How to bid on eBay?
Jan 10th 2007 | 6:40 am
#18
Blondie22
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,738
Re: How to bid on eBay?
It will be my best mate's 40th birthday next month so I'd like to get her a nice gift.
I know that she likes jewellery by the Brazilian jeweller H Stern, but it's expensive....
I was thinking of buying some earrings with her birthstone (amethyst) or perhaps a gold ring and when I did a google search for H Stern one of the results was for eBay. There is a large listing for various kinds of jewellery by H Stern from a retailer (Portero) which has a 'positive' reputation.
How on earth does one bid when it's with a retailer? Has anyone had experience of this.....I don't know where to start. The earrings are brand new and showing a retail price of $550 but the bidding starts at $49.99 (reserve not met). The (brand new) gold ring has a retail price of $280(reserve not met).
I really don't want to pay more than $250 tops (inc tax). Shipping will cost extra as well.
Am I being realistic in regards to the earrings or should I just forget it and think of buying something else? I don't know how the procedure works but if I go for the gold ring, how do I bid if I don't want to pay the retail price of $280?
Any help gratefully received!
I know that she likes jewellery by the Brazilian jeweller H Stern, but it's expensive....
I was thinking of buying some earrings with her birthstone (amethyst) or perhaps a gold ring and when I did a google search for H Stern one of the results was for eBay. There is a large listing for various kinds of jewellery by H Stern from a retailer (Portero) which has a 'positive' reputation.
How on earth does one bid when it's with a retailer? Has anyone had experience of this.....I don't know where to start. The earrings are brand new and showing a retail price of $550 but the bidding starts at $49.99 (reserve not met). The (brand new) gold ring has a retail price of $280(reserve not met).
I really don't want to pay more than $250 tops (inc tax). Shipping will cost extra as well.
Am I being realistic in regards to the earrings or should I just forget it and think of buying something else? I don't know how the procedure works but if I go for the gold ring, how do I bid if I don't want to pay the retail price of $280?
Any help gratefully received!
Hi!
If the reserve has not been met then it means that the seller has put a reserve on the item and the most recent bid has not reached that yet. So if the current bid is (for example) $280 and the reserve has not been met then you have no way of knowing what the reserve is until someone bids above it. They could have a reserve of $400, there's no way to know. As people have already said, if it has a 'Buy Now' option and you are happy with the price quoted then just purchase it straight away.
P.s I used to sell on Ebay as a source of extra income when I was home with a new baby, and hubby purchases sports memorabilia on there all the time.
Jan 10th 2007 | 6:50 am
#19
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 92,279
From: MA, USA
Re: How to bid on eBay?
Have you looked on www.overstock.com I find they have quite a few good deals on their site.
They sell a whole range of things.
They sell a whole range of things.
Jan 10th 2007 | 6:51 am
#20
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 92,279
From: MA, USA
Re: How to bid on eBay?
Jan 10th 2007 | 8:32 am
#21
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: How to bid on eBay?
Well - I think the seller is probably 'kosher'.
This isn't the item I would bid for (too bloody expensive!) but if you scroll down it shows info about the company (which is also selling the items I think I might try to bid for) and retail price. It seems to also have an excellent reputation. It's just an example of their wares:
http://cgi.ebay.com/H-STERN-18-KARAT...QQcmdZViewItem
There is a massive disparity between the current bid ($100 which is the same for almost all of the H Stern jewellery on eBay) and the retail price of $1,300.
Now I wouldn't dream of bidding for it (although it's a very nice ring) but I can't see Portero taking less than $1000 for it? So I'm even more confused about how to bid LOL!
I think I'll go to H Stern on Fifth Ave or Park Lane, NYC and see what their cheapest items are...I suspect the Portero stuff is older season stock (not that it bothers me) but might help if I do decide to bid online.
I also have another idea for a 40th birthday gift.....wonder if I should ask you lot for comments to see if it's the kind of gift you might like?
This isn't the item I would bid for (too bloody expensive!) but if you scroll down it shows info about the company (which is also selling the items I think I might try to bid for) and retail price. It seems to also have an excellent reputation. It's just an example of their wares:
http://cgi.ebay.com/H-STERN-18-KARAT...QQcmdZViewItem
There is a massive disparity between the current bid ($100 which is the same for almost all of the H Stern jewellery on eBay) and the retail price of $1,300.
Now I wouldn't dream of bidding for it (although it's a very nice ring) but I can't see Portero taking less than $1000 for it? So I'm even more confused about how to bid LOL!
I think I'll go to H Stern on Fifth Ave or Park Lane, NYC and see what their cheapest items are...I suspect the Portero stuff is older season stock (not that it bothers me) but might help if I do decide to bid online.
I also have another idea for a 40th birthday gift.....wonder if I should ask you lot for comments to see if it's the kind of gift you might like?
Jan 10th 2007 | 8:40 am
#22
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: How to bid on eBay?
I'd never normally be so generous.....but she is my best friend here, we're like sisters and she's had a crappy few years (nasty divorce and still acrimony with the ex over their children, especially now that she has a younger, handsome boyfriend).
She's also a true 'fashionista' (a high-flyer in the industry) and I just know that getting her something from the US equivalent of Ratner's isn't going to be a treasured keepsake - she knows all the labels LOL!
http://www.luxuryweb.com/html/h__stern.html
Last edited by Englishmum; Jan 10th 2007 at 8:52 am.
Jan 10th 2007 | 8:50 am
#23
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: How to bid on eBay?
Well - I think the seller is probably 'kosher'.
This isn't the item I would bid for (too bloody expensive!) but if you scroll down it shows info about the company (which is also selling the items I think I might try to bid for) and retail price. It seems to also have an excellent reputation. It's just an example of their wares:
http://cgi.ebay.com/H-STERN-18-KARAT...QQcmdZViewItem
There is a massive disparity between the current bid ($100 which is the same for almost all of the H Stern jewellery on eBay) and the retail price of $1,300.
Now I wouldn't dream of bidding for it (although it's a very nice ring) but I can't see Portero taking less than $1000 for it? So I'm even more confused about how to bid LOL!
I think I'll go to H Stern on Fifth Ave or Park Lane, NYC and see what their cheapest items are...I suspect the Portero stuff is older season stock (not that it bothers me) but might help if I do decide to bid online.
I also have another idea for a 40th birthday gift.....wonder if I should ask you lot for comments to see if it's the kind of gift you might like?
This isn't the item I would bid for (too bloody expensive!) but if you scroll down it shows info about the company (which is also selling the items I think I might try to bid for) and retail price. It seems to also have an excellent reputation. It's just an example of their wares:
http://cgi.ebay.com/H-STERN-18-KARAT...QQcmdZViewItem
There is a massive disparity between the current bid ($100 which is the same for almost all of the H Stern jewellery on eBay) and the retail price of $1,300.
Now I wouldn't dream of bidding for it (although it's a very nice ring) but I can't see Portero taking less than $1000 for it? So I'm even more confused about how to bid LOL!
I think I'll go to H Stern on Fifth Ave or Park Lane, NYC and see what their cheapest items are...I suspect the Portero stuff is older season stock (not that it bothers me) but might help if I do decide to bid online.
I also have another idea for a 40th birthday gift.....wonder if I should ask you lot for comments to see if it's the kind of gift you might like?
Feedback on Portero, does not seem that bad.
They have a reserve, 'list' price is meaningless.
Jan 10th 2007 | 8:58 am
#24
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: How to bid on eBay?
http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?Use...rn=Received+by
Feedback on Portero, does not seem that bad.
They have a reserve, 'list' price is meaningless.
Feedback on Portero, does not seem that bad.
They have a reserve, 'list' price is meaningless.
No idea.....it's difficult when you can't see the item in front of you!?
Jan 10th 2007 | 11:11 am
#25
Blondie22
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,738
Re: How to bid on eBay?
That's the problem - obviously the reserve price isn't listed. I wonder if (since the Jan sales are on) it's only worth offering say 70% of the list price? Or should I go as low as 50%, 60% or 80%?
No idea.....it's difficult when you can't see the item in front of you!?
No idea.....it's difficult when you can't see the item in front of you!?
If you don't hit their reserve then they are not going to sell it to you unfortunately (not on ebay anyway!)
Jan 10th 2007 | 11:21 am
#26
Blondie22
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,738
Re: How to bid on eBay?
What about this? It's reasonably priced ($99.00), on ebay at the moment and is by the designer H Stern.
Jan 10th 2007 | 11:27 am
#27
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: How to bid on eBay?
They always have one manufacturer at something like 30% off MSRP and may a big deal of this in their shop.
Now anybody who had done any research would know that for this Manufacturer you halve their MSRP to get a reasonable street price. Hunt around and you can do better. So not a con, but deceptive.
Jewellery always struck me as a dodgy area, you can find out stone prices easily enough, but made up pieces? All you can do is shop around but they prey on the fact that is difficult. Even in this age.
Me, I would decide the maximum I am prepared to pay, put a snipe bid on. Basically bid at the last moment either manually or automatically, and leave it at that.
There is bound to be something else along tomorrow.
