Crazy people paying crazy prices!

[alec4444]

I gawk at E*ay all the time to oogle over things I don't need and at times to try to find something that I do need. It's addictive. It's like watching Antiques Roadshow in realtime, 24x7.

Having just purchased my 11x14 camera, I'm spending a fair amount of time looking for accessories for it. And of course, filmholders are a top priority. Lo and behold, I've seen three go by on Ebay. The first two went by before I purchased the camera. One went for something like $305 and the other for a little bit more. They were the Fidelity sort and in good condition.

Then came this beast: (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&item=180020373472) another 11x14 Fidelity holder in somewhat sadder condition, in need of some repair. And some poor soul paid $330!! for this thing! :eek: For another $30, he could have purchased a beautiful wooden one that was NEW!

I have a feeling the buyer, "snypurr", made one snipe too many in this last purchase.... :p

Sorry, I'll try to keep these types of posts down to a minimum. I'm excited to see what the 11x14 Deardorf goes for; it's already got me feeling fuzzy over my Wisner purchase...

--A

[Bob Gentile]

I see that kind of stuff all the time. About a month ago some guy "won" a used macro focusing rail (for 35mm and MF) for only $30 more than B&H's selling price for a new one! Same model.

As often as not, the same or similar items can be had through reputable dealers like K.E.H., Midwest Photo, etc. -- whose rating systems tend to be quite conservative and whose return policies are trustworthy. Seems foolish to bid more on eBay than what Midwest is asking.

[Capocheny]

Seems foolish to bid more on eBay than what Midwest is asking.


Couldn't agree with you more, Bob. But I think it's people not doing their homework that are making these types of bids.

Or... those who get caught up in the "heat of the moment!"

Or... those who really want the item regardless of the cost.

But, in this case, it COULD be because it's coming from the Dagor-meister himself that is so appealing! It probably came from the same basement as many of those rare Dorffs with the incredible stories behind them! :)

Cheers

[Bob Gentile]

Couldn't agree with you more, Bob. But I think it's people not doing their homework that are making these types of bids.

Or... those who get caught up in the "heat of the moment!"

Or... those who really want the item regardless of the cost.

But, in this case, it COULD be because it's coming from the Dagor-meister himself that is so appealing! It probably came from the same basement as many of those rare Dorffs with the incredible stories behind them! :)

CheersYou're absitively posolutely right -- people not doing their homework. And... I'm afraid I'm guilty of that on this one. I didn't realize the seller was Dagor, else my comments would have come from a different direction. Heck, the stories alone are worth...

[Capocheny]

You're absitively posolutely right -- people not doing their homework. And... I'm afraid I'm guilty of that on this one. I didn't realize the seller was Dagor, else my comments would have come from a different direction. Heck, the stories alone are worth...

Hi Bob,

LOL... yup, ole Andrew's stories are worth the price of admission. I've bought quite a few things from him and he's always been great to work with.

So, even though some items may be a bit higher in terms of cost... I don't mind doing the deal with him. Besides, it all comes out in the wash! :)

But, you've gotta watch his feedback though! I still wonder, "(LOL) How the he** does he know I'm a good kisser???? :) :)"

Cheers

[Bob Gentile]

"... How the he** does he know I'm a good kisser...?"Aw... c'mon. It's common knowledge. Everyone knows about your kisses!

[snuck]

Man I'd rather take the speed graphic that that could have bought... or any number of vintage lenses....

[Capocheny]

Aw... c'mon. It's common knowledge. Everyone knows about your kisses!


LOL... Gee, thanks Bob! :)

Yup... good ole' Andrew with his sense of humor!

And, I didn't think he knew any of the girls I "once" knew! It's a small, small world indeed! :)

Cheers

[Bob Gentile]

"... I didn't think he knew any of the girls I "once" knew! It's a small, small world indeed...!"You'd be even more flattered to hear what they have to say about you. Apparently, it's all over the "Ladies" restroom walls. Frankly, I'm more than a little envious.

[Steve Hamley]

Here's more film holder madness, even worse that the other one.

I was watching an auction (150026129554) for 6 Toyo 4x5 film holders (like I really needed any more) jus because they're good holders. The auction said new ones were $60 for two, and B&H actually has them in stock for $59.95 - close enough. He's also charging rather high shipping of $14 to my zip code (right coast) and requiring insurance. That will come to aout $20.

So how much do you think they went for? How about $201.99? !!!

Someone paid $21 more for used holders than he could have gotten new ones from B&H, and the new price was listed in the auction! And B&H has VERY reasonable shipping, so add another $15 or so for the extra shipping charges.

Steve

[leeturner]

I found the same thing with film holders. I can ring a UK dealer and he sends me excellent used Toyo 4x5 holders for £8 each with very reasonable postage costs. The one thing that gets me is how much people will pay for paper. A 50 sheet pack of Ilford FB, described as "rare and probably not available new" went for £5 less than a brand new box.

[Steve Hamley]

Even more madness! A Rodenstock Ysarex 210mm in Compound #3 just went for $57 and change. There's another Compound #3 - shutter only - from an old casket set that's at $104 with time to go. Go figure.

Steev

[alec4444]

Another 11x14 Fidelity holder (this one in good condition, at least): $405.00. That's $45 more than nice, new wooden one.

If I owned Fidelity, I'd *HIGHLY* consider getting back into the 11x14 market. Their filmholders come off an assembly line, right? I mean, nobody is hand building plastic holders, are they? How much could it cost them to make one?

--A

[Rafael Garcia]

A lot of idiots in eBay. I cannot understand why they do not research what they want before bidding. It's like feeding frenzy, they look at it as a competitive sport instead as spending money. I have 19 5x7 filmholders, mostly wood (although I have 2 Fidelity holders that I bought with my camera). I have not spent more that $35.00 acquiring them. Just have to keep a cool head!

[Ron Marshall]

A lot of idiots in eBay. I cannot understand why they do not research what they want before bidding. It's like feeding frenzy, they look at it as a competitive sport instead as spending money. I have 19 5x7 filmholders, mostly wood (although I have 2 Fidelity holders that I bought with my camera). I have not spent more that $35.00 acquiring them. Just have to keep a cool head!

Sometimes the Ebay idiots miss out completely. I bought 4 new 5x7 filmholders for $80. I was the only one bidding!

[william linne]

I personally love the ebay madness!!

[Michael Graves]

Sometimes the Ebay idiots miss out completely. I bought 4 new 5x7 filmholders for $80. I was the only one bidding!


If you're really careful, you get lucky. I found four Fidelity Elite 5x7 holders in the Vintage secion. First of all, the seller listed them as Fdelity. Second, they thought they were picture frames and described them as such. And lastly the opening bid was $10.00. One bidder already had put in a bit and I had to bid all the way up to $14.00 to get them. When they arrived they looked, felt and smelt brand new. Last week, I bought a lot of "Miscellaneous Darkroom Gear". I was the only one to bid. So it set me back $9.99 plus $14.50 shipping. In it were two 120 stainless steel developing spools, one 220 spool, a never-been-opened dial thermometer, a Paterson tank with 35mm (which is about as useful to me as an ejection seat in a helicopter) and a Kodak printing scale. Along with it were four Fidelity Elite 4x5 film holders that are nearly new.

But you need to be looking in the oddball places for that kind of deal.

[Rafael Garcia]

True, Michael. I was expecting someone else to bid on your 210mm enlarger lens...no one did but me! Thanks for the great deal, I look forward to completing my home-built 5x7 enlarger with it.

Now...if I could find a 4x5 reducing back for my 5x7 Korona...

[Michael Graves]

No problem, Rafael. You got it for about half what I originally paid for it. Then again, I didn't expect that the pitifully low ceiling in my darkroom was going to prevent me from enlarging past 8x10 from 5x7. So I put it out to whomever could use it. Sometimes ya do good. Sometimes ya just get your wife mad at you.

The really DUMB boner I did was to bid on two different 180s to replace it. I thought I bid on one. Then I was watching the darkroom stuff and saw what I thought was the same bid closing in about a minute and a half. My bid wasn't even on there. So I frantically bid again and won. The next day, I get another notification that I had won yet another Schneider lens. So I wound up with two of them. So one's back up and I'll get about half what I paid for it. It's not losing the money that sucks. It's having to admit the stupidity.

[Capocheny]

The really DUMB boner I did was to bid on two different 180s to replace it. I thought I bid on one. Then I was watching the darkroom stuff and saw what I thought was the same bid closing in about a minute and a half. My bid wasn't even on there. So I frantically bid again and won. The next day, I get another notification that I had won yet another Schneider lens. So I wound up with two of them. So one's back up and I'll get about half what I paid for it. It's not losing the money that sucks. It's having to admit the stupidity.

Hi Michael,

I had a good long laugh at what happened with your 180s. Why? Because a very similar thing happened to me when I first started out on ebay back many moons ago. The only difference was that I ended up with a Sinar X AND a Sinar F2 from the same seller. The saving grace was that they were both brand new in unopened boxes and I managed to get them at really, really decent prices.

I thought I had lost out on the bidding for the X and, since the bidding was closing in a matter of seconds on the F2, I hastily placed a bid on the F2. Well, lo and behold... I get notification that I'd won both cameras.

Such is the fun and games of online auctions! :)

Cheers

[Rafael Garcia]

He he, my first time on eBay, several years ago, I did not bother reading the rules and put bids on several of the same thing (a "vintage"Apple printer for my souped-up [33 Mhz!] Color Classic). I thought that was the way it was done, and ended winning three of the darned things! They are dot-matrix and heavy as can be - the shipping/handling killed me!

...but we digress from LF photography...

[JeffBishop]

I think that there is a "Bid Mentality." People want to win the bid and lose sight of how much they are paying. I've sold old TLR's that I expected to get maybe $30. each out of going for over $60. each. (One was my Ciroflex, also up for bid at the same time selling for $5.00.

[Michael Daily]

P. T. Barnum: "There is a sucker born every minute, and that is enough to make a pretty good living on".:p
Michael

[Rafael Garcia]

I think that there is a "Bid Mentality." People want to win the bid and lose sight of how much they are paying. I've sold old TLR's that I expected to get maybe $30. each out of going for over $60. each. (One was my Ciroflex, also up for bid at the same time selling for $5.00.

I've probably bought a few $30.00 TLRs! Maybe some from you... Mostly Rolleicords (the last one was an Art Deco, with case, in excellent shape from a fellow in Australia- paid more than $30 for that one, but less than $100.00), and a few others, like a Mamiya C220 system, a Yashica 635, Meopta Flexaret (the grey one), Graphlex TLR, Ciro-Flex and five or six Voigtlander Brillant. The best deals are the Rolleis - no matter how old, and I have everything from the Art Deco to the Vb, the lenses are so darned sharp they put all the others to shame! The little metal Brillants aren't half bad for what is essentially a twin lens box camera. My policy on those was not to pay more than $15.00...

[walter23]

Ebay is a great tool for the seller. It can sometimes pay off for the buyer if you want something nobody else does, or if you can exercise restraint during that heart pounding last 30 seconds when bid snipers jump out of the bushes. It's all too easy to say "Ahh, what's $90 more" during that last period of time, because you've got your head set on the thing you're bidding on.

I usually just decide what my maximum bid is and enter it right away, or "snipe" with my maximum bid (to try to avoid artificially inflating prices by bidding early). The sniping strategy only works if you've got someone who has a maximum in mind (or doesn't!) but bids lower at first, hoping to snag a better deal. Otherwise sniping is totally pointless and a good way for you to pay more than you intended.

In either case, I've already decided what my max is and if some fool wants to pay twice that he's welcome to - there'll be other auctions :)

[walter23]

Yeah, and you could sell at least 20 or 30 of them at $350 a piece before demand was totally satiated :)


If I owned Fidelity, I'd *HIGHLY* consider getting back into the 11x14 market. Their filmholders come off an assembly line, right? I mean, nobody is hand building plastic holders, are they? How much could it cost them to make one?

--A