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

[randooch]

I ended up winning that one. Just for kicks I put a bid in not much more than the final price and won. I didn't think I had any chance at all of winning it. I thought it was going to go for much more. I guess because it wasn't creased it didn't get much attention. I can't wait to see it. I don't know whether it is the angle of the photographs are not but that is the widest sweatband I have ever seen.

Hah! Same reason I only bid 148. Congratulations, and if it doesn't suit you, keep me in mind for runner-up!

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks Alan. I don't know much about aging these but the liner and size tag looked 60's to me. However, the sweatband did look 50's.

You could be right... I don't know the Mallory marks well enough. Look forward to your photos when it arrives.

 

[Walt]

Curious people on ebay. The seller who had an auction that closed with no bids accepted my post auction offer but refuses to do it as BIN through ebay and instead wants to do it as a private transaction only with me paying via paypal.

Now the seller has a long history with only one negative that is not too bad in itself so they may be perfectly legitimate with no intent of ripping me off, but seems rather risky. Seems such a transaction could be risky for them as well and since the final price is small the ebay fees wouldn't be much so why be so stubborn about that???

So it leaves me perplexed why they refuse to finish it through ebay (unless of course fraud is the game). Now they are probably under no obligation to complete the transaction if they changed their mind since this wasn't a formal BIN offer, that is to say the listing didn't have that option so I doubt it is counted that way. Or in other words they could just say no on the sale if they really don't want to sell at that price so no need to make it difficult therefore I can't see that as the motive. [huh]

Now if this person was on the lounge I'd play ball with them on such a transaction.

Also seems crazy for them to insist on oustide of ebay transactions using ebay's messaging/email system when that system has warnings all over it about making outside of ebay transactions! Quick way to have ones account yanked should it be discovered. Rather stupid of them to me!

Half tempted to just send them an email asking them what their game is if not just send it to ebay's reporting system for a rules violation.

 

[Historyteach24]

Do not do it. Too risky

 

[Walt]

Do not do it. Too risky

Agreed. I had already reached that conclusion before even posting. If nothing else they have left me with evidence to give to ebay's fraud alert department should I decide to do so.

 

[alanfgag]

The auction is closed and you made an offer to buy the hat outside of the auction... why would you think it odd that the seller doesn't want to go through the time and expense of relisting it for what I assume is a small BIN price? If you are concerned, you can wait to see if the seller lists the hat again. Assuming you watched the original auction, you will be notified via ebay alerts if that happens. Or just use a credit card to fund your paypal purchase for some added protection. The risk seems small. Most people who sell vintage things on ebay are not out to defraud anyone. They are folks just like you and me.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

yup, folks typically eager to avoid the 9% sale fee, and percentage of the shipping cost that eBay now takes.

bk

 

[Walt]

The auction is closed and you made an offer to buy the hat outside of the auction... why would you think it odd that the seller doesn't want to go through the time and expense of relisting it for what I assume is a small BIN price? If you are concerned, you can wait to see if the seller lists the hat again. Assuming you watched the original auction, you will be notified via ebay alerts if that happens. Or just use a credit card to fund your paypal purchase for some added protection. The risk seems small. Most people who sell vintage things on ebay are not out to defraud anyone. They are folks just like you and me.

Alan, those are probably all valid points. Now I haven't tried to sell anything on ebay yet (but that is high on my todo list) but I'm surprised if there are additional fees for a listing that literally ended a minute before I made the offer, but then again maybe I shouldn't be surprised given all of the complaints about high ebay fees...I'm sure I will be learning soon!

I only use a credit card with paypal for obvious reasons so have no worries there.

What about the fact that ebay says doing this is a rules violation and using ebay's own message system to make such offers? I expect no privacy protection from ebay so I would be afraid to take such actions with the attendant risk of having ones account terminated should they catch it. Sure with likely millions of messages in their system they may never catch without a party bringing it to their attention but still!

Seems it would have made more sense for them to haggle for a higher amount to cover any additional costs. My BIN was half of their pretty high opening amount and they immediately accepted with no attempts to haggle. Also, I broached making a BIN to them while the auction was running (just asked them if they were willing to consider and didn't state any amount) and they were confident they would have success with just letting the auction run so said no. I suspect they may have had a little too high optimism about this item as they had sold another hat of a similar type and age for a very large amount which was understandable but not realistic on their part to expect the one that didn't sell to also achieve such a high result---probably seller ignorance about values.

To top it off they have a private email address of mine as this was one of those listings with crappy pictures (we see too many of those don't we) that they got when I asked for better picts so they could have used that channel to make such offers.

Mabye they are really just trying to end the transaction because they are hoping for more money. Just seems a weird way to do this. I would have factored any amount based on the additional fees as the lesser evil when dealing with someone you don't know well enough to trust rather than going other routes. Guess I'm paranoid or just ignorant about the seller side of ebay to know better.....

In any case thanks for a possible explanation from the sellers standpoint.

 

[Walt]

yup, folks typically eager to avoid the 9% sale fee, and percentage of the shipping cost that eBay now takes.

bk

Now I understand the sale fee as it does cost ebay many millions or more for the network, server and database infrastructure to run their site though I won't disagree it is probably too high.

What's with the shipping cost? A way to get yet more revenue instead of raising listing/sale fees or to possibly ward off overcharging of shipping (though I can't see how that would work).

There's no question that since ebay more or less owns this business model (the competitors are very small in comparison) they are something of a monopoly which is probably only going to get worse.

I expect to spend hours studying the seller side of ebay in the coming weeks and months so I can sell things so I'm sure I will find out how bad it is.

Cheers!

 

[Walt]

Not that this is an election but I guess I have two votes for doing it and one no don't do it vote.

 

[Rick Blaine]

This fella seems to have discovered some NOS up in old Virginny.
So far, nothing that trips my trigger, but he claims to have many yet to come, FYI.

 

[Historyteach24]

Interesting. I am not too familiar with Churchill hats though. What decade you think those are from?

 

[Rick Blaine]

Interesting. I am not too familiar with Churchill hats though. What decade you think those are from?

Churchill was, at one time, a first tier maker. Those look rather 6o's to my untrained eye.

I am waiting to see what else he comes up with.

 

[randooch]

70's? They don't "trip my trigger" either. Too stingy, too modern.

Walt, I hesitate to say it, but I think you're maybe overthinking the seller's motives. They probably just want to save a few bucks. Just my 2 centavos.

 

[Historyteach24]

Yea they looked too modern to me as well that's why I asked. He also seems to be asking a tad much for them.

 

[Historyteach24]

This guy has a ton of Borsalinos but with terrible photos.it also does not mention dates so I figure these are more modern. http://www.ebay.com/sch/palladiriso/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

 

[barrowjh]

Blaine, those look 60's to me, or maybe early 70's. Tapered crowns, welted edges (not cavs), brims less than 2 1/2 wide.

 

[Rick Blaine]

This guy has a ton of Borsalinos but with terrible photos.it also does not mention dates so I figure these are more modern. http://www.ebay.com/sch/palladiriso/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Teach, I too have been keeping this seller in my crosshairs (sorry, it's muzzle-loader season here) for some time.
Odd looking, LAC (low-arsed crown) oddities out of Italy...seven gets you ten you'll never see it and would be bummed if you did. Italian post can be awful.

I dunno what to make of these, but am not impressed. They are nothing like the Simeon Zlateff stash from c. 1939 Sofia, IMO.

Blaine, those look 60's to me, or maybe early 70's. Tapered crowns, welted edges (not cavs), brims less than 2 1/2 wide.

Agreed, Mr. Barrow. He claimed to have older, more classic items to post, tho...


Of all his prior sales, 90+% have been hats.
None recent enough to view though.

 

[Walt]

Walt, I hesitate to say it, but I think you're maybe overthinking the seller's motives. They probably just want to save a few bucks. Just my 2 centavos.

You're probably right...just hearing of bad experiences or having them oneself makes one paranoid....nobody wants to get the shaft.

I haven't respond to them yet so maybe I'll flip a coin and give it a shot.

 

[Rick Blaine]

You're probably right...just hearing of bad experiences or having them oneself makes one paranoid....nobody wants to get the shaft.

I haven't respond to them yet so maybe I'll flip a coin and give it a shot.

PayPal gives you protection similar to that of eBay, eh? [huh]