Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: TelePlay on December 07, 2017, 02:44:49 PM

Title: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: TelePlay on December 07, 2017, 02:44:49 PM
Along the same line of listings as the questionable Gray Payphone,

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19364.0

this was just listed.

     https://www.ebay.com/itm/332475726787

Never mind the "crank" is decorational only, or the bell is non-functional, or the receiver is disconnected as is the transmitter, the person who gutted this phone to make it "modern" did it a lot easier than the way the Gray-Bell that started this topic was converted.

Simply hang a Trimline inside and put a piano hinge on the door to keep the door pivot perfect for a long time to come.

One bid at $0.99 but the "Reserve not met", which is less than the BIN of $135.00 (plus about $100 shipping). It's a newer eBay seller so it all due to lack of knowledge of what they have and what it's worth. Unfortunately, the parts alone are not worth the shipping.

Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: HarrySmith on December 07, 2017, 03:33:35 PM
In the description she states "modern phone not included"?? Supply your own Trimline!
Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: TelePlay on December 07, 2017, 03:51:38 PM
Quote from: HarrySmith on December 07, 2017, 03:33:35 PM
In the description she states "modern phone not included"?? Supply your own Trimline!

Missed that, which as such makes her certifiable . . .  ;)  ( and she set a reserve price )   (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6020.0;attach=162426)
Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: shortrackskater on December 08, 2017, 12:16:41 PM
Well "my" seller ended her listing - she had bids up to $100 I think.  I had sent her that last message stating that an inexperienced phone collector might have bid and won, then received the phone, and found out it wasn't quite what it was advertised to be, and then leave her negative feedback!
She did reply and told me she was new, in school, etc.
I replied again and just told her how to list the phone, with the correct wording stating it's a basically an old phone box with newer phone parts above and some old below. I also gave her some unsolicited advise on packing the thing, so the "pokey" parts stay IN the box and not break.
Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: TelePlay on December 10, 2017, 10:51:28 AM
Quote from: TelePlay on December 07, 2017, 03:51:38 PM
Missed that, which as such makes her certifiable . . .  ;)  ( and she set a reserve price )   (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6020.0;attach=162426)

Well, I'm at a loss here. The reserve has been met, it has 5 bids from 4 buyers, the $135 BIN is gone due to active bidding and the last or highest bid is now $100.00 (plus $99 shipping) and the "modern" phone is still not included.

Is that refinished shell worth $200? Someone wants a decoration of days gone buy, I guess . . .  or maybe their really is a Santa Claus.
Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: poplar1 on December 10, 2017, 04:05:40 PM
Quote from: TelePlay on December 10, 2017, 10:51:28 AM
The reserve has been met, it has 5 bids from 4 buyers, the $135 BIN is gone due to active bidding and the last or highest bid is now $100.00.

BIN disappears after the *first* bid only if there is no reserve.
However, if there is a reserve, the BIN option remains until reserve is met, even if there are active bids.

Notice that the last 2 bids are from the same bidder, s***s. His first bid did not meet reserve, so then current price should have gone up only by the standard increment ($51.00). He then bid again -- this time for $100 or more -- and this bid met the $100 reserve. Since he now met the  $100 reserve,  this showed his maximum $76.20 first bid as an "automatic bid" since it was now obsolete.)



Bidder

Bid Amount

Bid Time

s***s(130)

$100.00

8 Dec 2017 at 6:26:06PM PST

s***s(130)

$76.20

8 Dec 2017 at 6:25:21PM PST

o***b(0)

$50.00

8 Dec 2017 at 1:30:27PM PST

m***l(316)

$35.50

7 Dec 2017 at 5:47:26PM PST

g***0(0)

$5.00

7 Dec 2017 at 11:12:37AM PST

Starting Price

$0.99

5 Dec 2017 at 4:17:04PM PST

Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: poplar1 on December 10, 2017, 04:15:00 PM
Clicking on the "show automatic bids":

s***s(130)

$100.00

8 Dec 2017 at 6:26:06PM PST

s***s(130)

$76.20

8 Dec 2017 at 6:25:21PM PST
This is an automatic bid (proxy bid) placed by eBay on behalf of the bidder.
s***s(130)

$51.00

8 Dec 2017 at 6:25:21PM PST

o***b(0)

$50.00

8 Dec 2017 at 1:30:27PM PST
Title: Re: Mostly Empty Refinished Wood Phone (Shell) selling for big bucks
Post by: TelePlay on December 10, 2017, 05:03:44 PM
Quote from: poplar1 on December 10, 2017, 04:05:40 PM
BIN disappears after the *first* bid only if there is no reserve.
However, if there is a reserve, the BIN option remains until reserve is met, even if there are active bids.

Notice that the last 2 bids are from the same bidder, s***s. His first bid did not meet reserve, so then current price should have gone up only by the standard increment ($51.00). He then bid again -- this time for $100 or more -- and this bid met the $100 reserve. Since he now met the  $100 reserve,  this showed his maximum $76.20 first bid as an "automatic bid" since it was now obsolete.)

Yes, that is correct. The reserve was exposed at $100 with a huge bid increase.

As for the last 2 bids being from the same buyer, I see that in auction contests. If the item is run up during the week, the higher bidder within a few hours of the auction ending will place another, higher, bid and it shows up as a double bid. The strategy seems to be an intimidation gambit toward other bidders saying something like  "I really want this phone so I bid a lot higher than shows with a second bid increasing what I am willing to pay for the phone." The intent is to discourage others who may want the phone from even bidding knowing it would take more than they are willing to even try bidding to win the phone.

It's an alternative to the last second snipe strategy. In fact, when I've seen the double down bid used, snipes very seldom show up and if they do, they don't win (most of the time).

So, the two I want to win the phone strategies are 1) don't bid until the last second and then go in high and hope the bid is the highest of all snipers; and 2) bid it up over the week, be the high bidder on the last day and then double down on the last bid in hopes it will scare all other possible buyers away from placing even one last second bid.

But the question still remains, is this shell worth $198.00 shipped? What's the attraction, the finish, the parts, both?