eBay market dried up?

[BVC500]

I've been preparing to sell of a big chunk of my stash (kits, accessories, spare parts, Tamiya, Cobra Colors and Zero paints), as I've started a new job and have come to realize that I don't have the time to build all of the models that I want to.

I usually sell on eBay, but lately I've noticed there are very few models for sell on eBay, and mostly from international sellers. Have modelers abandoned eBay because of fee increases, or are modelers still holding onto their stashes because of low market prices? Do most of you still browse eBay for kits and just to determine market prices?

I'll probably list them on this forum first. If any don't sell, I'll then list on eBay, or maybe go to a show (dammit, I just missed Mid Atlantic NNL in Severna Park, MD near DC!) and sell them at a swap meet. Swap meets are good for selling kits that may have been started, right?

[mattbacon]

Originally Posted by BVC500

Have modelers abandoned eBay because of fee increases, or are modelers still holding onto their stashes because of low market prices?

I find eBay is just very variable at the moment: I have a "Saved Search" for "1/24 Car model kits; auction only; location UK" and in the course of a week it can go from 3 pages of results to 8 pages.

If it helps you decide, it's still my "go-to" source for pretty much all the kits I'm still looking for. Mind you, if you have an old Monogram Aston DB4 or AMT Sunbeam Tiger that you want to let go at a reasonable price to someone who'll definitely BUILD the things, then let me know by PM ;-P

bestets,
M.

[lovegt40]

it is becomed too expensive.
Fees are around 10% of what u sell..paypal takes other money too.Doesnt worth the selling there any longer.
There are many more better places to sell.also here inside forum is too better at all than ebay imho.

[leafs004]

I'd argue there are several factors, all which revolve around money; Ebay fees, paypal fees, shipping always going up. Couple that with a weak economy, the market is not as lucrative as it once was. When Ebay started, many people saw it as a goldmine in selling their rare kits, and people who were looking for those kits loved it. Shipping was also a lot cheaper.

As a buyer, for me to buy off ebay, it has to be a rare kit, a small collection, or an ubelievable low price. If my online store sells it for $30 plus shipping, let's say $9, and a seller on ebay is offering it for $25 plus $9 shipping, I usually go with the online store. Why? I will probably wait and buy 3 or 4 kits, plus some supplies, even wait a little longer until they have a special on shipping, and suddenly I'm paying $33 for something that is new, in the wrap with perfect decals.

If I'm a seller, honestly, trying to moving a $20-30 kit just isn't worth my effort. I'll put it up here or another modeling site, or take it to a show to try and swing a trade. You have to be located in USA. Nothing against my European modeler bretherin, but I tried working out a trade with someone from Belgium. We were looking at spending $20 each to ship kits that we could get at our local store for $25. Mailing costs just made it not worth while.

So if your kits are very rare, ebay them, but if they're common kits, it's probably easier to try and sell them here or work out trades. You won't make money, but you may get something you want or save a few dollars on ebay fees for your trouble.

[rallymaster]

To me one of the first reason is that Paypal rules forced sellers to propose only registered sending and so often offers shipping costs more exepnsive than models !! and of course it's less tempting for eventual buyers...
Also some other sites are increasing their activity, for example for France www.leboncoin.fr

[360spider]

eBay is shooting itself in the foot. They protect the buyers soo much, that buyers started to take advantage of sellers. That, together with higher fees and unreal shipping costs, scared all the sellers away. eBay already dropped listing fees, mark my words, they soon will drop their FV fees, but the market is lost IMO. Corporate greed, as always, is the case.

[chaos]

Originally Posted by 360spider

eBay is shooting itself in the foot. They protect the buyers soo much, that buyers started to take advantage of sellers.

I agree a 100% with this statement. It's the sellers that keep eBay in business by creating a market and providing a large avenue of income. But eBay is so biased towards the buyer.

[star21]

I personally try to stay away from eBay now unless, as someone else stated, it's a rare kit or a great dirt cheap price. I absolutely HATE that eBay is flooded with Hong Kong sellers. It makes my searches that much harder from past experiences with those kind of sellers. I wish there was a feature that I could block sellers from certain regions but knowing eBay they wouldn't listen.

I definitely agree eBay is shooting themselves in the foot. Greedy, greedy, greedy.

[BVC500]

Originally Posted by star21

I personally try to stay away from eBay now unless, as someone else stated, it's a rare kit or a great dirt cheap price. I absolutely HATE that eBay is flooded with Hong Kong sellers. It makes my searches that much harder from past experiences with those kind of sellers. I wish there was a feature that I could block sellers from certain regions but knowing eBay they wouldn't listen.

I definitely agree eBay is shooting themselves in the foot. Greedy, greedy, greedy.

Thanks for the comments guys. Look out or my list of stuff soon. My stash is mostly european cars. When I buy a kit, I try to get everything possible for the kit, including metal transfers and detail sets, so whatever I sell usually comes with extra bits.

There isn't a way to block international sellers, but you can filter your results to included just US sellers.

[petesy]

Originally Posted by star21

I absolutely HATE that eBay is flooded with Hong Kong sellers.

I guess you won't be buying anything from me then.

[star21]

Originally Posted by petesy

I guess you won't be buying anything from me then.

Correct.

[lovegt40]

a trick can be just contact the seller and ask for a message outside the ebay platform.
not so rare to found people making good discounts and able to sell it without website. ebay becomes just an advise to say:hey, I have this! interested?

yes, of course it is forbidden by ebay, but it always works.Usually when auction is ended and item remains unsold

[MidMazar]

For one paypal is a an ebay company. Maybe people are sitting on their stashes for when they retire they can have some spending fiat money. Plus who needs ebay when you have a great classifieds section like we do here!!

[sky1911]

well to me ebay is usually worth a check. however it can be very frustrating, as with everything they sell there. be it new kits or whatever other gear. some people bid for stuff that is used or not mint and pay more than what you would have to pay in an online store for a brandspanking new part. i've seen it with kits, die cast, computer hardware - anything. sometimes it makes me wonder why - are people really that dense. don't answer that.
then there's the other frustrating bit. i saw a kit for one of the 935's recently. i was ready to pay the asking price, but the guy only offered shipping to the us, so i emailed him and he again said no shipping to europe offered. that really ticked me off - i guess he's got his reasons, most likely bad experiences. thing is the prices for that kit over here are through the roof, like people would pay anything to get it.
reminds me of the time i saw the rosso wrx 643 f1 1/8 kit on ebay, going for well over 2 grand (euros). i bought mine new in a shop in the 90s for what would translate to 300eur nowadays. yes it's rare, but i don't think it is worth quite that much. not that i ever intend to sell mine

as a seller, i guess ebay offers you means to gauge the market worth of parts for the uninitiated. remove a couple % of the successful ebay bids and you have the actual "market" value.

and re some of what was said above. at times ebay is like a dried up lake if you're looking for something in particular (my hunting grounds are the big scales) and a couple weeks later it's like the floodgates have opened - for no apparent reason.
anyway, i also tend to think it's a seasonal thing. summer = less building, more time outside, less stuff on ebay. winter = less time outside, more building, more options on ebay.

[Jocache83]

anyone know or recommend a auction/sell site besides ebay or emodelcars?

Thanks,
Joel