanks Eric. Good advice, as always. I've learned a great deal about knives and other things since I've joined. For example, a Senior Statesman on this Forum sometimes writes with a speech impediment and another Member named his son 'The Trilogy'. Then there's the homeless fellow who lives in fork between two rivers. That's gotta be cold and wet. Interesting stuff, huh?
Hart
 
Had my first "Shrade Trial by Fire" on eBay today. Knife sold for $35, less than expected and probably due to poor pics. This experience has been a learning process, which included an introduction to the "Blues".
Thanks to all of you for your helpful, constructive, and very educational comments.
Hava-Hart
 
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