Razor & Tie Beach Boys

I think we will agree to disagree on your assessment. My problem with this issue is if I do the leg work to find a CD I'm looking for and someone else comes along and posts the auction on the forum for all to see, it only drives the cost up.

Really the only ones who benefit, are those too lazy to find the item for themselves (and the seller of course). If they didn't know about the CD, they would not be bidding anyway. In addition, only the forum members with deep pockets tend to win after posting auctions.

 

More bidding today. Price went from $50 to $56.

 

I agree -- except that there is another party that benefits from the posting of auctions on this forum...EBAY.

Signed - one of the bellyaching "self-interested" collectors

 

So... just because you want a bargain, no one else should know about an item of interest being sold. I have taken advantage of a couple of links here and saved time not searching ebay for it.

 

I'll give you a non-opinion: This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can help someone who is looking for a rare find. On the other, it could drive the price up *unnecessarily*.

I bought something I was interested in last week and kept checking here to see if it was posted here, but was posted, fortunately only after the auction ended. I'm sure because of the price. But, I appreciated the comments afterward.

 

I bought a cd on ebay that I did not know was mastered by Steve until is was posted here. The cd is not in Steve's discography.

 

The item is not a secret, it is listed on eBay for the world to see. So anyone can take the time to find it if they really want it. The problem is sharing it publicly with 9,000 forum members at one time.

I have helped out a some forum members with a PM before about a CD/LP I knew they would be interested in. I don't see anything wrong with that.

It is not always about a "bargin" either. I expect to be going up against others bidders in every auction I bid on. However, posting them here normally brings in the heavy hitters. So posting auctions can actually hurt more members than helping by driving us out of the market altogether.

 

Duophonic, I think you'll get less flak in the future if you post eBay deals in a manner similar to this:

Hi, I am interested in a Beach Boys CD compilation and would prefer to purchase one of the many fine discs mastered by Steve Hoffman. I found this Razor & Tie compilation on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Beach-Boys-Great...cmdZViewI tem

However, The current auction price seems way too low and I'm just wondering whether or not anyone can confirm if this is actually Steve's mastering. Please respond promptly as there is only four days left...

 

You can't be serious. This is a hobby, who is getting hurt?

I come here for entertainment and information. Keep posting those ebay auctions guys.

 

Many hobbies involve spending money. Oddly enough, many day-to-day activities involve spending money. The next time you find a price boost at your local store, come back here and tell me how you felt about that. I don't know a single person in this world who likes to spend more money on a given item than they have to.

 

By hurting, I mean by financially by driving up the cost without realizing it. It also hurts the forum members who actually spend the time to find these auctions, since posting the auctions wastes their time.

Maybe the issue is you have with my comment is either you have unlimited funds and/or you don't have the time to do the research on your own. I know if I was in that situation, I would be hoping everyone posted every great auction came across too.

Like I said before, you want to help a forum buddy find a great auction just drop him/her a PM and give them a chance to buy it. I am 100% behind that idea! Otherwise, post it here for 9,000 members to see and drive up the cost. Which idea sounds better to help a fourm member out?

 

The PM idea is obviously a much better way, in the sense that only 1 person is contacted vs. every Forum member about a particular item.

But, to be honest, as I posted above, I'd like to have my cake and eat it too, ie. I'd like to not have an auction I'm involved in posted here because it may drive up the price, but I don't have a lot of time to research auctions and it would be nice to find collectibles here.

 

Many of us want this CD, so it's likely that the more persistent board members have already found this listing. I am casually interested in it, so the current $56 price is out of my interest range. This thread will not induce me to bid. Adding a few more watchers on top of the 366 who have already viewed (with three days to go) will have a minimal impact on the price. There are many collectors who have access to eBay and don't read this forum. Let's not be greedy. We come here to enjoy music and collecting. If someone really wants this item and would prefer not to compete with others here, they can state their intentions in this thread before the auction closes.

 

Well stated, Manos.

The only question I think that may come up is whether or not exposure to an item in this Forum by 9000 potential collectors may drive up the price. I don't have any data or even a real sense if it will or would to me or not, it's just that it seems as if it could drive up a price.

 

So who is being helped? Clearly Ebay and sellers. And lazy forum members with $$ to spend.:thumbsdn:

I'll admit that while I think posting these APB's is foolish and only serves to drive up prices, I have taken advantage of them (just as I'll take advantage of certain tax laws even if I think they are foolish). And I'll continue to do so as long as other forum members are -- in their self-important benevolence -- going to do my homework for me.

As for those who have suggested that someone post here if they are interested in an item and then everyone lay off...good luck. Some people may respect your desire, but many won't. Ebay is not first come, first served (except for Buy It Nows, of course). Just announcing your intententions is probably only going to serve the same purpose as the APB's.

 

Isn't coming on this forum and checking the ebay forum doing homework??

 

Sure...if you consider copying from the smart kid in school "doing your homework".

 

The difference being, buying collectables is not a necessary purchase. If the price is too high lay off and wait for a cheaper one. Maybe, some of you just want to buy these items cheap so that you can resell them for a profit and that is why you are getting hurt, by not being able to gouge somebody else later.

 

No, copying some kids homework is morally wrong. Reading information on a public forum is hardly immoral.

 

You can't read it if isn't posted.

 

Tullman, I don't consider myself a collector and I rarely sell anything. I suggest you withdraw your cynical comment.

 

Much has been made of the tremendous amount of work done by those who "do the research themselves" and the "laziness" of those who benefit from an auction posting. Last time I checked (three minutes ago), all one must do is type "beach boys greatest hits" in the little eBay search box. Bingo! Also, you can sign up for automatic email notification through eBay and they will send you an alert every time a particular title becomes available.

 

Exactly. It's not that hard or complicated, but it does take a little industriousness. So why post them here?

 

Guys, this bantering back and forth will only get the Gorts involved and the end results will be obvious.

My 2 cents. I used to post auctions when we were a much smaller community. After careful consideration I decided that the only way that's fair is if I only post buy it now auctions. It's our sheer size and global exposure that has become our detriment in posting auctions in progress.

 

The "buy it now" approach seems fair.