Rare or VERY RARE - That is the question....
Time to get on my soap box. Too many people are using the word RARE in their descriptions of items that aren't. It seems that just about every other auction anymore says it's rare. I guess this might stem from the idea that marketing is everything. After all, that's what drives the economy anymore. No matter where you go or what you do, you see marketing in some form or another. Everything from billboard ads in the background at sports games to casino advertisements painted on the backs of boxers. When you drive around, just about on every corner you see signs advertising everything from sports tickets to summer jobs to health insurance. Sometimes I think there's more advertising on TV than actual programming. Everything seems to be limited edition, one of a kind, going out of business sale, but at wholesale.... These are all catch phrases to draw you in. I think with all this overloading of advertising in everything we see and do today, people have learned that to sell it and you only have one, then it must be one of a kind and therefore RARE. So, they list their item and mark it as rare. Don't get me wrong, there are items out there that are actually rare. But, I would guess that 50% or more of the items listed on Ebay as rare actually aren't.
As a buyer, you need to be cautious. Do you know the seller? Are they trustworthy is the real question. If they sell a lot of the same type of items, such as paper money, then they probably know what they're talking about. Take a look at their feedback. Less than 100 positives and relatively new to Ebay? When did they sign up on Ebay? Most of their listings are selling as RARE? Probably not. If the seller has 50 items listed and it's the only item of it's type and the only item listed as rare, then it's a good possibility that it actually is.
Look at the whole auction. Is it marked extremely rare with no reserve but the starting price is $1. Why? Why would the seller start it at such a low bid with no reserve if the item was truely rare? One, the seller is either dumping it and just wants rid of it. Or two, the seller is willing to take whatever they can get for it. Email the seller and ask them. If they give you a general answer and no specifics as to why it's rare, then there's a major hint it's not. If the seller has it marked rare, they should be able to easily tell you clearly why it's such a unique item.
Also, with the power of the internet, take advantage of the research power you have. You can find anything on the internet if you search hard enough. Do some research. Hit the major search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc...and look for info on the item you're looking at buying. Believe me, it pays to do a little research on something that you don't know anything about. Also, be patient. Do some research on Ebay as well. You can search closed auctions from the last 30 days as well. Just click on Advanced search and then put a checkmark in the box that says "Search completed listings only". This way you can search for the item you want to buy in previous auctions. Look at what similar items sold for. If there's several of the same item that has sold recently, then it's not rare. Ebay only keeps auction for the last 30 days. Also take a look at the sellers closed auctions. Have they sold more than one of this item in the past as rare?
Lastly, just use some common sense. The old saying that has been around forever always applies..... "If it looks too good to be true, then it is!". All I'm saying is don't take the word RARE for it's face value. Do some research and make sure what you're buying is actually rare. It could save you some headaches later when you find out everyone has the same rare item you have...
Thanks for reading my guide... and don't forget to vote below if this info was helpful or not.
Rod
Orignal From: Rare or VERY RARE - That is the question....
No comments:
Post a Comment