Another bidder saved me from myself

[human]

Last night, I was dangerously perusing eBay when I came across an Electrolux UltraLux canister with a broken off handle and no hose or tools, just the canister, going cheap (by eBay standards) and ending in a few minutes. Even as I was watching the time count down, I was questioning my own sanity. The machine would have cost me a little close to $60 with shipping and sales tax, a price I would never have considered paying for it in a thrift store. But here I was, waiting to put in my bid in the closing seconds, which admittedly is a bit of an adrenaline rush for me. But it was like somebody else was driving as I typed in the numbers. Thankfully, another bidder wanted it worse than I did and I was outbid and saved from myself by a stranger. But it got me thinking. This is some genuine addict behavior. I've gotten better vacuums from the trash for nothing and here I was ready to blow $60, just for the fun of putting in the winning bid on a machine I totally didn't need. I guess it's good I recognize that behavior for what it is. I had a similar feeling earlier this summer when I bought a nice Electrolux Epic 3500SR upright for $3 at Goodwill. I was at once exhilarated at with my find but even at such a cheap price, I was thinking 'why the hell am I buying this thing?' It's a sickness, I tell ya, a real sickness.

 

[kirbyklekter]

I agree

and the internet makes impulse buying so much easier.I wonder how often people feel buyers remorse after winning the bidding war because after the thrill of the win wears off, there's that package coming your way that you really didn't need to buy. Different of course if you win what you definitely need or want.

 

[lesinutah]

Similar

I was on eBay a few months ago. They had for sale frantz premier salesman model. I thought it was a door to door demo machine.
The thing is maybe 6" tall. I put a bid in for $210. He counter offered$
$230. I countered $175 and he didn't accept.
Les


.

 

[real1shep]

As far as usable vacs of note,$60 on eBay today is cheap. Often you see a nice vac you want and it's hundreds.....welcome to eBay and the world of hype price collecting.

My addiction on eBay was solved. I became one of the four states that taxes Internet sales. So I don't buy anything on eBay now of collector status. No way I'm paying 8.9% on top of the purchase price along with shipping.

Kevin

 

[human]

Internet Sales Tax...

Real1shep wrote:
No way I'm paying 8.9% on top of the purchase price along with shipping.

I reply:
I'm increasingly leaning that way myself. North Carolina taxes Internet sales and eBay takes it a step further, applying sales tax to shipping and handling as well!!! Really!?! I don't have to pay sales tax when I go to the post office and buy stamps. I honestly have to wonder if they turn the entire amount over to the state or if they pocket the "tax" collected on shipping. While I haven't completely sworn off eBay yet, I am far more picky about my purchases. I also sell on eBay but sometimes I have to wonder about the value proposition there once eBay and PayPal extract their respective pounds of flesh.

I do agree, that at $34 and change, plus about $25 for shipping, the UltraLux I bid on was a very good buy, at least by eBay standards, even with the broken handle. I knew I didn't need it so I intentionally made a low-ball bid and left the rest up to fate. I'm content with the outcome but I still question my behavior in considering a totally unnecessary impulse purchase that large.

 

[jo]

It’s an adrenaline rush you get

I’ve experienced the very same thing...exactly as you describe it. Overpaying for something because I got caught up in the moment and the rush of wanting to win and not lose out. A friend of mine got addicted to it too and started having financial troubles because of it and had to get off eBay entirely.

The first step in curing yourself is recognizing what is happening here so you can resist and step away for a moment and realize that not spending that money on the item is OK. Seems like you have made it here. Even if you can afford it...is it really a reasonable buy that you NEED or is this just hobby spending. Perhaps you are not wanting to wait until a thrift store find comes along and so you’ve resorted to eBay which has much higher prices.

You have to set yourself a reasonable limit and stick to it, if someone else pays more then so be it. There may be a more reasonably priced find in the future more in lime with whether price you would rather pay.

My Sister was addicted to drop leaf tables for a while, she used to go out back to the goodwill trash and look for stuff. Once I was with her and this horrible drop leaf table was there, it had been left outside for perhaps a year, it was warped, cracked, all the finish was gone and was badly weathered. It was trash. She inissted on getting it loaded in the Minivan and home. I tried to reason with her while she was doing this but it was like she was possessed. She totally ignored me When I said it was too far gone and too much work and a piece of rotting crap now, and told her husband to get out of the car and help her load it when I refused to help and got back in.

So what eventually happened with the table? It finally went back on the trash after sitting in the garage for a few years hoping her husband could be swayed into fixing it up but he always had too many other more important things on the honey do list That were much bigger priorities around the house. And she finally admitted it was junk and got rid of it when cleaning out the garage.

As much as I love Electrolux’s, I have passed on some thrift store opportunities that were not in all that great of shape to bother with or would cost over $50 to Purchase and repair combined. Even some trash finds of other brands I have passed on because they were just not worth putting any money into. Usually I keep my trash find price limit at around $20 to $25 for parts needed to fix it up...if it costs more than that to get it in nice functional good working condition...then I usually don’t bother trying to fix it.

Jon

 

[human]

Jon, I completely agree with you. It's always easier to set boundaries up front and then stick with them. I've had more than one vacuum, usually eBay purchases, that ended up costing me far more than I originally anticipated. Once it turns into a project, I tend to get obsessed and lose sight of the bottom line. For some strange reason, have had better luck keeping costs down on my Electroluxes than my Kirbys. It's nothing for a $50 Kirby to balloon to twice or thrice that much or more by the time I fix all the 'little things' that need attention. But I have gotten better about it. I walked away from a $25 Sentria earlier this summer when I realized it needed a minimum of $50 worth of parts. On eBay, I always try to bid my maximum at the very end with no follow-up bids and no regrets so as not to get caught up in repeated—and increasingly irrational–bids. But every now and then, things just have a way of going sideways.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Sometimes, we scan ebay......................

see something, bid, hope. Then, sometimes, I'm glad I lost it. I've never sold on ebay, just bought. ebay is not 'perfect'. Sometimes, we impulse buy...'we must have it'.
I bid on a copy of "Fabulous Dustpan", never thinking I'd win. I WON! And, it was like $7.00 a rarity, indeed.

 

[ridgidwd0670]

I was going to bid on a Electrolux Epic 6000 bcuz its blue body & beige trim (looks much better than my 2100; which is the other way [beige body & trim & blue top] looks boring)

Also the Epic 6000 has storage spot for the long crevice tool, which I prefer to use more than the short crevice tool that came with the 2100

Makes me wish I hadn't sold the Epic 6000 that I once had yrs ago; but that Epic 6000 had VERY brittle plastic (bottom had a crack & the rear end was held by tape bcuz it had the 'hooks' broken)

I don't know why the 2100 & 75 anniversary Epic 6500 are still robust (1980s) & the Epic 6000 (1992-93) have more brittle plastic

Why was the Epic 6000 made for a short time?