Topic: Age and Information please.

[Pinkspoons]

You're more likely to find the top market value on eBay if you make sure you have the identification right, use appropriate keywords, have attractive pictures and list the piece under the right category/subcategory.

Unfortunately that doesn't hold true 100% of the time. I've had perfectly attributed and placed items, accompanied by many and varied photographs of my usual standard - and still they've often floundered in the face of poorly-written and photographed auctions for the exact same bits and bobs. And this has applied to some fairly rare items I've had on eBay, as well as the more common-or-garden things.

[Cathy B]

Guess that's true, Nic! I've also seen the gambling effect, where people bid more on an unidentified piece with a fuzzy picture because it might be worth something, whereas they leave the well identified stuff alone because they know what it is, and that it won't make any more profit. Just lately I've been selling off stuff for my aunt, some of it real junk, and the temptation is to take photos of it in soft focus, partially obscured by pot-plants!

[David E]

Guess that's true, Nic! I've also seen the gambling effect, where people bid more on an unidentified piece with a fuzzy picture because it might be worth something,

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt...

[Sklounion]

Hi,
Regardless of the buy/sell price issue..... two other factors affect why valuations are a contentious issue.
The first, insurance valuations, which are, imho, an area which, in my opinion has encouraged fraud, as they seem often to be three/four times the going market rate (and so drive up premiums for the prudent).
The second, many people do not carry public liability insurance, me included, and are not prepared to be sued, simply because their estimation was not met in the market-place.
I am neither an actuary (risk assessor) nor a clairvoyant.
Regards,
Marcus

[Frank]

A good example of valuation confusion is the Pirelli snakecharmer

http://www.debook.com/animal/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/8766f3bc55a1b9a19f74a4752e0817c7.jpg

The first time a labelled example turned up on eBay it fetched around 100 pounds, at which point no-one knew Pirelli made these. Since then several more have appeared on eBay and they rarely exceed 10 pounds (if labelled) with several unsold. Yet the perception of value continues, there is one on now with a starting price of 45 pounds, the seller saying they had listed it unknown but having had a message it was Pirelli cancelled that auction and relisted. It would seem likely it will remain unsold. But it shows how the market differs from percetions, several people remember the high selling one as it got talked about and now a seller has picked up on the gossip and is having to pay eBay for the misleading information.

I could illustrate similar oddities in sales of Monart Glass where the items are very rare but still the prices vary by a factor of 10 to 50 times.