Buing used lenses on ebay

[kassad]

This is an old thread but I just wanted to make another comment. I was checking some lenses and I noticed this:

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[TD="colspan: 2"]Bidder Information
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[TD]Bidder:
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5***0

( private )

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[TD]Feedback:
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100%

Positive
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[TD]Item description:
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Item Title: Canon EF 35 mm f/2 Lens USA *MINT CONDITION*
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[TD]Bids on this item:
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1
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[TD="colspan: 3"]30-Day Summary
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[TD]Total bids:
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4830
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[TD]Items bid on:
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2988
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[TD]Bid activity (%) with this seller:
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0%
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[TD]Bid retractions:
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116
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[TD]Bid retractions (6 months):
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585
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Obviously the bidder is just raising the price without buying anything. I just noticed this last night. I wonder what else to look out for when shopping on ebay.

How much are you willing to spend on this lens? The seller seems legit. The account has been open for several years and has 100% feedback. If you interested in this lens bid on it I would guess it will end up in the $250-$300 range. Yes the bidder in question is shotgun bidding but I'm not sure why you think they have never purchased anything.

 

[sm4him]

I couldn't really care much less if people are "jacking up" prices on ebay--it really doesn't matter to me, because the way I approach ebay is I do my research--I know which item I want, and I know the absolute maximum I'm willing to pay for it. And I'm patient. If I don't get one bid, I'll get another somewhere down the road. So, if someone goes above my maximum bid, fine. If they later retract it, fine. If they buy it, for MORE than I was willing to pay, and resell it for MUCH more than I was willing to pay, fine. None of that matters to me at all.
I'll just keep waiting, checking ebay and other sites (Amazon used items, craigslist, keh, b&h, etc) until I find what I want for the budget I've allotted for it.

Oh, and as far as buying and reselling for a higher price--well, duh. I've done it. If I see a great item that I *know* is way underpriced, yeah, I'll bid on it. If I win the bid, I may keep it or I may turn right around and sell it on ebay or craigslist and make a profit. Same thing with "lots." That's a great way to turn a little profit; you buy a "lot" that has something you want, plus things you don't really want or need. You keep what you want and resell the rest, often for more than you paid in the first place. You get the item you wanted FREE, plus make a little extra.

On a related note: No, Ebay does NOT always have the best prices. But you have to be patient and diligent about checking all the various sites until you find what you want. Case in point: I decided to buy a Tokina 100mm macro lens. Checked B&H, keh, Adorama, and on and on. I was prepared to continue looking for a couple of months. Then found one on Ebay with no reserve. During the last hour, the bid went up to just a few bucks more than my maximum, but I decided to stick to my pre-set maximum bid, and I let the Ebay one go. The next day, one showed up on keh for about $60 less than I would have paid if I had won the Ebay bid! Snagged it, and I'm now awaiting delivery of my new macro lens, at a price that was $60 under my budget for it!

 

[bobandcar]

I bought a old eos camera with a 28-80 usm lense for 30 bucks on eBay. Have since bought a few others and resold.
Most recently got a élan with a nifty fifty for 68 shipped.! Already resold the nifty fifty for 103.
It's not wrong in my eyes. I am not driving the price up.
Who would pay 15 dollars for used on eBay versus 117 new at best buy? Idk

 

[bobandcar]

I bought a old eos camera with a 28-80 usm lense for 30 bucks on eBay. Have since bought a few others and resold.
Most recently got a élan with a nifty fifty for 68 shipped.! Already resold the nifty fifty for 103.
It's not wrong in my eyes. I am not driving the price up.
Who would pay 15 dollars for used on eBay versus 117 new at best buy? Idk

Ment 15 less for a used one instead of buying new

 

[zcar21]

I have had good and bad experiences buying off ebay, so I'm just being more careful and checking out everything. I thought it was strange that someone is bidding early in the auctions for hundreds of lenses. The 35mm f2 seems a little overprice for an old, noisy lens so I'm trying to find a good deal.
About the jacking up prices, I think we could all benefit if there were less people making a profit just by reselling. When I sold a few lenses and a rebel body, I tried to sell it at a fair price, instead of the highest possible price. It might sound stupid, but even when buying and selling I believe in Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.

 

[JonathanNYC]

I bought a old eos camera with a 28-80 usm lense for 30 bucks on eBay. Have since bought a few others and resold.
Most recently got a élan with a nifty fifty for 68 shipped.! Already resold the nifty fifty for 103.
It's not wrong in my eyes. I am not driving the price up.
Who would pay 15 dollars for used on eBay versus 117 new at best buy? Idk

That's a great idea... Any deals on newer cameras with lenses or do they get snatched up quick?


:beer:

 

[HughGuessWho]

who bids 4830 in 30 days? That's 161 times a day.

A lot of people do. There are many that make a living from ebay dealing in volume. If you can make $1.00 profit on 1000 that’s $1000 in the pocket. That's not uncommon or unethical. That’s good business.

 

[Dao]

who bids 4830 in 30 days? That's 161 times a day.

A lot of people do. There are many that make a living from ebay dealing in volume. If you can make $1.00 profit on 1000 that’s $1000 in the pocket. That's not uncommon or unethical. That’s good business.

Agree. In fact, that is what most of the businesses or stores do, not just in ebay. Merchandise sourcing and mark up for profit.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Its not just greedy corporations that turn a profit. Sometimes e-bayers, hair stylists, and photographers can too =)

 

[ulrichsd]

who bids 4830 in 30 days? That's 161 times a day.

It seems like there are some people who throw out low bids on a lot of items hoping they will get lucky and no one else will bid.

 

[bratkinson]

On most of the things I have bought on ebay, including 2 used Canon L lenses, I look for the right price -and- Buy-It-Now at that price. THEN pull the trigger. Sometimes, sellers simply want it gone more than they want top dollar. When I sell, I do the same...set a buy-it-now about 10% lower than what most of them have sold for.

 

[bobandcar]

It seems like there are some people who throw out low bids on a lot of items hoping they will get lucky and no one else will bid.

Along these lines. I will put a bid on something so hat it adds to my eBay app. I do this instead of just watching it. Makes organization easier and I can view the auctions for weeks after it ends if need be.

 

[zcar21]

I understand buying a car or something else, fixed it up and resell it for a profit, but buying and reselling the same products online seems unproductive to me. Now that I think about it, the bad experiences were from people who sells a lot and the good one were from people who only sells on occasions.

 

[HughGuessWho]

I have bought a lot of STUFF on ebay, but I have never bought a used lens, ever, much less on ebay. But, I know a lot of well experienced people on this forum swear by buying used (quality) lens. I guess it goes back to the old "buyer beware"