eBay

[WAeyes]

Does anyone out there have any experience shopping for fishing supplies through eBay? Am I correct that you bid on everything? Do you dare buy anything that doesn't have a guarantee or warranty with it. Seems like you could really get some good deals, but me being pesimistic about buying something on the web, I would like to hear some solid opinions from the people at WC before I buy anything. So to all you eBay pros, what are the little tricks I should know? Thanks

[manitobawalleye]

i have bought a few things off ebay...
the setup and bidding instructions are quite easy and are found on the site...
i was also a little worried at first, stuck here in canada a long way from florida.....
i bought a fin nor ahab megalite spinning reel last year listed for 169us at cabelas for 75us... company warrany still applies on new items.....
have also purchased some excellent high quality ice jigs (crappies) for 30c...
have also peurchased varios beads and ice spoons...
all showed up in good condition..
good luck

[BD]

1) Don't go hog wild and get banned from eBay by your wife!
2) Set up a "My eBay" account.
3) Watch a few items to see how the bidding goes. Your "My eBay" account will keep track of items you want to watch and items you are bidding on.
4) Check the sellers feedback for Neutral or Negitive comments! They mean WATCH OUT!
5) I've had good luck buying old lures. First figure out what you think would be the maximum you would pay. Deduct the shipping and insurance charges from that amount. You have arrived at your maximum bid. You can bid the maximum right away (reserve bid). eBay will then bid for you in steps until your maximum is reached (your max bid is $20, someone else bids $15, eBay bids $16 for you, if no one else bids it's yours for $16+shipping etc.).
6) DON'T bid against "davetntn"! Ever!

"An angler is a man who spends rainy days sitting around on the muddy banks of
rivers doing nothing because his wife won't let him do it at home." --- Irish saying

[Wally Getter]

WAeyes, I have recently purchased quite a few items at the eBay auction. Among my purchases were a vintage St. Croix rod, a G.Loomis rod, several Shimano reels, and some Yo-Zori lures. I've been very pleased with all my purchaes, and I saved a lot of money on all of them. From my experience I can only say it has been a terrific oppurtunity at some exceptional values. Wish'in I Was Fish'in. Wally Getter NPAA #566

[Mckoz]

Just bought a few old Fly fishing items for my wife to decorate with. It does get addicting and the wife thing is correct - by the way, where is my Cabela's catalog???

Another tip - sign up for a service like PAYPAL etc. it makes paying easier and provides you some protection in case of a problem.

Also do your homework - among the bargains are a number of items you can purchase new for less.

Mike

[Gilligan]

I made about a dozen purchases last year between fireline and stickbaits. All my orders went smoothly, got what I ordered in timely fashion. As posted above check out the sellers feedback to be sure they have a good record. I haven't bought for sometime as I'ver noticed that prices of what I'm after have been quite high. Too many people get caught up bidding. I've watched several Diawa and Okuma line counters sell for almost what you pay in the store.

[Boatnut]

BD pretty much summed it up. I've sold some merchandise there as well as bought a lot of stuff- both fishing and boating as well as some electronics. Have never really had a bad experience. A few things turned out to be junk, but most sellers will refund if not happy. Key is,,,know what its worth before you bid and dont get "auction fever"! warning- can be highly addicting! Paypal saves you the hassle of running out to get a money order everytime ya buy something.
Mike(boatnut)

[Bob]

Case in point. Go to e-bay now, type in okuma. Georges hook and gun is listing a Okuma 30DX for $69.95 as a starting bid. On their web site, they have them for $59.95. I personally have never bought anything, but plan to ship some stuff like some penn 209's that are collecting dust in the garage. Good luck!

[Boatnut]

Bob,
there is also a okuma 30D for $36 bucks now. not sure the difference between the 30d and 30dx. bottom line is, ya gotta know what stuff is worth before ya bid. I think it's a great way to unload some of that stuff that accumulates in your tackle box that you never use. One's man trash is another's treasure!
happy bidding
Mike(boatnut)

[fishtrap3]

I have bought 4 or 5 differant items on E-BAY and all my purchases have been smoothe so far. But be aware of what you are bidding on and ask questions before you place your bids!!!
Good luck Fishtrap3

[Hawgeye]

All of these replies have been good ones. I have purchased many items off of Ebay and have a buddy that has sold some of my fishing stuff on ebay. All positive results. I have purchased 3 transducers that were brand new on ebay for my Lowrance X-60 and my X-85 each for around $25 each. List on these is over $40 so it was well worth the savings. In fact I bought a puck for my trolling motor for $18 brand spanking new!

[WAeyes]

Thanks for the great info guys. I have been snooping around there today and noticed that some of the stuff is new and some is not. Sometimes it is a little unclear if it is or not. If it is slightly used, how do you know how good of condition it is in? Great condition can mean different things to different people. One item that I was looking at stated it was new, but after emailing the seller, I found out it was 3 years old but never used, so he said. Seem funny that it is up to the bidder to find out this info by emailing the seller.

[TP180]

I bought some lures off ebay around Labor Day and was not impressed. I had to send the guy a money order, and he was calling two days later wondering where his money was. I explained to him that I mailed his money order the very next day, but that it was probably late because of the Sunday and the holiday. I received confirmation that he received my money the next day. A week later, and no lures, so I contacted him and he said he would send them shortly. He was in a big hurry to get my money, but certainly not in a big hurry to send the lures out!

By comparison, I purchased some lures on the Walleye Central site. This gentleman accepted a personal check and even mailed out the lures before he received the check. A much more enjoyable experience working with a true fellow fisherman!

[BD]

Sounds like that seller deserves some negative feedback!

[vetspet(ind)]

this winter a guide said the best fillet knife he has found was the slim grip by black and decker...i found one on e-bay...put a bid on it...the bid eventually went to 20 dollars or so...i stopped bidding....a little later ace hardware had the exact knife on sale for less than 10 dollars....so watch the prices they can escalate...the american angler knife goes for like 40 dollars i think...and one person on walleye central said he got one for around 20 dollars i think..so that was a good deal..but he knew what they normally cost whereas i had no idea on the black and decker and would have taken a loss had i not quit bidding...steve

[Brad/nd]

WAeyes.... You have got some good info already. The biggest concern I have before placing a bid on something, is the sellers' feedback rating along with the number of transactions he or she has recorded. It will be in (#) next to the user name. My wife & I have had excellent results buying on ebay, from printers to monitors and many misc stuff. I saved over a $100 on my new zercom lpg 2000. Just be sure to check out the seller first. One already mentioned using paypal, we have used it quite a bit and never had any problems. Another trick I have found is when searching for an item, just type in the word or words and click on search. It is very fussy on what you type. example, "shimano reel" vs "shimano reels" . The search will bring up more of the "reel" items rather than using the "reels". Depends on exactly how the item is listed. When looking for a size of, say, boots, I narrow the search by using "12 rocky" or another brand name. Another thing, always check out what the seller is charging for shipping. I've seen many overcharge for freight for a small item. And don't give out your password to anyone! My wife has mine, and I'm paying for it!!!
Hope this helps..

Take care,

Brad

[Boatnut]

Brad,
good point on searches. It's very finicky. when looking for downriggers for instance, there is quite a difference in what comes up depending on if you type in "downrigger" vs "downriggers".

One nice feature is the "personal shopper". Enter up to 3 different items you are looking for and it will automatically email you when something comes up for auction.
Mike(boatnut)

[Boatnut]

Brad,
good point on searches. It's very finicky. when looking for downriggers for instance, there is quite a difference in what comes up depending on if you type in "downrigger" vs "downriggers".

One nice feature is the "personal shopper". Enter up to 3 different items you are looking for and it will automatically email you when something comes up for auction.
Mike(boatnut)

[TBO/MN]

I buy and sell on ebay all the time. I sell many of the reels and tackle that I no longer use. All of my stuff is top quality, well taken care of stuff. The most of the stuff on there up for auction is the same type of stuff. I have bought many reels, tackle, electronics(for friends), and general sporting goods items. I have never had anything I was disappointed in. I think most people are honest about the general shape of the items they put on there. I make it a rule not to buy something that doesn't have a picture. If it doesn't have a picture, it has to be new in the box before I will even consider it.

Good Bidding, and Fishin'
TBO/MN

[AquaMan]

LAST EDITED ON Feb-06-01 AT 11:44AM (CST)[p]
I have purchased and sold over 1000 items to date over the past 2 years. I am on daily, selling my PC's. My experience has been spectacular so far. I have, however, lost a few bucks to bad sellers, though small, and can offer the following insight to everyone that is now or considering eBay for buying or selling items. Bottom line, ALWAYS go with your gut! If you have any question, feel free to contact me.

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

****In general:

-PayPal or BillPoint are fast, easy, secure ways to send and collect money online.

-Read the feedback of the seller. If the negative feedback deals with item quality, shipping/packing or condition, take heed. If the post is an ambiguous or vague slam, look at THAT persons feedback. It could be only retaliation by the buyer due to the seller's poor feedback to the buyer, in which case, it is unfounded.

-Go with your GUT!

-NEVER send your credit card data over the e-mail.

-NEVER send cash.

-Avoid oversees sellers/buyers unless you have been in CLEAR contact and feedback is strong.

-Negative feedback is always an indication of something that went wrong somewhere.

-BEWARE - It is addictive!

-I have found that sellers with 100 or more POSS feedback are prone to bend over for the bidder.

-You are bound, as is everyone, by a legal contract, so proceed accordingly.

*****Buying:

-It is customary to send money first before the item is shipped. DO NOT expect the opposite.

-Always read the details of the auction and understand them BEFORE you bid. Ask the seller for the answers. If no reply before the close, then you might have saved your self a problem later.

-NEVER, NEVER, NEVER send cash, no matter what the seller tells you. Check, Money Order or Cashier's Check ONLY. Otherwise call them with your credit card data if they accept them.

-If payment is mailed, send it registered.

-Relax! If you can't bid with confidence, then don't bid. Nothing screws up a deal faster then a panicked buyer.

-Know what you are bidding on. Check other sellers auctions, you might find a better deal.

-Don't get caught up in the bidding wars. Know your top dollar and post it. Proxy bidding will keep you on top until it passes your top bid. If the bidding surpasses your bid by a few cents or a lot more and you say, "I would have paid that", then you should have bid that!

-When the deal is done and you are satisfied with your item, leave positive feedback., if not, try to work it out with the seller BEFORE you post NEG feedback. Once the nail is in the coffin, it will be hard to negotiate in the event you have a problem. Most sellers want to do everything they can to work it out, others are just jerks. If all else fails contact e-Bay and follow their instructions.

****Selling:

-Provide as much detail as possible. When in doubt, list it.

-Photos are a must, if you can. (AuctionWatch.com offers free photo hosting)

-Keep all bidders appraised of changes.

-Don't forget to add shipping and packaging costs to your auction if you do not intend to pay for those.

-Answer all questions quickly and accurately.

-Don't sell something if you are going to be out of town or away from your PC.

-People will buy ANYTHING! You will see everything under the sun listed.

-Be fair and reasonable to both you and the bidder/seller. If the buyer wants you to send the item before payment...DON'T, unless you are very confident about the buyer.

Most of all, enjoy, use your head and have fun.

Happy eBaying!

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

[WAeyes]

WOW AQUAMAN!!! You know your eBay. One thing that I have noticed is that unless you proxy bid, you will never win the bid on anything. Unless you can stay on their website for hour after hour after hour watching other bids. Thanks for all the great knowledge, you bunch of eBay guroos!(sp.?)

[Hawgeye]

I just purchased an LSB301 for a savings of $15 if I was to purchase it from LEI Extras. It is worth a little risk. In fact, it was an item that I didn't even know existed. I have been making my own and by ebaying, I found this item which is a transducer switchbox for using 2 depth finders on a single transducer. Makes the changing from front to back depth finders a snap.

By the way, I have purchased many items on Ebay and have had fantastic success.

Always check the feedback of the seller. It is usually pretty accurate.