[meteorite-list] Re: eBay Likes and Dislikes

From: Mark Miconi <mam602_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:21:04 2004
Message-ID: <003901c34a67$714c0440$d7e16a44_at_ph.cox.net>

Steve,
You said:
> I e-mailed the seller to find out if they would
>take it off auction so that we could work out a
>"reasonable" deal.

>I only bought-bid via E-bay (which I hate), because
>they wanted their "auction" to progress to conclusion.

What you did by emailing a seller and asking to buy off of ebay is against
the very user agreement you accepted. Most sellers will not comply with a
request like this as it could mean permanent suspension.

I do not know what your reason is to hate ebay and do not have the time to
go through the archives to find out.

Ebay is unique, it is supply and demand free market capitalism at its best,
with a very healthy dose of buyer beware for good measure. My wife and I
sell alot of items on Ebay...if it weren't for ebay we might not still have
our home. When the dot-com bubble burst and the economy went south I was
laid off. The IT/Computer industry in Arizona went south with it. My old job
now has 2 or 3 other jobs lumped into its description and no company
offering the postition is paying anywhere near what I used to make for the
original job, let alone the extra responsibilities.

Ebay has its drawbacks and yes you can get fleeced if you are stupid.
However I have never had more fun at working in my life except when I was a
professional gunsmith. I have never worked harder either.

With Circle K, 7/11, Walmart, Kmart, Dominos, Subway, Midas, and all the
other chains out there tell me where can an American these days start there
own business? With Mall space leasing at $1000.00 of dollars per SqFt, Strip
Malls, Chain Stores, mini-marts and million dollar franchises the country
has gone to the big money.

Most people think about starting their own business sometime in their
lives....gone are those days unless you have saved enough to buy a franchise
or subscribe to the "No Money Down" way of buying real estate.

I lost my job in the worst possible climate for doing so in this country....

I did not take government handouts, no welfare, no food stamps...instead I
followed my immigrant heritage and have persued the American dream

My wife and I took a bad situation, pooled our knowledge of computers,
shopping, antiques and collectibles and added lots of hard ass work, sweat
and on a couple of occasions a little blood and turned it into Desert
Crystals Emporium. No Brick and Mortar, no lease for a mall space, no boss
thinking about the cutting my wages, no long meetings where my upgrade
proposal gets strangeled into a comprimise that will never work...no one
thinking of the stockholders before the employees.

I am not getting rich, not yet at least...but I do not have some goon doing
his best to make me look stupid in order to get my position or make himself
look better. I can look anyway I like when I go to work...no monkey suits
here. My job is a full time treasure hunt...sorta like looking through a
strewn field....sometimes I find a real treasure...This year so far it was a
85 year old Bacarrat Crystal Perfume bottle...found at an estate sale for
$8.00...two hours of research...20 photos and 7 days at auction to bring us
$7996.00. It was once a bottle that held the most expensive perfume
made...during the 1920's...lots of people collect old bottles...especially
Bacarrat Crystal.

Everytime I go to an auction or estate sale I look for my next
"treasure"...to some on the list it is the next lunar....to me it is the
next empty bottle, 100 year old decoy, or 25 cent item that no one wants
anymore.


I answer only to ME...I am responsible for my own success. Could we have
done it without Ebay?....sure, maybe we could. But it would have meant
risking alot more than we did.


To those that do not like the fact that ebay eliminates the face to face
business....I can tell you from many years of working in my uncles
resturant, and a gunshop that face to face isn't all it is cracked up to be.
Most of the people I dealt with in both of those businesses were always
trying to get over, get something for next to nothing or for free. They
always wanted to be treated like they were the only customer we ever had and
without their income we would be out of business.

Well let me tell you...Ebay eliminates all of that crap. My rules for my
auctions appear on every auction...they are as simple as I can make them,
they apply always...my customers either follow them or they auction is void.
I have plenty of repeat customers, but they do not keep me alive...they get
discounts, they get notices ahead of time telling them items are in that
they may want to buy. But they do not keep me alive in business.

Ebay gives me worldwide exposure....7 million potential customers everyday.
No where on earth is that possible and for all of its minor hassles and
costs....It is still the way to having your own business.

That is my take on it....please in the future try to obey the rules if you
use ebay....some of the reasons people do not like ebay is that they think
some are getting away with NOT following the rules, and that is true....just
by your very words.


Thanks and I hope you continue to recovery and feel better

Mark M.
Phoenix AZ



----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Schoner <steve_schoner_at_yahoo.com>
To: Michael Farmer <farmerm_at_concentric.net>; <Sharkkb8@aol.com>
Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Re: eBay Likes and Dislikes


> My point, if any, Mike, is that in the case where I
> bought on Ebay (which I hate) I had no other choice.
> I have not seen for any of the items the so called
> "Buy Now" option, and in each and every case where I
> did buy, which is certainly less than a dozen small
> items, I e-mailed the seller to find out if they would
> take it off auction so that we could work out a
> "reasonable" deal.
>
> I only bought-bid via E-bay (which I hate), because
> they wanted their "auction" to progress to conclusion.
>
> But in most if not all of the less than dozen cases
> where I bid, I made the initial contact to make a
> purchase off line. And in at least one of these
> purchases, one seller was so kind as to offer me a
> nice tiny slice of DAG476, after the one that sold at
> Ebay to another, for a price to me for much less than
> what that piece went for. So I appreciate that.
>
> I will not sell any meteorites at Ebay (which I
> hate)... EVER.
>
> Besides, I am weary of the whole argument. I don't
> argue very well now, after my brain injury, but my
> opinion remains the same.
>
> And you are right, the arument is lame.
>
> END OF STORY
>
> Steve Schoner/ams
>
>
> --- Michael Farmer <farmerm_at_concentric.net> wrote:
> > so Steve, what is your point? You buy there but dont
> > SELL there? That makes
> > everything ok.
> > Ebay brought you those items that you wanted so
> > badly that you had to
> > register and bid on them.
> > Steve, I like you but your argument is about as lame
> > as a dead cat.
> > We are all entitled to like or hate anything, but
> > you brought it up and
> > since you can't seem to find a solid argument for
> > your side, just let it go
> > and forget it.
> > Ebay has brough tme literally hundreds upon hundreds
> > of new customers, many
> > are among the largest meteorite collectors out there
> > now.
> > Kudos to Ebay.
> > Mike Farmer
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Steve Schoner" <steve_schoner_at_yahoo.com>
> > To: "Michael Farmer" <farmerm_at_concentric.net>;
> > <Sharkkb8_at_aol.com>
> > Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 11:38 PM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Re: eBay Likes and
> > Dislikes
> >
> >
> > > Yes Mike,
> > >
> > > I have bought a few very select meteorites there,
> > some
> > > thin sections three maybe four in fact, and some
> > > select tiny pieces for making thin sections.
> > >
> > > BUT YOU WILL NOTICE...
> > >
> > > I have never sold any meteorites there.
> > >
> > > And when I make an offer on a slide I set in my
> > mind
> > > how much I want it and is as far as I go. I
> > really
> > > hate the Ebay auction hype, and won't get caught
> > up in
> > > it.
> > >
> > > BTW:
> > >
> > > I HATE EBAY ;->
> > >
> > > Steve Schoner.ams
> > > END OF STORY
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Michael Farmer <farmerm_at_concentric.net> wrote:
> > > > Steve, that is the dumbest thing that I have
> > ever
> > > > heard. You don't like
> > > > meteorites being sold there? You are being a
> > > > hypocrite now. You have bought
> > > > meteorites on ebay.
> > > > This discussion is really stupid, so what if one
> > > > person doesn't like ebay.
> > > > Millions of people do.
> > > > End of story.
> > > > Mike Farmer
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Steve Schoner" <steve_schoner_at_yahoo.com>
> > > > To: <Sharkkb8_at_aol.com>
> > > > Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 9:49 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Re: eBay Likes and
> > > > Dislikes
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --- Sharkkb8_at_aol.com wrote:
> > > > > > steve_schoner_at_yahoo.com writes:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > When it comes to my opinion of E-bay, my
> > mind
> > > > > > cannot
> > > > > > > be changed.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I made up my mind when E-bay first
> > appeared,
> > > > and
> > > > > > my
> > > > > > > opinon today remains the same
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yes, you've made that crystal clear. ;-)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The listees who have posted that they like
> > ebay,
> > > > > > have all offered reasons for
> > > > > > feeling that way. Do you have any reasons
> > for
> > > > your
> > > > > > opposing opinion?
> > > > > > Certainly there's no value in provoking a
> > petty
> > > > > > argument, that's not helpful for
> > > > > > anyone. But with so many collectors,
> > dealers,
> > > > > > experts, novices, and the
> > > > > > meteorite "hobby" itself seemingly getting
> > so
> > > > much
> > > > > > visibility and benefit from ebay, I
> > > > > > suspect I'm not alone in wondering what the
> > > > other
> > > > > > side of the coin might
> > > > > > possibly be, that makes you not just
> > indifferent
> > > > to
> > > > > > it, but so vehemently opposed.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Gregory
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Gregory,
> > > > >
> > > > > No need for me to rehash it now, for it is all
> > in
> > > > the
> > > > > archives, how many years back, I cannot
> > remember,
> > > > > where I hashed out my opinion about Ebay then.
> > > > >
> > > > > I dislike Ebay, hate the meteorite sales there
> > in
> > > > > fact.
> > > > >
> > > > > And if the archives don't explain it, I won't
> > > > explain
> > > > > it now.
> > > > >
> > > > > Someday, I might sell some items there, but
> > > > certainly
> > > > > never a meteorite.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'll just leave it at that.
> > > > >
> > > > > Steve Schoner/ams
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > __________________________________
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> > >
> >
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> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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Received on Mon 14 Jul 2003 08:24:23 PM PDT