Why to inform ebay sellers what they REALLY have?

paero123 · Post by **paero123** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:35 am

Hello Gents,

Just looking at ebay auctions I noticed that several times the bidders ask seller the question regarding the item and they do it in very strange way. For example let's say the seller has some dirty no -name old vintage razor with a box etc. and the potential buyer asks like that:
"Will you ship to ...? I really want to buy this razor - it's very rare Gillette double ring, one of first made Gillettes ever, it's probably 100 y.old" etc. Or there is an auction saying Gem Micromatic in box and buyer says sth like that "Hi, just to let you know there is a mistake in description - it's Gillette Aristocrat no 66 in GEM box"

. Is there any point to inform seller what treasure they offer for 0.99$ start bid and they usually made can change the topic or description to attract other buyers

? I wouldn't mind to buy Gillette GEM

assuming that I could get it for about 15$

))

AACJ · Post by **AACJ** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:44 am

The old saying is "Buyer Beware." It should now say "Seller Beware."

I can see how some people would like to help but I wouldn't appreciate it if it's a gem in the rough I could get for cheap. (I hope you like the pun)

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:36 am

usaully, it's just them getting caught out, probing for more info...

the seller has the option whether to post their reply to a buyers question on the auction page or not, doing so if they feel it would help the item sell, not doing so if it would hinder the sale.

So "say" there is a clearly visible double ring for sale on ebay, but it's listed with only one picture and it's only at $10, decent chance not many other people will recognize it and you can land it at a bargain price but then "say", some other overly critical ebayer decides to have a chat with the seller, "say" somewhere along these lines:

"Thanks for your reply. The double ring razor you seem to have ended in mid 1906 and the company switched over to the single ring model. They made #1 thru 999,999 and then added the letter A1 thru A999,999 and then the B series etc. There is no record of 7 numbers on any gillette razors. Could the #2 possibly be a letter? I know alot of times the number is barely visable. If it is an A along with the last 6 numbers that would make its manufactured date 1905. There is a complete list of numbers with dates in the Gillette Handbook. If you can make out any letters please let me know. Thank you so much for your time. I will probably bid on the razor."

and then the seller posts his question to the auction page and now this other ebayer, lets call him "Richard", has torpedoed his chances, or anyone else's chances of getting a bargain. Doubly so, because as luck would have it, at exactly the same time a thread about this popped up on a shaving forum.

paero123 · Post by **paero123** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:45 am

With The Grain wrote:...this other ebayer, lets call him "Richard"

I wonder what is possibility you hit real name of the ebayer calling him "Richard"

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:53 am

paero123 wrote:
With The Grain wrote:...this other ebayer, lets call him "Richard"
I wonder what is possibility you hit real name of the ebayer calling him "Richard"

So I take it there was not a "Gillette Aristocrat no 66 in GEM box" that prompted this post huh

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:27 pm

nudge nudge wink wink say no MORE!

cutting_edge · Post by **cutting_edge** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:58 pm

With The Grain wrote:
and then the seller posts his question to the auction page and now this other ebayer, lets call him "Richard", has torpedoed his chances, or anyone else's chances of getting a bargain. Doubly so, because as luck would have it, at exactly the same time a thread about this popped up on a shaving forum.

...wait a minute!
Do you mean there actually is one of those rare double ring Gillettes on eBay NOW????

Gatorade · Post by **Gatorade** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:24 pm

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:52 pm

Gatorade wrote:

I dont know what's so funny Charlie

In all honesty ebay is becoming less and less a place to bargain shop. One year ago, finding a New Improved gillette for under $20 was no problem, people looked at them as old types and not good shavers... I have not helped by expressing how I like the shave they deliver, but I do know that they've since doubled in price if not more. The frequently tauted NEW's, which always drew ok prices have also doubled imv

. I now know why Lynn Abrams doesnt always like sharing the brand names he so enjoys (not that I even fathom to have that influence) , but once a vintage razor gets a reputation... the bargains are dead and everyone has to reevaluate what a razor is worth to them. Thankfully I've found nearly all my favorites in good condition, but the one's that have eluded me, I fear I'm going to have to pony up the $150 type prices that I never imagined doing before

.

btw nice president grab paero, I hope it's in great shape!

cutting_edge · Post by **cutting_edge** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:25 pm

Gatorade wrote:

OK.. lets be serious.. this one more than certainly was on the radar screen of more than just a couple of people. No one could hope to take it away for cheap. BTW seems like it might leave something to be desired for.
$150 - $200 should win it.

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:46 pm

cutting_edge wrote:
Gatorade wrote:

OK.. lets be serious.. this one more than certainly was on the radar screen of more than just a couple of people. No one could hope to take it away for cheap. BTW seems like it might leave something to be desired for.
$150 - $200 should win it.

I disagree, without any mention I bet $60 would have won it, I've seen double rings go for far less, faaaar less! Really I'm not in the market anyway, but i still doubt it draws $150 and that's with the attention we've given it, time will tell i guess

but every fourth week a double ring will go for under $60, I've seen it too many times.

cutting_edge · Post by **cutting_edge** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:52 pm

You have yourself a bet!
There are still bargains to have on eBay, but they are getting more far in between, I'll admit. If I had a dollar for every bid I lost in the last couple of months, I could buy myself the double ring razor

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:09 pm

cutting_edge wrote:You have yourself a bet!
There are still bargains to have on eBay, but they are getting more far in between, I'll admit. If I had a dollar for every bid I lost in the last couple of months, I could buy myself the double ring razor

if you'll pay 150 per I'll buy you a double ring every month

paero123 · Post by **paero123** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:16 am

I found myself working on trying NOT to bid certain bargains if I'm not going to collect/use the razor. Although when I see the winner is reseller not collector/forum member/newbie I wish I did bid just to archive the razor from being a profit-making item

It pissed me off as i.e. when Aristocrats are in vogue to collect them then you have poor chances to get one just for shave as all Aristocrats are high priced even those used without boxes, cardboxes etc. as dirty ones are desired to bid as after cleaning they could shine and get the value

I hope it's just a periodical trend on some razors - I wonder if there are so many collectors/shavers or just a bunch of 'antique' investors

James - I just wanted to know how 50s Aristocrat shaves and as gold ones are expensive why not to try chrome/nickel one? The colour doesn't influence the shave I guess although I heard that shaving with gold razor you fell like rich man

Post by **ichabod** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:09 am

I see a certain ebayer that goes by the name ras-oir is on the bidders list now - so I'd put the winning bid in the multiples of $100...

Gatorade · Post by **Gatorade** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:49 pm

Well my ebay experience has been you can throw out the bids before the last 10 minutes. The serious bidders will lurk or put a low inital bid to make sure it is on thier radar or put a snipe and go to bed. You will get some who want to make it known how serious they are so they will put a high bid in early but the serious players are there at the end.

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:00 pm

As Dominic pointed out, if that guy "Ras-oir" wants it, no one will be getting it cheap... but double rings can be had for non-ridiculous prices, people simply do not search that hard for them, they soon may, but right now you can still find them cheap

jfrancisco · Post by **jfrancisco** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:55 pm

I agree that it is not in the buyers best interest to inform the seller that he has misidentified the object in question. It is in the best interest of the seller to get that new information out, especially if the item is much rarer than previously thouhgt.

As to deals . . . they can be found. I purchased two Presidents a while back and got a very good deal on them. I traded one and kept the other, it's one of my favorite razors; also got an English Aristocrat for 2 quid a while back.

That is another favorite that I have never let my wife know how much it is really worth . . . but darling, it was just . . . I've also been burned a few times as well, buyer beware.

Good hunting . . .

cutting_edge · Post by **cutting_edge** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:20 am

jfrancisco wrote:I agree that it is not in the buyers best interest to inform the seller that he has misidentified the object in question. It is in the best interest of the seller to get that new information out, especially if the item is much rarer than previously thouhgt.

As to deals . . . they can be found. I purchased two Presidents a while back and got a very good deal on them. I traded one and kept the other, it's one of my favorite razors; also got an English Aristocrat for 2 quid a while back. That is another favorite that I have never let my wife know how much it is really worth . . . but darling, it was just . . . I've also been burned a few times as well, buyer beware.

Good hunting . . .

Yes, I am sure we all had our dissapointment buying razors that did not measure up to expectations. It is a bit of a gambling frenzy sometimes, that's what I feel, when I see people placing high $$$ bids on razors that have only one mediocre or even poor picture.

Even now, with the auction we are talking about, and after all the questions and answers, the razor can turn out to leave much to be desired for.

With The Grain · Post by **With The Grain** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:43 pm

I agree, if the cat is out of the bag and you're truly interested, then it's time to ask the seller to post both more and higher quality pictures. That said these old type gillettes seem to clean up better and easier than anything post 1940 or so (better plating no doubt). I guess if you were real sly and the seller was real cheap, you could get him to email you the pics vs having them added to the auction for all to see.