Opinions on How to Sell

[Caveoftreasures]

My friend who sold 6 containers of pins, being over 240 machines in 6 years stayed away from 99cent auctions because without friends or family members shill bidding the hell out of them, he never got half of what he wanted.

I wouldn't do a 99 cent auction of u stuck a gun at my head.

Best to keep a machine than to sell it for half price and feel gutted.
For sale listings with make an offer on ebay always get silly and serious offers. You are only interested in one serious offer. 99 cent auctions are a massive risk and are for the desperate.

The only other way to go is to list the starting price at your minimum happy price.

The last member on here who did a 99 cent auction got a lousy price and was most unhappy.

Ebay listings with a sale price with a make an offer reach the entire Australian market.
This forum only reaches 1 percent of that market.

Don't do a 99 cent auction start unless u are desperate and willing to accept any lousy price.
How would you feel if it only reached $1200 tops on a cold winters week.

Two weeks later at a 99 cent start and it might reach less or more. Huge unneccessary risk.

Do the buy it now price and make an offer listing. Nothing to lose this way.
People will make offers in private which they will feel comfortable doing. On a open forum, people get shy.
There is no shy people on ebay with make an offer etc.

My mate sold 6 container loads this way. I go with what I trust and know what works.

99 cent starts are for the desperate. Rarely will a buyer get a decent price this way.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Retropin]

The last member on here who did a 99 cent auction got a lousy price and was most unhappy

Who?

[Caveoftreasures]

Don't you remember Gav ?

[Retropin]

Thought you might have been referring to me but needed to clarify.

Your post is wrong... I wasnt most unhappy at all. What I wanted was the machine gone.

Machine was sold 3 times.
Once on this forum for a tad over $2K after what could be described as very little interest. This transaction was later mutually cancelled as the buyer wanted to purchase a BNIB.
Machine went to Ebay at 99c start and finished lower than expected at a tad under $1700. This was then cancelled because the buyer and I had an argument.
Again, machine went to auction at 99c start and sold for a tad under $2k.

All throughout the sale of this pin I stated that I would jump on any offer over $2K because realistically, in todays market, this is what the title is worth.
A touch under... a touch over. Makes no difference really.
Even though I was told it was worth $3K+.. its utter crap... it is what it will sell for and when sold 3 times for a round $2000 then this title is worth that amount.

The first Ebay buyer who was a member here posted that I pulled out of the sale because I was unhappy with the price.... this wasn't true, I was unhappy with him.

Ive sold all my Ebay sales via a 99c start and its always been good. Money is tighter these days, so don't expect the prices machine demanded say 5 years ago. Project EM's were selling for $1000... now fully working ones are struggling to get that

If we go back to the Embryon, then the $3500 was for INSURANCE purposes. So in other words, if it got stolen and you had to replace immediately, then walking into your nearest dealer and buying off the shelf, expect to pay up to $3500... doesn't mean that this title is worth $3500 and any lack of sale is a testament to that.


Make sure you know what you're talking about Cavey before posting..

[andypinboy]

Ignore him retropin - he seems to think any machine he has is worth twice it's real value & those he hasn't are worth half. And if it's Stern it's an "investment" (ie. appreciating). 99c auctions can work when the product is good & the seller has a good reputation - but can be tough for items like pinballs - if potential buyers miss seeing it then it can go cheap & the seller loses out. Agree things are tightening up a bit in the economy (exception is house prices).

[Boots]

99c auctions are a real risk
Anything I have sold I put the start bid as the absolute bare minimum I would sell it for, not happy but still sell it and I set the buy it now at my dream price.
Mostly it works out ok.

[pinnies4me]

I sold a TZ at a low start for pretty much exactly what I would have expected at the time, and a DE Star Wars for once again what I expected. In both cases though I had to hold my nerve because things really didn't happen until the last day and last hour etc. But its a risk if that action doesn't happen. Pity Epay doesn't allow reserves here like most other auction processes.

If I was firmly fixed to or needed a minimum price, then sure, the  buy it now / make an offer etc can be worthwhile, and are a good option.

[Caveoftreasures]

Ignore him retropin - he seems to think any machine he has is worth twice it's real value & those he hasn't are worth half. And if it's Stern it's an "investment" (ie. appreciating). 99c auctions can work when the product is good & the seller has a good reputation - but can be tough for items like pinballs - if potential buyers miss seeing it then it can go cheap & the seller loses out. Agree things are tightening up a bit in the economy (exception is house prices).

Every word you typed is a complete lie.
Every word you typed is completely made up.
You are still a nasty vindictive little brat who has an axe to grind because your friend got banned for a while.
Only after he was banned you started your bitchy immature snide cowardly attacks on me.
You are a pathetic joke. I feel pity for you.

[Caveoftreasures]

Thought you might have been referring to me but needed to clarify.

Your post is wrong... I wasnt most unhappy at all. What I wanted was the machine gone.

Machine was sold 3 times.
Once on this forum for a tad over $2K after what could be described as very little interest. This transaction was later mutually cancelled as the buyer wanted to purchase a BNIB.
Machine went to Ebay at 99c start and finished lower than expected at a tad under $1700. This was then cancelled because the buyer and I had an argument.
Again, machine went to auction at 99c start and sold for a tad under $2k.

All throughout the sale of this pin I stated that I would jump on any offer over $2K because realistically, in todays market, this is what the title is worth.
A touch under... a touch over. Makes no difference really.
Even though I was told it was worth $3K+.. its utter crap... it is what it will sell for and when sold 3 times for a round $2000 then this title is worth that amount.

The first Ebay buyer who was a member here posted that I pulled out of the sale because I was unhappy with the price.... this wasn't true, I was unhappy with him.

Ive sold all my Ebay sales via a 99c start and its always been good. Money is tighter these days, so don't expect the prices machine demanded say 5 years ago. Project EM's were selling for $1000... now fully working ones are struggling to get that

If we go back to the Embryon, then the $3500 was for INSURANCE purposes. So in other words, if it got stolen and you had to replace immediately, then walking into your nearest dealer and buying off the shelf, expect to pay up to $3500... doesn't mean that this title is worth $3500 and any lack of sale is a testament to that.


Make sure you know what you're talking about Cavey before posting..

I thought , and anyone would have potentially thought, all that all added up to

1. Starting the auction at 99 cents
2. With the saga of it all and the low price at the end, an unhappy result.

It certainly wasn't the $ you wanted on either of the 2 first failed sales or the last sale which worked but was still too low. I never saw you say anywhere anytime you were "happy" .

But if your above large post says you were happy well then that is great Gavin.

[Retropin]

Point is that you never saw me say I was unhappy and yet you used it to support your argument.
Only time I expressed any dissatisfaction was when I was forced to explain the situation and the dissatisfaction was placed firmly at just wanting an easy sale, not a drama.
I never expressed any opinions on the pricing.

I also disagree that it was a low price... was put on sale here for offers over $2K... that means I will accept straight away $2001.
It sold for $1980 something.

Ill leave the next assumption to you..

[pinsanity]

The whole point of the thread is moot anyway since most of those "minimum asking price" listings get pulled before the end of the ebay auction and sell for hundreds (if not more) of dollars well below the original asking price.

As a result no one besides the seller and buyer has any real idea of what the end result and true market value of what a machine is worth.

A high public asking price with a make an offer option and the actual end result private selling price on any individual machine are nearly always poles apart.


The problem is in many cases, this can lead to people to erroneously believe that their Godzilla is worth $4000 when a similar machine is listed publicly and gets pulled early - completely ignoring the fact that it then gets relisted a few weeks later for a lower price and still no bids.  

At least with a 99 cent start auction that actually goes the duration we can get an accurate gauge as to values rather than these false assumptions as to sale price and ultimately market value. Most 99 cent auctions get a majority of activity in the first 1-24 hours and last 2 minutes. It takes a bit of nerve but it works out nearly all of the time. I have listed this way in the past for used machines which I have imported and couldn't be bothered starting a shop out/resto on and within the first 24 hours of listing it has already reached my minumum sell price combined with the surety that most of the additional bidding activity will occur in the last 2 minutes.

Good on you Retropin for the info and accurate data surrounding the sale price of your machine. A lesser individual might be tempted to make a series of ass umptions about your sale in order to reinforce their point.  

[pinnies4me]

The whole point of the thread is moot anyway since most of those "minimum asking price" listings get pulled before the end of the ebay auction and sell for hundreds (if not more) of dollars well below the original asking price.

As a result no one besides the seller and buyer has any real idea of what the end result and true market value of what a machine is worth.

A high public asking price with a make an offer option and the actual end result private selling price on any individual machine are nearly always poles apart.


The problem is in many cases, this can lead to people to erroneously believe that their stock Godzilla is worth $4000 when a similar machine is listed publicly and gets pulled early - completely ignoring the fact that it then gets relisted a few weeks later for a lower price and still no bids.  

At least with a 99 cent start auction that actually goes the duration we can get an accurate guage as to values rather than these false assumptions as to sale price and ultimately market value. Most 99 cent auctions get a majority of activity in the first 1-24 hours and last 2 minutes. It takes a bit of nerve but it works out nearly all of the time. I have listed this way in the past for used machines which I have imported and couldn't be bothered starting a shop out/resto on and within the first 24 hours of listing it has already reached my minumum sell price combined with the surety that most of the additional bidding activity will occur in the last 2 minutes.

Good on you Retropin for the info and accurate data surrounding the sale price of your machine. A lesser individual might be tempted to make a series of ass umptions about your sale in order to reinforce their point.  

Spot on and thanks for more real world personal experiences. These are invaluable, unlike heresay.

[Strangeways]

An interesting topic that changes from cycle to cycle over time.

The "99 cent auctions" can be classed into two sections ;

1 - Private sellers who don't do research, or who honestly don't care what they get for the machine - they just want it gone. In some cases, they are gifted the game to start off with - so anything is a bonus.

2 - Dealers that list the games with a strategy of asking employees, lap dogs, friends and family to shill. I know because I've seen it first hand, and watched it "behind the scenes". I was even asked to do it on a number of occasions - but refused. There are private sellers that behave exactly as dealers do. Ironically, they were the ones complaining about "no more bargains" - and here they are shilling their own games and continually relisting them.

There are cases (on eBay at the moment) where individuals or companies inflate the prices to give the impression that the game is worth their asking price. Gottlieb "Raven" is rare. It is "rare" because it is crap. It is not "desirable" - it is a filler game. Private sellers bitten by dealers often list the game at the price they were sold the game for. They don't get the price, so they relist it over and over until people get so tired of seeing the game relisted that they earn notoriety. I call these auctions "The Spottem auctions". Current examples would be the 7 times nominated "Flight 2000" or the perpetual $5500 Space Invaders. The Rally "Play Boy" is quickly catching up.

Then we have the Twilight Zones listed as $8500 "fully done up". I've personally repaired several of these "done up" ebay games. In some cases, they have the same photos listed as a BIN $8500 and a 99 cent auction. So which game do you get when you win ? The old "bait and switch" - the buyer thinks he lands the bargain in the photos, when in fact he gets the basket case with minimal work. Don't laugh - it happens often and is one of the reasons we don't do repairs on dealer pins.

I personally feel that eBay ruins reputations IF the games are constantly relisted. It creates the impression that the seller cannot move stock as the prices are too high, or the workmanship (or lack of) has been exposed. There are less stories of newbies being ripped off by sellers. Forums etc have come a long way in shaping buyer's expectations. This weeds out the bad sellers in time. EBay is definitely a "window shoppers" pastime. We made a business decision that we would never be lumped into that category.

Private sellers can still sell games on eBay, and it is rare to see games constantly re listed unless they are running a hobby business, or they have become part of the "spottem syndrome".

Times have changed. Pinball collectors know about forums, they have regular meets, they attend comp nights. Pinnheads do send newbies to reputable sellers.. Collectors know they can have exceptionally restored games if they can wait and they know they are getting their money's worth.

When was the last time a High End Restoration was listed on eBay ? What percentage would the High end games be of the total listed on eBay ?

I still think the best way to sell a game is through a network of collectors, or a reputable seller or business. EBay is finished !

[Caveoftreasures]

The biggest mistake people make is to assume that last weeks price, or last months price on ebay means anything concrete. The words ebay and realistic don't go hand in hand.

I don't know why someone is talking about a Godzilla listed at one price and relisted etc etc.
I have no knowledge of that because I have never listed a Godzilla for sale.

Some people on here just make up stupid stuff to sit on their high horses.
Pretty embarrassing to watch. A few on the forum need to go back to kindergarten. Mod excluded.

The funniest thing I read, one member refers to others in life as "lesser individuals". Cause he thinks he is royalty or a better human than others. Drum roll for twilight zone music followed by delusions of self importance. What a stupid thing to say. We shld all bow to the dictionary King. Lol
What a crack up. Comedy Central.
Lesser individuals. Straight from the mouth of someone with the need of a reality check.
It must be so nice to be anything but a lesser individual. Lol

[Caveoftreasures]

The whole point of the thread is moot anyway since most of those "minimum asking price" listings get pulled before the end of the ebay auction and sell for hundreds (if not more) of dollars well below the original asking price.

As a result no one besides the seller and buyer has any real idea of what the end result and true market value of what a machine is worth.

A high public asking price with a make an offer option and the actual end result private selling price on any individual machine are nearly always poles apart.


The problem is in many cases, this can lead to people to erroneously believe that their stock Godzilla is worth $4000 when a similar machine is listed publicly and gets pulled early - completely ignoring the fact that it then gets relisted a few weeks later for a lower price and still no bids.  

At least with a 99 cent start auction that actually goes the duration we can get an accurate guage as to values rather than these false assumptions as to sale price and ultimately market value. Most 99 cent auctions get a majority of activity in the first 1-24 hours and last 2 minutes. It takes a bit of nerve but it works out nearly all of the time. I have listed this way in the past for used machines which I have imported and couldn't be bothered starting a shop out/resto on and within the first 24 hours of listing it has already reached my minumum sell price combined with the surety that most of the additional bidding activity will occur in the last 2 minutes.

Good on you Retropin for the info and accurate data surrounding the sale price of your machine. A lesser individual might be tempted to make a series of ass umptions about your sale in order to reinforce their point.  

Spot on and thanks for more real world personal experiences. These are invaluable, unlike heresay.

Invaluable ? Invaluable ???