The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi Folks,

Be careful if bidding on eBay 302157314131

It is a Columbia Model B in an exhibitors case. Fire bottles sold one like this a week or so ago and the pictures look very familiar.

Joe

Could this just happen to be a relist? I've heard very good, positive things of him.

Best,
Fran

Firebottles sold it last week for $933, plus $55 shipping. So roughly $1K. It looks to me like the buyer is just trying to flip it for a fast $200 profit with Buy It Now. But if prospective buyers go the auction route he's taking a gamble -- it starts at $850, well below his purchase price, and potentially might not hit his $1K cost. Not to mention he's offering free shipping, which cuts further into any potential profit.

The new seller has 100% feedback so unless the account has been hacked I'd consider it a legit relist, reusing firebottles' excellent photos.

Rene is correct. It's a legitimate re-list. He bought it from me a couple of weeks ago and asked for the original digital picture files when he paid for it. "For insurance purposes." He's entitled to flip it, though. It's now his property, not mine. That said, I wish he'd asked my permission to use the pics -- which are my property -- and the language, which is also mine. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Just trying his hand at phonograph merchandising I guess. It's already got an $850 bid, so maybe he'll make out better than I did.

-- Grant

Fonotone wrote:Rene is correct. It's a legitimate re-list. He bought it from me a couple of weeks ago and asked for the original digital picture files when he paid for it. "For insurance purposes." He's entitled to flip it, though. It's now his property, not mine. That said, I wish he'd asked my permission to use the pics -- which are my property -- and the language, which is also mine. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Just trying his hand at phonograph merchandising I guess. It's already got an $850 bid, so maybe he'll make out better than I did.

-- Grant

Not likely, Grant... You seem to have the right market to get the highest prices and always have great stuff... Like the Pathé I bought from you.

Looks like the seller gambled and lost. He paid close to $1K with shipping and sold it for $865, with free shipping. After deducting the shipping and eBay / Paypal fees he really comes up short.

Sure was a nice machine.

TinfoilPhono wrote:Looks like the seller gambled and lost. He paid close to $1K with shipping and sold it for $865, with free shipping. After deducting the shipping and eBay / Paypal fees he really comes up short.

Sure was a nice machine.

Wonder if the seller will refuse to sell and it will pop back up again.

Well, you didn't have to wait long.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1899-Columbia-B ... Swj85YRKYn

Here is your third chance to buy it.

John

Getting out of an eBay sale like that isn't just that easy......unless the high bidder is a shill, which I am confident is what happened here.

cmshapiro wrote:Getting out of an eBay sale like that isn't just that easy......unless the high bidder is a shill, which I am confident is what happened here.

Unfortunately, it is. I have had my winning bid cancelled and my money refunded for no reason on several occasions, in some cases I was the only bidder. I assume the seller did not get what they had hoped for, so they decided to cancel using the item lost or damaged option, and resisted it later. eBay can't make a seller send an item, the only recourse is for the buyer to leave negative feedback.