Griswold #13 Skillet Brass Pattern

[C. Perry Rapier]

Will, I also think it would have went a lot higher. I was going to drop off at 6000.00 but never got a chance to do so. As long as the seller and the buyer are happy I guess thats all that matters.

[mlb1262]

Well, gee, thanks for that assessment.  That may certainly be true at times, but in this instance the item in question belongs to a client.  As a trading assistant, all I can do is pass on any offers to the clients along with, of course, my opinion (whether they want it or not, LOL).  I did both in this case.  I told them about the offer and made a VERY strong recommendation to let the auction play out. (I'll stop short of admitting that I begged and pleaded.  Let's just say it was a pretty pitiful sight and leave it at that.)   Ultimately, though, they chose to ignore my advice (and LOTS of pathetic whining) and accept the offer.  Had the item belonged to me, I would have taken my chances and let it ride.  But the bottom line is, it was their call to make, not mine.  Such is the life of an eBay Trading Assistant.

I understand that this situation has been occuring on a  regular basis.  Maybe I'm naive, but wouldn't it be better for someone who was really interested in an item to go ahead and place an initial bid with a low maximum bid?  That would stop the BIN offers and force the auction to play itself out.  Further bidding wouldn't necessarily have to resume on the item until the auction is nearing the end.  You know, when the really serious bidders come out to play!  I would rather lose to a higher bidder than not get the chance to bid at all on an item I want.  But, that's just me.

Customers (well, at least mine) are a nervous breed particulary when it comes to high-dollar items.  After the item is listed and they don't see immediate action on it, they promptly start second-guessing themselves and worrying that their item may not sell at all.  And - Bingo!-That's when they become vulnerable and much more apt to accept those pesky BIN offers.  As hard as it is to believe, not everyone out there "gets" eBay or has a strong understanding of how it works.  To them, no bids simply translates into "I'd better take what I can get as soon as I can get it."  These are the type of people who come to me for help listing their items.  Even though I talk until I'm blue in the face to make sure they understand the process and what to expect, they still react in exactly the same way.  Whew!  Now, having said all that --- this really is just my two cents as a trading assistant who deals with these nervous nellies on a daily basis.  Take from it what you will.  Thanks for your comments.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Will, on further thought, I think you are being just a tad harsh on Lisa, however, she was taken advantage of.

[mlb1262]

Thank you, Perry.  I thought it was way harsh, too.  :)

[Will Person]

Lisa,  sorry,  wasn't trying to be harsh. [smiley=unsure.gif]   And I forgot that you are selling for someone else.   So it is there call.

Why would someone want to sell, for an offer.  If someone makes an offer so quick.   Don't they think that someone out there would also want to bid $money$ on it.   I have sold stuff on Ebay and have had people make offers.   I tell them,  if you want it,  bid.    All of the offers made on my stuff was "low-balled"   I know what it was worth.    

Oh well,  live and learn. [smiley=icon_bananas.gif]


Will P. [smiley=kos.gif]  

[Paul Beer]

Lisa, very thoughtful reply and you are entirely correct about the low initial bid. However, I think there have been a few instances where even with bids the seller has cancelled the auction and relisted with a buy it now. So it seems the final call is in the sellers hands and if they get nervous or think it is a great price or just want to get it done why it appears they can make it happen. I have had the individual in question email me after I won an auction and try to buy the item for a rather sizeable mark up.
   Again, thanks for your posts and informantion as it was very informative.   Paul

[mlb1262]

Thanks Will, Paul & Perry - As to your question, about why people accept these offers?  I suspect most who do so are relatively new to eBay.  The couple who owned this item are the perfect example.  Though both are very intelligent & highly educated people, they are simply new to the whole eBay experience and they don't understand it.  Therefore, they don't completely trust it.  I tried to explain to them that if someone was willing to make an offer to buy the item that early in the auction, that was a positive sign that the item was worth way more than that and they should let the auction continue.  But I really think it was the whole bid thing, or lack thereof, that kept raising it's ugly head.  They were afraid that if they passed on the offer and the item didn't get any bids, then they would end up with nothing.  They just weren't willing to let the process work for them as it eventually would have.  Ah, well!

Paul, It's a shame that someone would do that in the middle of an auction with bids.  That's just a very poor practice, isn't it?  How frustrating!  For what it's worth, I do not allow my clients to end an auction for any reason once an item has a bid.  I absolutely refuse to do it.  It's just unethical.  Once that first bid comes in, it runs to the bitter end. Period.  End of Story.  In fact, I have to confess I delayed a bit longer than I should have last night in adding the Buy It Now because I was hoping against hope that someone would place a bid and the auction could go forward.  But, that didn't happen.  Anyway, no more crying for me over what might have been.  I'll (sniff..sniff) get over it eventually-LOL!  It's been nice talking to you guys.  

[C. Perry Rapier]

Don't be a stranger Lisa.

[Steve_Stephens]

Lisa,
Nick, probably more often than not, makes very generous offers or suggestions for a BIN price.  In this case perhaps the price wasn't nearly as high as the item would have gone but there really was no way to know how high it might have sold for.

Because the starting price was so high (for most bidders) it probaby didn't draw any of the usual bidders who jump on a nice item starting at a low price.  Right from the start the price eliminated many people from considering a bid.  The big bidders will sometimes jump in early but mostly will snipe or wait until nearer the end of the auction.  The only people hurt with the auction were those who wanted a chance to bid on it and didn't get that chance.  The owner, apparently, was happy with the offer and so accepted it.   It probably would have been better to let the auction run as you had wanted to.  I think you have had some indications that some people would have bid higher but you really don't know.  Things happen to dampen a bidders enthusiam and those who plan a bid don't always end up doing so.

Steve

[mlb1262]

You're right, Steve.  Thanks for your input!

[Jerry Cermack]

Well, I'm glad I got to see this pattern sold, even if it didnt last but a short time as "usual".   [smiley=appl.gif]   I've been seeing it now for a few years hanging on the wall in the Twin Gables Antique Mall in Clinton, Tn. , just north of Knoxville.  I'm not sure that hole in the tab handle was factory.  The owner had it padlocked through the handle and a screw through that hole in the tab.  I just assumed he drilled it to mount it on the wall.  There was also what appeared to be a rivet in the logo just above the W in Griswold and I often wondered what that was for?

[Greg Stahl]

Nick is not interested in collecting cast iron,  his interest is is having the unusual and one of a kinds.

That said, I believe the item would have gone higher, but this is how Nick operates and it is within the rules of Ebay.  In one way Ebay gets 'screwed' out of profits on this.

Also, having a bid on an item does not preclude the auction from being ended early.  An auction can be ended at anytime and sold for the high bid.  So in this case if I would have put in the opening bid and then Nick came back to the seller and said. "i'll give you XX for this, if you end the auction early and sell it to me."  He could then put in any bid that was higher than mine, the seller ends the auction and then Ebay also gets screwed out of the additional monies.

I don't think ebay really thought about this BIN option very well, especially being able to put a BIN up during the auction.  Ebay is no longer an auction site, but a marketing site, nothing more.

[Greg Stahl]

Steve and I don't see eye to eye on this, as I for one don't believe his offers are "more than generous".  As Steve says, we will never know what it will end up at, but that is the point!!  Nick will never let an item end on a regular auction.

Also, and I've heard this from MANY sellers that refuse to put up Nick's BIN price.  If the BIN price does not go up that Nick wants, Nick will not bid on that item EVER!  Now if he is interested in that item and believes it is worth X$, but then does not bid on it, what does that mean??

To me it means that Nick has to "WIN" on his terms and only on his terms.  Reminds me of a child that does not get his way.  

[Jerry Cermack]

I don't think ebay really thought about this BIN option very well, especially being able to put a BIN up during the auction.  Ebay is no longer an auction site, but a marketing site, nothing more.

I've said before, and I'll mention it again.  Ebay has www.ioffer.com and all BIN's and offer sales could be listed there, and leave Ebay strictly for regular bidding auctions.

[Thomas_Callaway]

Ebay missed it's earnings expectations:

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050120/markets_stocks_14.html

<snip>

Shares of online auctioneer eBay slumped 19 percent a day after it missed Wall Street's earnings expectations for the first time in at least three years.

</snip>

Just thought this might make y'all feel better.  ;)

TC

PS: I do not now nor have ever owned stock in eBay.

[Steve_Stephens]

Steve and I don't see eye to eye on this, as I for one don't believe his offers are "more than generous".  As Steve says, we will never know what it will end up at, but that is the point!!  Nick will never let an item end on a regular auction.

 

Take a look and see if his offers are fair or, in some cases, ridiculously high like the $129 potato baker.  That's only about a $10-30 item in that condition if that.  And the Griswold "key" which went for a crazy, stupid high price.  He also wins non-BIN items at the end of an auction (Griswold nut cracker).

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewBidItems&userid=old*ghost&completed=1&sort=3&all=1&rows=25

Not trying to disagree with you Greg but thought some might like to see some bidding history and decide what they see for themselves.  His bidding history doesn't tell the whole story though.

Steve

[Greg Stahl]

Your defense of Nick is very predictable and is why I put up the post.  You, Steve, have very carefully mentioned items that you believe are fair and rightly so, but "conveniently" forget the other items that Nick STOLE for a VERY low price and I'm not going to waste my time listing them, but you know what I mean.

I will say that a lot of folks, while will not post here, have emailed me and IM'ed me, in support of my position on his actions.  And while they may be in the "legal" context of Ebay's rules, still p i ss many folks off.

Further, your comments about the Damper and potatoe baker are further examples of his "need to have" what he preceives to be "rare".  I can't help if he is naive and/or stupid.  Also don't forget the fake #2 skillet that he bid over $500 for that was a fake #0 skillet and Harry Riva was kind enough to alert him on that one.

IMO, he gets what he deserves... I couldn't be happier about his "mistakes" in having to have the "rare", LOL [smiley=hysterical.gif]

[Steve_Stephens]

You have a good memory Greg.  I may have an advantage over most others in that I talk with Nick and do hear his side of the story whereas others probably do not.  Without really knowing both sides I think people may be missing some facts, reasons, and thoughts.  And I am not saying that I agree with how he operates because I pretty much don't agree it is "right".  I also am pretty certain that Nick reads anything that is on the Wags forum including members only parts.
Steve

[Greg Stahl]

 I also am pretty certain that Nick reads anything that is on the Wags forum including members only parts.
Steve

That is not possible!  The only way that he can access the members only side, as well as the sides that require registration is if somone gives him their LOGIN and password.

If that is the case and I find out who has done that, they will be be subject to banning from this site, as well as being handled by the Ethics Committee.  This thread will be given to the Ethics committee today, so that this issue is on the record.  

Steve, I want to call you and talk to you about what you state, as this is a Serious post that you make and one that deserves further investigation.  

[Greg Stahl]

I talked with Steve and it seems that Nick has access to the public side of the FORUM.  So, Nick, we know you are reading the non-registered side of the FORUM.