[Milsurplus] Scarce Items and the Coming Demise of Ebay "Hobby" Selling.

[Thomas Adams]

Yes, the rising costs of shipping are hitting EBAY hard, but what's
making it MUCH worse is the old EBAY game of padding that cost,
and the imposition of "handling charges".

Last week I got a bunch of small items for G gauge model trains. The
package weighed about 2 pounds, and the SOB wouldn't combine
the exorbitant shipping charges. The shipping for 2 pounds was a mind
blowing $28.00!!!

It looks to me like EBAY is already feeling the pinch...  the latest thing
with them is to try to sell EXTENDED WARRANTIES for EBAY purchases!

They're not too good on that one tho; the system needs some tweeking.

I almost died laughing about 30 minutes ago; I made a purchase, and
EBAY immediately sent me a message offering to sell me an extended
warrantee on the ten IRF3205 MOSFETS I'd just bought...   and another
one on the 30 IC sockets I bought from the same seller!!!


Mr. T. W9LBB


At 19:46 09-03-10, David Stinson wrote:
>Ebay has made many scarce and even rare items available
>to collectors and has saved thousands of pieces from the dumpster.
>However- those days may soon end.
>Shipping restrictions are becoming prohibitive
>and costs are climbing quickly.   I recently sent an ARC-5
>transmitter to a gentleman in the next state.  The Post Office
>demanded nearly $40 to ship it, and that price is going to go up.
>People already bid less or not at all because
>shipping has become a major part of the expense of collecting.
>There are many modest-sized items
>I can't ship internationally due to stricter box size
>and weight restrictions.
>And the no-explanation discontinuance of  "surface mail"
>as an option has also damaged the hobby
>collecting of our friends overseas.
>"Hamfests" are no answer.  They are few and far,
>and as we all age we will be less willing (or able)
>to participate.  Moreover, a hamfest is a severely
>limited, local market.  I can go to every hamfest in Texas
>for the rest of my life and I will never see that RAV
>receiver someone's kids in New Jersey threw into the dump
>because they couldn't  market it.
>What to do in a world where shipping an  ARC-5
>a lousy 300 miles costs $40?
>Your thoughts?
>
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