Ebay seller vintagemicros closing shop

[billdeg]

http://stores.ebay.com/VintageMicros-Computer-Collectibles is closing May 1...This was an excellent seller of vintage gear. Will be missed.

[Terry Yager]

Yeah, he's sold a lot of great stuff over the years. Not exactly bargain priced, but not terribly inflated either. He's not very user-friendly in email though. Seems to be better in person. Someone I knew (RIP) bought some things from him via eBay, and went to pick up his lot. He came home with over twice as much as he went down there for, free of charge. The man just wouldn't let him leave with a truck only half full. Now, that's my kind of seller.

--T

[RichCini]

I've bought some stuff from him over the years, too. He will be missed. Not hearing the original story, I guess he's finished liquidating his inventory?

[Sharkonwheels]

I wonder if it has anything to do withthe new eBay policies?
His VintageMicros.com site mentions nothing, though the eBay "About Me" page says by March he's have nothing but books and mags...


T

[DarthKur]

^^^^ What new Ebay policies do you speak of? Is it something to do with computers/electronic is general?

[Sharkonwheels]

http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=9773


T

[chuckcmagee]

Chuckle, the guy that I got along with just fine (via email even). Anyway, yep, looks like the hardware stuff is almost all gone already. He's changed the description of the store and everything already.

[Sharkonwheels]

Good news - he's mostly closing up shop on eBay, and yes because of the new policies, and has opened up shop on OnlineAuction.com. Same name - vintagemicros:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=search:searchUser&user_id=22651

He just listed a new-in-box Grant Stockley Altair 8800 reproduction kit for $1500 - isn't that like $500 less than GS sold it for originally?
Wish I had the coin....

Also remember he has vintagemicros.com

We need to start populating onlineauction.com, so all you buyers/sellers, register, and start using OLA. eBay has gotten out of hand, and has forgotten how they got where they are:

BECAUSE OF US - FLEAMARKET NOISE! <as eBay CEO Dumbahoe said>


T

[Micom 2000]

Went there filled in the registration forms (abit intrusive) and then caught the $196 promo. You can bid and buy acording to the final step but they don't mention what it will cost you even to list.

What gall, they only had 8 items listed. SCAM-TIME, AVOID AT YOUR PERIL
I am pissed off with Ebay but these guys are even more vulturous. There are numerous valid alternatives to EBay on the I-net but these guys are definitely not one.

Lawrence

[Sharkonwheels]

$196 signup, no listing *OR* final value fees.

It's $196 to start, includes the first year, and $96/year.

I dunno - I pay more than $96 in just a month or 2 of sales (listing+FVF) so it seems rather fair. They have:

Verified seller=$8/mo
Charter member=$96/year - unlimited listings, no listing/FVF
Founding member=$196 for first year, $96/yr after that. Unlim listings, no listing/FVF


T

[Half-Saint]

There are numerous valid alternatives to EBay on the I-net but these guys are definitely not one.

Lawrence,

what other alternatives are there to eBay? It seems to me that eBay has gotten themselves a nice little monopoly or at least a dominating part of the market. It'll be nearly impossible for anyone else to grow THAT big as long as eBay exists.

Cheers,
Bojan

[MikeS]

Lawrence,

what other alternatives are there to eBay? It seems to me that eBay has gotten themselves a nice little monopoly or at least a dominating part of the market. It'll be nearly impossible for anyone else to grow THAT big as long as eBay exists.

Cheers,
Bojan
----
Well, there's the vintage computer marketplace, although I believe their site is undergoing an upgrade at the moment.

m

[Druid6900]

Lawrence,

what other alternatives are there to eBay? It seems to me that eBay has gotten themselves a nice little monopoly or at least a dominating part of the market. It'll be nearly impossible for anyone else to grow THAT big as long as eBay exists.

Cheers,
Bojan

Yeah, I know that for a fact. Tried it a few years ago with exactly the type of success you'd imagine.

I still have the whole website I designed stored on my computer.

I even have a package for the current website I have that would let me run auctions, but, I'm hesitant to install it without a much, much larger client base.

[tezza]

Interestingly Ebay never really took off in New Zealand. The trading site everyone uses here is Trade Me. (trademe.co.nz) . You can still sell things on ebay from here (New Zealand) but hardly anyone does, unless they are selling globally.

While ebay certainly seems to hold sway in North America, Western Europe and Australia it's grip is not everywhere. I wonder what other countries have local auction sites that ebay has never managed to knock over?

[Half-Saint]

Well almost everyone uses bolha.com (Bolha = a flea) to sell stuff locally in Slovenia. They don't charge any fees to private sellers so it's nearly ideal :) Too bad we're a small market and you can't sell abroad since the site is localised (slovene language only).

Cheers
Bojan

[Ksarul]

Turkey has one called GittiGidiyor.com (freely translated "GoingGone," since you have to reverse the two words in English). It has lots of interesting local items, but not so much of the vintage computer stuff as you would find elsewhere--there weren't very many people with enough money to buy much more than game consoles until recently.

[Micom 2000]

Lawrence,

what other alternatives are there to eBay? It seems to me that eBay has gotten themselves a nice little monopoly or at least a dominating part of the market. It'll be nearly impossible for anyone else to grow THAT big as long as eBay exists.

Cheers,
Bojan

Well I must admit to not being able at this time to do that without doing a lot of Googling. Ebay has just been too easy for me and I haven't used any other alternatives for some time. It's cut of the sale is for me miniscule and the Paypal association further simplifies it. Now for power sellers that may not be true. I also agree EPay is arrogant and like most large corporations responds tardily or not at all to it's customer concerns.

A while back there was one auction house that Sellam was touting and there is of course his VC marketplace. Most of the old computer sites have sections like ours, and there are of course the sites which don't focus on vintage computers. Does Yahoo still have an auction site ? In Europe I believe there are also many more alternatives. A local radio-station here also has a very popular "Bargain-Bin" not to mention the "Buy and Sell" newspapers and Craigs List.

The point is all of these are either free or minimal cost. The one I was objecting to had only 8 items listed for sale and wanted a ridiculous fee for listing. Grandiose expectations. The big sellers certainly won't list there unless it has a solid base, the small sellers won't because it's too expensive.

When they collapse, as they undoubtably will, there will be no refund for those foolish enough to have paid the subscription price. I still maintain there are alternatives to EBay but these guys aren't that alternative.

Lawrence

[Sharkonwheels]

A while back there was one auction house that Sellam was touting and there is of course his VC marketplace.
Lawrence

Would "there WAS his vintage marketplace" be a better term?


The point is all of these are either free or minimal cost. The one I was objecting to had only 8 items listed for sale and wanted a ridiculous fee for listing. Grandiose expectations. The big sellers certainly won't list there unless it has a solid base, the small sellers won't because it's too expensive.
Lawrence

Dude - I don't know WHERE you're getting your information, regarding onlineauction.com, but you are not even CLOSE!

Straight from OLA:

"SELLER MEMBER - $8/month

A Seller is entitled to bid without limitations, communicate between Buyers & Sellers via a private O-Mail account, use Chat Rooms, and view/post feedback. PLUS - List & sell as many items as you choose with no listing fees or final value fees, offline bulk listing tool, O-Lister. Monthly Membership fee of $8..

CHARTER MEMBER - $96/year

A Charter Member is entitled to bid without limitations, communicate between Buyers & Sellers via a private O-Mail account, use Chat Rooms, and view/post feedback. List & sell as many items as you choose with no listing fees or final value fees, offline bulk listing tool, O-Lister.

Includes auction enhancements valued at $100 at no charge (additional photos, featured auctions, End-It-Early). Buying and Selling Online - a simple how-to CD with step-by-step instructions (As seen on TV). Annual Membership fee of $96.

FOUNDING MEMBER -$196 First Year $96/Year thereafter

Best Value for Sellers
A Founding Member is entitled to bid without limitations, communicate between Buyers & Sellers via a Private O-Mail account, use Chat Rooms, and view/post feedback. List & sell as many items as you choose with no listing fees or final value fees, offline bulk listing tool, O-Lister.

Includes auction enhancements valued at $200 at no charge (additional photos, featured auctions, End-It-Early).
Buying and Selling Online - a simple how-to CD with step-by-step instructions (As seen on TV).
Guaranteed Founding Membership rate for life! $200 Bonus Software Package - computer games, cookbooks, maps, and more (Retail value $200).
Founding Member link easily accessible from OnlineAuction.com's home page. Special icon identifying you as a Founding Member.
OnlineAuction.com Affiliate Sales Kit to recruit new Founding Members & Premier Members. You will be provided a unique promotional code with authorization to sell OnlineAuction.com Memberships"


Even the MINIMAL $8/month, has no listing or final value fees.

I think you seriously misread something

Tehcnically - the $8/mo *IS* $96/year, so if'n you don;t wanna dump $100 at once, then you use the $8/month option. I mean, I have no idea what i can get there, I'm not about to just drop $100.

Now - don't get me wrong.
I'm not just shilling for OLA - I am just trying to set the record straight.
I JUST signed up for an account, so I don't know much yet, and I don't shill for what I don't know.

T

[Druid6900]

Go to my site, Tony, schill for me!!! :)

[Terry Yager]

What kind of fees, limitations or restrictions apply to bidders/buyers? (I ain't got the time or inclination to dig this info up for myself, if someone already knows).

--T

[Sharkonwheels]

Here's link to terms:

http://www.onlineauction.com/index.php?page=help:main&content=get_started

This is just OnlineAuction.com - I think there's a couple 1 or 2 more.
But, as has been mentioned, traffic on vintage gear is reeeeeallllllyyyy sloooooooooow.

As has been discussed, fleaBay has what? 13 year headstart?
it's a chicken-and-egg problem: Sellers won't come in droves, because there's not many buyer, hence they will
get a lower straight-auction price. And buyer won't come in droves, because there's not many sellers with stuff,
and the ones there are, are really not straight-auction because of risk. They have either high starting bids, or are
Buy-It-Now-style listings.

<sigh>


T

[barythrin]

Per the alternative places to sell post, the Vintage Computer Marketplace would be good if it comes back up. I didn't want to comment on it too much since I'm not really in the loop with Sellam's busy schedule however I did hear it may be looking like March before it's up (that's just the last thing I heard from someone else who asked him).

However our thought was certainly with the ebay price hikes he could get more going through his site although it used to be a free thing and he may need to take a percent to make it a profitable effort of his time.

Still, hopefully it will come back either way since vintage things are hard to track down.

- John

[Sharkonwheels]

I would have NO issue using his marketplace.
I've been looking through it for years.

Never actually PURCHASED anything there, but because of circumstances.
(ie, item was already sold, chenged mind, etc...)

Speaking of vintage - I have something for you...
Looking though more boxes, I found another packet with Eliza, and WITH THE TAPES! It has L1 and LII basic tapes, plus the manual. Manual looks like the one I sent you with the M1.

Innerested?

T

[Lydia]

Seems to me that CraigsList is the biggest alternative to eBay, and it's one I'll use now when I want to sell anything. Since eBay changed its feedback policies, I won't touch it. Too many scammer and unreasonable buyers (e.g., people wanting Nordstrom items and service for Dollar Store prices) for me to only be able to leave them + FB.

[jwright]

Thanks for the link..wanna try it whenever I have to sell anything...I too am a e-bay dealer...Whenever I have to buy or sell anything its the place I normally opt for ....Just last month I brought all the conferencing accessories from E bay. :D