A Question about Rarity.

[penman]

Say what you will about ebay, and there are certainly many positives and negatives, but it has brought out lots of treasures that might have ended up in the trash, and instead have found appreciative homes. As far as pricing goes it's really no different than a regular auction, you just never know. The value of something is really only what someone is willing to pay, at that moment. There have been some real ebay phono surprises at both ends of the spectrum, the Class M, and the recent Berliner Trademark are examples of the 2 ends, as well as 2 Victor C's ($3000+ or $800 (and I think the $800 one was nicer). I recently obtained a Vic MS back bracket from one of the regular sources at a reasonable price, certainly what both of us thought was reasonable. To offset my cost I put a Vic V bracket that I had been using up on ebay, expecting (hoping) to get an even swap price. Boy was I surprised (pleasantly) when it sailed way past. I don't know why, except 2 people wanted it. I've been selling vintage pens for many years on ebay and the prices bear little resemblance sometimes to what the "established" value is supposed to be, and I'm supposed to be knowledgeable there. Actually one of my first "shocks" on ebay prices was a 1904 Bettini catalog that I sold many years ago...talk about sticker shock.