Tony,
This happened to me this past week when I put in a last minute bid (as is my pattern) for an item on EBay.co.uk I was blocked - this despite having discussed the item in several emails with the vendor who was more than happy to send to me in Canada. He was new to EBay and I did not think to ask him to make an "exception" for me to bid. Missed out on a nicely rechromed set of what looked like Durax cranks. Still another EBay.co.uk seller did accept my winning bid on an early Chater Lea set so I'm happy.
Paul Williams, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Dr. Paul B. Williams, BAH, MPhil, PhD Instructor, Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
> Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 17:13:07 -0700
> From: ajft1942@yahoo.com
> To: jmbr@pt.lu; JHurley@jdabrams.com
> CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] USA only Ebay sales
>
> All,
>
> I believe that the auction format is the best decider of real value. If one trawls the other sites that simply list a price, I find many bikes/frames, parts etc are over-valued. At least, to me. I often wonder if the item sells.
> I have bought items from out of the country, and find the ship time is often excessive, but never had any other kind of problem. I have also shipped overseas, and never experienced a problem.
> One thing I have noticed recently, is having my bids blocked by ebay UK because my primary address is in the US. I have contacted sellers to ask if they will sell to me and ship to a UK address. In each case, I have been told OK. When I try to make a bid, it is blocked. Has anyone else had this experience?
>
> Tony Taylor
> Manchester, NH
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Jean-Marie <jmbr@pt.lu>
> To: John Hurley <JHurley@jdabrams.com>
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Tue, May 4, 2010 7:49:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [CR] USA only Ebay sales
>
> Hello to all,
>
> Living in Europe, I found spare parts in the USA and Australia.
> ( Small parts recently from list members right here).
> There was no problem sending the amount and receiving the bike parts.
>
> I've got to say that I use Ebay on very rare occasions. Mostly I communicate on Web Forums - over here in Europe, this works out fine, and sometimes ( I'm not the only person who thinks this way) I think, watching items on Ebay: they're mad. I'm talking about spare parts an prices paid for them, not absolutely high-level bikes or frames... although sometimes even these happen just to be over valued.
>
> Everything has its price, and older parts become rare. But there still is a lot of post-war stuff around, and even pre-war bikes or parts. Many of them "sleep" in barns or cellars ( I recently found 3 entire bikes this way). Most people are absolutely not interested in bikes over here, which is a good and bad thing at the same time.
>
> My small collection grows slowly, maybe also the way I do collect is a bit different from others. I look what comes up, and I work on what seems somehow interesting to me.
> Of course, if someone is only looking for absolutely rare and highest-level bikes, things are different. I don't, as I do not have the material possibility to do that.
> One exception: my new bike that's being build right now. But that's off-topic and a strictly personal dream I want to realize before being too old to ride it:-)
>
> All this to say that, yes: Ebay is a possibility. But it is not the only one.
> Living in Luxembourg, ( a very very small country) I can buy on Ebay, but I cannot sell on Ebay ( if I'd want to). It is a strange situation. The reason is very simple: Ebay-Luxembourg just does not exist.
> And there is no way to put whatever there to sell: after filling in the information, at the end: access refused / country unknown. Strange but true.
> It never was a problem. On the bike Forums, I exchange, buy or sell parts I need or don't, even frames. And it allways worked out fine, as one comes to know the people.
>
> Best regards ( and thanks to many people here, again. I do learn a lot just reading and following their links).
>
> Jean-Marie Biwer
> Basbellain, Luxembourg, Europe
>
>
> Le 5 mai 10 à 01:17, John Hurley a écrit :
>
> > I'll add my penny's worth.
> >
> > The vast majority of the on-topic bike goodies we know and love
> > originated outside the USA. Cycling, as we know it, is a European
> > sport. This being the case, I've been surprised how little I sell
> > outside the USA. I expected a much bigger international market, but 80
> > percent of my sales have been domestic, and only 20 percent
> > international. My domestic market is four times bigger than from the
> > rest of the world combined.
> >
> > Before I checked, I would have said my international sales were even
> > smaller. Maybe some sellers just feel the real market is in the USA, so
> > why bother selling foreign? I don't look at it that way myself; I'm
> > glad to have the extra 20 percent.
> >
> > Why isn't the foreign market larger? I suppose either they don't need
> > to buy from us because they can get the good stuff locally, or Americans
> > just spend more freely or have deeper pockets. Probably what is
> > happening now is a bike boom echo as Americans collect in later years
> > what they valued in their youth.
> >
> > Risk: At first I couldn't understand eBay shoving all the risk off on
> > the seller, but it finally dawned on me (duh) that the party who stands
> > to make a profit is the logical one to accept a greater share of the
> > risk.
> >
> > As for the income tax, this sounds like bad news for eBay. One more
> > reason not to use eBay, and seek alternate outlets. One more step
> > toward converting eBay into another Amazon.
> >
> > John Hurley
> > Austin, Texas, USA
> > _______________________________________________
>
>
> jmbr@pt.lu