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General => Community Events => Topic started by: seawarrior on May 20, 2009, 23:32:31

Title: Ebay?
Post by: seawarrior on May 20, 2009, 23:32:31
hi

  I was wondering is ebay worth it? is it cheap good sets and parts
thanks

                        Seawarrior
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Klickus Mobilius on May 21, 2009, 00:43:19
I just recently started using eBay.

I have put bids on things and lost because there was a limit as to how much I wanted to spend on a particular item.  If I was willing to spend more, then yes, I could have purchased a discontinued item.

There are many items for sale as "Buy It Now" which means you don't have to compete with other bidders.  You just pay the asking price.  Here again, it depends on whether you want to pay that asking price.

I have noticed some items for sale that are still available from Direct or from retailers like Target or Toys R Us.  Ridgeroad Station also has some great items in their inventory that are discontinued.  If you can buy from them, do that instead.

As for parts, you might first want to call Playmobil Parts Department with the part number if you want parts.  I just placed my first parts order with them yesterday (and I just started collecting!  Who'd have thought?).  If you're in the US, the phone number for Playmobil is 609-395-5566; follow the phone menu for Parts; the Parts Department is open from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday, eastern time.  Get part numbers from the instructions or from Heather's database:  playmodb.org

That was the long answer.  The short answer is:  if you want something that is long discontinued and price not an object, then yes, eBay is worth it.
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: CountBogro on May 22, 2009, 08:24:56
... The short answer is:  if you want something that is long discontinued and price not an object, then yes, eBay is worth it. ...

as long asv you remain carefull, it can be.
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: cachalote on May 22, 2009, 11:39:58
i agree with the count.
remaining careful and calm does the trick.  :yup:

i just bought a long awaited 5778 pirate ship bnib for 30 euros.  :love:
i waited for 2 years and the opportunity came.  ;D

global.ebay.com is becoming a better resource for me - it shows items from all the ebay regional sites and you can take advantage of it.

fortunately for me there are still a lot of sellers that can't speak good english and that only post their items in their "regional" languages - this makes the whole universe of english-only-speaking bidders (a very big one) stay out of the bid wars and these sets get cheaper.

in some other cases there seems to be a lot of mistrust from some "regional" bidders (tipically from germany, spain or france) and writing in their language and having positive feed-backs in their languages help me to gain their trust trying to convince them to ship the items to portugal.

so, this is my last trick - to search for ebay universes with apparent communication problems.
if you just search where everybody elese in the world searches there is no chance of small competition and small prices.
if you "dive" into the "babel" of global.ebay, there will always be a bargain somewhere.
  ;)
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Martin Milner on May 23, 2009, 05:47:14
As a good resource for second-hand Playmobil, it can't be beat. For individual parts it's expensive, but if Playmobil have discontinued a part it may be your only source.

Very easy to start overbidding and end uo paying over the odds or buying multiple lots of something you only wanted one of. I've been watching 3666 castles (in the UK), and seen them go for betwen £60 and £90. A 3268 castle (2nd hand) recently went for £40, showing either that it's less popular, or that people prefer to buy current sets new.

I have lots of Knights theme Klickies from the 90s that I couldn't have got any other way, and I generally prefer these to the current offerings.

 
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 23, 2009, 06:01:51
Martin, you need to check out this steck auction in this country  :o! 370205029666
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Indianna on May 23, 2009, 14:39:12
Martin, you need to check out this steck auction in this country  :o! 370205029666

 :omg:

That is a huge pile o' Steck and it will probably be a bargain given the pick-up requirement and the sheer size of the collection.  Hmmm, Utica . . . that would be an easy one day round trip for me.  But I am not buying any more Playmo.  Must . . . . resist . . . . urge . . . . to . . . . buy . . . . more . . . . Steck . . . .  :help:

Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 23, 2009, 15:10:24
:omg:
That is a huge pile o' Steck and it will probably be a bargain given the pick-up requirement and the sheer size of the collection.  Hmmm, Utica . . . that would be an easy one day round trip for me.  But I am not buying any more Playmo.  Must . . . . resist . . . . urge . . . . to . . . . buy . . . . more . . . . Steck . . . .  :help:

It almost makes me want to start collecting steck! Just think of the castle, & medieval town you could build just out of that one auction :yippee:! I'm afraid to think what the end price will end up being, but you've got to realize these are retired items, & it will be a one time chance to get this much in one auction  :love:! BTW, Indianna,..... SURRENDER to your desire,.....SURRENDER to your desire,......SURRENDER to your desire, >:D!
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Indianna on May 23, 2009, 15:26:10
It almost makes me want to start collecting steck! Just think of the castle, & medieval town you could build just out of that one auction :yippee:! I'm afraid to think what the end price will end up being, but you've got to realize these are retired items, & it will be a one time chance to get this much in one auction  :love:! BTW, Indianna,..... SURRENDER to your desire,.....SURRENDER to your desire,......SURRENDER to your desire, >:D!

Well, Bill, that wasn't exactly the kind of "help" I was looking for!   :hmm:  Just so you know, I did put the auction on my ebay watch list.  :toot:  What you really need to understand, though, is that I probably already have this much Steck, just not so neatly sorted and contained.   8}

Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Bill Blackhurst on May 23, 2009, 15:37:31
Well, Bill, that wasn't exactly the kind of "help" I was looking for!   :hmm:  Just so you know, I did put the auction on my ebay watch list.  :toot:  What you really need to understand, though, is that I probably already have this much Steck, just not so neatly sorted and contained.   8}

More is always better Indianna! And just think, after you expand your collection, you could always sell the items you don't have a good use for in small groups, that could even cover your initial investment!! Am I helping you yet  0)? Or, what if a group of us got together, & put financial resources together, with you being the transport authority, & divided the spoils, because with a collection that big there would be enough for everybody! There may even be enough to build 8 large castles, 5 small castles, castle ruins, & more? I think you've got the idea,....Ha! Ha! Ha!  :evilplan: I really have you thinking don't I  >:D?
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Indianna on May 23, 2009, 15:42:46
. . . . :evilplan: I really have you thinking don't I  >:D?
Sad to say, Bill, all this has already crossed my mind!    ::)  I just hope the bidding goes too high for me to even consider participating!  :)

REMEMBER; It's Steck cost is no object, It's Steck cost is no object, It's Steck cost is no object  >:D!
Subliminal message!
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: Indianna on May 24, 2009, 15:28:51
Hey - that's no fair, Bill!    :lol:
Title: Re: Ebay?
Post by: kaethe on May 24, 2009, 15:56:10
the lure of the steck castle is growing!!! i have been able to resist so far, then martin started posting those wonderful instructions and i can....feel... myself....falling.....for.....a .....castle.  i do however have one way to justify it, when my son (now 31) was younger, he always wanted the castles, but we could not afford them then. 
kaethe