Hi Carol - I wouldn't say it's a "common" phenomenon for things to sell for higher than retail on ebay - but it's not unusual either. I think a lot of people who get interested in bobbin lace are in remote areas and aren't really aware of the resources on-line for ordering supplies. It continues to surprise me how many people know enough about computers to bid on things on ebay, but not enough to shop for resources and know the real value of what they're buying.
The bottom line is that if you have a surplus supply of lacemaking equipment that you don't want, ebay is a good place to sell it. If you list your pillows, be sure to be specific about size, composition (foam? straw? wool?) and maker (if you know that info...) The more information buyers have, the more enthusiastic they are with their bidding! And don't forget that a good clear picture is essential. If you're nervous about the chance that a pillow will sell for far less than it's worth, then by all means put a "reserve" on it, or at least put your rock-bottom price as the starting bid. I've noticed that a low opening bid with a reserve will sometimes attract more bidders than a higher opening bid with no reserve. The very best advice I can give you is to watch similar items for a while before you post anything, to get an idea of the prices they are bringing, and to see the best strategy for posting. Good luck!! Clay ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Adkinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lace" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Arachne chat" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 8:43 AM Subject: [lace] Re: eBay sales. > Hi All, > > I have recently put a bid in to eBay, and watched the outcome with interest, > as it was the first time I had ever bid in an internet auction. I was > absolutely amazed that the Newnham (Newnham-style?) bobbin winder went for > £1.00 more than it would have cost to buy new, and that was without the > £2.00 x odd charged for postage and package. Is this a common phenomen, > and does it usually happen that things end up more on eBay than they would > be from a supplier - if so, I shall definitely put some of my too-huge > collection of domed pillows up for sale! (I used to teach in schools, as > well as my on-going adult and children's private classes, so over the years > amassed about a dozen mushroom pillows, all with very little use, as the > students, be they children or adults, purchased their own as soon as they > were hooked on lace. I don't think, even in my wildest dreams, I would have > twelve new students start all at once.) > > Carol - in a blustery and unsettled Suffolk UK. > > ----- > Subject: [lace] Bookmark for sale on ebay > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
