I recently listed an all matching numbers 1958 SOFT Plastic 61 light gray WE500. I ran the add for 7 days under (1940-69 Telephones), and it sold for $112.00.
https://tinyurl.com/ydggfnyf
Now I find this phone in the same category NOT SOFT PLASTIC, Dated 1961 and $5.00 MORE for shipping ?
https://tinyurl.com/y8dy8j8a
Can someone look at these two auctions and tell me what I missed. I'm getting tired of selling EVERY phone I sell at a loss. Especially when I see another phone not a as old or desirable go for 33% MORE ? Within days of mine selling.
D/P
Could it be the the other one's lower starting price attracted more interest and therefore more bids?
I started the bidding at $49.99. I wouldn't take a cent less, and it's still, way below what I felt it was worth. The other phone is an ABS hard plastic phone mine is a Soft Plastic, all original 11-1958.
Don't collectors know the difference anymore ?
Maybe you are right, but collectors SHOULD know it's worth more than the other phone, and both listed under the same heading ?
D/P
I learned my lesson, and now I price phones for what I want to get, and I try to sell through Facebook or Etsy since they take a smaller cut.
eBay is an "AUCTION" site. Items go for what a given bidder is willing to pay at any given moment.
I have been selling on eBay since 1997, and have seen and tried just about every format there is, and I have to say, you got a good price at $112.00. Being disappointed at that seems rather unwarranted to say the least. The price at which something sells is TOTALLY emotional, meaning the "relative humidity" can even effect the final price at any given moment! The 1 single negative I can immediately see in your auction is the lack of a open-center finger wheel; that is BIG for a soft-plastic set; they ALL had it, and that is the #1 thing that all collectors look at first.
If I could mention -4- major factors that will really help you get a better price on your AUCTIONS, they are this:
1. HIGH-QUALITY PHOTOS (and lots of them)
2. HAVE YOUR AUCTION BE 5-DAY, AND START ON TUESDAY (that way, the guy that really wants it, can get the final bid in on the weekend, sitting in his underwear in front of the computer!)
3. HAVE A LOW STARTING BID (honest, it works!)
4. ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION WHEN IT STARTS ON THE VARIOUS LISTSERVES (It really helps to bring your stuff to their attention)
Dan....eBay is is fickle! I gave up asking why something I had, that in my opinion was a nicer phone went for less than a lesser phone went for.
Why is this 64 WE 554 going for $200 with a day to go? Sometimes you bite the bear....sometimes the bear bites you 8)
Go play your Blues Guitar, you done good!....Doug
https://tinyurl.com/ybcemg2m
Quote from: Doug Rose on April 09, 2018, 08:14:30 PM
Dan....eBay is is fickle! I gave up asking why something I had, that in my opinion was a nicer phone went for less than a lesser phone went for.
Why is this 64 WE 554 going for $200 with a day to go? Sometimes you bite the bear....sometimes the bear bites you 8)
Go play your Blues Guitar, you done good!....Doug
https://tinyurl.com/ybcemg2m
Ha! Funny you picked this very auction Doug! The collector that put this up on eBay (his very FIRST eBay auction) is a friend, and he called me and asked if something was wrong, or if something "bad" was going on because he was astounded at what it had gone up to! I basically told him what you just said, and congratulated him on the success of his first auction!
Ray...it is a small world. It will go higher....Doug
Dan - I agree with the others here... you can never tell. Pricing an item to start at your no-regrets minimum is a good practice, but may decrease the early emotional bidding... Some things can tilt the odds in your favor as a seller - ending the auction on a Sunday afternoon, be sure your pics look sharp, etc., but you know that already. The biggest factor is having at least two bidders who really want your item - and that is the big wildcard. The red 554 is in that category.
The thing that really gets to me, is the other auction was in the same category, and NONE of the bidders on the other phone saw mine ? I think there was a one day overlap. You would think the second bidder on theother phone would have figured out and bid on my phoine.
I get it, eBay is getting ridiculaous as far as fees etc. So I guess it's timew to move on.
One thing for sure, IF I ever decide to sell the 48-500 You can bet your butt, all my losses are going to be made up on that phone.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 09, 2018, 09:08:26 PM
The thing that really gets to me, is the other auction was in the same category, and NONE of the bidders on the other phone saw mine ? I think there was a one day overlap. You would think the second bidder on theother phone would have figured out and bid on my phoine.
I get it, eBay is getting ridiculaous as far as fees etc. So I guess it's timew to move on.
One thing for sure, IF I ever decide to sell the 48-500 You can bet your butt, all my losses are going to be made up on that phone.
D/P
Dan;
I have even had ANGRY collectors/phone sellers email me, and accuse me of soliciting "shill bidders" to bid up my auctions because they had sold something very similar and not get even close to what my auction went for. Of course, I have been on the other end of that scenario too!
Just like my ex-wife used to say: "No expectations, no disappointments"!
EBay is still a good marketplace. Hard to beat it for size of audience viewing your items, and super efficient time-wise for buyers (me included). Yes you pay 10% seller fees + 3% PayPal fees, but that's still reasonable for most sellers in exchange for the market size and relative ease of selling. Far from perfect, but a great tool in may ways. EBay is working on replacing PayPal with another lower-cost service, and they do offer promos to reduce fees or increase EBay Bucks which can reduce costs if you time things right. I have my issues with EBay too, but I would not be collecting phones if EBay (or similar) didn't exist.... 😎
Quote from: RotarDad on April 09, 2018, 10:39:06 PM
EBay is still a good marketplace. Hard to beat it for size of audience viewing your items, and super efficient time-wise for buyers (me included). Yes you pay 10% seller fees + 3% PayPal fees, but that's still reasonable for most sellers in exchange for the market size and relative ease of selling. Far from perfect, but a great tool in may ways. EBay is working on replacing PayPal with another lower-cost service, and they do offer promos to reduce fees or increase EBay Bucks which can reduce costs if you time things right. I have my issues with EBay too, but I would not be collecting phones if EBay (or similar) didn't exist.... 😎
I agree; totally.
There is NO better place to get the most "eyes" on your product that you are selling (virtually worldwide if you will ship), and without a doubt, the best prices on items that you sell. eBay even provides VERY generous discounts on USPS shipping charges on the items you sell. Try paying $150/mo for a small booth in an antique mall and sell at what you can get on eBay. You might get 100 people a week that see your phones.
Etsy can't match it, Amazon can't match it, and certainly not Craigslist; no other site will give you the exposure or consistency of eBay.
Quote from: Doug Rose on April 09, 2018, 08:14:30 PM
Why is this 64 WE 554 going for $200 with a day to go?
https://tinyurl.com/ybcemg2m
Regular Member PostWatching this discussion, a lot of good points were made about selling on eBay and how prices may end up.
Going a bit further off topic from the grey phones. as for the $201 (current price with 5 hours to go), I find it interesting that the seller claims it is a WE 554 when the hard to read emblem on the front seems to read Northern Electric, which would then match the modular back plate. But what do I know. The seller's photo of the housing front is not good enough to say for certain if it really is a WE or indeed, a Northern. Others may see and say this really is a WE emblem, I can't tell one way or anther with 100% certainty. Could be either.
Having watched a lot of phones related to the auction contests, it is a real fact that red rotary phones sell for a premium. $201 for this 554? Seems high especially since no inside images were provided.
There is another red listed as a "WE 554" on eBay right now listed with a BIN price of $79.99 with free shipping. This phone has not been cleaned up, restored, as the $201 phone seems to have been. The emblem is very clear, it is Northern Electric, not Western Electric which for that time period might say Bell System with 3 lines of text. In its condition, even with free shipping, $79.99 seems high for a NT red phone.
Why is one bid up to $201 and the BIN at $79.99 still sitting there? It might just be the condition, the color and the photos for the $201 listing.
I may be wrong, is the $201 phone really a WE 554 with a NT modular back plate? Someone may have better eyes than I have and can clear this up.
Quote from: TelePlay on April 10, 2018, 12:56:25 PM
Regular Member Post
There is another red listed as a "WE 554" on eBay right now listed with a BIN price of $79.99 with free shipping. This phone has not been cleaned up, restored, as the $201 phone seems to have been. The emblem is very clear, it is Northern Electric, not Western Electric which for that time period might say Bell System with 3 lines of text.
Stromberg-Carlson housing in the highlighted photo. However, that isn't the $79.99 phone being sold by danielz3735
The $201 red 554 looks like Stromberg-Carlson plastics to me too, at least the housing. I have an SC 554 in light beige in my garage with a logo very similar to that. I downloaded the pic to my hard drive and enlarged and tweaked it and I'm 99% sure that says Stromberg-Carlson on the first line and Made in USA on the second.
The chassis is WE. So the buyer will probably have a little remorse. That is a seriously high price for such a common phone, and this one isn't original to 1964 at all. It's atypical from the average eBay red 554 auction.
One other thing nobody has mentioned--the light gray 1961 500 set went to the JKL Museum. They seem to have a high budget for getting what they want, but I can't figure out why they wanted that phone so badly. When two bidders with high budgets bid, you get endings like that, which is above market value.
Agreed Jonathan....it is a SC Made in USA for the $201 Red 554.....Doug
Quote from: jsowers on April 10, 2018, 01:30:21 PM
The $201 red 554 looks like Stromberg-Carlson plastics to me too, at least the housing. I have an SC 554 in light beige in my garage with a logo very similar to that. I downloaded the pic to my hard drive and enlarged and tweaked it and I'm 99% sure that says Stromberg-Carlson on the first line and Made in USA on the second.
The chassis is WE. So the buyer will probably have a little remorse. That is a seriously high price for such a common phone, and this one isn't original to 1964 at all. It's atypical from the average eBay red 554 auction.
One other thing nobody has mentioned--the light gray 1961 500 set went to the JKL Museum. They seem to have a high budget for getting what they want, but I can't figure out why they wanted that phone so badly. When two bidders with high budgets bid, you get endings like that, which is above market value.
The "market value" is just that; $201 for a WE-chassis, SC plastic RED 554! Remember, people all-over-the-world look and buy on eBay; not just collectors. If it looks good, and works, and is guaranteed, it's SOLD!
I doubt if the buyer will be feeling anything but GLEE because it most probably is a non-collector who is "over the moon" at snagging a SUPER-NICE LOOKING (in their eyes) RED "Kitchen Phone". Probably what they remember from when they were growing up. The seller is a good friend, so I will ask him for particulars so we can see if our suppositions are correct or off the mark.
Quote from: kleenax on April 10, 2018, 05:52:20 PM
The "market value" is just that; $201 for a WE-chassis, SC plastic RED 554! Remember, people all-over-the-world look and buy on eBay; not just collectors. If it looks good, and works, and is guaranteed, it's SOLD!
I doubt if the buyer will be feeling anything but GLEE because it most probably is a non-collector who is "over the moon" at snagging a SUPER-NICE LOOKING (in their eyes) RED "Kitchen Phone". Probably what they remember from when they were growing up. The seller is a good friend, so I will ask him for particulars so we can see if our suppositions are correct or off the mark.
That is by nature the definition of an auction. Something is only worth what people at that particular time are willing to pay for it. Just look at the value of commodities on the stock market, they change by the second.
As an example of the variability of ebay auction prices, last year I sold two lenses for a rare collectable camera. Due to non-paying buyers, I had to relist the auctions, one three times and one twice.
The one that I listed three times sold for $224.50, $146.05, and finally $200.55.
The one I listed twice sold for $526.00 and $710.55.
These were relisted auctions, so they had the exact same photos and descriptions. They were listed a few months apart. Items like these lenses, as well as certain collectable phones are worth a lot of money, but only to a very small group of collectors. If the auction happens to be going on when two collectors decide they really want something, the price will certainly go up. But it is not like selling an iPhone on ebay that many thousands of people will be seeking out all the time.
i agree with ray when emotions get involved i find my self for reasons unknown fighting it out for something i hardly want paying big prices when i know better, all because the taxi driver took me the long way home.. really it sometimes is like that.... and as someone pointed out two people who want it... any auction may be deemed as a gamble.
One good reason for the ABS phone selling for more is that it was sold by someone who has sold several valuable phones. Only a few of those need to be immaculate and extremely valuable in order for potential buyers to closely watch that seller's items.
This same seller sold a Mahogany Brown 500 for $510:
www.ebay.com/itm/253409931531
...and a Rose Beige 554 with a matching backboard for $697:
www.ebay.com/itm/253409931531
...along with eight other phones of different varieties, including NOS 10 button units, a NOS 2554, and a NOS 701B. With the exception of a Kellogg Banjo (listed before the expensive phone showed up), not one has sold for under $100.
In short, some of his phones are a little over-hyped, simply due to those more expensive phones listed by the same seller. If that same phone were sold by a different seller using different (but not worse) pictures, it probably would have sold around $100.
Ma Bell always says eBay's like a box a chocolates, you never know what your gonna get!
Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 09, 2018, 04:44:28 PM
I started the bidding at $49.99. I wouldn't take a cent less, and it's still, way below what I felt it was worth. The other phone is an ABS hard plastic phone mine is a Soft Plastic, all original 11-1958.
Don't collectors know the difference anymore ?
Maybe you are right, but collectors SHOULD know it's worth more than the other phone, and both listed under the same heading ?
D/P
Dan - I am the one who bought your phone and yes, I was very happy (and surprised) to get it at that price.
If it makes you feel any better, it almost completes my collection of colored soft plastic 500 phones - I only need WHITE to have all of them - I do have a white 500 all dated 11-58 except it is ABS hard plastic.
Bruce;
Congratulations on your win. You got a darn nice phone for a bargain price. If I would have known the final price I would have kept it. It arrived safe I assume ?
What bothers me, is that something like a dozen watchers let it go for that price. I would have bought it, just to turn around and try to make a profit off of it.
Then to see a much less phone go for $40.00 more is just disheartening.
Lesson learned, next time I'll just spray a coat of F-21 on the phone and give it a fake new look.
Sometimes being honest sucks.
D/P
I understand your frustrations, Dan
I have bad luck when it comes to phones - and getting top dollar. It has all to do with the sellers reputation, and the clientele they've built over the years. Reputation on eBay is crucial, otherwise phone collectors think your just a person looking to make a quick buck - instead of a very knowledgeable telephone collector, who know's what they've got...
I've listed several high value phones before, and got a decent price, but the watchers would spread like cockroaches once it got near value price....The majority of eBay users are trying to find a killer deal - to make some profit on. I've had excellent luck finding phones on eBay and reselling them on eBay!!!! It's amazing!
There was a case not long ago - a blue AE 50 that went for like 1300?? Someone scooped one up on eBay for something around 300??? it was only listed for mere minutes before being scooped....It happens all the time
The only difference I could see was the lower starting price. That may have attracted more people to the auction where the dynamics got the bids going. Or Ebay is truly fickle. :D
Quote from: 19and41 on April 11, 2018, 01:30:42 PM
The only difference I could see was the lower starting price. That may have attracted more people to the auction where the dynamics got the bids going. Or Ebay is truly fickle. :D
Usually...People like me are scanning at a very fast rate for prices - not pictures...If the price is low enough, I'll look at the picture. Name of the game
Quote from: Partyline4 on April 11, 2018, 01:08:16 PM
I understand your frustrations, Dan
I have bad luck when it comes to phones - and getting top dollar. It has all to do with the sellers reputation, and the clientele they've built over the years. Reputation on eBay is crucial, otherwise phone collectors think your just a person looking to make a quick buck - instead of a very knowledgeable telephone collector, who know's what they've got...
I've listed several high value phones before, and got a decent price, but the watchers would spread like cockroaches once it got near value price....The majority of eBay users are trying to find a killer deal - to make some profit on. I've had excellent luck finding phones on eBay and reselling them on eBay!!!! It's amazing!
There was a case not long ago - a blue AE 50 that went for like 1300?? Someone scooped one up on eBay for something around 300??? it was only listed for mere minutes before being scooped....It happens all the time
Reputation ?
I have 1892 all 100% Positive Feedback, I've been a seller on eBay since 1998.
The other seller has less than half the positive feedback I have.
D/P
Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 11, 2018, 03:06:31 PM
Reputation ?
I have 1892 all 100% Positive Feedback, I've been a seller on eBay since 1998.
The other seller has less than half the positive feedback I have.
D/P
Doesn't matter - When he got started, your inventory could have been weak, while his was strong. He could have very well just got lucky, or it could have been a a set up operation to speculate prices?? With all the buzz it gets on the forums, and who knows how many collectors groups - he could have a mystique to his page. It's like my eBay - I sell a lot of various Ju- I mean merchandise...So people arn't going to believe initially that I am a phone man... I asked an eBay community question one time about a similar issue - and all replies said that the users would feel comfortable paying MORE for a
phone ITEM offered by a seller that sold NOTHING BUT that particular item - That's where a reputation comes in.
I forgot one thing I always do also, I use the search reorder by price, low to high That would've put his at the front of the list.