Selling - what's "fair?"

[Rustpot]

And the "Scalping" as it applies to our forums generally deals with recent limited releases.

If you take a trip to Japan and score some sweet Ichiros that aren't sold here and want a bit more than you paid I'm sure it wouldn't be an issue.

If you went to your O Store and bought every Robert Williams they had, ordered 3 more, and once members were clamboring for the sold out item jacked up the price 200% and listed 3 for sale.... yeah, that's scalping. There was some of that going on with the Shaun White 24K Goldbrooks if I remember right. It was a limited pair that sold out fast, and lots of people wanted them, but as soon as availability went to naught the prices on eBay and the forum skyrocketed.

Those of us in the firearms communities saw this same thing happen in December. After Sandy Hook and the reelection of Obama lots of gun control measures were proposed and the gun community went absolutely BONKERS. Everything was sold out, and there was a real scare that certain guns wouldn't be available after too long. It spread like wildfire. Components (not even the firearms themselves that were targeted) went up in price. Bolt Carrier Groups, an integral part of the AR-15, was already in short supply before all the panic buying, and before the end of 2012 parts that were $125 a month ago were climbing towards $400. And people were selling multiples at a time, having found them in stock, snatched as many as they could afford, and flipping them. 30-round magazines that sold for around $10 were going for $75 each. It was a mad house, and a majority of it was pure greed. Gouging for sure.

 

[Frogskins]

Really good points made on this thread.

Thank you all for your comments ...

 

[big bopper]

Supposed there is a pair of glasses that you want that are only available at a specific location, how much would you expect to pay another member to go through the trouble of buying them on your behalf and then shipping them to you?

Nothing. Likewise I wouldn't expect or take anything from a member if I did it for them.

 

[Batwolf]

This reminds me of when a certain member was selling a "harder to find" style for $100 more than retail. Everyone was cool with it that paid the higher price but some people (including me) had a problem with that. Now the glasses are widely available. Figures.

What irks me about the market is that one color of a style might be $90 but if it's an "uber-rare" color it might be listed at $500. It's crazy what some of the price differences are for something that is essentially the same thing.

 

[OakleyGuru379]

Its difficult to find a clear cut, right or wrong answer on this topic.

 

[Batwolf]

If it list it for more and it sells I don't think anyone will care, but it does bother me when people are clearly marking up glasses for profit.

This is why I hardly use eBay anymore.

 

[iRubyRed]

Its difficult to find a clear cut, right or wrong answer on this topic.

This, personally for me theres a line between fair business and greed. It's down to each individual to make that line for themselves.

 

[Batwolf]

Its difficult to find a clear cut, right or wrong answer on this topic.

This is true. Do what you feel is best for yourself and what is fair to the rest of the community.

I personally just don't want to see this place turning into eBay. Even with rare or discontinued stuff we all have a ballpark in our heads of what a "fair or reasonable" price should be.

 

[Rustpot]

Part of why my collection isn't any bigger is that I'm not one who puts a big value on a lot of this stuff. In my mind a used (O-Matter) pair from 1991 shouldn't sell for $225. But you can go on eBay and find older pairs all day for a TON more than what I feel their "true" value is.

I'm seeing used Inmates for $200-something because they're discontinued. Old pairs of Four have starting prices over $150. Monster Doggles with a $225 buy-it-now. None of these are really collector items, or "rare" in any way. They were more so stinkers and their current rarity is because no one wanted them. And guess what? Those high priced pairs on eBay aren't selling.

Those mostly bother me because as much as I'd like to expand my collection and pick up some more odd pairs these people are putting unreasonable expectation of values on their pairs and pricing the vintage market out of the range of a lot of small-fry collectors.

The Over The Top has to be the worst culprit of this. I wish I had money back when these were sitting on shelves for $75. I would have bought 10 and more than tripled my money! But the point is the price on these is only as high as what it is because of their growth in popularity as a collector piece. The key to the price on these is that there is actually demand for them!

 

[big bopper]

Its difficult to find a clear cut, right or wrong answer on this topic.

Definitely. It's one of those situations that's purely down to personal opinion.

I personally just don't want to see this place turning into eBay. Even with rare or discontinued stuff we all have a ballpark in our heads of what a "fair or reasonable" price should be.

I don't think it will IMHO. As you say, it's a knowledgeable crowd on here,overpriced stuff simply doesn't shift and the PM system allows for negotiation.