When looking to buy, here are some things that I check for before bidding (the first few are not specific to Atari 2600 auctions):
- Sellers feedback rating. As with any type of auction, it is important to review the recent feedback of the seller. Do they have a high amount of negative or neutral feedback comments? If a seller has a high amount of negative/neutrals (I'd say 1 neg/neutral per 25 transactions), I generally avoid their auctions. ESPECIALLY if they reply to their unfavorable feedbacks with rude, childish, or insulting remarks. That tells me that they are more interested in the money and not so interested in making people happy.
- Blurbs on the auction page about feedback. I have encountered more than a few pages of sellers who throw in a comment such as "I will not leave feedback for the buyer until they leave some for me". This is a red flag to avoid in my opinion, as it makes it a very hard situation for you to leave accurate feedback for the seller because they can easily retaliate by leaving you undeserved negative feedback. If you pay quickly and communicate properly, why should you have to wait to receive positive feedback? It just screams out that the seller isn't confident that his service will merit positive feedback without holding your feedback "hostage".
- Shipping charges. This is where a lot of sellers can really stick it to you if you aren't careful. If an auction page does not mention what shipping charges will be, and do not have a link to the shipping calculator then procede with caution. This situation leaves the seller the freedom to overcharge you for shipping if they are not happy with the final auction price, or just to put a couple extra bucks in their pocket. I have fallen into this pitfall a couple of times in my early eBay days, and there isn't anything you can do about it except pay.
- Is it working? You will see a few auctions that say something like "This system has been stored for 10 years, and was working when I last played it but I haven't played it lately so I have to sell it as-is" or "This system is complete but I don't have the time to test so I have to sell it as-is" or "I am selling this for a friend and they said it worked but I don't know for sure so I have to sell it as-is", and so on. Beware of these auctions, ESPECIALLY if they include all the power cords, joysticks, RF cables, etc required to hook it up to a TV and test. If the system is complete and the seller won't verify that it is working, that is probably because it isn't working. They have time to list the auction but not to test the item? They won't take their "friends" word that the system works? They throw the "as-is" remark in there along with the "I think it works" remark to protect themselves in case you come back to them and say "what gives, this doesn't work! (well, I said it was as-is!)". There are some instances when "as-is" is legit, like when a seller has a game to sell but no system to test it on, etc. When you see the words "as-is", treat it as probably not working and bid accordingly. Also, beware of listings that make no mention of the working condition of the item. There is probably a reason why they didn't mention it. If you want to make sure you get something that works, look for "tested and working" or something similar.
- What all is included/excluded? This is more for auctions for Atari 2600 systems. Is the power adapter included? Is the RF adapter? Are joysticks? Are paddles? There is nothing like paying $30 for an Atari 2600 system only to find that it is JUST for the system. After throwing another $10 plus shipping for a power adapter, another $8 or so for an RF adapter at Radio Shack, another $7-10 for a pair of joysticks plus shipping, and another $7-10 for some paddles you are looking at spending over $70 for your Atari when chances are you could have won an auction for a complete one for around the same price. These are little things that add up, especially with all the extra shipping costs you'd be paying. Look for auctions that sell systems WITH all the necessary cables/accessories to save you time AND money.
- Buy games in lots rather than individually. See a lot that has some games that you need and some that you don't? It will probably be cheaper for you to buy the lot with some games that you don't want rather than buying just the games you want individually. This is another instance where shipping charges will add up and bite you. Think of it this way, if there is a lot of 20 games that contains 10 that you want and 10 that you don't need, when you receive the item you can relist the 10 games you don't want. This way you will get some of the money back from your purchase (maybe, if lucky, enough to cover your initial purchase).
When looking to sell some of your Atari things, here are a few tips:
- Descriptive title. Most people who search for an item on eBay only search the titles, so it is important to get as much info in the title as you can. Replace words like "with" and "and" and "plus" with a symbol to save you characters. If you are selling 20 games, don't sell "20 Atari games", sell "Lot of 20 Atari 2600 games". It is important to get as many keywords that describe the item in the title as you can to get the most hits. And the more hits you get, the more bids.
- Pictures. People like to see what they are buying, so it is good to have pictures of what you are selling. If it is something that will probably sell for over $10, I'd also choose the "Gallery" option so people can see a picture of your item from the listing page.
- Describe everything you are selling. Don't leave anything out that is included! If you are selling something that contains 20 or 30 games, list out EVERY game. List out who makes the game if it isn't Atari. If it was made by Atari, is it a text label or a picture label? Do the games come with the original box and/or instruction manual? Is the Atari a 4-switch or a 6-switch? On the bottom, does it say "Made in Sunnydale"? Is the owners manual included? These are things that collectors look for. If you aren't sure what they look for do some research on the web, there are plenty of sites out there dedicated to the Atari 2600. If you are selling a system that includes the power adapter and RF adapter, be sure to include that in your listing. Does it work? Make sure you say that. If you are selling manuals or catalogs, be sure to include the model number on the back (usually CO-something). You get the picture.
- Item condition. Also, be sure you make mention of the condition of the item. If it is in great, like new condition be sure to mention that. If it is new, be sure to mention that as well. If you tested the item and its working, mention that! If you didn't/couldn't test it, explain why you didn't/couldn't.
- Low Starting Price. I always start all of my big items, such as an Atari 2600 system with games and accessories, with a very low starting price, usually at 99 cents. This encourages more people to keep an eye on it and also gets more people involved in the bidding, hence a bidding war. And when you have people bidding against each other, pride sometimes takes over their thought process and the price goes up (how dare that person bid more than me, I'll show them!!). Starting the price low takes some patience, you can't panic if there are no bids or 1-2 bids on your item 5 days into a 7 day auction. Pay attention to the number of watchers column in your eBay summary. If you start the auction out at a higher price, say 29.99, a lot of people will pass your item over until the final minutes, and most likely you will get one bid only and sell your item for your starting price.
- Shipping! Be sure to either mention what you will charge to ship the item, or set the item up so the buyer can use the shipping calculator. No mention of shipping charges will scare a lot of bidders off. If you are selling a bunch of games individually and are willing to combine shipping if someone wins more than one of your games, be sure to mention that in your item description. Trust me, it encourages more bids! Also, if its possible mention how soon you will ship after payment is received. It will encourage higher bids if the buyer knows that you will send his item out the day after he pays instead of a week later.
These are some of the things I have learned throughout my eBay experience. I hope it helps you out!
Orignal From: Guide to Atari 2600 systems and games auctions
No comments:
Post a Comment