Well actually, I like these auctions in a way as a buyer. Sometimes one can pick up a real bargain because a poor description and poor photos discourage other buyers. I bought a complete 753 Raleigh Team Pro a couple of years ago for a couple of hundred dollars because the auction just described it as Raleigh Bicycle or such like and from the photos one could not be totally sure it wasn't a gaspipe model in team colors. But I could make out just enough detail to make me think it was probably a quality frame and likely a Team Pro. I think one other CR member guessed the same or I'd have gotten it even cheaper.
Of course, one can guess wrong and wind up with a gaspipe bike. And a clever seller can lead one to believe a cheap model is something better and use poor photos to disguise the truth. But only a foolish buyer would pay big money based on poor description and photos, so such a scam will rarely be profitable enough to make it worth a scamers effort. And I think is honest seller will always do better by providing accurate description and good photos.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Thomas Adams <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, "Michael Schmidt" <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>
\r?\n> Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 7:48 PM
\r?\n> Or maybe your sig. other is demanding
\r?\n> you try to get rid of some bikes, so you try to make sure it
\r?\n> doesn't sell: "well, honey, I tried, but in this
\r?\n> economy---". As it is, you can't even tell for sure it
\r?\n> is an Eisentraut. But we should cut some slack, the seller
\r?\n> has only 5 transactions, not an experienced ebayer by all
\r?\n> appearances. If he's serious, he'll learn.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Tom Adams
\r?\n> It is my size but I'm working on my custom Fat Man frame
\r?\n> now in Manhattan, KS, USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n> --- On Sat, 1/16/10, Michael Schmidt <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>
\r?\n> wrote:
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> From: Michael Schmidt <mdschmidt56@verizon.net>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike
\r?\n> To: "Anthony Taylor" <ajft1942@yahoo.com>,
\r?\n> "Charles Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>,
\r?\n> classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 3:00 PM
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> At the end of the day, it's THEIR bike, THEIR time, THEIR
\r?\n> auction.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Your viewpoint.
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Mike Schmidt
\r?\n> Millington, NJ
\r?\n> USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> On 1/16/10 3:55 PM, "Anthony Taylor" <ajft1942@yahoo.com>
\r?\n> wrote:
\r?\n>
\r?\n> > It's amazing how many sellers are so lazy that they
\r?\n> can't remove all the crud
\r?\n> > from behind their bike/frame/whatever to present it
\r?\n> well on an ebay, or
\r?\n> > craigslist site. This has to detract from the sales
\r?\n> price. 5 minutes planning
\r?\n> > must be worthwhile???
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Tony Taylor
\r?\n> > Manchester NH
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > ________________________________
\r?\n> > From: Charles Andrews <chasds@mindspring.com>
\r?\n> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> > Sent: Sat, January 16, 2010 11:43:43 AM
\r?\n> > Subject: [CR] ebay outing: eisentraut touring bike
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > So, here's my question: how does it happen that one
\r?\n> comes to sell an
\r?\n> > expensive bike on ebay, and one does not, apparently,
\r?\n> bother to look at other
\r?\n> > successful auctions of similar bikes, to see what sort
\r?\n> of presentation is most
\r?\n> > effective? I am baffled by auctions like this:
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > http://ebay.com/
\r?\n> > ADME:B:SS:US:1123
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Charles Andrews
\r?\n> > Los Angeles
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > Q: "Why do people spoil everything for
\r?\n> > themselves?
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > A: "In big ways, and little ways too,
\r?\n> > people do that all the time to themselves.
\r?\n> > We can't stand prosperity.
\r?\n> > We have to tinker with the machinery."
\r?\n> >
\r?\n> > --John D. MacDonald