Re: [CR]EBAY: TA Headset for $600?

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:30:17 +1300
Subject: Re: [CR]EBAY: TA Headset for $600?
From: "Wayne Davidson" <wayne.collect@xtra.co.nz>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <8C90C01F03B687C-49C-11818@mblk-r19.sysops.aol.com>


Hi all, I thought I better take a looksie at this hot topic, has anyone contacted the seller, Curtis is his name, I have his email addy if anyone needs it. Something is only worth what someone is prepared to pay, will be interesting to see if & what this sells for...regards wayne...

on 22/1/07 7:01 PM, oroboyz@aol.com at oroboyz@aol.com wrote:
> Hey Joel, don't get too hot at Peter. I know both of youse guys and you are
> good folk.
> I think I say safely say that he was just venting and mostly referring to a
> general frustration with some Ebay sellers who don't describe their stuff and
> are doing this to hide shortcomings in the items. Your explaination goes a
> long way toward understanding your minimalist description of that headset.
> Still, people expect (the buying public) some hand holding chit chat. I
> personally dislike the other extreme, stuff like "RARE!!!!" etc. If a person
> doesn't already know it's rare, are they going to believe the faceless seller?
> (Maybe some would.. Doh!)
>
> Anyway, keep up the good work and keep everyone happy by chatting a bit about
> your goodies.. Can't hurt! :)
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina USA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: joel.p.flood@gmail.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:36 PM
> Subject: [CR]EBAY: TA Headset for $600? LONG
>
> hello all,
> I put the crazy headset up on Ebay for that crazy price. Remember a
> few years ago the threads involved with some Midwest seller that
> listed a $10,000 UNiversal brakeset on Ebay? Sure we chatted about, it
> did not sell and he did it for sheer publicity.
> I, on the other hand, listed this not for publicity but to actually
> sell it. As it was pointed out a few times, my prices are overpriced
> or what one list member wrote as the upper end of the price range of
> its' value. But as Steven Maasland also wrote, sure I can list the
> item for a lower bid to maybe attract more bidders, but what if the
> serious bidders are on vacation? Remember, it takes two bidders. I
> love the hobby and I am a collector myself, but like other sellers on
> Ebay, I get paid to list items on Ebay. That is my job in the winter
> to keep the guys at the shop working and getting paid, where as most
> shops, especially as you get into colder regions, lay off there
> employees or significantly cut back their hours. Ask any bike shop
> about winter hours. Well bike shops that don't sell skis! Selling over
> 200 items on Ebay a month, allows for the guys to work, and for people
> otherwise would not be able to find some these items, the access and
> knowledge that we have about them.
>
> I really don't understand Peter Jourdain's disdain for the caveat -
> WYSIWYG. I have been selling on Ebay for a long while, and as much as
> the CR community is the most bike knowledgeable group on Earth, I can
> list a set of cranks on Ebay, with a photo of the cranks, with a
> description of the cranks, and when the winning bidder gets the cranks
> in the mail, they ask where is the Bottom Bracket? Where are the
> pedals? Anyone who as bought from us before knows, that if we ever had
> a problem with an item, we will completely work it out. I have no
> problem refunding money, exchanging items or whatever. As much as we
> are in the business of making money, we are also keeping the hobby
> alive for people who don't have the resources that we have. We travel
> all over the East Coast and as far as Michigan(My boss has also
> attended VeloSwap in California), buying and trading and creating
> connections with fellow bike collectors. I just returned after a 6
> hour drive from a swap meet this morning and bought items that I will
> soon list for all those people (CRers included) that did not attend.
> Paramount front hub, various Campy derailleurs, and other bits that
> would have ended up back in somebody's pile, or in the trash. And to a
> preemptive defence to those people that dislike buyers like me going
> to swap meets and "buying up all the good stuff," talk to the sellers,
> I never haggle over prices, if the seller wants a certain price for
> it, I pay it. plain and simple, if it is too much, I say it is not for
> me. From my experiences, sellers are generally happy to see me at
> swaps as they know I will spend money. I also generally drive all
> night to get to the swap meet, sleep in the cold van, and have to load
> the 30-50 bikes we buy.
>
> I am not sure either what questions Peter might also have about the
> headset, other than stake height, that is not available in the title
> of the headset- "TA french threaded headset NOS new" It is sealed in
> the original package. Sure I can open it, but that is part of the
> charm of it- the French air. As it came from France. What auction
> pictures are not clear? As much as I do not have a Ray Dobbins setup,
> most of the pictures are clear and fairly accurately describe the
> condition.
>
> I take offence at Peter Jourdain attacking a fellow CRer. Your blanket
> attack aimed at me for the disclaimer is malicious and unjust. Your
> use of the phrase "these dealers" in the same email about me puts me
> in the category of sellers that you feel are trying to get over on the
> customer. CR sweetheart sellers that fail to deliver a package in a
> timely manner are given a warm receiption as "wait and it might come,
> if you remember to remind the seller." But someone that list items for
> what they feel the market value is, after buying and selling on Ebay
> for the last 8 years, having all worthwhile items descriptions and
> selling prices on Ebay since 2000(like CR market high x10000) on file,
> is distasteful and upsetting and incomprehensible. How does that make
> since?
>
> If an item on ebay needs more than one picture to accurately describe
> the item, then I generally have more than one picture. I give a brief
> description for most items, as it seems that most Crers already know
> what it is and what they are looking for. I am not playing "20
> questions" or any other game, or trying to hide anything.
>
> last point, as Joel Metz states, and others, when was the last time,
> if ever did you see a TA headset on Ebay. Well, to an be exact, about
> a year and a half ago, I had one, just like this, never installed but
> no package that sold for $450. So as much as the price seems
> astronomical, it is rare. Stronglight headsets are a dime a dozen. I
> have seen at least double the amount of 1st generation Campy headsets
> on Ebay in that time, and they are super rare. Of course more people
> seem to value Campagnolo more this week. If it doesn't sell, so be it.
> But I already have people knocking so. . .
> ralph
> philadelphia PA
> ebay handle -senditnow
> auction in auction-
> http://ebay.com/<blah>