Ebay - Do you look at EBAY adds for pinball machine sales regularly ?

[Caveoftreasures]

Guys, I wanted to get an idea about how many members look at EBAY on a regular basis for Pinball machine listings ?  

If you do look at the EBAY listings, do u do it nightly, weekly, fortnightly etc, and if you were selling a machine, would you be having it on a 7 day listing or a longer listing period. I dont believe in 99 cent auctions cause they always sell for $1700 plus with lots of shill bidding, but I do like the set price listings where u might list it at a Buy it Now price with a Make an Offer section underneath.

I have always bought and never sold which is why I am asking about how often members look at a EBAY pinball listing, and if at all etc. ? 

Your thoughts ?  
(and yes i know, the ebay fees are a rip off but its not a big deal in the scheme of things so to speak)

[rads]

I look daily.  I do so out of interest with the intention of buying if there is somthing listed locally that is cheap.  It has happened once in 4 years!!!!!.  I buy the majority of my games through forums word of mouth etc.  When I have sold on ebay I put a best offer price on as I am not prepared to take a loss on an auction and don't shill my auctions.

[v8racefan]

I generally have a look everyday or so.

7 day listing is good, plan well when listing, auction end time & day is important, sunday night used to be a good time to have an auction ending.

I haven't sold much lately on Ebay, so can't give ya much advice?

[Caveoftreasures]

2 x good responses so far.  I think the sunday night ending is a good idea .

[coon82]

Generally daily. For me it's a bit like window shopping to see what's out there at at times add to the 'wish list'.
But I've never purchased a pin from Ebay.

[andtan]

I pretty much look every day - but more so for parts, which at the moment is anything WH20.

If I was going to buy a 'tidy' pin I'd prefer a 'Buy-it-now' price with the 'Offer' option, but for a project I'm happy to take a punt. I see a lot of autions start really low and sky-rocket towards the end - especially on the things that I want . But as a seller I suppose that's a good thing.

Realistically though, if I'm going to buy a pin that doesn't need any work - I'd rather buy one from a member.

[Crashramp]

I like to keep an eye on where the market is for particular machines so I also look each day. Most of my Watch items are auction only and andtan is right, plenty of the auctions do bugger all for a week and then in the final hours and particularly in the final minutes or so they skyrocket.
 I see a lot of the buy it now items without offers at the end of the auction that then get re listed at $250 or so less next time around. So I reckon your "buy it now" with the "offer" option is the way to go, at least you get to say what you want and if it doesn't sell straight up you open up your options with offers.

[Retropin]

I look at " newly listed" probably 3 times a day... in case a buy it now has come up thats worth the effort.

Most pins ive sold have been $1 listing... if its a rarity ill do buy it now or best offer... ive always hit my money with Ebay listings.. low starting price OR Buy it now.

My basice rule is..

70's.. 80's machine.. low start and have  faith in the product.. it will hit its price and then some.

restored machines/ rare 50's machines.. buy it now or best offer... theres too many people that want a 50's machine but dont want to spend the $$ getting it.. theres a base price on these and theres no point in trying to deal with these machines if you want a quick sale.. its a speciality market.

DMD's normally walk out the door.. its by far the biggest market, so long as you didnt pay to much for a title, i cant see you losing

[Pintoxicated]

I always look several times a day if not more.  I have bought and sold on eBay and you do get some special people that want everything for nothing.

Heaps of pics and a thorough condition report is the way to go. Most people know what the machine can do.

I would even think about a five day listing to encourage bidding. I know I have done it, put the machine in my watchlist and then lose interest or another machine pops up that catches my attention. Ending the auction on a Monday is also a good idea, how many guys have something on at 8pm on a Monday. It is a good time to have people glued to their computers bidding.

[RottyGuy]

I watch the ebay listings on a daily basis. It's good to hear you will set a price with make an offer option. Nothing shits me more than dummy auctions
full of shill bidding or auctions pulled early.

[pinsanity]

Ebay classified ad with best offer works for me. It eliminates the timewasters and the format prevents anyone from "accidentally" hitting buy it now. You can also set it up so that stupid offers are automatically rejected.

Plus if it doesn't sell on ebay it costs nothing (not even a listing fee). It is basically free advertising.

Just make up a classified ad for one popular title say for example ACDC (put ACDC in the auction header to get search hits) and then mention in the listing you have other machines for sale and to contact for "more details".

full of shill bidding or auctions pulled early.

The worst lot are the users who have multiple ebay accounts, and who shill on their own .99c auctions to pump the price/or submit fake offers on best offer items to make the item appear "worth it."

[ktm450]

I don't look much on ebay, but I have no money to spend 
Put up a 10 day listing on a thursday night, and it will be listed for two weekends finishing on the second sunday night, usually I would think more people would have time to look at ebay on weekends, so you have the possibility of more people finding it, especially non pinball people.  Obviously, going by this thread, some pinball guys look often enough not to miss out on a bargain 

[pinball god]

I don't look much on ebay, but I have no money to spend 
Put up a 10 day listing on a thursday night, and it will be listed for two weekends finishing on the second sunday night, usually I would think more people would have time to look at ebay on weekends, so you have the possibility of more people finding it, especially non pinball people.  Obviously, going by this thread, some pinball guys look often enough not to miss out on a bargain 

Dont know if I agree with you there Matt. Going by our staff most ebaying and facebooking seems to go on diuring the week days between 7.30 and 4pm 

Seriously I think you're on the money with the weekend browsing.

I look all the time as it enables me to be next to the missus when she's watching the voice or x-factor etc etc. (All the shows I really love.) If it wasn't for my ipad I think I'd take up the hobby of sticking pins in my eyes or something to get through these shows 

[Olivia_jason]

oh i love ebay as buyer hate it as seller.
but yes when ever im bored and have nothing better to do i find my self looking up pinballs on  ebay.
im guilty of it.
i got into the hobby from ebay, as i had no idea where else you would buy a pinball from at the time, so it is sort of good for the hobby in that respects. as with most objects if you have no idea where to buy it from or a local shop doesn't stock it ebay seems to be the best place to start looking.

[ktm450]

Dont know if I agree with you there Matt. Going by our staff most ebaying and facebooking seems to go on diuring the week days between 7.30 and 4pm 

Tipping that would be mostly women who are playing on the computer instead of doing the housework   

I look all the time as it enables me to be next to the missus when she's watching the voice or x-factor etc etc. (All the shows I really love.) If it wasn't for my ipad I think I'd take up the hobby of sticking pins in my eyes or something to get through these shows 

Understand your frustration there Rob, I make the missus tape all her shows so she can watch them when I'm on nightshift.