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EBay Is Becoming Almost Worthless to sell stuff On

 
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Dieseljim
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Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:55 am    Post subject: EBay Is Becoming Almost Worthless to sell stuff On Reply with quote

Based on recent experience, it seems to me that EBay is becoming almost worthless to sell stuff on. I end up relisting stuff including small boxlots of transit and bus material two or three times, and after the third time with no sale, the box load of material as often as not ends up in the dumpster. Repeated relisting drives up the expense and I have little choice but to dumpster the material and that includes route maps, schedules, brochures what have you. I hate to have it end up in the dumpster but feel I have little choice if it does not sell but to trash it. It pains me to do it, but eBay is turning into a glorified cesspool, especiallly when some watchers merely try to see what they can do to drive up my costs. Thus the occasional boxlot of transit material ending up in the dumpster.
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RailBus63
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 1063

PostPosted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim, you may also want to consider that now is a tough time to be selling collectible items and memorabilia. Money is tight everywhere and I'm guessing that there are a lot fewer people than usual buying items on auction sites. I haven't purchased an item on eBay myself since earlier this year and I rarely go there anymore because I don't have a lot money to spend right now. I also have some items I've considered selling but I'm going to wait until the economy improves.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Michael,

I think you hit the nail right on the head - people are now more interested in where their next meal is coming from than fooling around with eBay.

My daughter deals in rare carpets and kilims and caters to the weathiest segment of New York society and even they are cutting back which may force her to change her whole business model.

Of course, many of her clients have been stung by Mr. Madoff! which compounds the felony.

Personally, I don't see any vast improvement or any light at the end of this tunnel very shortly!

As far as Dieseljim is concerned, it may be that he didn't present his materials interestingly enough to propel sales - I don't know - I didn't see his merchandise - there are tricks to the trade in selling and eBay offers some good advice on presentation.

Regards and best wishes to you and the family for the New Year.

Mr. 'L'
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Q65A



Age: 66
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 1764
Location: Central NJ

PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I regularly visit eBay looking for NYC-area bus operator manuals, patches, etc.
It seems to me that in recent months the number of bus items put up for sale on eBay has increased significantly as compared to levels seen just 6 months ago.
For example, I visited eBay yesterday and saw >1,000 items for sale under the Bus/Taxi heading, while the number of items listed under the Subway heading was probably <350.
It is possible that the Bus category is becoming something like the Railroadiana category, which usually has many thousands of items for sale at any given time.
I do agree that the weak economy probably has a lot to do with sluggish eBay sales.
Making this situation worse in certain instances is that some of those eBay customers who have spare disposable income really "ring up" the prices of some auction items. For example, a few months ago I had bid on an operator's manual for a 1963 NYCTA GM TDH-5303. I lost that bid, which probably turned out to be lucky since that item ultimately went for $76.00 (rather a lot of money for a 36 page manual).
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Dieseljim
Deceased



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 7:46 pm    Post subject: EBay Becoming Virtually Worthless Reply with quote

I think you both may be onto something, perhaps some witty puns may help. I am very good with those. In addition, I have been doing quite a bit of business off eBay lately. Whoever said there is more than one way to skin a cat may be on to something, meow (lol).
Mr. Linsky wrote:
Michael,

I think you hit the nail right on the head - people are now more interested in where their next meal is coming from than fooling around with eBay.

My daughter deals in rare carpets and kilims and caters to the weathiest segment of New York society and even they are cutting back which may force her to change her whole business model.

Of course, many of her clients have been stung by Mr. Madoff! which compounds the felony.

Personally, I don't see any vast improvement or any light at the end of this tunnel very shortly!

As far as Dieseljim is concerned, it may be that he didn't present his materials interestingly enough to propel sales - I don't know - I didn't see his merchandise - there are tricks to the trade in selling and eBay offers some good advice on presentation.

Regards and best wishes to you and the family for the New Year.

Mr. 'L'
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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

With only a pound or two of subway and bus maps to dispose of, last year I lugged part of the collection to a meeting of the Electric Railroaders' Association at their Murray Street monthly meeting. Almost nothing moved at 50-cents an item as I watched fans peruse the material, including some pretty old stuff (Surface Transit map, etc.). Preparing for the next meeting, I sorted the items again (mindful that we will have to leave our home soon), and put much out on the freebie shelf at the meeting. They went. I hope they went to younger fans, but at least they went to people who would enjoy them. I had picked up the free timetables and maps years ago when they were current. It cost nothing to give them away.
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HwyHaulier




Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 932
Location: Harford County, MD

PostPosted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dieseljim -

Bad situation! Have you considered, and possibly pursued, contacts with historical societies, museums, university libraries, and so on? Likely you have
some quite remarkable items. Sadly, once they are gone, they are gone...

Otherwise, how can we possibly prove that, yes, there was once a Washington - Buffalo through bus on Greyhound Lines?...

...................Vern....................
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Dieseljim
Deceased



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:42 am    Post subject: Possibility of Trading for Timetables of Carriers I need Reply with quote

With some of the book projects I am working on, I would be amenable to trading a batch of material for timetables of carriers I need for these bookworks. Among those I sure could use schedules from are the old Lakeshore System (Ohio), Manhattan Transit Company (NJ),Orange and Black Bus Lines(NJ), Real Transit Company(NJ), Ohio Bus Line Company (OH),Westwood Transportation (NJ), to name a bunch. Does anyone know if any of the companies other than NY BUS SERVICE that were folded into MTA Bus Company issued any schedules as such? I can use some specimens and am willing to trade for them. Please contact me via private message or e-mail. Thanks
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Hart Bus



Age: 73
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Possibility of Trading for Timetables of Carriers I need Reply with quote

Dieseljim wrote:
With some of the book projects I am working on, I would be amenable to trading a batch of material for timetables of carriers I need for these bookworks. Among those I sure could use schedules from are the old Lakeshore System (Ohio), Manhattan Transit Company (NJ),Orange and Black Bus Lines(NJ), Real Transit Company(NJ), Ohio Bus Line Company (OH),Westwood Transportation (NJ), to name a bunch. Does anyone know if any of the companies other than NY BUS SERVICE that were folded into MTA Bus Company issued any schedules as such? I can use some specimens and am willing to trade for them. Please contact me via private message or e-mail. Thanks


Jim: NYBS only operated Express Service from the Bronx to NYC, no local service. They were basically a school bus company not a adult bus company.
I will have to look through a lot of unsorted items. I believe that our fellow poster Mr. RT may have given me some Queens Surface schedules, but I believe that they were for the express buses. If you want them, let me know on the board and if I find them, I'll privately e-mail you.

Alan Aron a/k/a Hart Bus
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Dieseljim
Deceased



Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 548
Location: Perry, NY

PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:29 pm    Post subject: New York Area Bus Schedules Reply with quote

Yes, I can use whatever you got extras of as far as schedules go. BTW, though NY Bus Service was primarily a school bus operator, they DID have express routes into Manhattan ans I have some of their schedules from 1977 and 1980. I have the initial book on NJ Bus Lines done along with a two volume set for New York STate, which includes some New York area carriers. Here's my Mailing address:

James Mancuso
56B South Main Street
Perry, NY 14530

I will be happy to trade material including what I am not able to sell on eBay.
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