posted 09-11-2014 11:40 PM               

Each time I have bid on them only to have my bids cancelled and the item ended because the item was no longer available or broken.

Whats up with this? Are you selling them outside of eBay after listing them?

I noticed there was considerable interest in the first two you listed. The bidding was well over $500 and then the item disappeared. On the last one I was the only sole bidder. I bid a considerable large bid amount which only showed $1.00 for 4 days with nobody else bidding to show my money which I was bidding.

posted 09-12-2014 10:52 AM               

(is also to buy outside ebay)

posted 09-12-2014 04:25 PM               

As an artist, which you are, you are the only one who knows if the money you receive for these is enough. When you list on eBay, you are accepting the fact you will have $1.50 in listing fees and $95 in final sale fees, not to mention the 2-5% PayPal takes. If you use eBay, accept they will take 15-20% in the end. If you do not like these fees, it is very simple. Don't use eBay.

Right now you are openly admitting you are using eBay to market your art and then pulling them away when you receive an email from somebody who will pay you what you feel they are worth so you don't have to pay the fees. I'm surprised eBay has not noticed your wording mentioning you will sell outside of the auction. eBay will be shutting you down when they learn you are doing this. It is against their policies.

You irritate bidders by closing an auction early. When you irritate bidders on eBay, they eventually stop bidding, like I have. Some will not give you four chances like it did. I will never bid on your eBay items now that I know your not prepared to take the risk of accepting what the auction delivers. That only hurts you. I may not be the winner of your auction, but without my bids, your auction final price would have been much less with out my bids. Successful auctions need bidders.

I love eBay because I do find deals because items are poorly listed and don't show in searches or the seller does not know what they have. That's "the hunt" collectors speak of. In some cases it's a situation where on that particular day there is no competition and I get a $1000 item for $313.12. Woo Hoo!!!!!!

In the case of us space collectors, when we must have something we lose control and bid insane amounts. As a seller you have to love us collectors because when an item is wanted by more than one bidder you end up getting $2358.17 for that $1000 item. "Oh crap how am I gonna explain this to the wife."

For the seller in the long run it all balances out. Two $1000 items sell for a total of $2671.29 using my previous examples. Thats $1335.65 for each item.

If you don't want fees, may I suggest you use this site, collectSPACE to sell your dioramas. I have seen many people place some very cool items up for a 7 or 10 day successful auctions on this site. State your item will run for 7 days and the highest bidder at 5PM on Sunday is the winner.

You can also just state your price with a buy-it-now price and people will either buy or pass. It's actually a great place for artists to test the value of your items. You know when it sells in 10 minutes and there are seven posts asking when you will have another one you have a demand. Or if you put an insane price on it and nobody comes to the ball diamond to play ball. Gotta love those postings. Asking $350. Now $325. Reduced to $275 Further reduced to $200. Now $150. Asking $75. Item Sold. Reality check. Been there.

posted 09-12-2014 05:43 PM               

But I will try a a reserve price.

posted 09-12-2014 10:13 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by JasonB:
Them pulling the auction simply because he could rightfully sell it somewhere else would be pretty ridiculous.

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posted 09-12-2014 10:34 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by JasonB:
There's also the fact that until he sells it, it's his item. If someone offers more money for it I wouldn't blame him for taking it.

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When a seller lists on eBay and I bid, I expect him to honour my bid. Using the logic of some around here, I ask this. If the auction closed and the final hammer was $600 and 20 minutes later someone offers $750 outside of eBay, would it be appropriate for a seller to not honour the bids and not ship the item? I do not see the difference. eBay bidders do not trust sellers who play games.

Perhaps I'm a bit nieve and a bit of a purist when I sell on eBay. It is a sore point for me obviously because I am seeing it more and more and its darn frustrating when I'm interested in buying something.

I use this site to market my eBay listings when I sell something space related. It's very effective and appreciated that I have such an opportunity. In fact I have an item listed right now with nine bids involving seven different bidders. There are 50 Watchers. I know only two or three of the Watchers are potential bidders and the others are you folks watching out of curiosity.

Following the logic on here — perhaps I should just open it up here and see if I can get more money from you folks. The truth is - I think my Topping/Precise Gemini model will do better at auction with two or three of those Watchers who may have already decided to bid at auctions end.

But if somebody here wants to offer me stupid insane money for the auction, I guess I could cancel the nine bids and confirm with seven eBay bidders and 50 Watchers that I'm one of those who doesn't go through with their auctions and honour their bids.

Next time I sell something, I would expect many of those bidders will remember me and be much less interested in doing business with me. It would make two people on this site happy to the detriment of my future selling reputation on eBay which is important to me. I buy & sell all the time to build my collection and eventually at some point may want to sell it all off. eBay is a very effective way to reach my potential buyers.

It is obvious Pascal has treated folks around here well and is a honest seller. I am not intending to attack his reputation. I found out about his item from his listing here and was interested in it if it fell within my price tolerance. I figured the way to know the value of his art was to bid and follow the auction to an end. That never happened and I have no idea what I'm gonna have to pony up to buy his dioramas. My apologies for using this site to vent my frustrations. I should have just sent him an email instead.

posted 09-13-2014 02:40 AM               

• size of kit (figure/spacecraft/rare, old)
  
• plating or not
  
• plating copper, silver or real gold
  
• wooden base
  
• 3D printing items extra (lunar tools)
  
• primer paint
  
• brass rod
  
• masking tape
  
• gloves/dust mask
  
• sand for lunar base
  
• mission pins
  
• brass feet under base
  
• inscription plate on base

• package material for safe shipping
  
• Shipping cost with insurance
  
• eBay fees
  
• PayPal fees

Take the Cernan figure that cost total with real 24 karat gold head was euro 755,30 included shipping with insurance.

The buyer also signs on paper and I need this form for my gouverment handicap bennefit control to proof with PayPal paying that I not have make any profit out of my hobby. I have ask eBay of this may and they wrote me is not a problem, you pay also for the advertising costs the buyer than.

posted 09-13-2014 07:16 AM               

You must think of eBay as just another retailer a site that wants to maximize profit, it is just another tool in the search for space treasures and it has its flaws as well. However, it is still the fastest way of hitting a world market. You mention selling for more with auction houses, be careful on that. While the price may end up higher the winner is the auction house as their fees are high on both sides, seller and buyer. The word I get from sellers is they are typically left feeling run over by a bus.

Apart from Donnis and Lunar Legacies, I am trying to wean myself from auction houses as their buying premium, shipping costs and especially their customer support leave me frustrated more than eBay ever has. The beauty is the choice is yours on what you want to do here.

You can get frustrated and walk away or you can use this as an opportunity to form a relationship with Pascal and work on a model that you can afford and that Pascal can create without costing him anything more than the time he just about gives away.

I have to admit if Pascal lived next door I would be broke as these models captivate those who have seen them live and up close to the point where it is very difficult to pass up. I would own them all if I could, and I have a wife who would help me find a place for them.