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Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

Walt

One of the Regulars
Messages
269
Location
Idaho
I wonder if these high paid BIN sales are that way because of the assumption at auction they would go higher so some buyers accept that is the only way they can get something--seems hard to imagine that in this case though. Sometimes just too hard to believe some things are worth as much as they are willing to pay. Or maybe some people just have lots of extra money to spend so price is no object.

Unfortunately for us buyers auctions tend to drive prices higher assuming two or more bidders who want something bad enough show up. Appraisers on the Antiques Roadshow often quote retail vs auction price to make that point. Irrationality happens in bidding for some people.

I suspect the auction prices wouldn't go as high in many cases if the auction end was extended for bids made in the last minute effectively ending snipe bidding which can also help drive the prices up. It certainly would be interesting to survey enough buyers to find out. "Did you bid high to avoid losing by $1 but hoping that no one would bid near that high and since with only seconds left at the end and not enough time to bid higher surely no one else would bid as high?" Flawed logic but I bet it happens!

Since ebay is really the only way to get a good price for some things, sell quickly and increase the odds that enough buyers will see it I fear they will continue to raise their fees at will.

Many (most?) of the sellers are not dealers in the traditional sense (though of course there are those) but are simply people who are frequenting thrift shops, yard sales, estate sales and auctions looking for stuff to flip on ebay. The word has gotten out and for many this economy stinks and so everyone is looking for more ways to make money.... Now everyone has a smart phone at those places and is trying to figure out what they are looking at and if they can sell it for a high profit.
 
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splintercellsz

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,140
Location
Somewhere in Time

Landman

One Too Many
Messages
1,751
Location
San Antonio, TX
Justin and Alan,

Thanks for your comments. Even though the manufacturing tag is not very visible it look older to me and I just couldn't imagine it being a wool hat. Did Stetson even make wool hats back then?
 
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jskeen

One of the Regulars
Messages
120
Location
Houston
I doubt very seriously it's wool, and the style and tag would be odd for anything newer than early 60's, imho. Gotta love that some sellers think that "100% wool" is a positive selling point for hats though. I wonder what would have happened to it to cause the sweat to completely disintegrate though. Pics are too bad to tell for sure, but looks like a few pieces are left in there, so I would not think somebody removed it for some reason. Makes me a little nervous about the condition of the felt, but probably worth a little risk. "great shape except for the leather missing. That's kind of like a car that "runs fine, but transmission is gone""
 

Joao Encarnado

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,776
Location
Portugal
I suspect the auction prices wouldn't go as high in many cases if the auction end was extended for bids made in the last minute effectively ending snipe bidding which can also help drive the prices up. It certainly would be interesting to survey enough buyers to find out. "Did you bid high to avoid losing by $1 but hoping that no one would bid near that high and since with only seconds left at the end and not enough time to bid higher surely no one else would bid as high?"

There was a portuguese auctions website that had that system. It even got affiliated with ebay.com. It died.
 
Messages
15,069
Location
Buffalo, NY
Justin and Alan,

Thanks for your comments. Even though the manufacturing tag is not very visible it look older to me and I just couldn't imagine it being a wool hat. Did Stetson even make wool hats back then?

Don't worry... it won't be wool. Just needs one of your nice sweatbands. :)
 

CaramelSmoothie

Practically Family
Messages
892
Location
With my Hats
Use Etsy, I feel it's more of a community people are more honest and fees are lower I've put 90% of my stock on etsy and I can sell it at lower prices but make the same money, which works our better for the customer, eBay really irritated me with the charging commission on p&p it felt unjust.

Have you also tried Bonanza?
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Thanks! I might make another attempt at installing one :)

Ha, I saw that hat 30 minutes before end and tipped John Galt, but he was out, till after the auction had ended. I'm happy to see, you got it instead, Mike ;)

Had it been closer to 7 1/4, I would have gone for it myself. A nice hat, and nowhere close to wool ... "a weal wabbit", for sure. Congrats
 

Landman

One Too Many
Messages
1,751
Location
San Antonio, TX
Ha, I saw that hat 30 minutes before end and tipped John Galt, but he was out, till after the auction had ended. I'm happy to see, you got it instead, Mike ;)

Had it been closer to 7 1/4, I would have gone for it myself. A nice hat, and nowhere close to wool ... "a weal wabbit", for sure. Congrats

Thanks Ole. I just put a low bid in without asking the Seller any questions. It was driving me crazy...I just wanted to take a closer look at it!
 

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