Prices on eBay Lately

Unless it’s tooling that I need quickly, I do my research based on price and how close it is. But it pays to be a casual shopper and as bad as the net can be it’s an amazing tool. I do have dealers that I’ve dealt with that I usually check first, most times unless they are out of stock I usually give them my biz as I want them to stick around. It has been valuable to me to see behind the scenes through HM members who sell on eBay how tough it can be. Most of my dealers have been responsive and good to deal with. But not being a haggler I’m not trying all the time to squeeze them for the last penny. If it’s fair and fair shipping I’m happy. And I have thanked those that have consolidated shipping and given me a refund. But I know there are bastards full of bastard filling out there and super grateful I don’t have to deal with them.

It is always timely when a post like this that a trend seems to be forming. I was in the local Michael’s because SWMBO needed a thimble. Rite Aid, nor the hardware store carried them or even little emergency kits. Michael’s had this rack with hooks for 15-20 but there was only two thimbles on them. Neither were the all metal thimble I was used to. one leather stitched “coin thimble” and the other was silicone and metal. Paid $25 for the two. Tried not to dwell too much on paying like a buck for one in the bygone old days. But I asked a clerk what’s the deal, she said it’s the trade war with China. They can’t hardly order them. Maybe time to fire up the long still metal presses if they have not been scrapped?
 
Er... coudn't you have made a thimble in the time it took to check all those stores? :)

That is a pretty ridiculous thing for an industrialized nation to be short of, though.
 
ThinWoodsman said:
Er... coudn't you have made a thimble in the time it took to check all those stores? :)
Click to expand...
LOL, good question. Never made one before. I used to do leather work and I couldn’t have sewn up one like the coin thimble. The other silicone one turned out to be very handy because the silicone really gripped the needle when poked through so made hand stitching my leather apron easy.
 
ThinWoodsman said:
Er... coudn't you have made a thimble in the time it took to check all those stores? :)

That is a pretty ridiculous thing for an industrialized nation to be short of, though.
Click to expand...
We're not so industrialized as we once were. Back in the 1970's we as consumers found that imported goods were often less expensive than those made in the US. As a result we started on an import binge. By the 80's and into the 90's we found even the larger capitol goods like refrigerators, ranges, washers, and dryers were less expensive if built overseas and imported. As a result of this of manufacturing in the US has declined. We lost over 5,000,000 jobs and nearly 20,000 manufacturing companies between 1980 and 2020. We once produced over 28% of the worlds consumer goods, but have fallen to 16.5% in recent years.

While a number of things are still made in this country most of the less expensive items are made overseas. The cheap $1.00 thimble is an example. With the lower labor rates and minimal labor and environmental regulations in other countries we can't compete in those arenas.
 
projectnut said:
While a number of things are still made in this country most of the less expensive items are made overseas. The cheap $1.00 thimble is an example. With the lower labor rates and minimal labor and environmental regulations in other countries we can't compete in those arenas.
Click to expand...

All true. If it were just a question if cheap stuff like thimbles the impact would be small, but this also applies to
expensive stuff with good profit margins: Apple has huge margins but they build their stuff in China anyway.
A fundamental problem is that American business culture discourages investing for the long term. Everyone wants
quick and easy profits because that's what the stock market demands.
 
projectnut said:
Before I purchase anything, be it online or in a brick and mortar store I research the quality and price. In the case of machines and tooling I check with local industrial suppliers, online retailers, and local surplus stores. In most cases the surplus stores are asking in the neighborhood of 50% of new.
The caveats being:
You already know the item is used, and therefore will probably not last as long as a new item under the same working conditions.
There are likely to be cosmetic problems
There will be no support in the form of replacement parts
In almost all cases items are purchased in "as is" condition

It's up to the buyer to determine whether a used tool or tooling will meet their requirements. If it does then they have to also have to decide whether the difference in the asking price is worth taking the chance. Are you willing to pay full retail for a known tool, of known quality, from a known vendor, or would you rather take a chance on a used tool of unknown quality from an unknown vendor for a fraction of the price of a new one?

I have no doubt that eBay is hard to deal with, however what passes as a "fair" price in one area of the country doesn't necessarily pass as the same thing in another area. With the wide variation in availability of machine tools and tooling across the country there are bound to be differences in the interpretation of what constitutes a "fair" price. Here in the Midwest tools and tooling are still somewhat plentiful. As such the prices are somewhat lower than those in areas where they are more scarce. The average asking price for a used Bridgeport style mill is in the $2,500.00 range from most used equipment dealers. A 13" name brand lathe is in the same general price range. On the other hand I see asking prices of over $7,000.00 for for the same equipment from other areas of the country. When I see prices like that I have to ask myself, does the seller have an emotional attachment to the machine, have they done their research as to what the machine is actually worth, are the prices actually that high in the sellers area, or did they just pay to much?

When you're dealing with a sales model that spans the country you have to realize not everyone is willing to pay the same price for the same tool or piece of equipment. What passes as a "fair" price in one area looks to be outrageous and bordering on criminal in another.
Click to expand...

What you are buying plays into this as well. I like old books, but unless they are truly a "collectible" like a 1st edition Necronomicon :) there are no price guides for most so I think most sellers take a guess. This is why we see things like used machinery books for $10 and $150 for the same book, the seller is just guessing. The first seller just wants to move it (probably paid $1 ea for batch of 100 books), the second seller is clearing out grandpas garage and thinks hey the book is 50 years old, it must be collectable so worth some money.
 
I went back and found the packages the thimbles came in and both were made in Japan! No wonder they were so nice but expensive. I can’t remember the last time I saw something made in Japan. There is an amazing YouTube series on Japan with I don’t know how many episodes and one of them is about the small shops manufacturing all kinds of products. One is these little 80yrd men metal spinning plates and cups and bowls. All in these little cramped ancient shops with owners and their kids and apprentices all just punching out stuff. There was another where they were modern buildings where the ground floors were all manufacturing shops with apartments on the upper floors. ive always dreamed of finding a warehouse I could work and live in for my cottage industry and the other day I saw a thing on CL in Bremerton WA what they called condo warehouses. It was not clear if they were zoned residential industrial and the whole thing was just a shell.

But if you read any history we have gone through these cycles many times where we left ourselves dependent on other countries and it came back to bite us big time. One of the more infamous was when they scrapped the Chicago L train and sold all the steel to Japan only to have them turn around and build their war machine of WWII with it. Now the outsourcing wave is coming back home but this time it will be ALL automated with even more job loss. There are niches to be filled by us cottage industry guys just gotta be flexible and smart. Making thimbles for $14 a pop might not be as stupid as it used to sound.
 
C-Bag said:
ive always dreamed of finding a warehouse I could work and live in for my cottage industry and the other day I saw a thing on CL in Bremerton WA what they called condo warehouses. It was not clear if they were zoned residential industrial and the whole thing was just a shell.
Click to expand...

I worked as a lifeguard one summer and the park manager, lived in an old warehouse.
That was a long time ago, but I bet it was at least 50x100, and probably bigger. It was at least 20 feet high at the walls, with a peaked roof.
He had an indoor parking area by the large roll up door, and had his living area set up in one of the corners at the far end. Older single guy (big surprise, as he lived in a warehouse :) ) so that was basically just a "living room", and a kitchen at the ground level, his bedroom was a loft above the kitchen.

The rest of the place was for his hobbies. I know he thought of himself as an artist of some sort. I didn't know him very well, as he was "the boss", not my direct supervisor so I only dealt with him a few times when at work. At the end of the summer he invited all the park employees to a party at his house, so it wasn't the kind of thing where I could explore and see what kinds of stuff he had in there.

That was a thing in Oakland in the 1990s, lots of empty industrial buildings were being sold relatively cheap and used for "artist's lofts". I thought it was a pretty neat idea, lots of room to live in and lots of room to play. The downside most were in pretty crummy areas, so the inside parking was a definite must. A few guard dogs roaming inside would also probably be prudent.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top