ebay question...

[Dmitri]

The canon ef-s 10-22mm lens goes for about 600-700$ retail. However on ebay there are several selling (new!) for a little over 300$. The sellers have good ratings, others have bid, shipping costs are reasonable...

so I'm wondering, what's the catch? For you experienced Ebay users, is a lens at half the price legit or a scam?

 

[Overread]

The only thing that comes to mind is if they are grey imports ?

 

[lisa_13]

is the $300 a buy it now option, or is that the current high bid? usually the bids go way up at the very end of the auction, so you might even end up paying for than the retail price.

 

[Dmitri]

is the $300 a buy it now option, or is that the current high bid? usually the bids go way up at the very end of the auction, so you might even end up paying for than the retail price.

aaah I see what you're saying. Yes, they are auction only and have 3+ days left. I see how they will go up. Thanks Lisa

The only thing that comes to mind is if they are grey imports ?

Could be. I think Lisa is on target tho. I'm probably looking at opening bids that will go up and up. Thanks

 

[Overread]

Ahh yah early bids - if you want search around and find out the retail price of the lens and plug in a nice value you'd pay for it (if you can afford it that is) and then see if you win. In my experience though - sadly - you need to often have more than an items going rate to win through ebay - unless you are very lucky and the market is flooded with them or its not attracted many buyers.

 

[lisa_13]

did you have any luck getting the item you wanted?

 

[tissa]

I buy on ebay a lot. It is a good strategy to sign up for ebay and "watch" the items you like and monitor the price (there is a button "watch this item" under the price). Sometimes the price will go way up, but normally people buy from Ebay coz it is cheaper and not many people would pay a retail price+ shipping from ebay (what is the point? you can buy it in a store for a retail price). So often times at the end of the auction you can still get a pretty good deal.

Good luck!

 

[icassell]

Is it new or used? For a new price, I would be suspicious. For used, you never know.

I bought my Sigma 100-300mm f/4 on ebay for just over $500 -- under half new price -- and it was in pristine condition.

You should look into esnipe.com if you want to avoid being outbid.

 

[Dmitri]

did you have any luck getting the item you wanted?

Honestly I didn't even keep up with it. After you pointed out that it will go up as it gets closer to the deadline, which makes sense, I didn't bother.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I buy on ebay a lot. It is a good strategy to sign up for ebay and "watch" the items you like and monitor the price (there is a button "watch this item" under the price). Sometimes the price will go way up, but normally people buy from Ebay coz it is cheaper and not many people would pay a retail price+ shipping from ebay (what is the point? you can buy it in a store for a retail price). So often times at the end of the auction you can still get a pretty good deal.

Good luck!

Actually, I disagree although you may be one of the savvy buyers. I have experienced the same crazy bids on e-bay than I have at live auctions. I used to deal in antiques so I attended plenty of live ones. I also bought and sold on e-bay quite a bit so I watched very closely what people were doing. I was surprised that e-bay buyers were doing the same thing as live auction ones, bidding way too high, considering they have the time and resources to check on the value of the item. Which, btw, is why I was selling on e-bay

did you have any luck getting the item you wanted?

Honestly I didn't even keep up with it. After you pointed out that it will go up as it gets closer to the deadline, which makes sense, I didn't bother.

That is too bad because there is always the possibility of a good deal. As tissa suggested, it is a good idea to use the "watch" feature. It is also a good idea to look at concluded sales to see the range of winning bids for a specific item.

 

[nb_ken]

Like it or not -- especially for used gear -- Ebay sets the market price. Antiques are a little bit different as each piece is unique. So if a buyer wants to buy that one piece, you might get someone who gets carried away.

But if you're looking for a lens, say a 10-22 in good shape, there'll be an auction ending today, and two more tomorrow and four this weekend. Why would anyone be willing to pay significantly more for the one today than for the one tomorrow -- or vice versa? If you look at the 'Competed Items' listings, you'll see that everything goes for within a few percentage points of the average.

I bid low on a lot of stuff in the hopes that I might "steal" something, but it never happens. If I'm really looking to buy something at market price, I go figure out what that is and bid accordingly, trying to pay no more than the average.

If I'm looking to buy something used someplace other than Ebay -- say from the classifieds on a forum or off Craigslist -- I still go to Ebay to figure out the market price. Sometimes a seller will say, "Don't go to Ebay. The prices there don't matter because..." I've never heard anything that makes sense after the "because." Every day millions of transactions close on Ebay. And when that gavel falls, the value of that particular item, as determined by the dozens or hundreds of people who considered buying it, is set.

I'm a fly fisherman and I buy a lot of used fishing stuff. High end fly gear in good condition usually sells for about 60-70% of new. I'm just now getting back into photography. (I was a pro in a past life, but I'm new to this whole digital thing.) I was surprised to find that the market for used camera gear is more like 85-90% of new. There are a lot of advantages to buying new -- a warranty in your name, manufacturer support, retailer support, no hidden surprises, etc. That all adds value. It surprises me that people would trade that value for $75 off a $600 lens. But that's the market. If I want to play, I have to play by market rules.

 

[icassell]

I've gotten many good deals on e-bay. I find that it pays to look around for misspellings, wrong categories, etc. in places where others might not think to look. I also use esnipe.com rather than entering a bidding war and cranking the price up. I bought my tripod and ball head for about 50% new price as well as my teleconverters and 100-300mm f/4 ... all in a similar percentage to new price.

 

[nb_ken]

I've gotten many good deals on e-bay. I find that it pays to look around for misspellings, wrong categories, etc. in places where others might not think to look.

That's good advise, although you don't see glaring mistakes all that often. I did get a really good deal on a "Bogan" tripod recently.