>From: sschaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>I've been watching eBay lately, and there doesn't seem to be much logic
>to the bidding (except that amounts are usually too high)...
Tell me about it! What's so special about a Vivitar 17/3.5 that makes it
sell for over $200, when other lens makers' 17/3.5s are selling for ~$180
new? (Viv apparently no longer makes the 17/3.5 -- another bad sign.) Was
it a particularly fine glass? It's not even branded Series 1!
>Which reminds me -- the 200/f4 didn't meet reserve either, but the
>seller has offered it to me (as high bidder) for $90.
Paul Farrar's list has it going for between $115 to $245. If the condition
is reasonable and you want the lens, I'd snap it up.
One tactic I find works is to watch for items that don't make reserve, then
negotiate privately with the seller. Many of these people have no idea what
something is worth.
I was bidding on an Oly slide copier. I initially bid $65, and it stuck for
a week. I couldn't make the close, and someone outbid me by a dollar, which
was still below reserve.
I wrote the seller, and asked what the reserve was. He answered $100, and
did I think that was fair. I forwarded him correspondance with a former
list member who was selling one for $75 that I just missed buying, and then
the seller agreed to sell it to me for $75.
I've seen these on the B&H list for $99, so that fit my formula of paying
at least 25 0.000000e+00ss to individuals than to a dealer, and the seller was
seemingly happy with $75 -- win-win!
But happy endings are far between on eBay. I agree, there's a lot of nut
cases out there!
: Jan Steinman <mailto:jans@xxxxxxxxxxx>
: 19280 Rydman Court, West Linn, OR 97068-1331 USA
: +1.503.635.3229
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