I was robbed, robbed I tell you

[dysonman1]

I learned about auction sniping years ago, when a vacuum club member with very deep pockets used to snipe all the auctions he wanted. He used a service I believe was called "bid sniper", he would put in the auction number and a high bid of like $1000 to be placed at the last 3 seconds automatically. This cost him twenty five cents for the service.

I'm sure it bit him in the behind several times, when TWO people used the bid sniper. $50 vac with no bids. "MP" robobids $950. "JL" robobids $1000. Both think they'll get the machine for a reasonable amount since no one else has expressed "interest' by bidding. Last seconds come, and the $50 vac is now $960 with the winning bid going to "JL" who trumped the $950 bid with his $1000 bid. All in the last 3 seconds. Surprise for the seller. Surprise for "MP" who thought he'd win. And real surprise for "JL" who now is paying dearly for a $50 cleaner he wanted so badly.

 

[toddk13]

Auctions can be disasters like Tom points out. Never go above your maximum practical limit when using auction assistant programs. Unless it’s “one of one”, you can probably find it again.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I've never bought an entire vacuum on eBay, though I have bought a power nozzle. The bulk and weight of a vacuum makes shipping tend to be high.
For other things that I DO buy on eBay, I never, ever place a bid until the auction is about to close. All that does in a lot of cases, is drive up the cost if someone else starts bidding. I just bid the maximum I want to pay, at the end of the auction.

If there have already been a few bids or the price is getting higher than I'd like, I don't usually bid unless I really want it, and I usually still lose.

It's interesting how sometimes an item will get a lot of bids and go high, yet a while later, a same or similar item gets relisted and gets only one or no bids.

I don't usually see vintage vacuums at thrift stores here either. I did buy a Hoover Slimline once at a thrift store, and they had a Portable another time, but it was missing the handle. In fact, I also saw a mint Hoover Convertible Elite in green there too. Unfortunately since they moved, they don't seem to get any good stuff in anymore, or as much either.

Habitat used to get old Convertibles and others in but rarely anymore do they get anything older than an Elite or Bissell bagless. I've seen a few old Kenmore canisters, but incomplete.

At Goodwill they sometimes get newer Electrolux or Kirbys, but no vacuums more than 20 years old. I have seen a few nice PowerMaxs.

Maybe you'll have to go outside your area to find better stuff.

 

[panasonicvac]

I rarely buy from ebay but

Last year I tried to bid on a red Panasonic MC-V7398 because I have been after that model for like years now. Someone already bid on it so I waited for like the last minute to bid on it, sure enough that same person out bid me for like the finals seconds there was left on the auction. As much as I was frustrated with myself, I quickly let it go because I knew it was not the end of the world and that I would find another one again someday.

 

[weltron]

Goodwill

I have been noticing lately that Goodwill in my area is really going downhill. The housewares section is extremely sparse, and it's almost like they are just selling out of anything. The one an hour away is the same way. Lately they have also been upping their prices on things, stopped taking credit cards for any purchase under $10 and revoked their 7 day return policy. The only vacuum they had when I was last in there was a little Hoover bagless that looked like it had seen much better days. It was dirty, and just beat up. They wanted $20 for it. On the other hand though, the Salvation Army and St. Vincent dePaul are doing well. I think I know where people are dropping things off at around here, and it is not Goodwill

 

[fan-of-fans]

I've noticed similar with Goodwill in the housewares section lately. I do wonder though if the good stuff sells quickly after it goes out. I typically go once a week on Friday. Sometimes if I'm in town and want to kill time I might make a Saturday stop. Typically I come out empty handed.

One thing about them is whenever they ask if I want to round my purchase up to donate change, I always seem to say yes. So a small purchase quickly becomes more after tax and rounding up.

Our St. Vincent de Paul store closed a few years back, it was small and I didn't go to it much because it was rarely open. They did get some neat things when I did go.

Salvation Army here is almost not worth going to anymore. About 15 or so years ago it was always busy and getting in new stuff constantly. You could hardly move around it was so packed and crowded. But they remodeled about 10 years ago and must have gotten more selective about merchandise or something because I rarely see anything good anymore. I'll go once every few months and usually the same old stuff, and most is random dishes or silverware, some old furniture, or cheap small appliances. It's never busy either. Maybe they're putting all the good stuff somewhere else or nobody donates.

 

[luxlife]

Check out the neighborhood first, 'cuz Goodwill.....

no longer has any Good Will! It's all about funding their programs. I was shocked when I saw how HIGH some of their crap was priced! I've seen lots of price gouging and demographics seem to come into play quite a bit. If you go to a Goodwill on the edge of a posh neighborhood, the merchandise quality will look considerably better, but you WILL pay for it.

I went to a Goodwill last week in Baytown Texas (oil refinery community) and bought an Oxo salad spinner for $6. Albeit, it was used but I needed one since I'm out here working during the week. Baytown isn't exactly a "salad eating" community, because salads aren't typically chicken fried, made with a roux, or pan seared in butter. You know where I'm going with this, hence the reason why it looked unused. (LOL) I took it even though I'd have expected to pay less.

I'm starting to think that either Goodwill has hit hard times, or "inflation" has hit Goodwill. I sure wouldn't call Goodwill a "thrift store" anymore.

 

[huskyvacs]

@ luxlife

The prices at Goodwill are set by the employees working in the back room that put the prices on stuff. Not by Goodwill. There are several large rolls of price labels on spools at a workbench of values 0.99 to 29.99 and it is up to you to determine what you think an item should be worth. There are people that don't know anything about junk and will price coffee mugs at 2.99, then people that do know could come in a month later and price them at 0.99.

There is a rough guide that states DVD's and VCR's be priced at $19.99, vacuums at $29.99 and so on. But outside of that it is whoever holds the price stickers that day that decides the values.

Don't blame Goodwill, blame the employees that work there that have no education on the value of things.

Also, go on 50% off days which is every other saturday.

 

[luxlife]

@ husky: I'm not blaming anyone........

I was just making an observation. If you seem to have an insight to the pricing metrics that Goodwill uses, then more power to ya.

 

[weltron]

Goodwill

If there is any blame to lay on the Goodwill organization, it is more than likely with the regional offices. For instance, the Goodwills near me are under the umbrella of "Goodwill of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan". I believe the ones downstate where my parents are, aka "Goodwill of West Michigan" still have the return policy, and even have coupons with a donation.