The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here's another example, IMO, of why eBay's fees are arbitrary, capricious and exorbitant: today I decided to list a used car with them, for about $25k. Their total selling fee would amount to $125, and they provide a lot more services in their vehicle listings than they do for phonographs (serial # check, maintenance, title, etc.). Selling a phonograph on eBay costs 10% of the value, including shipping, up to a $750 commission. If you have an "eBay Store" (monthly fee applies) they cap the commission at $250.

Yet, they can do it all for $125 for auto sellers. Crazy. It's why I make every effort not to actually sell on eBay but just use it as a cheap advertising medium.

By the way, if anybody wants a real nice car, take a look: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Benz-S ... 2153630223

Happy 4th,

Raphael

Raphael, that is a beautifully kept 500SL. Wish it was in my garage l. Imagine the fee if that was a $25,000.00 Edison Idelia!!!

HAPPY JULY 4th to you also.


Rich Gordon

I'm in accord with you about eBay. It has become a greedy corporate monolith profiting from nearly every phase of the transaction. It also favours the buyer, rather than the seller. As regards using it as an advertising platform, that's an interesting concept, given the potentially interested parties have the knowledge to contact you outside of "FeePay". I suppose that's what you're doing with this....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Phonogr ... Swvg9Xd84f

eBAY is definitely a last resort. I much prefer Yankee Trader for selling. I've bought a lot of great stuff there too.

Panatropia wrote: As regards using it as an advertising platform, that's an interesting concept, given the potentially interested parties have the knowledge to contact you outside of "FeePay". I suppose that's what you're doing with this....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Phonogr ... Swvg9Xd84f

Yes, absolutely. 98% of my sales have nothing to do with eBay, they come from website inquiries, previous buyers, etc. And a lot of my sales never even make it to the website as I have a backlog of buyers waiting for the "right stuff" and it gets sold before being posted on the site.

That being said, eBay provides me with a new customer now and then, who return and buy a lot of future stuff directly. So it's not entirely dysfunctional, but needs to be taken for what is is, rather than what it could be.

Raphael

Raphael, this might be a dumb question, but is Craig's list a good alternative to Ebay? I know you sell high end merchandise so I was wondering if people with means simply stay way from Craig's list. I have had several successful sales on Craig's list and posting it locally attracted local buyers. Beautiful Mercedes Benz!

I would never consider CraigsList. Lots of stories about people getting ripped off, or worse. A friend's landlord got shot and killed trying to sell some power tools to a prospective CraigsList "buyer".

Antique collectors are few and far between in South Florida. This is the land of flesh and flash (and crime). Also, at my wife's insistence, for security reasons, we have a policy of not allowing first-time buyers anywhere near our house. I frequently get calls from people I've never heard from before, saying "I'm in Miami on vacation, can I come over to see your stuff?". I learned a long ago that's a good way to waste half a day or more, expose yourself to a nut case (or worse) and at best provide somebody with time to kill several hours of free entertainment.

If I do know the person, however, I do try to accommodate (or not, depending on the person, ha ha).

Raphael