Subject:
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Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.theory
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Date:
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Thu, 30 Nov 2000 18:13:40 GMT
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Viewed:
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877 times
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In lugnet.market.theory, John Robert-Blaze Kanehl writes:
> >
> > You know what I'm going to say...sell what you can, and then
> > when you get a significant backlog of certain sorts of parts,
> > it's eBay time...
>
> I *used* to put up half or 3 quarters of the total amount of a certain
> element for auction...saving the rest for trade or future use/sale. I have
> a better grasp of my consumption/utility priorities now, so I have
> discontinued ths practice...
Really? I wonder if any of the other big sellers would chime
in and say whether or not profit has remained stable--I did really
well last summer, and a part of me wants to engage in it again
this summer (God knows I've got enough pieces).
> > ...I've almost never had to do this. Case in point: An insane
> > number of grey and tan 1x2 plates with 90-degree 1x4 half-thickness
> > plate w/studs. (Don't know what else to call it.) I had about 100
> > of them on offer--and pulled in about $20. I was really quite
> > shocked, and it's less than ten cents per piece, but I was prepared
> > to get $5. When you get to a certain level of bulk, I'm now almost
> > convinced you'll always get enough to make it worthwhile...and
> > there's almost always someone out there who *needs* that many for
> > some unknown reason.
>
> Quantity is often key...remember Lindsay when 10 Biker Scouts fetched
> $25-$30 but 30 or 40 of the same figure fetched much more... I imagine
> sellig stormtroopers by the dozens could be lucrative in the short term = )
Well, I'd hope that 30 or 40 would fetch much more than 10. ;)
I know, I know, 'per unit.' I'm being a wiseacre. I still can't
quite grok the $120 for 32 skeletons, though. All I know is the
cheque was good...but in the last set, 6 skeletons drew about the
same per unit as 25.
> > For me, it's the realization that only special niche parts are
> > in my needs--for example, in the last aucZILLA, most of my purchases
> > were 2x2 dark-grey med-slopes with copper Stingrays computer pattern--
> > I use those everywhere, and if anyone has them lying around or doesn't
> > like them, I'm happy to take them. Reading AucZILLA lists is usually
> > an evening or two by itself, but my purchases there have become very
> > small dollarwise.
>
> I have never used Auczilla due to the inherent time lag and the prohibitive
> cost of the items I generally look for... I also tend to enjoy auctioning
> off items more than purchasing. I have also been able to establish good
> trades...
Eh, go for the pieces with really weird descriptions. I got a
few windfalls in aucZILLA because apparently nobody knew what
the heck a "4x6x3.3 widget triple-tapered (left-handed) with mounting
bracket and side hinge, maersk light blue" was, didn't bother to ask,
and there wasn't any .gif keyed to the part.
(And no, that's not a part. Not in Maersk Light Blue, anyhoo.)
> > > Perhaps an interesting search option on Brickbay would be to be able to
> > > enter a list of parts you know you don't want, and then pick a category
> > > of parts, and see all the parts in that category which aren't on your
> > > don't want list.
>
> I think Dan should just have a "Bargain Basement" ... One Brickbay Kiosk
> where all the sellers can dump there wares...a garage sale, flea market
> page. Maybe a once a month or standing featured sale space. Maybe as a
> last resort for other shop owners who don't have the traffic or the large
> client base. Essentially a "flier" or "lost leader board" that lists these
> slow moving elements and then directs buyers to individual stores or allows
> them to purchase right then.
It's...BrickDump! Yes, folks, the BILGE d'BrickBay! All the lost
bricks come here, to our shovel bucket, to be cleared out to the
highest bidder...all of it, everything, in whatever quantities,
all proceeds going to the Keep BrickBay Nifty fund!
Actually, with a few nice donations, you could make a pretty good
kitty out of that. (In the metaphorical sense, although...it *is*
LEGO, you could actually make a 'kitty.' Albeit one with a LOT of
POOPs and CRAPPs.)
> > Maybe an arbitrary 'banality level' assigned to pieces? ;)
> > "I'd like to see all pieces below banality 3..."
>
> Short of minifigures, I don't think I ever buy 3 of something...I like a
> small pile (chances are if I need 3 of something, I could use 10)
I can see myself buying a lot of new SW and LoM sets. :(
This is not necessarily a good thing; I have nowhere to put
them. What's worse, all of my 'suppliers' are in NJ, so I
have little access to the really cool prices on 2001 sets.
However, I do know that I'm in the running for at least 10
Droid Escapes. If anyone needs 10 protocol droids and 10 R2
units, I'm your man.
> > When I'm back in New Jersey, I may have to engage in some joint
> > used-collection buys--I'm also in the game for older parts, esp.
> > 6x5x2 inverse-slope Classic Space 'bucket' cockpit pieces.
>
> Hmmm, what color? what sets?
Any. They're Classic Space...I think only lt-grey, white, tr-blue,
tr-yellow, and that's it. Galaxy Commander, Starfleet Voyager,
Mobile Missile Launcher, all sorts of other sets had 'em...email!
> BEWARE the big lots on eBay ... I have been less than satisfied on the last
> 3 despite exhaustive emails and investigation ... Maybe after I unload
> 50-100 pounds, I may try again. (My living space is quite full, not as full
> as Frank's, but quite full, nonetheless)
Yeah, I got burned on one (conditionwise--the pieces were all
there, so I was OK), but surely not all will be like that.
I do realise now that it's good to have friends and family
know about your hobby--I'm in a position to grab a big lot
that dates mostly from BT-I to early Pirates heyday...all
because my mother talks to her co-workers. YESSS!
> > Incidentally, Frank, your departure from eBay buying hasn't made
> > Pirate bits any cheaper. ;)
>
> I have seen plenty of Imperial Guards + some BSBs / SESs go comparatively
> cheaper than same time last year when the Pirate People were in acqisition...
'Pirate People?' Oh, no, we're not done yet. Not by a longshot.
> Hey Lindsay ... the "bunny" box is FULL = )
Email me. I wanna know what's in there!
> I am gonna be unlaoding TONS of stuff soon ... Let me know (gotta move and
> put soe stuff in storage...gee, that sounds familiar)
*sigh*...all too familiar. Man, do I ever miss my collection!
This really sucks. I'll have to make sure that the first thing
I do when I get back to NJ is break it out of its solitary confine-
ment.
best
Lindsay
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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| (...) Profit has dropped slightly for me, but I don't mind because I'm spending much less time on the sales than I used to. Maybe I'm selling for less, maybe there are more people doing it and so I'm not selling as much at full asking price the (...) (24 years ago, 30-Nov-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Streamlining the parts selling process
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| (...) There are many sets that I bought only for certain parts...there are very few available sets that I buy for the model nowadays...In the past I was able to auction the rest of the parts, so as to make the parts I kept *free*... the market is (...) (24 years ago, 30-Nov-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
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