Am I being cheap?

[DovR]

you can often find them on pen boards at 80-90.

 

You're talking about the M size right ? I recently sold my yellow with music for 85

inclusive s+h. So for an extra 10 or 15 bux at least you know who you're dealing

with . there are good deals to be found on the bay. More and more I'm findeing collusions,

pens not reaching a minimim being pushed up at last moment by seller and/or cahoots,

pens withdrawn last moment.

 

[tamburlaine]

... This guy got his last week for cheap and there seem to be others.

eBay link

 

You know, this auction does not have any reference to '1911M' or 'medium size' or 'mid size' in it at all. Aside from the 135mm capped length, you might assumed that this is a full-sized pen for sale. Unless the 1911M is called the 'Profit' in Japan . . . is this true?

 

I realize that English is a second language here (and I can't speak let alone write a lick in Japanese) . . . but this could easily be considered a bit misleading.

 

But back to the original topic . . . it seems that non-black models can definitely be had for very reasonable prices!

 

 

Remember that you can tell the difference between the small size 1911 and the full size 1911 by the gold content of the nib. The small Sailor pens (like 1911M and Sapporo) all seem to have 14ct, while the larger PGs and 1911s have 21ct. And the gold content is nearly ALWAYS listed. I think so anyway.

 

Edited November 27, 2007 by patrick1314

[mehitabel]

I recently bought a new red/black Sailor 1911M (AKA "proft") with Zoom nib on ebay for $64.

 

mehitabel

[Univer]

Hi,

 

I have the distinct feeling that what I'm about to say is going to sound harsh...and I don't intend it to. So accept my apologies at the outset.

 

While no "free market" is 100% free, I think it's fair to say that the eBay marketplace does determine over time, with reasonable reliability, the price at which a free seller and buyer are willing to sell and purchase an item. Anomalies exist, of course. I've seen lovely vintage pens go for $10, and I've seen the cheapest of the cheap (most recently one of those faceted, semi-hooded-nib, soft-plastic Sheaffer cartridge pens) bid up to preposterous figures. But in the main, prices do seem to seek appropriate levels.

 

I recall a post here, maybe a year or so ago, in which someone complained that his $50 bids were failing, each and every time, to win him a PFM. What can one say to that? The marketplace has decided that PFMs are worth more than $50.

 

So while I would never, ever say that one was "cheap" for deciding not to align his bids with the prevailing market prices, I would say that one would have to be lucky to win a pen with a bid significantly below those prices. I've been the beneficiary of such luck on more than one occasion.

 

But as Branch Rickey said, luck is the residue of design. So if you're going to hold the line on your maximum bid, then be patient, canny and resolute. Others have given excellent advice: be flexible, perhaps, in the matter of color, and take full advantage of "tricks" like the sniping services' bid groups. If the strategy is sound, the odds of being "lucky" will dramatically improve.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[Tony the Tiger]

Hi,

 

I have the distinct feeling that what I'm about to say is going to sound harsh...and I don't intend it to. So accept my apologies at the outset.

 

While no "free market" is 100% free, I think it's fair to say that the eBay marketplace does determine over time, with reasonable reliability, the price at which a free seller and buyer are willing to sell and purchase an item. Anomalies exist, of course. I've seen lovely vintage pens go for $10, and I've seen the cheapest of the cheap (most recently one of those faceted, semi-hooded-nib, soft-plastic Sheaffer cartridge pens) bid up to preposterous figures. But in the main, prices do seem to seek appropriate levels.

 

I recall a post here, maybe a year or so ago, in which someone complained that his $50 bids were failing, each and every time, to win him a PFM. What can one say to that? The marketplace has decided that PFMs are worth more than $50.

 

So while I would never, ever say that one was "cheap" for deciding not to align his bids with the prevailing market prices, I would say that one would have to be lucky to win a pen with a bid significantly below those prices. I've been the beneficiary of such luck on more than one occasion.

 

But as Branch Rickey said, luck is the residue of design. So if you're going to hold the line on your maximum bid, then be patient, canny and resolute. Others have given excellent advice: be flexible, perhaps, in the matter of color, and take full advantage of "tricks" like the sniping services' bid groups. If the strategy is sound, the odds of being "lucky" will dramatically improve.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

Jon, you absolutely were not harsh. Perish the thought! Your advice, as well as the earlier posts are all good tidbits to know. Not being terribly experienced with competitive bidding on highly sought-after items, I have some lessons to learn. All the above advice will help me to become more eBay savvy. "What the market will bear" is a pretty tried and true phenomenon.

[Zarble44]

japan_antique usually has an assortment of 1911 and 1911M up on ebay. Sometimes you find people bidding the prices way up several days ahead. The trick is to just be patient. If you miss this one, there'll be another one in a few days.

 

I've bought 3 1911M's ranging from $65 to $82 (plus $13 shipping from Japan). Taizo ships them to arrive 3 days after payment. Most of his auctions state (if you can read through all the text) that any of the nib sizes are available in the 1911M.

 

Just click the ebay "watch" button, and don't delete them after the auction. It acts as a constant reminder of what the prices have been. I use justsnipe.com. They have a free membership that allows 5 free snipes a week, and submits the bid at T-8 seconds.

[Seville]

Wow. Do I ever feel like schmoo. Here I am just putting in some bids on pens I like and at a price I want to pay and I usually get sniped to death at the last minute. I have learned a couple of tricks here that I will now try but I find it amazing that I have ever won anything on ebay as I have not done very much right.

Ok I have been sticking to just Canadian vendors since the duty and taxes are killing me right now. When just bidding on the Canuck stuff there seems to be less bidders and quite frankly way less sellers of quality goods. {Sean excluded of course even though I think he just out bid me last week....smiling}

 

Philip

[ArPharazon]

CaptNemo . . . good job on the odd bid numbers! It only took one time seeing that happen to me and I immediately made it a part of the strategy. Now I know if I'm going up against you I need to bid $XXX.07!

 

I like that eBay ad with a bunch of people running or riding horses through the forest, pursuing a lunchbox. I like to picture myself stepping out of a cab and grabbing the item "Yoink!" just before they come sprinting up!

 

Good point on the 14kt versus 21kt nibs . . . as I said, they also listed the size which at 135mm shows it's an 'M'. Live and learn. I still got a darn nice pen coming for Christmas!!!

Edited November 28, 2007 by ArPharazon

[Fox in the Stars]

I always snipe on eBay, too, just because it seems like the only way to have a decent chance. (And it cuts down on the suspense; if I lose I've only had the mental commitment of a bid in for a few seconds.)

 

There was some auction service, maybe Yahoo!Japan or something, that when a bid was made would extend the auction for like five minutes, so it would only end when people actually stopped bidding. I'm not sure which system I like better... :embarrassed_smile: