From: m35products (m35prod@optonline.net)
Date: Wed Apr 14 2004 - 07:44:36 PDT
Aaron:
A businessman asking three times (in your opinion) what something is worth
is not necessarily attempting to screw anyone. Do you know what he paid for
it? Perhaps he's just made a mistake and is trying to recoup his expense. (I
don't know who he his, and don't care to know.)
If someone buys it at the reserve price, and is happy, what's your beef? If
no-one buys it, maybe the seller will relist it at a lower price. You, the
potential buyer, have no say in the matter, other than to bid, or not.
You bought a better one for $500. Very good! Do you feel that you screwed
the seller, that time, or were you just lucky to find a seller who hadn't
done his homework?
This is still a free market country. I am constantly amazed at prices (both
low and high) and, indeed, the whole concept, of Ebay. What amazes me even
more are the constant comments from people who just don't seem to understand
the concept. It's an auction. It's caveat emptor. It's capitalism. Sit back,
relax, and enjoy the show.
Warmest Regards,
A P Bloom, Capitalist.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Horrocks, Aaron" <ACHb@pge.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 6:48 PM
Subject: [MV] M38A1 Parts Jeep on Ebay
> Another Ebay Auction...
>
> This one gets interesting! So, I find a half-decent parts jeep on e-bay. I
take a good look at it, check out the logistics, what parts are there, and
it looks like a decent source for a few of the parts I need. Even though
every part on this jeep is going to require some major work and investment
to use it on another; hey it's a parts jeep!
>
> So I ask the seller a few questions, and then I place a bid. This '54
M38A1 has a frame, 2 axles (front is incomplete), 3 rims & flats, a front
grill, a body w/windshield, and an artic kit (without glass or doors) That's
it - nothing more. Everything looks in rough shape. No engine, tranny,
seats, fuel tank, any glass, fenders, hood, running gear, not even steering!
>
> After I bid 5 times, I start to wonder how much the reserve is set at. I
got the feeling it was at $400~$500, which is a bit steep for a NO-TITLE
parts jeep that doesn't really have that many parts anyhow. I was blown away
when I found out that the reserve was set at $1,500! That's not a typo: One
Thousand, Five Hundred! Holy Crap! I bought my jeep with a title, in FAR FAR
better condition with almost all the parts there (no engine though) for
$500!
>
> At first I thought that he might be someone who doesn't know what he has
and simply put way too high of a price tag on it. That's not the case. This
guy has a business, and an military surplus site. He claimed that the artic
top kit on this jeep was worth $500 alone, which it's certainly not when
it's beat up and missing glass and doors like this one. I'm the only one to
has bid so far, and I hope no one is foolish enough to pay his asking price
because he's not trying to sell a parts jeep to someone that needs one at a
decent price or even anywhere *near* market value, he's trying to screw a
person over by asking for three times the market price! You couldn't even
break that down into parts and sell those parts to get your money back.
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2472523654&category=6737
>
>
> If he sells that thing for $1,500... My pity really goes out to the buyer!
>
> Aaron Horrocks
> 1952 M38A1
>
>
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