P3D eBay crazy prices (part III)

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry for this rather long message here but the prices of used stereo
equipment is a subject of significance to our hobby...

I have been monitoring eBay prices and amusing myself with what I see...

Kodaslide I viewer goes for $102.50.  I have two of these, reworked for
focus, cleaned, new reflector, MINT (selected from a stock of 20 or so,
the rest go for parts for KII viewers) and no one wants to buy mine
at $85.  (Don't worry, I emailed the second bidder who missed this
"bargain" at $100)

Someone earlier said that it is not that eBay prices are high but my
prices are low or that these eBay prices establish a new price for the
used items.  Oh, yeah?  Explain this then:  Ed Romney's book on Realist
camera repair (which is selling NEW for $17 through his web page) is now
at $27 for a USED copy with 6 hours left to go.  (I think Ed should get
a fake email ID and start selling his books in eBay...)

Another friend buys a Realist 3.5 for $140 (no case included in this
price).  He asks me to take a look first before the camera is shipped
to Japan.  I get the Realist.  Put in at 1 second and fire the shutter.
The shutter remains open for ever, no matter how much I shake the 
camera.  Also, the rangefinder is off.  The seller said that they
put a roll through the camera and all the functions seem to operate
properly.  You can be totally ignorant about cameras but know one thing:
To test the shutter, fire the camera at 1 sec and see what happens.
It took me less than a minute to figure out that this camera has 
problems and the seller could not do that before placing it in eBay?

What surprises me is that some people feel more comfortable buying
blindly in eBay when they can get the same items for less from me,
knowing that they will be getting top quality... like this other
friend who bought a Kodaslide II viewer for $165 and then sent it
to me to enlarge to 7p ($35 is the cost of this) only to discover that 
the lamp cord is bad...  while he could have bought a MINT boxed KII 
viewer with new bulb, enlarged for 7p, etc., etc., from me for $185.

Someone will say that there are bargains in eBay too.  Sure, there is
no question about it.  My only question is:  What is your time worth?
I have spent a lot of time, monitoring these so called "bargains"
only to miss them because I forgot to check the last minute (and the
items DID sell at a bargain price BUT I don't know if there was a 
maximum and what would have happened if I started bidding at them) or 
get into a bidding war and either lose it or get it at a "not so 
bargain anymore" price.

George Themelis

PS. Anyone interested in a "rare" "Picture it in Stereo" booklet by
    Kodak?  It is up to $33 with one day left... Does NSA still sell 
    these for $10?


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