Flipping jackets and the spirit of the lounge

[Harris HTM]

So how do we feel about this?

Original listing :

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...arnstormer-jacket-sz-m-40.106621/post-2886181

Now listed for more than three times the money :

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/ralph-lauren-barnstormer-sz-m.109829/post-2974609

 

[Marc mndt]

Apparently the OP knows it's not ok what he's doing because he felt the need to lie by telling us that he did not buy it from eBay and by doing so implying that he paid a markup over that $600 himself.

The eBay history tells a different story.

Instead of gaslighting tfl he should have either owned his greediness or take down the listing and flip the jacket elsewhere.

 

[Monitor]

Let's run a few scenarios here. Premise; I bought a Buco on Poshmark for $25 & I want to sell it on TFL.

1) I list it for $25
2) I list it @ a $750 mark-up, which I determined is a fair price for TFL, knowing I could sell it for $1250 on eBay
3) I list it for a full on $1250
4) I don't sell it at all on TLF because even though someone here wants the jacket, knows what its worth & is perfectly willing to pay for it, I have no business making a profit on TFL & should just keep it for the rest of my life, until whoever ends up with my stuff decides to sell it again for $25 on CraigsList and the circle just keeps on repeating itself until the jacket falls apart...

Do you see how stupid all of this sounds?

Nobody is scamming or hurting anyone. If you like the jacket, it's up to you to determine its value and decide whether or not you feel the price is right. You are not entitled to the same price the person prior to you paid for it, just because at some point in your life, you could've paid less for it.

Furthermore, what if a TFL member buys the jacket cheap on TFL, lists it on eBay for a mega-massive profit & another TFL member buys it there?

I took a loss on most things I sold here. I profited off some. I don't re-sell TFL Classifieds listings & when I do, I link to the original thread. But I'm not saying this is the right way of doing it, it just makes me feel better.

On the other hand, most things that I've sold here were bought by anonymous lurkers who were super happy with the deal they got. I'm sorry but I don't feel bad that I made a profit off a person just 'cause they registered on a forum that I belong to, that they don't even participate on; Especially not if they are satisfied with the purchase.

My point is, I agree that reselling for a huge mark-up & profiteering on TFL isn't the best of practices but complaining about it is honestly a lot worse because it is the definition of entitlement.

And again, if anything that I really want gets listed on TFL, the only thing I will feel is happiness because I have been given a chance to obtain it.

 

[Marc mndt]

I took a loss on most things I sold here.

Really?

 

[Monitor]

Really?

Yes. 50% on every single ******** thing I bought new. All the money I made here still doesn't account for the loss, or just about makes it even.

I made good profit on many things too, which I even made a point of stating in the first sentence of my listings.

Of five of my last listings here, I made a good profit on one, made it even on two, took a major hit on two.

 

[Carlos840]

Yes. 50% on every single ******** thing I bought new. All the money I made here still doesn't account for the loss, or just about makes it even.

I made good profit on many things too, which I even made a point of stating in the first sentence of my listings.

Of five of my last listings here, I made a good profit on one, made it even on two, took a major hit on two.

I feel you are mixing things up, you can't compare buying a new item and selling it at a 50% loss on here and buying something used and selling it at a loss.
It's normal to take a loss when buying new and selling used... One would on the other hand expect an item bought used to have already depreciated and sell on for what it was bought used.

 

[torfjord]

So how do we feel about this?

Original listing :

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/thr...arnstormer-jacket-sz-m-40.106621/post-2886181

Now listed for more than three times the money :

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/ralph-lauren-barnstormer-sz-m.109829/post-2974609

Wow! Yeah, it’s a very nice jacket that got offered to me at a bargain price. I paid it forward when I found it wasn’t for me. It can certainly be worth the new asking price for someone that is after that style. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable price for the item. When I sold it, I could have tried (and probably succeed) in selling it for profit. But to me, that would go against the spirit of this community. For me, being generous in sharing knowledge and deals is more important than making a profit. Apparently some members have different values.

 

[Mich486]

Like others, I too never made a profit selling any jacket here or elsewhere. 40 to 50% loss is the standard. Also no matter how reasonable the asking price is, people always try to negotiate the price down… is that good behaviour or acceptable? Most people here are guilty of that.

To me personally if the asking price is reasonable I don’t see a problem. The frequency of such behaviour would also be a big discriminant for me. If you constantly flip then just go elsewhere.

 

[Al 916]

Just reading this through and thinking in summary.

Buy for x on TFL, sell for x (ish) on TFL - Good
Buy elsewhere for x, sell for what the TFL market is happy buying for - Good

am good on this....I think I am

 

[Imuricecreamman]

Having been a member of several watchforums where this type of "profeteering" was seriously frowned upon and this behavior would freeze out and exclude repeat offenders I never took a hard stance on the issue. If I see an item I want for a price I find to be reasonable, I buy it. Every forum has it's dilligent members who sniff these people out anyway so I have never been on a forum where this type of behavior gets out of hand although it happens from time to time.

 

[Al 916]

Having been a member of several watchforums where this type of "profeteering" was seriously frowned upon and this behavior would freeze out and exclude repeat offenders I never took a hard stance on the issue. If I see an item I want for a price I find to be reasonable, I buy it. Every forum has it's dilligent members who sniff these people out anyway so I have never been on a forum where this type of behavior gets out of hand although it happens from time to time.

wanna buy a watch?

(btw .....I am rationalising my collection)

 

[Al 916]

How about this as a complete solution.

Classifieds become (or have an option of listing as) a non set price.

You list the jacket and ask for sealed (PM'd) bids over a certain period of time. If the seller is happy with the highest bid the item is sold privately and discreetly.

This way the market decides, the seller is happy with the price sold and the buyer with the bought price (and it is only their business....)

What say you?

 

[jonbuilder]

There's an ongoing discussion on jacket flipping in a classified listing right now. I think it's an interesting topic and one I've wondered what TFL's attitude would be, as I do a decent amount of flipping when I have the time - although typically on Ebay. Regardless of one's thoughts towards the particular classified example, I think it would be better to shift the discussion here so it's not at risk for removal (keeping general TFL rules in mind) and further derailment.

can someone post the Classified link mentioned

 

[hieu]

can someone post the Classified link mentioned

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/lost-worlds-deerskin-j100-sz50.109808/page-2#post-2974727

I think it's this one

 

[ton312]

How about this as a complete solution.

Classifieds become (or have an option of listing as) a non set price.

You list the jacket and ask for sealed (PM'd) bids over a certain period of time. If the seller is happy with the highest bid the item is sold privately and discreetly.

This way the market decides, the seller is happy with the price sold and the buyer with the bought price (and it is only their business....)

What say you?

That's an interesting idea! A silent auction of sorts. I do think not knowing what price is expected would discourage many potential buyers though. But it is an intriguing suggestion.

 

[Monitor]

Since I've nothing to add that I haven't already said, here's an interesting thing that I have learned throughout my dealings on TFL.

90% of all of my transactions were with people with few to zero posts. All very nice people, great to deal with, perfect transactions, etc. but vast majority were a non-contributing members of the forum - Something I have absolutely no issues with but what I'm genuinely curious to hear is how does everyone feel about this?
Does being a registered member of TFL automatically grants one immunity from mark-ups?

Of course I'm going to be perfectly honest re. all of my sales with any of the guys that I know & talk to, there's no debate there and I believe every one of us should be up-front about it. Literally all of you who know me can testify I've always told you what I've paid for whatever item you've shown interest in & warned you whenever I had listed it to make a profit.

But ten of us debating stuff here... We just don't buy anything. So what we're left with is randos, same as on eBay, Grailed, etc. So where does that leave us?

 

[handymike]

When I sell jackets, I start here. I’m pretty confident of the value, and I list them at reasonable prices (at least I feel that way). Often times a jacket will sit, and I will lower the price or accept offers. If it still doesn’t sell, I will list it on ebay for my original price + 13% for fees. Sometimes I’ve made a little $ and others I’ve lost some. I do charge more when I’ve restored one, or fixed issues.

 

[TREEMAN]

Who’s the ‘ Top Flipper ‘ on TFL ?

 

[Al 916]

Just a question (and I hope the answer(s are) is yes), did the person so accused have a chance to quietly / privately defend themselves before being run naked through the town?

 

[Boyo]

Who’s the ‘ Top Flipper ‘ on TFL ?

There are more than a few users who only post in the classified thread with either with a for sale or a WTB post. if you pay attention you can easily spot them.

Just a question (and I hope the answer(s are) is yes), did the person so accused have a chance to quietly / privately defend themselves before being run naked through the town?

Yes, I believe he did.