Crazy Auctions / Prices Thread

[cteno4]

ok you see good ones on ebay with extreme prices for some pretty standard stuff, but this one...

 

Freight Train KATO 10-228 JRF Series M250 Super Rail Cargo Add-On 8-Car Set jr

 

i mean almost $500 for something i got a spare set for $68 shipped this spring? crazy. maybe this chap just thinks that folks in the us have no idea of the cost of these, but it was even distributed by kato usa here in the states! his other n scale stuff is pretty over priced, but not to this extent!

 

Caveat Emptor!

 

cheers

 

jeff 

Edited March 1, 2023 by disturbman

[Bernard]

Whatever you do don't click on the "Buy It Now" icon :)

[stevenh]

How-to-make-a-killing 101.

 

I really do wish we could alert potential buyers about the exorbitant price tag :)

[miyakoji]

I've seen things on ebay and half.com where the prices are just nuts.  A buyer could easily compare it to similar items see that it can be had for 90% less.

[bikkuri bahn]

I don't use Ebay much anymore (punished my pocketbook too much), but it's not just with "buy it now stuff".  On the auctions, some bidders bid up the price to beyond the MSRP for items still in production.  The moral of the story before bidding is to always check the item out using search to see if it's still available through normal retail channels and at what prices.

[cteno4]

Yeah 2-3x doesn't really make me blink anymore. Just over 5x going rate and 4x retail for something not at all rare was just an eye popper! Ebay is just for the rare, odd or great deal for me. Or buying 99 cent electronic parts and nail brushes etc.

 

Jeff

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Mr Jeff,

 

So sorry, but this set is long out of production.  The original was ¥13,000.  Now it is difficult to find.  I believe HobbyOne also have the same item at a high price.  Searching the internet, I find that Newhall Station has the cheapest set.

 

This is the add-on set for 10-227.  It is also rare and usually sells at better than original price.

 

So, what is this set worth?  The answer is simple: whatever it sells for.  :)

[Minelayer]

But the shipping is FREE!!!

[JR 500系]

Here's another: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TomyTEC-Kiha180-Hamakaze-Colour-M-Model-Train-/230925417987?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item35c43a3e03#ht_1771wt_1255

 

Don't know if that is the price for one or the whole train, either way, it's WAY overboard...

 

But there are times when things do get cheap on ebay. The secret finds, the surprise items, the great prices... I made a few good buys on ebay too ~~

[Ochanomizu]

Hello

 

Even for HO product the vendor is misguided in setting such a high price.

 

http://page16.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u48068511 and

 

http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g123492300 provide more realistic pricing.

[JR 500系]

Hi Ochanomizu~

 

U mean the link i posted from ebay, is for the HO scale? Then i can understand it abit, i thought it was for N scale...

 

Anyhow, the seller is really misleading with just one picture of the centre car, and only description that says: 'Kiha180 Hamakaze M model train'... So it's only for one carriage? And is it for N scale or HO scale? And no model number? Besides, it's not made by Tomytec anyhow... Thus i got confused...

[Martijn Meerts]

Hello Mr Jeff,

 

So sorry, but this set is long out of production.  The original was ¥13,000.  Now it is difficult to find.  I believe HobbyOne also have the same item at a high price.  Searching the internet, I find that Newhall Station has the cheapest set.

 

This is the add-on set for 10-227.  It is also rare and usually sells at better than original price.

 

So, what is this set worth?  The answer is simple: whatever it sells for.  :)

 

It may be out of production at the moment, but it'll be released again. It's already had 3 manufacturing runs. The original 2 x 8 car, a re-run of the original, and a run of the new 4 car base + 4 car add-on + 8 car add-on. It might not show up a lot, but it's definitely not a 'rare' set.

 

Also, of Newhall is the cheapest you can find, you're not looking hard enough. Newhall usually is by far the most expensive on pretty much everything =)

[cteno4]

it comes across us ebay quite a bit. it was maybe 5 months ago i even picked up a spare as it was so cheap! it was exported to the us by katousa so more prevalent here than other japanese models, so perhaps not as rare a find here as in japan where it might be in higher demand. kato seemed to have this as a stock item for quite a while and the rerelease so i would expect there are a lot of these in new to close to new condition in second hand shops as well.

 

i dont expect they go for anything like this on yahoo.jp... 16 car sets are not moving at 35000yen there.

 

jeff

[Lawrence]

There are people who will pay high prices because they, for whatever reason, know no better.  As my main area for modelling is Baltimore & Ohio I am often on ebay usa and I find the shipping prices absolutely ridiculous.  Okay so I cant pick up a freight car for $7 but some vendors want over $25 to ship it to the UK.  There was a really nice loco that I would happily have bid $50 for but the vendor wanted $57 for shipping.  Now I know it only costs a fraction of these figures I quoted so either they don't want to sell to UK buyers or they are trying to rip us off.  Either way I am careful who I buy from these days!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Searching the internet, I find that Newhall Station has the cheapest set.

 :)

Holy Crap, if Newhall is your cheapest option you're in trouble. Lol

 

Spiff

[lurkingknight]

I've been told by a birdy in my ear that sometimes vendors will up the prices on goods that are out of stock (when they have buy it now for more than 1 unit in stock) because if an auction expires, they don't have to pay ebay fees. If you outright cancel a listing, they charge you for it.

 

 

That said... I've seen used track go for more than US retail or higher... and they often start at NEW retail in JP price equivalents. I've given up on checking ebay for track pieces. Why pay 12$ for used track bits when the NEW retail price from japan is 10$.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

 I complained a long time ago to ebay about these sellers. They simply said don't buy it and that they do not control the prices.

 

!@#$%^&*!

[cteno4]

I can see ebay not wanting to have to set he price of everything, that can be very hard to set and can so easily change. They would need to review every item then, think what that would cost and who would pay! Plus some might be willing to pay a high price just cause they want it now and that's the only one around at the moment.

 

I have liked seeing ebay crack down on those that were adding very excessive shipping and handling charges.

 

Jeff

Edited July 21, 2013 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

 I complained a long time ago to ebay about these sellers. They simply said don't buy it and that they do not control the prices.

 

!@#$%^&*!

 

Sad to say, that wouldn't happen Skipper. Why would ebay wanna make so much work for themselves? The higher the seller sells the item for, the more fees ebay gets. More to gain for both ebay and seller. If there was a need for pricing control, ebay would require tons of monitoring and survey work for market prices, which requires additional manpower to perform, and reduction of fees from sellers for selling at lower prices... It almost equals a downfall for them...

 

From what i understand from some buying and selling on ebay for sometime now, ebay has reduced some of their fees. Previously, the seller had to pay for listing fees even if the item is not sold, and only 3 free pictures, sometimes only 1. Now they offer 12 free pictures and no listing fees, and only pay when your item is sold.

 

Conclusion, ebay still offers a good portal to sell off some of your unwanted stuff for some cash. Although for us n scaler modellers, there are other venues for our supplies, there is still ebay for those rare and hard to find items anywhere else, and also the occasional cheap deal~~    

[lurkingknight]

seller can ask whatever they want for their item... on the used market anything and everything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If someone is so lazy as to not do any market research on what they are buying, then that's not anyone's fault but their own.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

So sorry.  I do not want the item.  I was simply confirming that the price might be reasonable considering the rarity.

[cteno4]

ochanomizu,

 

understand you dont, its just they have gone for a lot less on us ebay, not really rare here.

 

jeff

[Davo Dentetsu]

I think it's still listed, but anyone ever see the price for a "kit built" JR 4 wheel railcar that looks rather astonishingly similar to the Tomix unit?  Mine cost me the equivalent of twenty pounds (UK).  This auction:  149 pounds, ta very much...

Yeah, no thanks. :S

Edited July 22, 2013 by Azumanga Davo

[Guest ___]

I'll buy three at that price. (Right before I shoot myself for being an idiot)

[cteno4]

heres another interesting one, someone selling off a whole tomytec (a few katos) town they used for gaming. asking for like 2-3x what it would cost to have these shipped new from japan... the old its so expensive to import this stuff line and they are so expensive!

 

jeff