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Thread: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

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    Default Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Before putting in a final bid on an ebay auction, I decide what I'm willing to pay for a given pen and do a bit of research on current retail prices for that pen. But suddenly prices on a couple of pens I'd bid on shot up over double the expected retail prices for those pens. These were both vintage/antique pens, but still. Is this an annual phenomenon as everyone searches for the perfect Christmas gift, is it merely confirmation bias on my part, or is this something new and unusual in the pen market? Is this perhaps a predictable response to the loss of pen shows?

    I was bidding on a Conklin Crescent fill BCHR, extremely oxidized but in otherwise excellent condition; and a Morrison's "The Patriot" set in apparently never-used condition. Oh-and a Parker Senior Duofold in red permanite, excellent condition but otherwise unremarkable. I'm okay with not being the highest bidder. Someone else clearly wanted those pens more than I do, and it's more money for the seller. I'm just curious about the cause for the price jumps.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    I think it ties in with the old adage about when you have a hammer every problem looks like a nail. People with money as their only tool. Either that or stupidity. I don't believe it's a new phenomenon on eBay (or any other auction place). People will also grossly overpay, in my opinion, based on the reputation of a seller. Quite often this reputation is inflated with regard to the quality of the goods, as there are usually several equally valid options from other sellers.

    My last purchase, not including the Franklin Christoph, was from an established seller away from the auction site. I won't get involved in auctions any more; they bring out the worst in both buyer and seller.
    Last edited by Empty_of_Clouds; December 7th, 2020 at 11:24 AM.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    It seems to me that ebay pen prices are up since the pandemic began. At first there weren’t a lot of people selling, but i’m not sure that’s true anymore. Perhaps the rise is just with the pens i look for, which are pricy to begin with. I do trawl through generically listed items, but i forget about pens i’m not interested in pretty quickly.

    On top of that, prices seemed to have been rising even before, to the point that ebay was becoming the most expensive place to buy pens. There are fewer actual auctions than ever before. At the same time, there are more absurdly high priced listings. I interpret these as a strategy to make merely high prices seem reasonable.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    More people want those particular pens? More people are at home sitting there and bidding because of Covid?
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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    My experience is that at the beginning of lockdown there were few unrestored pens on offer in eBay so the prices rose for a couple of weeks. Then prices levelled off and have remained at the same sort of range ever since. I bought around ten pens a week for most of the year.

    Prices for good quality new-to-the-market unrestored vintage pens have been in a constant, gradual rise for the last decade. That's to be expected. The supply is not limitless.

    WRT antique shop, junk shop and private sales there's no pattern. The seller decides on a price on a who-knows-what basis. I buy from those sources but only when a dose of common sense can be brought to the transaction.
    Last edited by eachan; December 7th, 2020 at 06:35 AM.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    I've been searching the ebay for gold flex nibs and pens containing them.
    I've found on more than 3 auctions that I bid on...I was outbid by another "User" who went on to consistently outbid everyone else bidding and then WIN the auction.

    Two days later, I see the same damn item up for bidding again.
    Literally, the same write-up...same photos...same everything.
    I check my "Watched items" the old listing for the auction-ended item is still in my watchlist...check the original listing....
    Exact duplicate of the NEW listing!!!

    So some of these jackholes are apparently bidding on their own stuff to drive up the price of the auction and when no one else falls for it...they simply relist the item under another username.

    Pure evil.
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Compared to this time last year, fountain pen prices on eBay are indeed significantly higher. Two years ago you could regularly find generally decent prices and pretty solid finds.

    Now it seems like every pen, regardless of quality or condition, is being listed at (and bought for) top dollar prices.

    Supply, demand, and people taking 5 minutes to look up the value of a pen have largely contributed to this, imo. I bought more than one vintage pen that needed some work for a low price only to have the seller make a comment about pricing too low.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Have also run into this issue where it seems that items are being mysteriously "bid" on then disappear only to find themselves back under another name. Though I'm not in the market for higher priced items, I do want to have some small chance of success if the item is actually up for bid. I'm not trying to beat up sellers or those folks that seem to absolutely must have the item. We have probably all seen auctions head into the silly zone but that is not what I'm seeing in some of these Ebay shenanigans. In checking bidding history on some of these auctions, I realized I was wasting my time because private bids were taken. And since I won't pay double the worth of an item, I get to be a spectator and watch things mysteriously disappear.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    I've been searching the ebay for gold flex nibs and pens containing them.
    I've found on more than 3 auctions that I bid on...I was outbid by another "User" who went on to consistently outbid everyone else bidding and then WIN the auction.

    Two days later, I see the same damn item up for bidding again.
    Literally, the same write-up...same photos...same everything.
    I check my "Watched items" the old listing for the auction-ended item is still in my watchlist...check the original listing....
    Exact duplicate of the NEW listing!!!

    So some of these jackholes are apparently bidding on their own stuff to drive up the price of the auction and when no one else falls for it...they simply relist the item under another username.

    Pure evil.
    Does e-bay have an avenue for reporting price manipulation?
    "The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here..." -- Abraham Lincoln, 1863

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Shill bidding on eBay has always been a thing. A couple of years ago I tracked the bidders on auctions by a seller with quite a high reputation for (presumably) selling decent quality goods. The same bidders often won and then the item was re-listed. That was highly suspicious to me and one of the main reasons I shy away from even supposedly reputable sellers. There is no honour on eBay.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by SlowMovingTarget View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    I've been searching the ebay for gold flex nibs and pens containing them.
    I've found on more than 3 auctions that I bid on...I was outbid by another "User" who went on to consistently outbid everyone else bidding and then WIN the auction.

    Two days later, I see the same damn item up for bidding again.
    Literally, the same write-up...same photos...same everything.
    I check my "Watched items" the old listing for the auction-ended item is still in my watchlist...check the original listing....
    Exact duplicate of the NEW listing!!!

    So some of these jackholes are apparently bidding on their own stuff to drive up the price of the auction and when no one else falls for it...they simply relist the item under another username.

    Pure evil.
    Does e-bay have an avenue for reporting price manipulation?
    No idea.
    I've stopped even looking on ebay for most things.
    And when I do...it's strictly "Buy it now"...no rigged auctions.
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    I've stopped even looking on ebay for most things.
    And when I do...it's strictly "Buy it now"...no rigged auctions.
    I'm with you. Most Ebay listings don't actually warrant an auction. I almost never look at auctions because it wastes my time. In fact I don't even look very often on Ebay any more. For a site where a large proportion of the sellers are sub-par in their business practice (to put it politely), they're charging too much. I don't mind paying a premium in a high class store - but Ebay? - gimme a break!

    I've only bought a few pens so far in my fountain pen career, but I'll patronize people with skill, knowledge, and reputation - such as vendors I find on this forum.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    No idea.
    I've stopped even looking on ebay for most things.
    And when I do...it's strictly "Buy it now"...no rigged auctions.
    Yes, you can report suspected price manipulation to eBay.

    You need to do your homework, as well: most this kind of action falls under the area of "shill bidding", and eBay has a specific section in their Terms and Policies that deals with it. You might also find this article of background interest.

    None of this kind of activity is new and is pretty easy to see happening. Prices are up, across the board, probably with people having time on their hands, boredom, and possibly a small amount of people actually needing the income from sales. I have not noticed an upturn in malicious activity, but sometimes that is just which particular sale/seller you happen to run across. None of my recent purchases have had even a whiff of anything unusual.

    I still either do BIN or set a snipe with the exact price I would be willing to pay for an item. If I'm outbid, so be it, but I don't look at that as ill behavior, just someone wanted to pay more. That, after all, is what an auction is.
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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    If I am to believe all this, it seems that the US branch of eBay is completely corrupt. It would be nice to see incontrovertible evidence from each of you who make the accusation.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by eachan View Post
    If I am to believe all this, it seems that the US branch of eBay is completely corrupt. It would be nice to see incontrovertible evidence from each of you who make the accusation.
    I'm only reporting an activity that is *not* allowed by eBay, that they have a policy in place to deal with instances of, and that it is not widespread and, from all I can tell, health with by eBay when it is reported.

    I can't imagine that eBay is remarkably different regarding these issues in different regional areas, with the exception of adhering to the specific legal restrictions in place in those various regions.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    I can't figure out all the variables involved but I think everyone has provided good insight in this thread. All I can add is that I have bought and sold on eBay for a long time now. It seems to be that in the past year there are prices both for buy it now items and for auctions that are insanely high. One time I won the bid in a no reserve auction. I paid and then quickly got a refund because the seller didn't like the low price I paid.


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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Perhaps I should have made it clear that all my eBay purchases are from auctions. BIN prices are mostly far too high, but that's not criminality, just somewhat insane optimism. I bid once per auction at the price I can live with, bearing in mind that the pens are for restoration and resale. From time to time sellers offer pens with undeclared damage. eBay ensures that I am refunded in full for those.

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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by eachan View Post
    If I am to believe all this, it seems that the US branch of eBay is completely corrupt. It would be nice to see incontrovertible evidence from each of you who make the accusation.
    Indeed it is.
    And it was the main reason that I bought my Swan No.2 pen from you and your wife.
    I am done trying to deal with ebay...to me, their auctions are as corrupt as american politics.
    Last edited by Detman101; December 7th, 2020 at 03:35 PM.
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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    Quote Originally Posted by MTHall720 View Post
    One time I won the bid in a no reserve auction. I paid and then quickly got a refund because the seller didn't like the low price I paid.
    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    What!?
    They can do that!?!?!?!
    If there's no greater evidence of criminality, illegality and outright con-artistry...I don't know what it is.
    You bid on an item...get it at a low price...they annul your whole "win" because they didn't get what they expected!?!?!
    Is that allowed? Seems awful....just awful.
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    Default Re: Sudden skyrocketing prices on ebay auctions

    If eBay was corrupt I would have stopped using it long ago. Any system can be abused to a degree but the vast majority of reports seem to come from users who either don’t understand how it works or don’t follow up actionable breaches of contract.

    If one is to say that the entire platform is “corrupt”, prove it.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

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