Esterbrook Price Explosion On Ebay

[banyanleaf]

I can imagine the pain inflicted on Tiger Woods for him to give up his women...

[aspendigger]

I'm not sure I quite buy the logic [of sniping]; otherwise, why go through the effort of using a sniping program when you could simply log in a maximum bid price via eBay early on and be done with it? What a sniping program does that the "maximum bid" via eBay doesn't do is keep your maximum a bit more protected until the last seconds of the auction. If you are the only person going that route, all should work out to your advantage; on the other hand, if a number of people are using sniping software on the same item, what happens?

 

 

If one finds an item newly listed without any other bids and places their "maximum" bid, there is no advantage to sniping.

However, if I find an item with several bids (and worse yet - from only one or two bidders) then there is great advantage to sniping.

 

If an item is listed for $1.00 and someone bids $5, I could bid $10 and find myself with the highest bid.

Maybe human nature explains why someone would bid $5, wait until they are outbid and come back and bid $15, or even $20.

Blame it on impulse control, but then - that's why auctions work so well (why do you think ebay sends emails to bidders reminding them they've been outbid and to not let an item get away!)

When I snipe, I bid my absolute maximum and walk away. The program places my bid 3-5 seconds before the end of the auction.

One of three things happens:

1.) My sniped bid is higher than the existing bids, and I win.

2.) My sniped bid is lower than the top bid, and I lose.

3.) My sniped bid - as much as I wish to pay - is more than other bids previously entered, but less than another sniper's, and I lose.

 

Point is - sniping prevents running up the price with bidding wars.

How else can you explain a single bidder placing a dozen bids on a single item?

Because they did not place their highest bid the first, second, or eighth time...

Sniping eliminates that opportunity for second guessing ("maybe just $1 more") and emotional bidding.

 

He who lives by the snipe dies by the snipe.

I'll be the first to admit I love sniping when I'm buying, and hate it when I'm selling.

 

In case there is any question as to this theory -

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=120653586169

Here, I placed an opening bid for my maximum amount that stood for a week.

A bidder begins tapping away today, one, two, three bid...before topping my own.

Why the first two bids if there was a willingness to pay the third amount.

Had this bidder placed their bid first (for $30) and likely stopped there, I could have sniped this afternoon for my high bid, possibly winning, possibly not....but that bidder would have stood on his bid of $30.

Edited December 3, 2010 by aspendigger

[FarmBoy]

Snipe or not, I seem to have a lot of pens that came from ebay.

 

It must be my kilt.

[watchin]

Browsing pens on eBay is a lot easier than going from antique shop to antique shop but...there is something to be said about being the only person looking at the pen when deciding on a price you are willing to pay. Most (certainly not all) know what they are selling on eBay whereas many second hand and antique shop owners are not really sure. BTW..eBay prices still seem way up there to me. I think someone was just looking at the price before it sold. That number changes a lot in the last ten seconds.

-William-

[GavH]

Hi all, this is my first trip into the Estie forum on account of the reconditioned dark Grey Double J with a 9314-F nib I picked up on ebay last night. Apparantly it is one of the earlier DJs (without the 'R' symbol?) and it looks very clean and nice. At £18 (@ $28 US) I thought it was a bargain, especially as I was also looking at a number of Conway Stewarts with prices that just went ballistic in the last minutes. That said, reading this thread is making me wonder if I got such a good deal after all!?

 

EDIT: just searched ebay for 9314-F nibs and all that are for sale are marked with BIN prices that are at LEAST that which I paid for the whole pen. Looks like maybe I did get a bargain after all.

Edited December 6, 2010 by GavH

[Gobblecup]

An Esterbrook's nib is often a big factor in the price, and the 9xxx series usually go for more because they last longer and have in some cases become rarer than others. I am not familiar with 9314 but if you look at Esterbrook.net and other sites selling NOS nibs, you can get an idea of the value as you may have already done.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Gobblecup

[SusanS]

I confess to looking at FleaBay last night, I was going to bid on a parts pen. (and watching a camera I was going to bid on fly up $200 more in the last seconds). Then a buzzer went off, time for me to flip the steaks and I forgot to bid (the pen went unbid). Duh.

[79spitfire]

Hi all, this is my first trip into the Estie forum on account of the reconditioned dark Grey Double J with a 9314-F nib I picked up on ebay last night. Apparantly it is one of the earlier DJs (without the 'R' symbol?) and it looks very clean and nice. At £18 (@ $28 US) I thought it was a bargain, especially as I was also looking at a number of Conway Stewarts with prices that just went ballistic in the last minutes. That said, reading this thread is making me wonder if I got such a good deal after all!?

 

EDIT: just searched ebay for 9314-F nibs and all that are for sale are marked with BIN prices that are at LEAST that which I paid for the whole pen. Looks like maybe I did get a bargain after all.

Yes, looks like you did. The 9314 stubs are very desirable, nice score!

[watchin]

For some reason BIN prices on eBay are usually ridiculous. I think it is just plain optimism on the seller's behalf. Whenever I get outbid on a pen I really want my first thought is the guy who won the auction got screwed. I think that is some form of compensation on my part, not sure. I have seen some beauties on eBay lately, though. Some pretty unusual items.

-William-

 

 

[Gobblecup]

I sadly lost a Blue dollar yesterday by a about $00.70. It was simply gorgeous!

[wpb]

For some reason BIN prices on eBay are usually ridiculous.

 

My theory...buyers are willing to pay a premium for an instant purchase rather than the time and risk of an auction. Personally, I rarely BIN on items because the premium is too much. However I've noticed a few BINs on Esterbrook nibs that seemed reasonable.

 

Bill

[SusanS]

I won a black single band no jewel Dollar pen/2556 nib last night for $10.59. Just hope it isn't too bad of a beater. Like I need another pen. Well yes, I don't have a Dollar pen.

[pen2paper]

Snipe or not, I seem to have a lot of pens that came from ebay.

 

It must be my kilt.

hmm, must be magnet's sewn in the hem? ala Chanel.

[Gobblecup]

Snipe or not, I seem to have a lot of pens that came from ebay.

 

It must be my kilt.

hmm, must be magnet's sewn in the hem? ala Chanel.

 

Maybe you're on to something! He must have a big magnatic sporran! Wait Esties are made of plastic! Hmmm...

 

I have sagged a couple of Esties for under $15 in the past couple of days, maybe Christmas fever is wearing off early! Or, all the Estie buyers were Hanukkah shoppers, which is in full swing.

 

Let's hope things continue to return to normal.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Gobblecup

[watchin]

I won a black single band no jewel Dollar pen/2556 nib last night for $10.59. Just hope it isn't too bad of a beater. Like I need another pen. Well yes, I don't have a Dollar pen.

 

 

Obviously, if you don't have a Dollar you most certainly need another pen. Have you seen the Demi-Dollar Estie? They are like the SJ's of the Dual Jewel Esties. Shorter, cuter, just real lovable little pens. I think it would be hard not to want one of those little fellers in your hand. You can spot them if you look for the lever filler..it just seems too close to the end of the barrel.

-William-

[FarmBoy]

I won a black single band no jewel Dollar pen/2556 nib last night for $10.59. Just hope it isn't too bad of a beater. Like I need another pen. Well yes, I don't have a Dollar pen.

 

 

Obviously, if you don't have a Dollar you most certainly need another pen. Have you seen the Demi-Dollar Estie? They are like the SJ's of the Dual Jewel Esties. Shorter, cuter, just real lovable little pens. I think it would be hard not to want one of those little fellers in your hand. You can spot them if you look for the lever filler..it just seems too close to the end of the barrel.

-William-

They have a name, they are H. The siblings are B (full size) and A (slender).

[watchin]

I won a black single band no jewel Dollar pen/2556 nib last night for $10.59. Just hope it isn't too bad of a beater. Like I need another pen. Well yes, I don't have a Dollar pen.

 

 

Obviously, if you don't have a Dollar you most certainly need another pen. Have you seen the Demi-Dollar Estie? They are like the SJ's of the Dual Jewel Esties. Shorter, cuter, just real lovable little pens. I think it would be hard not to want one of those little fellers in your hand. You can spot them if you look for the lever filler..it just seems too close to the end of the barrel.

-William-

They have a name, they are H. The siblings are B (full size) and A (slender).

 

Todd, it would be so cool if you had a pic that you could post of an H, A and B Dollar pen here. I know you have mentioned this before and I would have given a model designation to they but I could not remember it.

-William-

[DanDeM]

Todd, it would be so cool if you had a pic that you could post of an H, A and B Dollar pen here. I know you have mentioned this before and I would have given a model designation to they but I could not remember it.

-William-

 

Cheesy photo, but does this help?

From the top:

Black V Clip (for reference), Grey B, Brown B, Green Bandless A, Black A, White Nurse (Black Jewel) H and a Red H. The white Dollar pencil is part of the Nurse set, and is actually longer than the pen.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Blotto

[OcalaFlGuy]

I won a black single band no jewel Dollar pen/2556 nib last night for $10.59. Just hope it isn't too bad of a beater. Like I need another pen. Well yes, I don't have a Dollar pen.

 

 

Obviously, if you don't have a Dollar you most certainly need another pen. Have you seen the Demi-Dollar Estie? They are like the SJ's of the Dual Jewel Esties. Shorter, cuter, just real lovable little pens. I think it would be hard not to want one of those little fellers in your hand. You can spot them if you look for the lever filler..it just seems too close to the end of the barrel.

-William-

They have a name, they are H. The siblings are B (full size) and A (slender).

 

Todd, it would be so cool if you had a pic that you could post of an H, A and B Dollar pen here. I know you have mentioned this before and I would have given a model designation to they but I could not remember it.

-William-

 

<thinking of Farmboy trying to remember/find his piles of each of those Three...>

 

:ltcapd:

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[seanruss]

I have lost several ebay auctions where I thought I bid pretty high, lately. I just lost one for a silver dollar pen in which i bid $40, and thought surely i would win with THAT MUCH money, but nope! Did you see the 1.50 pen that sold for $129?