[Boatanchors] Is "Price Insanity" Really Insane?

[Jeff Blaine]

I agree with this.  But the reality is that there is an emotional 
content that I don't think gets proper due.

A guy grows up with this or that radio gadget and it was significant to 
him at the time.  Maybe it was the first TX or he used it in his 
military service.  Whatever - he has a historical or contextual tie to 
the unit.  But he grows up poor and never things he will have need or 
money for one of those so it's forgotten.

Then forward fast 30-40-50 years later and the guy has had some business 
success of some kind.  Or a kindly uncle and a nice unexpected bit of 
cash comes into hand.  Whatever the course, what was a distant 
unobtainable memory may get jogged by seeing a nice unit in nice 
condition comes up for sale.  Of course the price is outrageous in an 
absolute sense.

So it sits in the back of his mind.  And the thinking can go... Wow, 
that's a pretty clean unit.  But it's too expensive.  Then again, $500 
is not now what $25 was when I was young and I'm not getting any 
younger.  And when is the last time I saw one in that condition?  There 
are not many floating around.  Hmmmm...

And in some cases the sale is made.  Despite the cold logic. Because of 
the emotional tie and the situational justification. I'm not saying it 
makes logical sense.  But having bought a few items in this category (an 
HT-32A comes to mind), I can relate.  I bet a lot of other guys can as well.

73/jeff/ac0c
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
www.ac0c.com

On 12/15/2023 5:36 AM, David Stinson wrote:
> You know, we can talk about how people list
> stuff on Ebay, pricing them by what they see
> the rest of the herd do, then wonder why
> their listings fail.
>
> But then, something like this comes along:
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/145485197776
> Which means there were at least two people
> able and willing to pay
> such an eye-popping price.
>
> Yes- it's in pristine shape.  It has the rack.
> It has the dynamotor.  But if you took this
> to any Hamfest or even a local auction,
> I think you'd be lucky to get $25 for it.
>
> This is one reason I no longer answer the
> "what's it worth" questions.  When the world
> is this nuts, why even try?
>
> The unfortunate problem is that the
> rare listings with nutty pricing which
> actually succeed spread the virus
> of unrealistic pricing for common,
> unpopular or trashed-out items.
> This ends with those items in the landfill
> after Grandpa, who will dig his heels in
> if he can't get $500 for his whacked BC-453
> "like all the others did!",
>  joins the choir invisible.
> Trouble is, you can't convince Grandpa
> that the listing prices
> are NOT the sale prices.
> He will not give up on his delusion.
>
> Sadly, most of us Grandpas seem to suffer
> from the same "price-by-listing" error,
> rather than "price by sales."
>
> We can tell people that the correct way to
> successfully price an Ebay listing is to
> look at "SOLD" item prices, and also
> "COMPLETED" to see what works
> and what doesn't.
>
> Sadly, Group Dynamics are more powerful
> than logic, reason or common sense.
> The result is more of our treasures
> in the dump,
> and no way I know to stem the tide.
>
> GL OM ES 73 DE Dave AB5S.
>