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Posted by Mark Traxler on February 11, 1999 at 06:15:39:
In Reply to: Re: If its too good to be true...but might be posted by a-bey on February 11, 1999 at 04:14:54:
: : The old adage "if its to good to be true it probably is" is common advice given to callow rug buyers. Yet, I log on to E-bay and I all I see are prices that seem to good. Even prices where the seller includes estimated (retail) values at 5x - 10x the bid level. What gives? Is the difference really reflecting what an intermediary earns?
: : The educational aspect of logging on to an internet auction is pretty amazing-- buyers become smart real fast where it counts . Or should they be suspicious?
: : If I were a retailer, E-bay would make me a little nervous. As a consumer, bring on D-E-F-L-A-T-I-O-N.
: : I put everything up at a penny. My auctions therefore reflect what the public is willing to pay for a well described and hopefully properly pictured piece. I try and treat any unhappy buyers fairly because I know they just got the wrong piece and not a bad deal. a-bey on eBay
But Jim, I trust you! Seriously, some rugs selling on e-bay
are going for "downtown" prices and are worth it. Lets
take the case of the "Rose" Bidjar that sold last week.
It was an obviously authentic example of that rug style. The
seller had a positive track record. The rug went for $80+ per
square foot. Now, that's fair market value. The buyer got a good
little rug and the seller got a good price. The problem arises I
think when you see "Isfahan" being sold by a seller
with a "0" sales record. I just don't bid. I do wonder
if cjmoshy is on to something, however. I notice that 6 months
ago there were 450 "rugs" [and I use that term
loosely!] at any one time on ebay. I'll bet we break the 1000
mark before the month is out. If moshy is right supply may exceed
demand in certain areas. People like Mr. Allen [a-bey] will be
unaffected. They have a "market nitch." I mean how many
18th & 19th Century textile examples are available? I think
that e-bay serves people like me who live in rural areas where
not even bad rugs area available. I can now locate a broad range
of rug types, and if I am patient, can even find the exceptional
rug.