Used Whistle Prices

[capncurry]

I have several whistles I'll be putting up for sale on this site but was hoping for some feedback regarding reasonable asking prices. So, my heavy hitters in no particular order: O'Riordan blackwood D/C set, O'Riordan high D traveller (aluminum w/ plastic mouthpiece), Copeland brass high D, Abell high D, Glenn Schultz Water Weasel high D, Sindt D & C, Michael Burke G, Reyburn Low D brass w/ wood mouthpieces and high D w/ plastic mouthpiece, Goldie high D. Besides some needing to be polished all are in excellent condition. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you're interested in purchasing from me you can drop me a line at capncurry@yahoo.com.
Chris

[tin tin]

That's quite the collection! Check past sales on eBay and in the Sold and Old portion of this forum for some ideas. Sindts, for instance, can go for $300-400. Abell, Burke, Goldie, and Reyburn can all be priced at around 80% of new, give or take. For O'Riordan and Schultz, I'm not sure...maybe a search or two will give you a sense.

[Tommy]

I have several whistles I'll be putting up for sale on this site but was hoping for some feedback regarding reasonable asking prices. If you're interested in purchasing from me you can drop me a line at capncurry@yahoo.com.
Chris

This is not the site to auction.

[ytliek]

I have several whistles I'll be putting up for sale on this site but was hoping for some feedback regarding reasonable asking prices. If you're interested in purchasing from me you can drop me a line at capncurry@yahoo.com.
Chris

This is not the site to auction.

The Used Instrument Forum here is a fair place to offer used instruments and the instruments more than likely will go to someone that will properly care for the instrument. Offering instruments on the auction sites could mean the instruments end up with someone less interested in the preservation of quality instruments. From the recent offerings of Copelands the market showed not as many bidders as may be desired with tactics of sniping in at the last few seconds.

The market is what one is willing to pay for an instrument.

[Peter Duggan]

tactics of sniping in at the last few seconds.

The way eBay works, it's almost the only sensible tactic for buyers. The only other thing I willingly do is sometimes chuck in an early bid at the opening price knowing no-one can get it for less, then return at the death if silly bidding wars haven't already taken the item beyond what I'm prepared to pay.

eBay doesn't work like a live auction in an auction house. Bidding wars are both pointless and counterproductive for buyers, and reserves beyond the opening price annoying beyond words (you're either prepared to sell it or you're not, and people shouldn't have to keep chucking in bids to discover what you'll sell it for). Very occasionally I've left an earlier bid for my max because I'm unable to be around at the close and don't/won't use sniping software, but that's very much the exception. As a seller, I'd like to see bids, but have learned to accept their absence when I know it's not the sensible way to buy.

[capncurry]

Thanks very much for the feedback, it's really helpful

[pancelticpiper]

Bidding wars are both pointless and counterproductive for buyers...

But they're great for sellers!

I've had things sell for ten times what I imagined they were worth.

reserves beyond the opening price annoying... people shouldn't have to keep chucking in bids to discover what you'll sell it for...

Yes they can be annoying. When the sellers put ridiculously high reserve prices they can be laughable, but no more so than sellers putting ridiculously high opening bids.

The other laughable thing (and I think Ebay should make a rule against it) is a seller putting an item up for a very low opening bid, with an absurdly high price for shipping. There's some small item on Ebay now (I can't remember just what) with a $1 opening bid but $6,000 for shipping. $6,000 obviously is not the shipping cost. It's a bald attempt to deceive buyers.

Another deceptive thing I saw was a seller showing one price, and that they accept PayPal, prominently displayed at the top of the listing. But buried in the fine print where few would see it was a note saying that the listed price only applies to cash purchases, while PayPal users get hit with a 500% fee. (Yes the seller wanted the buyer to send cash to Hong Kong... I think I'll pass.)

But yes in truth one could say that something is worth what somebody is willing to pay. People wildly over-pay for stuff on Ebay all the time, even when the listing is perfectly clear as to what is being sold. In other words over-paying isn't necessarily a matter of the buyer being deceived, but rather a matter of the thing being worth more to that buyer than it is to most people.

Maybe it's not for most people, but what I do when I want to sell something is put it at an Opening Bid of the minimum amount I want to get out of it. No reserve price. Then if it sells for the Opening Bid I'm happy, and if it sells for more than the Opening Bid I'm happy. There's no downside for me either way.

I'm not overly concerned with what "the market" is... and generally if the Opening Bid price I set is too low the item will get bid up to the item's normal Ebay value. Like water, items on Ebay tend to find their level.

[Wanderer]

The other laughable thing (and I think Ebay should make a rule against it) is a seller putting an item up for a very low opening bid, with an absurdly high price for shipping. There's some small item on Ebay now (I can't remember just what) with a $1 opening bid but $6,000 for shipping. $6,000 obviously is not the shipping cost. It's a bald attempt to deceive buyers.

It's also probably an attempt to avoid Ebay fees. I haven't sold on Ebay in a long time, but back when I did, Ebay didn't collect any fees on shipping costs. So, Ebay gets their 27 cents (or whatever pittance it is these days) on the $1.00 sale and gets nothing on the money the customer actually paid.

If you report these shenanigans, they are usually taken down.

[Peter Duggan]

But they're great for sellers!

Which is why I also said, 'As a seller, I'd like to see bids, but have learned to accept their absence when I know it's not the sensible way to buy.'

The other laughable thing (and I think Ebay should make a rule against it) is a seller putting an item up for a very low opening bid, with an absurdly high price for shipping.

https://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/ ... ml#postage

'It's against our rules to provide unclear or misleading delivery information or to charge unreasonable fees for postage and related services.'

http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Avoiding-unfa ... 596/g.html

'One of the most annoying - and common - things on eBay is the number of sellers who try to pull a fast one on you by listing an item at a cheap price, but charging a stupidly high postage & packing charge. Excessive postage charges are specifically prohibited by eBay rules (see http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/l ... pping.html for details), but a lot of sellers either are not aware of this, or simply don't care.'

Another deceptive thing I saw was a seller showing one price, and that they accept PayPal, prominently displayed at the top of the listing. But buried in the fine print where few would see it was a note saying that the listed price only applies to cash purchases, while PayPal users get hit with a 500% fee.

https://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/ ... arges.html

'Sellers are not allowed to charge eBay buyers an additional fee for using ordinary forms of payment, including credit cards, electronic transfers and PayPal. These costs should be included in the price of the item and should not be charged separately.'

[Dan A.]

I haven't sold on Ebay in a long time, but back when I did, Ebay didn't collect any fees on shipping costs.

Things have changed...they now collect fees on anything a seller charges a buyer for. While I agree that setting a low purchase price and an outrageously high shipping cost is a dastardly move, eBay's piggybacking off something they have no involvement in is equally dastardly. Almost every time I've sold on eBay recently, I've underestimated the shipping cost. And it takes me time and a little bit of gas money to drive to the Post Office. After some careful consideration, I have decided that these three factors make selling on eBay unjustifiable. And if they insist on charging fees for something they do not have a hand in, they will not use their grubby paws to take my money from a third party, either.

The market is what one is willing to pay for an instrument.

Very true! I would advise capncurry, or anyone else posting instruments for sale here, to name a price. If it hasn't sold within a week, lower the price or keep it. Repeat this process until all items are sold or you realize your bottom line is still too high. (If the latter happens, it could be that sentimental value to the seller trumps monetary value to thr buyer.)

[ytliek]

I have had the best whistle purchases here on the UIE. I prefer to buy new vs. used directly from the maker, but on the rare occasion a used item comes available I desire I'll pursue the transaction. I have found the Chiffers with a bit of history to be very fair with pricing and follow through in transactions. I particularly take interest when the seller states the instrument needs to go to someone who will properly maintain the item, offers a fair price as value can fluctuate, and actually cares where the instrument goes.

IMHO the wild pricing on the auction sites is just a crapshoot so I avoid it as often as possible, almost always. YMMV