Online Auction Sites GOOD / BAD for the oldskoolFord Scene??

[jimmyesh]

As per title everyone! I'd be interested to hear your opinions on this

 

Do you reckon EBAY is good or bad for the scene?

 

I know that it's convenient as you just log on and you can access so many sales instantly and don't have to travel to find things but there are also downsides too...

 

With resgards MK1 / MK2 Escorts - the spares and parts are all still out there (admittedly not in big numbers) but greedy tw*t "horders" are accumulating them, making them appear even more scarce than they really are then selling them for STUPID amounts on ebay (Just look at how much a set of manky, half rusted out mk1 mexico wings go for!!!)

 

Ebay has a lot to answer for as it's completely changed the scene of modifying and maintaining older Fords, you can't blame guys for wanting to make a few quid - (don't we all?! ) but most get mates to out-bid you just to bump the price up, almost every seller does this and collectively they are destroying the scene and setting artificially high market levels for such items (mex wings being a prime example - £500-700+! ) Gone are the days of finding RS bits in the "Free Ads" or even in the back of magazines for a set, honest price.

 

I know that if people are willing to spend a certain amount then you could say the item was worth it and I'm not oblivious to the fact that there is a "scarcety" value with regards some parts and that when demand out-strips supply then obviously prices take a hike! It just seems to have gone really crazy in the last couple of years!

[Mick The Mig]

Have to agree with you e-bay has inflated the price of parts beyond belief. People with parts to sell are checking out ebay and then convinced they can ask stupid prices for rubbish gear. Far better to ask on OSF.

[Noodles]

I think discovery channel has a lot to answer for

[jimmyesh]

I think discovery channel has a lot to answer for

 

[over_head_cam]

Greedy fookers don't help the situation either

[Rich Sav]

its good if ur sellin things

but not if ur buyin

[Miller]

Ive brought all my OSFs from or at least through adverts on Ebay and lots of parts. In a way its great to have so many different parts/ cars and things in one place but without a doubt prices have risen because people oftern get carried away bidding on something without the actual act of handing over real hard cash which oftern serves as a reality check until its all over. Looking at adverts on CF, RF and Ebay it seems cars are going for less in the magazines in many cases and thats without "the haggle" discount you get in private ads.

 

The folks on Retro-Rides.com were musing this one over a while back and counted it as a mixed blessing. I've grown up with ebay so I dont know what the situation was before but I am sure that its much much harder to get those bargains that you used to find at autojumbles and freeads when people can just as easily whack them up on the bay and watch the £s come in with a little effort.

 

For selling though its ideal with minimal effort, and im lazy so thats good for me.

[Vista]

I think discovery channel has a lot to answer for

 

Sweat baby sweat...........

 

 

Ok, eBay, well I guess it has pros and cons.

 

Cons

 

The first OSF I restored involved use of a lot of NOS parts, and they cost me significantly less than they would have cost had eBay been around then. Had all the parts I used been haggled over through eBay then I have no doubt that they would have cost me a lot more, and that plenty of unscrupulous sellers would have been getting their friends to bid things up for them.

 

Pros

 

The second OSF did use eBay as the source of a lot of parts, it hasn't actually cost me more in parts terms, but that's only because it didn't need so many. Part for part they were a lot more expensive. However, with the first car it took me nearly 5 years to amass all the parts I wanted. This time I had all the stuff I needed within 3 or 4 months and the difference is all down to being able to search the net, largely with eBay instead of months and months of trolling through every small ad and club magazine I could get my hands on

 

My verdict?

 

Yes eBay may cost me in terms of individual parts prices, and there are some pretty unscrupulous sellers on it. But on the whole I'm happier with it there than I would be if it dissapeared again. I would prefer it if they cleaned up their act and did something about the feedback process, sellers posting you crap and with holding feedback to prevent you leaving it -ve feedback for them drives me nuts.

[Guest MK1gaz]

I love ebay , you can get what you want without shifting through poxy autojumbles

[bronze4door]

personally i dont like it i have never bought off it and will only buy something if it is needed and can not be got from anywhere else

 

i am also considering selling my 2 door coz of the price of the parts and with the money i can set about putting a zetec in my 4 door

[MK5]

i think sites like Ebay help to keep OSF's on the road...

 

wouldn't have my Corty if it wasn't for Ebay

[jimmyesh]

Don't get me wrong I do see the plus side of Ebay - after all I did buy MY MK1 Escort on there in June '07!!

 

I just saw an advert for some mk1 Escort parts on there the other day which said "buy these parts to keep and sell in the future - better than any savings account" - Granted we all want to make a living but attitudes and people like that are wrecking the scene in my humble opinion!

[jimmyesh]

I love ebay , you can get what you want without shifting through poxy autojumbles

 

Yeah with another 4-dozen people "watching" the same item and the seller's best mate waiting to keep bumping the bids up!!! - I'd rather sift through some autojumble, haggle with the seller and most probably pay half what the Greedy Ebay Guy wanted!

[beedz]

i agree it's a mixed blessing, boils down to don't blame the tool though - it's the attitude of the person that uses/abuses it

[Gareth]

I use Ebay a fair bit, I've paid over the odds for some things

but I've also got other things for a song.....

 

It's jus the way of the world.

 

Prices have gone up thats true, but Ebay is not jus to blame.

 

Think about Joe Bloggs that had an Escort in the day and loved it.

But unfortunately a Wife, kids and mortgage meant he couldn't keep it.

 

Now the kids have jobs etc he can afford to relive te old days again

and doesn't mind that old Fords more expensive now, and is

prepared to pay a lot for the car he wants.

 

Thats my humble opinion anyway

[lee_capri]

i dont mind but it does push the price up sometime but you are gaunteed to sell and if you dont have the money you shouldnt play it no differance from going to a auction shed and bidding as some weeks stuff is dear and other weeks stuff is cheap im all for making more cash when selling like to pay lee but dont we all i think ebay is a very good idea when it works which is 99% of the time for me i buy and sell on their and do o.k

[jimmyesh]

Yeah fair points guys I think I'm just all bitter and twisted because I'm after some Mex wings for my Escort at the moment

 

I WILL get some and I know I'm gonna be paying someone a week's wages for two scabby old bits of mild steel, it's crazy but SO worth it I guess!

[Vista]

There is someone on the AVO board looking into reproducing Mex wings, watch this space

 

http://www.avoclub.com/avosite/phpBB2/v ... .php?t=194

[Nettles]

Owning a 1953 Anglia limits the places that I can buy spares.

There are a few specialist dealers around but because of the rarity of the parts they can charge a fortune and get away with it.

Ebay admittedly has it’s pro’s and con’s but over the years I’ve brought some bloody good bargains that I would never have found searching through the boxes of rust at an auto jumble.

[pimtina]

Ebay? I love it! Owning & restoring an OSF in the States is no easy task. We can'tgo to the local salvage yard and sift through a mountian of English Fords 'cause there aren't any. We can't go to the local autoparts store and ask for parts 'cause the pimple faced fook at the counter has never heard of a Cortina or an Anglia!

So I use Ebay alot both to buy and to sell. I love it!!

[bomber1]

Ebay? I love it! Owning & restoring an OSF in the States is no easy task. We can'tgo to the local salvage yard and sift through a mountian of English Fords 'cause there aren't any. We can't go to the local autoparts store and ask for parts 'cause the pimple faced fook at the counter has never heard of a Cortina or an Anglia!

So I use Ebay alot both to buy and to sell. I love it!!

 

theres no osf in our salvage yards and some motor factors i get the same response as u do funny enough i never go back