The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Is anyone concerned about purchasing anything from Ebay in these times/

Like you, I've got a ton of time on my hands and lots of stuff to list but I'm wondering if anyone is buying because of this pandemic?

By the way, how are you holding up?

Thanks

No, I have no concerns whatsoever. The CDC says there are no known issues with receiving packages, even from China. Yes, I am definitely buying from eBay.

Sellers had mostly been reporting a bit of a slowdown, but things seem to have picked up for at least some.

This offers some excellent information concerning how long the Coronavirus is active on a variety of surfaces --

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/ ... 866340001/

If you're concerned, the best bet would probably be to set the package aside and open it in about three days, depending on the shipment date.

OrthoFan

Here's the latest by the NIH:
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-re ... s-surfaces

Marty,

Our mutual friend, (Norm), has been listing stuff with poor results. Not so much the plague he figures, but people wondering where, when or if their next paycheck will be arriving...

A friend of mine received a speaker from Oklahoma yesterday and was concerned about opening it.
I told him that it was very unlikely to be of any risk due to the time it would take to get here from USA, but I said if he was really that concerned he should simply put on some disposable gloves, open the package outside, and immediately wipe the whole speaker down with whatever anti-bacterial wipes he's been using.

Personally I wouldn't have any hesitation buying something on eBay.
If anything, I'd be more concerned about the postman who delivered the package having coughed on it than I would the product itself.

Like Jerry, I think a turn down in online sales of any kind are probably more to do with finances than it has with the virus

There is NO slowdown at UPS. I'm on vacation this week and they wanted me to work during it, but I had other things I needed to do. They never ask us to work our vacations this time of year. But, I am guessing people are spending money on other things, plus they are worried about where money is coming from if this keeps up. I've been watching some stuff on the Live Auctioneers website and most of the stuff I was watching for the heck of it, went for WAY more than I expected it to.

The opinion most people have of carriers though makes me wonder why they would be afraid of a package with a virus on it since they figure we do a good job of destroying everything else. Haha! I have had some of my customers come out and spray boxes with Lysol or wipe them down with bleach water, and I am just fine with that. And have told all of the folks on my route, just to stay away from me and I won't set stuff inside their houses anymore. They can wave at me through the window if they want. The last thing I want is a "typhoid Mary" reputation. Last week I must have had 40 cases of toilet paper and just about that many cases of Clorox Wipes and hand sanitizer. At least it's not all really heavy stuff..... All of the drivers and everyone else I know at work figure we are going to get it. The postal and Fedex workers I've talked to pretty much feel the same way. I guess time will tell on that one.

Stay safe you guys and if you do tell your delivery folks to leave stuff sitting outside, or leave a note saying as much. Or have them set it in a garage or whatever, I can't imagine any of them being put off by that. I've asked some businesses to put plastic tubs outside to set stuff in and they were glad I asked them to do that. UPS isn't asking for an actual signature right now, but we do have to see the customer if a signature is required. Most of the stuff I actually need a signature for is medical related. And I've gotten all kinds of phone numbers so I can call and let people know that I've left the stuff outside the door so they don't have to see me.

We really are fortunate in so many ways, and hopefully we will feel more like that once this mess is behind us. And I think we are also getting a little bit of a hint of how are grandparents and great-grandparents felt about disease. They lived in an era before WWII when this stuff was discovered and knew it was out there, but had almost nothing to combat any of it with... My grandmother washed her kitchen and bathroom down with bleach water at least a couple of times a week. That flu in 1918 really left an impression on her. Take care now, Earl.

Tbh, I’m not really THAT concerned but my family is. So no eBay for me until this is all settled.

The only concern I have is that in Canada postal workers and USPS have been told to not wait for signatures and just leave the package at the door. With most people at home anyways it should not be an issue. Hopefully.

OH YA I am waiting for two cylinders in a combined package that is tracked by a number but has stalled since Feb 26/20 so I'm a little worried about that.


Kevan from Canada