You ever do this with eBay part II

[Steven]

1st thanks to Cobra Commander for the subject idea. When I first read his thread I thought I already knew the question he asked. Alas, he asked a different one so now I create this asking all of you the question... be honest now....

You ever do?

You're surfing eBay and you come across a rare or "highly sought after" game (could be uncommon) that you KNOW demands a lot of $$/trade value. You ALREADY OWN a COMPLETE copy of this game, and there's NO reason for you to own a 2nd copy really.

Say it's a BIN. Low BIN. Have you ever jumped on it with the intention of selling the game back at its regular going price and turning out a nice little profit for yourself? I know there are those who do it, and while it may be morally wrong, sometimes everyone has a price...

[tholly]

i dont usually find a cheap 1st copy of a game.....let alone a second copy to sell again.....im not that lucky

[ddockery]

Capitalism is morally wrong? The seller sets the BIN.. so selling the item at the price is what they want. In this situaltio BOTh sides win. I'm at a loss on the wrongness here...

[Aussie2B]

I definitely do it (or at least look), but I do agree that it's irritating when you see someone CONSTANTLY bid on the same stuff over and over and you KNOW they have no desire to keep any of it. There's this one guy on eBay who bids on nearly every single PlayStation lot that has anything remotely valuable in it who irks me to no end.

But anyway, when you're broke like me, searching for stuff to sell can be your only way to add to your collection. Like take for example just recently I had the chance to buy Castlevania Chronicles and Legend of Mana for about $40. I already had Castlevania Chronicles, so I sold it on eBay also for about $40. In the end I basically got Legend of Mana for free. :)

[Steven]

Capitalism is morally wrong? The seller sets the BIN.. so selling the item at the price is what they want. In this situaltio BOTh sides win. I'm at a loss on the wrongness here...

In many ways it is -- in the scenario I have stated. If you have a game already, complete and in satisfactory condition, getting another one WITH THE INTENTION of reselling this 2nd copy at average price (say $80) just because the seller had a BIN he/she didn't know the game goes for (say $10)... that is morally wrong.

Ask anyone, I venture to say the majority would agree with that.

[swlovinist]

I dont do it alot(due to lack of extra fundage), but I do it all the time in the wild. You buy a lot, keep what you dont have, sell the rest to make back your money. Same thing, only on ebay everyone sees you do it. Not a dam thing wrong with it. It is life, and life is not fair.

[Wavelflack]

Explain how it is morally wrong.

[DogP]

I do on occasion, although I don't usually get around to selling them again :P ... if I don't buy it, someone else will, probably to resell... And even if someone else buys it for their collection, your first one has just lost value since a potential buyer at the normal expensive price will be fulfilled, and there'll be one less buyer in the market (which may or may not matter, but with some of our rare games, there's really only a few people willing to drop the cash on them).

Either way, there's no reason to feel guilty, especially since it'll sell either to you or another person for that price, so if you feel bad about letting the person sell it cheap, I guess the only thing you could do is email the seller and tell them to pull their auction, and hope they get the email before someone else buys it.

DogP

[Mayhem]

I've done it once: Ultima II for C64 complete at BIN of $20. Shipping was $8 to the UK. Put it straight back up on eBay upon receiving and testing for $10 starting price and BIN of $150; sold within 8 hours.

[Nesmaster]

well if i ever did come across that sort of deal/situation, you bet i'd be looking for resale! :):D

[jonjandran]

So you're saying that if I walk into a Pawn Shop and see cheap games and re-sell them , that's morally wrong.

Or let's say I'm ANY Department, convenient, grocery store, and I buy my merchandise wholesale and sell it for a profit. That's morally wrong.

Or......

Forget it you should get the point by now. When you buy something from someone who is selling it for a set price that THEY determined and then you re-sell it there IS NO WAY YOU CAN BE MORALLY WRONG !!!

[gepeto]

I am confronted with that issue everyday. I don't know why. I think it is like going to bed very early on a Friday night when your young. You hate it because in the back of your mind you think you are going to miss something. if you pass the item up in the back of your mind it is somehow going to haunt you. Only recently have I been able to let sooooooomethings slide pass. I am tring to get better. ha ha ha
Gepet0.

[video_game_addict]

Explain how it is morally wrong.


He doesn't need to. In fact I demand more of you all here wake up and realize you're all living in sin, and will be damned to the gates of Hell! Stay awaay from the cheap BINs! And leave them all for me!

[Cmosfm]

Making profit is NOT morally wrong, every store you've ever walked in had purchased items at a low price with intentions of reselling them for a higher price. That's the way the buisness world works, if you don't like it, become Amish and make your own stuff.

But yeah. I'd do it, I've actually done it before. I've bought many things in lots on eBay with intentions on keeping a few items and breaking up the rest for profit. I've bought stuff cheap at thrifts, pawns and flea markets and have proffited.

And I'm still morally sound.

[aaron7]

If it ever happened (which it hasn't to me yet!), I would. Why not? :evil laugh:

[Funk Buddy]

I've known Steve for a while now, and he has had this stance for a long time. I think what he meant by morally wrong, is more like someone bought the game with no intention of keeping it and sold it just to make a profit. (I think I'm right, but he'll explain his statement I'm sure.) Kind of like the A holes who went top Circuit City and bought 100's of the $4 games then went right to eBay with inflated prices. I have been known to turn a profit on games and don't feel bad about it, but I would never buy 20 or 30 of one game and then try to sell it for full price. In this community, we all know (for the most part) when these sales happen. Some folks are lucky and get to pick up an extra copy or two for trade or to sell. I think most would agree that hoarding games just to sell them sucks... right?

[Steven]

So you're saying that if I walk into a Pawn Shop and see cheap games and re-sell them , that's morally wrong.

Or let's say I'm ANY Department, convenient, grocery store, and I buy my merchandise wholesale and sell it for a profit. That's morally wrong.

Well let me clarify. That I'm OK with. Heck, I probably would do it too. It's right there in front of you, the urge would be too great.

But I'm talking about eBay, hence the title of this thread! I think if you do it on eBay, it is morally wrong. I explained in my 2nd post in this thread so I won't repeat myself.

But hey, many of us do things that are not morally correct. It's just life. This hobby is fun but it also has aspects of "how can I make an extra buck or two" to it... and one way is to find expensive games in demand that someone is blindly selling for cheap not knowing its worth, getting it and turning it into a nice profit.

[Bronty-2]

Give me a break..

[jonjandran]

But I'm talking about eBay, hence the title of this thread! I think if you do it on eBay, it is morally wrong. I explained in my 2nd post in this thread so I won't repeat myself.

But hey, many of us do things that are not morally correct. It's just life. This hobby is fun but it also has aspects of "how can I make an extra buck or two" to it... and one way is to find expensive games in demand that someone is blindly selling for cheap not knowing its worth, getting it and turning it into a nice profit.

How in the world is it morally wrong ?????????

It's just like ANY business . Buy low and sell high.

This isn't murder , it's not beating women, it's not stealing, .

How could someone be "blindly selling for cheap not knowing its worth "
If they are getting what they want for it , then they are selling it for what it's worth to them. :roll:

How about all the people that donate stuff the Goodwill and the Salvation Army "not knowing what it's worth". Should we feel it's "morally wrong" to buy something there and re-sell it.

Forget it , this is about the most stupid logic I have EVER heard. ....

Worry about something that matters, like people who are actually hurting other people.

[Cmosfm]

I have to agree with jonjandran

Seems to me you're just mad cause people are buying stuff cheap and making money off of it and you aren't getting it cheap yourself.

So it's morally wrong to buy something you can only see a picture of cheap and resell but it's not morally wrong to buy something you are holding in your hands cheap and resell.


Give me a break..

[tynstar]

It is the American way to try and make more money. And ou Sir Steven are on Crack.

[Steven]

But I'm talking about eBay, hence the title of this thread! I think if you do it on eBay, it is morally wrong. I explained in my 2nd post in this thread so I won't repeat myself.

But hey, many of us do things that are not morally correct. It's just life. This hobby is fun but it also has aspects of "how can I make an extra buck or two" to it... and one way is to find expensive games in demand that someone is blindly selling for cheap not knowing its worth, getting it and turning it into a nice profit.

How in the world is it morally wrong ?????????

It's just like ANY business . Buy low and sell high.

This isn't murder , it's not beating women, it's not stealing, .

How could someone be "blindly selling for cheap not knowing its worth "
If they are getting what they want for it , then they are selling it for what it's worth to them. :roll:

How about all the people that donate stuff the Goodwill and the Salvation Army "not knowing what it's worth". Should we feel it's "morally wrong" to buy something there and re-sell it.

Forget it , this is about the most stupid logic I have EVER heard. ....

Worry about something that matters, like people who are actually hurting other people.

Wow calm down dude... sheesh. I am not "worried' about this per se. I just think it's morally wrong (at least somewhat morally wrong). I do however, understand the reasons why people do it, and I admit in the past I have done it before. However, I know in the back of my mind on eBay at least, I feel a smidge guilty but that's it. I ain't petitioning for people to stop or anything... I just wanted discussion.

You are taking this too seriously.

[Steven]

Seems to me you're just mad cause people are buying stuff cheap and making money off of it and you aren't getting it cheap yourself.

Couldn't be further away from the truth. I just wanted discussion. I am not saying "OH MY GOD IT IS ABHORRENTLY immoral to do such acts!"

I'm saying I feel it is a little bit immoral (I apologize, I should have clarified earlier). But that's just my stand and maybe no one else's. Oh well.

For the record, I get a lot of good deals, so I have no right to bitch about others getting good deals. Trust me, this topic was supposed to be not super serious like how it has turned out.

[jonjandran]

Hey , I'm not upset.

It justs seems like in this world with all the real moral problems. This just doesn't even begin to compete.

I guess what you should probably clarify is what your definition of "morally wrong" is.

Maybe you really mean that it feels "unethical" ?

[Steven]

Hey , I'm not upset.

It justs seems like in this world with all the real moral problems. This just doesn't even begin to compete.

I guess what you should probably clarify is what your definition of "morally wrong" is.

Maybe you really mean that it feels "unethical" ?

Yes, that would be a better word to use. Unethical definitely suits my thoughts to this topic -- more so than "immoral." Immoral does sound religious and whatnot -- just sounds more serious and heavy hitting, and of course, that is not my intention.

But anyway, yes, unethical. I feel it is unethical and for the record I admit I have done it in the past. (I'm not saying you should stop buying low and selling high -- I'm just saying it feels slightly unethical, especially when the intention is to just get the game and turn it outright into a profit... it's certainly not like giving your neighbor kid who doesn't have an XBox your XBox, feeling that you have no more need for it)

It's very difficult to go through life feeling 100% ethical. This is largely a "me-me society" where individuals try to get ahead, or make an extra buck. I understand the nature of the beast.

Hope that clears things up!

[Wavelflack]

I still haven't seen an explanation of how this is "morally wrong" or "unethical".

It's capitalism, which is the only social and economic system that promotes and instigates achievement.

I get pissed at people who snag mega deals, but I don't have any ethical or moral qualms about it. Only jealousy. I get unhappy when I see all of the vintage games sources (Goodwill, etc.) dry up and/ or raise their prices. But it's only greed on my part.

[jajaja]

Moraly wrong? What do you mean?
This is how all buisness goes on. You buy cheap and sell expencive. So why would it be moraly wrong?

[jajaja]

So you're saying that if I walk into a Pawn Shop and see cheap games and re-sell them , that's morally wrong.

Or let's say I'm ANY Department, convenient, grocery store, and I buy my merchandise wholesale and sell it for a profit. That's morally wrong.

Or......

Forget it you should get the point by now. When you buy something from someone who is selling it for a set price that THEY determined and then you re-sell it there IS NO WAY YOU CAN BE MORALLY WRONG !!!

Exactly!

Besides, you wouldnt have any job if it wasnt like this. If the company doesn have any profit they wouldnt be able to pay the employees.
So I guess you didnt think far enough when you said it was moraly wrong.

[Aussie2B]

I think everyone is getting a bit too hyper-sensitive. I don't think he's talking about ANY case in which you buy to sell but more like bidders like andre_henretta. I mean, here's an example: You're trying to get a copy of Suikoden 2 (or put any other valuable title here) for a reasonable price. However, you can never get a good BIN or a good normal price because there's some guy out there who constantly does a search on the game and buys EVERY good BIN he can and bids up every normal auction high; and then he sells the games back at a starting price or BIN higher than he paid. Someone who uses eBay like that is a jackass, plain and simple. I don't see how anyone could disagree, unless they do that themselves.

I'd like to think that everyone around here just buys for a profit as good deals randomly show up, rather than monopolize certain valuable titles on eBay. I know from my experience I buy for profit when I happen to come across good deals on stuff I have in the wild, in marketplace forums, or in my searching for stuff on eBay. The only time I search for a specific thing on eBay religiously is when I'm looking to get something I don't already have.

[brykasch]

I have to disagree with you there. Yes it can be annoying when someone does it, but you know what you want it bad enough you will pay to get it. Its my right to buy anything I want with my money and do with it as I wish, its not ammoral, its not unethical, not in the least.

It doesn't matter if I have 10 toploaders, if I find one for a 20$ BIN, i will buy it, clean it and sell it at a higher price, its called a free economy, and people do it here all the time, at garage sales, flea markets, everywhere.

[squidblatt]

Ebay is made for this sort of thing. There have always been people using it like a wholesaler. And many retailers use it as an extension of their business, too. You've either got real businesses selling their products, or else you've got individuals using it like a yard sale. In either case, the price is set according to the seller's own standards, so I don't see how you can take advantage of them. Many people sell things cheaply just to get rid of them.

If you're concerned about other buyers, try going to an offline auction. In a rare books auction, you will find sellers and collectors bidding against each other routinely - nobody even questions it. Why should they? Non-expert bidders are even encouraged to hire an agent (sorta like esnipe). Ebay is an online bazaar. People are meant to use it to make as much money as they can. I just don't see anything wrong with the scenario. Would you buy a game at a brick and mortar store to sell on Ebay for more than you paid? If so, what's the difference?

[ddockery]

I don't have time to read this whole thread now, but your logic is INSANE. Anyone listng on eBay has access to the internet. With minimal effort anyone online can find a relative value of dam near anything. Now, if a seller is too damn lazy to do that and sells something cheaply, buying it at tghe price THE SELLER set is wrong? I could see this argument if you were somehow talking them into the price, but this is what they are asking for! How is this ANY different than the pawn shop example you said is alright?

[Wavelflack]

I wonder if this guy stops the bidding on items he sells if the price gets too high? Or cuts/discounts the price if it goes too high?

"Dear High Bidder,
You won my auction for Super Mario Bros./ Duck Hunt. However, your final bid of $10 was way beyond the reasonable market value for the game, and I cannot accept such a bid. Your final bid price has been lowered to $1. Please send check or MO to:.." (etc.)

[Aussie2B]

It doesn't matter if I have 10 toploaders, if I find one for a 20$ BIN, i will buy it, clean it and sell it at a higher price, its called a free economy, and people do it here all the time, at garage sales, flea markets, everywhere.

I would too, if I happened to come across a low BIN toploader. However, I wouldn't be constantly doing a search on eBay for toploaders, buying up every good BIN and bidding every listing as high as it'll go before it's no longer a reasonable price. Not only would it be a waste of my time, but I'd be a jerk to the people who are legitimately trying to get the item for their own collection and wanting to not have to rip themselves off in order to get it.

[DogP]

I wonder if this guy stops the bidding on items he sells if the price gets too high? Or cuts/discounts the price if it goes too high?

"Dear High Bidder,
You won my auction for Super Mario Bros./ Duck Hunt. However, your final bid of $10 was way beyond the reasonable market value for the game, and I cannot accept such a bid. Your final bid price has been lowered to $1. Please send check or MO to:.." (etc.)

Hahahah! Actually, one of my friends did that... he had a $150 cart on ebay... some guy bid an insane amount because he wanted it for sure, someone else bid him up to $450, at the end of the auction, I believe he only ended up charging $200 (sent an email saying that his max bid was WAY over it's value, so I'll drop the price down a little). I don't understand him :P .

I did get sorta the same thing when I bought a shuffle bowling alley on ebay, they guy owns a warehouse, and he had a bunch more of them, and he said go ahead and pick any of the ones there, so I picked a pretty nice one, and he said that he really only wanted $300 for it, so offered to refund the difference (he's a really good guy, and because of things like this, I've bought MANY more things from him).

DogP

[jajaja]

It doesn't matter if I have 10 toploaders, if I find one for a 20$ BIN, i will buy it, clean it and sell it at a higher price, its called a free economy, and people do it here all the time, at garage sales, flea markets, everywhere.

I would too, if I happened to come across a low BIN toploader. However, I wouldn't be constantly doing a search on eBay for toploaders, buying up every good BIN and bidding every listing as high as it'll go before it's no longer a reasonable price. Not only would it be a waste of my time, but I'd be a jerk to the people who are legitimately trying to get the item for their own collection and wanting to not have to rip themselves off in order to get it.

First of all this will never happend. I doubt that one guy wants to buy all Top Loaders that are sold on Ebay just to piss people off. This is normal buisness, buy cheap, sell expencive. This is how it works.
If it wasnt like this no one would even have a job. All would have to start their own farm and make their own food hehe.

[Aussie2B]

It doesn't matter if I have 10 toploaders, if I find one for a 20$ BIN, i will buy it, clean it and sell it at a higher price, its called a free economy, and people do it here all the time, at garage sales, flea markets, everywhere.

I would too, if I happened to come across a low BIN toploader. However, I wouldn't be constantly doing a search on eBay for toploaders, buying up every good BIN and bidding every listing as high as it'll go before it's no longer a reasonable price. Not only would it be a waste of my time, but I'd be a jerk to the people who are legitimately trying to get the item for their own collection and wanting to not have to rip themselves off in order to get it.

First of all this will never happend. I doubt that one guy wants to buy all Top Loaders that are sold on Ebay just to piss people off. This is normal buisness, buy cheap, sell expencive. This is how it works.
If it wasnt like this no one would even have a job. All would have to start their own farm and make their own food hehe.

But there are people who use eBay like that. I've encountered people like that, and it seems andre_henretta is similar to that as well (although he doesn't appear to ever sell; he just hoards for some unknown reason).

My point is that I think the top creator meant more along the lines of people who act like that as opposed to the blanket statement that "everyone who buys something to sell it for a profit is bad" that everyone is assuming. I could always be wrong, but that's my take on it.

[Wavelflack]

It still doesn't matter. If a guy manages to purchase every toploader sold on ebay, then that simply means that no one else is willing to outbid him, nor keep a diligent eye on ebay listings.

BIN is a first come, first served concept. If someone else beats you to the punch, you have only yourself to blame.

[-hellvin-]

Are you asking if I ever found a really good deal on a game I already had and passed on it so some other guy would take advantage of it instead? No, never done that and won't ever do that.

[Steven]

I think everyone is getting a bit too hyper-sensitive. I don't think he's talking about ANY case in which you buy to sell but more like bidders like andre_henretta. I mean, here's an example: You're trying to get a copy of Suikoden 2 (or put any other valuable title here) for a reasonable price. However, you can never get a good BIN or a good normal price because there's some guy out there who constantly does a search on the game and buys EVERY good BIN he can and bids up every normal auction high; and then he sells the games back at a starting price or BIN higher than he paid. Someone who uses eBay like that is a jackass, plain and simple. I don't see how anyone could disagree, unless they do that themselves.

I'd like to think that everyone around here just buys for a profit as good deals randomly show up, rather than monopolize certain valuable titles on eBay. I know from my experience I buy for profit when I happen to come across good deals on stuff I have in the wild, in marketplace forums, or in my searching for stuff on eBay. The only time I search for a specific thing on eBay religiously is when I'm looking to get something I don't already have.

Ditto.

If I HAPPEN to come across a good deal, 99% of the times a BIN (I don't bother sniping on stuff I already own)... then 99% of the times I'll BIN that item. But it only happens if I happen to come across it. I do not actively look for it.

But yeah, it's getting a little hyper-sensitive in here. Take it easy, everyone. Nothing to get worked over about.

[Wavelflack]

:roll:

[Steven]

:roll:

Kill it. You took what I meant this question to be and made it into such a bigger deal than it should have been taken. Just spare me the faces and move on now... please.

[slip81]

I've never actually done it, because the opportunity hasn't presented itself, but if it ever did I would take it. I don't think it's wrong.

[Cmosfm]

:roll:

Kill it. You took what I meant this question to be and made it into such a bigger deal than it should have been taken. Just spare me the faces and move on now... please.

Don't go getting testy just because we don't all share your warped views.

All I see now is you desperately trying to make yourself NOT sound like an ass.

[Steven]

:roll:

Kill it. You took what I meant this question to be and made it into such a bigger deal than it should have been taken. Just spare me the faces and move on now... please.

Don't go getting testy just because we don't all share your warped views.

All I see now is you desperately trying to make yourself NOT sound like an ass.

Uh, no. Show me where in this thread I have condemn those who do buy low and sell high. Please.

You assumed earlier that I am mad because I see people get good deals and that I don't -- that couldn't be further away from the truth. And again, your 2nd assumption is also flawed.

Who's getting testy? Am I the one posting rolly-eye faces? Am I the one accusing people of being mad because they can't get good deals? A couple of you have jumped on me a bit, it's not like I ripped anyone off. Just because I feel it is SLIGHTLY unethical makes me the guy everyone should throw tomatoes at? C'mon, let's not be so testy.

Simply state your opinion and move on. No need to call me out or anything.

[Wavelflack]

You refuse to justify or expound upon your claim that the practice is "unethical" or "immoral", even after numerous requests to do so.

After you realize what a fool you've made of yourself, you try to shift the focus to everyone else ("it's getting a little hyper-sensitive in here. Take it easy, everyone. Nothing to get worked over about").

It's not working.
I thought I would be a pal and call your attention to this, via rolleyes.

:)