Ebay Auctions

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	27 May 2002
Okay, thanks to Faunabay, I actually stand a chance of getting a copy of my first ever deck (Which I sadly lost years ago), on the Ebay auctions... However, I am somehwat an Ebay Virgin, and have never bid over an auction for anything before! I have registered, well, my boyfriend has, cuz I'm not 18 (Damn blast, grrrrrr....) and am now waiting... There's about 3 days left on the auction... What do I do? Do I wiat until the last 15 minutes and jump in with an extortionate amount? What limit should I set myself for money? Help! Also, I noticed that other buyers have numbers by them... Is this the number of things they have bought/sold on ebay, and does in affect my chances of getting this deck? I am really worried, cuz I want this deck, but am a little confused and unsure about it all... Kiama

MystiqueMoonlight	27 May 2002
:mad: I trued to sign up for ebay. I went through all of the steps and did the click thing with my mouse. It told me I was registered and when I tried to make a bid it told me that I was an unknown user or something. I went through the process several times and with no luck at all. I even got the email from ebay telling me what to do to confirm my membership and I did that and it still didn't work. I was really upset because I wanted to bid for the Hermetic Tarot. There was only one bidder and the price it sold for was $11.99. I MISSED OUT......AAARRRGGHHH :(

catlin	27 May 2002
I did some German ebay last year. I had no problems with registration and got some nice books/decks but there a quite a lot of folk who try to rip you off with exagerating bids + shipping costs. You have to know the current price of new decks to see if it is still worth bidding on this deck. I used the automatic bidding system as I have no chance to check everytime how the bids develop.

Kiama	27 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by catlin I did some German ebay last year. I had no problems with registration and got some nice books/decks but there a quite a lot of folk who try to rip you off with exagerating bids + shipping costs. You have to know the current price of new decks to see if it is still worth bidding on this deck. The one I am going for started out at £4.99: It has gone up to £13.98 recently... It is a deck which came free with a magazine, and as such, is very hard to find! I don't know how much I would be willing to pay for it though, so I'll have to see how it goes when I get to that final few minutes! MystiqueMoonlight: (((((((((((((((((Hugs)))))))))))))))) I know how much you wanted the Hermetic... What a bummer... Did you eventually manage to become a recognised user in the end? Kiama

MystiqueMoonlight	27 May 2002
To date I still am not a registered user of Ebay and I still am not the proud owner of the Hermetic Tarot

wavebreaker	27 May 2002
Kiama, do you mean the numbers in parentheses after a user's name? That's the number of comments on this user. Whenever you buy or sell something on eBay, the person you dealt with can give feedback on how the transaction went. This is so other buyers/sellers can check the person's "record". So if the seller has lots of negative comments, it might not be a good idea to buy from this person. You can display the comments by clicking on the number. So it has nothing to do with your chances of getting the deck. It's also a good thing to keep track of the bidding time, a lot of people start bidding in the last hour. Good luck, I hope you'll get your deck!!

Kiama	27 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by tarotlady_nl It's also a good thing to keep track of the bidding time, a lot of people start bidding in the last hour. Good luck, I hope you'll get your deck!! I've worked out when th elast hour of this auction will be, and I'll be glued to the computer... But how exactly does this auction thing work? I know i put my bid in that box, but what happens after that? Do I get told when sombody else has bid? Or do I have to keep on refreshing the page? Kiama

wavebreaker	27 May 2002
I think you can have emails sent to you whenever someone else bids. You should go to the My Ebay page, there's a tab there where you can set your notification settings (I think it's called Preferences). Otherwise, I guess the best thing to do is indeed to refresh the page... I must say that, although I have used Ebay before, I've never done any "last minute" bidding myself, so I can't help you on that.

Faerie Lin	27 May 2002
When I bid on something, I wait till the last minute(s). I keep on refreshing the page too because emails most times aren't quick as lightening. So I stay on the bid page and keep on hitting refresh 'till the auction is over (which isn't a long time, 'cause I start bidding at the last minute). You REALLY have to watch it, because there might be another person just like you who really wants what you are bidding for and is doing the exact same thing as you. My sister had bid on a flute for her daughter to have for band class, no one had bid for days after she had placed a bid, so she thought she was all set, but the next time she checked, someone else had bid at the last minute. So keep your cursor on the refresh button! lol Happy Bidding! Good Luck! Lin

Kiama	27 May 2002
Thanks Faerie Lin! I'm actually getting very nervous about this bidding lark... I don't know why... I guess I'm quite worried that I'll end up bidding too much by typing in something wrong, or I will take too long bidding and not get it in on time... Oh dear... I guess I'll just have to wait and see how it all goes on the night! Kiama PS- Faerie Lin: I love your signature quote! I watched The Crow for the first time last week, and that line really struck me...

faunabay	27 May 2002
If you do figure out a top amount you'll pay you can always do an automatic bid. This is where you type in the most you'll pay and ebay will bid on your behalf up to that amount. So let's say the bid is 4.99 and you decide you won't go over 15.00. If you type in a bid for 15.00 ebay will incrementally (sp?) bid for you until it reaches 15.00. This way you don't have to keep watch over it. But if you're like me when it reaches 15.00 you'll decide - well maybe I will go a little higher! LOL Also Kiama, now that I know this is the deck you're looking for, I have seen it on ebay before. NOT that you won't get this one of course!!! :)

Kiama	27 May 2002
Thanks for that information Faunabay! Does that auto-bid thing mean that whenever somebody else bids, Ebay bids straight after them for you? Kiama

Liliana	27 May 2002
Yes it does mean ebay bids straight after them for you, but nothing stops them from bidding til they find your price and bidding a penny more I usually wait til 1 minute before the auction ends and bid my max plus a really odd number of cents, like 53, so if somone bids 50, I still beat them :) This is called auction sipining, which royally ticks of fpeople, but its the only way to get what you want anymore on ebay.

Faerie Lin	27 May 2002
You're very welcome Kiama! Don't worry, once you get the hang of it, you'll be an Ebay addict! I really think they should make shirts that say that, "Ebay Addict" lol. The Crow quote, yes it struck me too! I really love that line. Plus Brandon Lee was pretty hot. Lin

crystalmoon	27 May 2002
I am an Ebay Expert, hehe, having bought over 100 items there. Please please please read the feedback of the sellers before you bid on anything!!!!! You can bid whenever you like. If you are going to bid on an item, hands down, no matter what, then you may as well bid now. People do come in at the very last second and bid. I usually put in the maximum amount I am willing to pay and go from there, sometimes I will go higher but I try to have some restraint and not go any higher. Take into consideration the shippings costs when you bid. Also unless this is an item that you have not been able to locate anywhere else do research and make sure you are getting a fair price. Ask yourself if this is what you really want. Ebay is very addictive and without control it can get out of hand because it's just so damn easy and fun. If you have any other questions about Ebay please feel free to PM me or email me. Most of my purchases have all been good but I got jipped on a few. To read the feedback click on the # beside the sellers auction name, ex, johndoe (300), if there is bad feedback read why, some people leave stupid feedback but most have a good reason. Not all sellers are good!!!! Some even list items are OOP or Hard to Find or Rare and that's not always the case with certain decks or items in general. Make sure also if you are buying out of your own country that the seller will ship to you and what the shipping costs are. Read EVERYTHING that is on the page and if the info you want or need to know is NOT listed email them and ask. Hope this helps you:) Blessed Be

Cocobird55	27 May 2002
Hi, Kiama I just started bidding on e-bay a month or so ago, mainly as a result of my new tarot collection (addiction). Anyway -- when I saw the PoMo deck up for auction, I decided I really wanted it since it is OOP and very cool. The starting price was $20. I decided the most I would pay for it was $30.00 so that was my bid. However, e-bay increments by 50 cents, so every time someone else bid, they raised my bid by 50 cents over the new bid. I finally wound up getting the deck for $27.50, which was below my original bid. So it's very hard to over-bid because the system won't let you. What I've learned about e-bay is that it's great for bags, OOP decks, etc. Or even privately produced decks. However, new decks usually go for way more than you would pay on Amazon or in a store. Good luck!

wavebreaker	27 May 2002
BTW: eBay (and similar auction sites) is also a great way to sell stuff you don't need anymore and earn a bit of money for new decks!! :D (60 euro in one week, now how many decks is that....?? ;) )

HudsonGray	27 May 2002
I signed on to ebay in December, it takes a while to 'record' at their end, so you have to wait about 2 hours to actually have their side of it register that you are part of it now. After that, you can bid. Thing is, for the first time bidders the sellers can delete your bids if they don't think you're serious. I lost a raccoon pelt that way, the seller took half the price of the item because they deleted the top two bidders because they were new! I was pissed about that--found out from ebay itself that the seller had deleted my bid (and he denied it, said ebay did it). I was pretty upset because I'd spent 4 days trying to get the item & all that work was moot. Contact the seller about how MUCH they charge for postage & to let them know that you're interested. Ask something simple like is the deck unopened, or if it is, are any cards bent or missing, and if it comes with a book or not. That way they know you're a serious bidder. I mention the 'shipping cost' only because when I DID buy something, the item weighed 3 ounces & should have cost me $1.50 to get by mail (no insurance on it) yet the guy charged me $8!!! He said it was for packaging & shipping & time spent to go to the post office. The 'packaging' was a standard envelope. Some sellers really gouge & you have the choice of backing out & getting them putting a black mark by your name for any future seller to see, or shutting up & paying the cost. BUT you can complain on THEIR feedback site about the gouging. I didn't, I probably should have. So ASK before that final bid--just so you're not hit with an $8 or $12 shipping charge! Oh, and don't pay more than you'd be happy with paying--those final bids are locked in & you are expected to pay them.

AutumnMoonfire	27 May 2002
Crystalmoon, I had to let you know, gypped, no matter how you spell it, is an ethnic slur. I am not offended, I am not a gypsy(Romany), but I did feel compelled to let you know... It bugs me when people say things like that. In peace....

HudsonGray	27 May 2002
I'm sure she didn't mean it in the way you thought--I had no idea it was offensive at all, the word gyped is just slang here in the Midwest part of the US, I had absolutely no idea it was identified with any group of people or was bad.

Umbrae	27 May 2002
Jaysus Mary and Joseph, ya can’t even offer advice without someone getting offended! Any E-Bay newbies out there, listen to CrystalMoon! 1. Check the sellers feedback. 2. Set your Maximum (that’s the amount up to which E-Bay will incrementally increase your bid UP to but not past. 3. Get yourself comfortable in front of your computer at least 10 minutes before the auction ends. 4. Do you really want the item? I may snipe you; beating your bid by 1 penny. Any snipes out there I’m sorry! Being of Jewish descent I’m a card carrying sniper.

crystalmoon	27 May 2002
I in NO means meant it that way. I have never heard anyone say they were offended by that word. Jipped, ripped, screwed it's all the same to me. Sorry if it bugs you:(

crystalmoon	27 May 2002
Jaysus Mary and Joseph, ya can’t even offer advice without someone getting offended! Any E-Bay newbies out there, listen to CrystalMoon! I was just trying to help someone not get "taken for" that's all. There aren't too many areas where I feel my experience can help someone but this is one of them and I wanted to pass what I know one so it may be of some help. Next time I will think twice before posting and think twice on how to word what I have to say as not to "bug" or offend anyone.

crystalmoon	27 May 2002
My last post was done in a bit of anger for just trying to help and to thank someone for understanding I didn't mean anything by it. I've had a crappy day and should have thought twice before posting in anger and not understading really what was offending and why. SORRY

AutumnMoonfire	27 May 2002
Maybe I need to say I am sorry. I probably should have brought it to Crystalmoon's attention in a PM, I apoplgize for not doing so first. I did feel the need to identify it though... Check out this link for more information http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/98-2/issue6/feature.html Again, sorry, I didn't do that very gracefully at all.

Faerie Lin	27 May 2002
I think everyone knows that crystalmoon honestly didn't know or mean anything by it. (I actually didn't know that word was an ethnic slur either, I am grateful for the knowledge!!!) And I also think everyone knows that AutumnMoonfire was just passing on some important information in a polite manner. Lin

faunabay	28 May 2002
OK sense this is (sort of) turning into a sensitive discussion here I want to say up front that this is a question from a completely puzzled person and in no way should be taken as anything different. It's silly to have to say things like that, but you can't see my face or expression to see it yourself so I have to type it all out! LOL I read the link you posted AutumnMoonFire, and I don't understand something. And this is completely from the link as I had never heard qypped as being a slur before either. If they prefer being called Roma and not Gypsy - why would they be offended when someone says qypped when it's in no way referring to a type or race of people??? And even from their own explanation it's derived from a word they don't apply to themselves??? Now I understand some words (of course can't think of any examples now as I don't use them) are derived from slur words/slang and are used as such. But not very many people (if any that I know of) would even have a glimmer of knowledge that gypped is derived from the word gypsy let alone say it with any derogatory meaning to the gypsys/roma. Just a completely befuddled person!! LOL

Aerin	28 May 2002
In my dictionary it says that the origin of the word is probably from the French gippo meaning scullion, originally from a man's short tunic jupeau. And not from gypsy at all. Aerin

MystiqueMoonlight	28 May 2002
OK OK I settle this once and for all...... I'm gay!!! Gee you should have heard some of the paraphrases then.... I've been called worse.. :) I think we can now focus on the ebay thing...can anyone advise me why when I signed up for ebay and went through all the processes, received there confirmation email telling me to do that last step where enter my credit card details, do that and still haven't got the whole thing happening for me. Can anyone tell me that..Huh.....anyone???

Kiama	28 May 2002
I'm having problems registering too, MM! I did it yesterday, and should have receieved the confirmation email by now, but haven't... So I tried registering again. However, when I check all the boxes saying I agree, it claims I still haven't checked all the boxes! I HAVE! There are two boxes, and lo and behold, I have checked both of them... Is this some sort of intellignce test, where you have to locate teh hidden check box?!!! Why do we all need A-level qualifications to work this damn thing out???????!!!!!!!!! I NEED the deck: I can't get it anywhere else. Tarotgarden are trying to find it, but are having a pretty hard time: It is one that came free with a magazine 4 years ago, and thus, most copies were thrown away and not taken seriously! Here it is, and I cannot get it cuz of ebay and their awkward registering system! Primal scream therapy... Kiama

crystalmoon	28 May 2002
It's been a long time ago since I registered but here is a link that may help you. http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/e_reg1.html It also has contact customer support and the commuinity board. Sorry I couldn't have been more help w/this problem. http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/chatter@ebay.com http://members.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewUserPage&userid=maeve@ebay.com http://ebay.datango.com/navigator/?tour=200013-GUIDED TOUR of Registering I hope at least one of these links will help you both get going.

faunabay	28 May 2002
Kiama, If it gets down to it, let one of us who are already signed up bid for you!! Last resort option! :)

Violet Gargoyle	28 May 2002
I have never had much of a problem with ebay. But I also have rarely bought something. The only tarot decks I actually picked up from ebay was the Rock and Roll Tarot and a display copy of a Spanish deck (a cheapie). I am soooo picky and afraid of getting too excited and overbidding. I research everything availiable maticuliously. Seller ratings and comments, number of items, value of product in comparison, rarity of item. By that time, I am usually outbid :(

shinta	28 May 2002
i've bought two decks on ebay... priced very well i might add and they do get here in good time. so far no complaints about it. :)

truthsayer	30 May 2002
i was looking thru ebay today and some entrepreneur(kind term) is selling the new rock and roll tarot card by card for $3.99 each. each card is elaborately written up and claimed to be a rare find. this is an example, of what you want to avoid on ebay b/c if you bought every card he's selling then you'd pay an outrageous amt of money. what really irritated me is that there's about 32 pages of tarot to pick thru to find the good stuff b/c of all those single card auctions. i really feel like emailing this person and telling him/her a few things about tarot. i did manage to find some things i'm going to watch to see how the bidding on. these sellers seem to have a good rep in their feedback section. oh, yeah! another questionable thing i saw is someone is auctioning those celtic cross charts at a starting bid of $3.99. i have 3 of them that i got as part of a deck/book set. you really need to compare prices and know what you are bidding for b4 you do. buyer beware! i've been using ebay about 2 years but i've never seen as many questionable sells as i have today. is there a way to complain to ebay? since i know the truth of what's going on here, i'd like to try to protect potential innocent buyers.

wavebreaker	30 May 2002
Yes, very annoying, this person selling the rock & roll tarot card by card!! There have already been bids on several of the cards, I assume by rock fans who don't know anything about tarot and most probably haven't got a clue that the cards are part of a complete deck. I'm not sure whether it is possible to complain about something like this to eBay, unless what this person is doing is considered illegal.

purplelady	30 May 2002
I was really put off by the person selling each individual card from the rock and roll tarot starting at $3.99 a piece............... Until I found out it was the creator of the deck himself doing this folks! Yes, I'm serious. I'm not 100% sure, but maybe 98% sure! The way this dawned on me is when I ordered the deck recently (fabulous deck!) somewhere along the line he mentions he sells individual cards on e bay. Yeah , I think you gotta be nuts to buy 1 card for $3.99 when you can buy a whole deck for $25! I Guess it's for people who know or care nothing about tarot but are say, a Serious Led Zep collector, or whatever!!!

purplelady	30 May 2002
Kiama, I saw your deck yesterday on e bay! My advice, relax, 'ya can't get this all taken care of at the very last minute. I don't know why some people are having a difficult time registering. I DO vaguely recall the page with the checked boxes and having to go back once or twice. Try making sure every bit of info is there , like your middle initial or whatever it may be. Definitely start e mailing e bay customer service help if it still won't work. And it does take a few hours for the email confirmation. As for the deck , I'm willing to bet , if you see it once, it Will show up there again! As for me , I really really want the "power Deck" by Lynne V. Andrews. I had it and foolishly gave it away years ago. I was disapointed when one that I bid on , but didn't win , went up to $36. Then I saw one Starting at $50, and I've also seen it for $80 at amazon used. Way out of my price range these days! But I also saw an arthurian Hallowquest set go for $10. It's like gambling and a lot of it is luck!

MystiqueMoonlight	30 May 2002
Re the Rock and Roll cards being sold individually..... I have an image of these rock and roll fans all sitting round swapping cards with each other while there kids swap pokeman cards......

Kiama	31 May 2002
I turns out that my boyfriend's Dad has an account with Ebay, and so we used that account, and won the deck! I told my boyf (Wo did the bidding for me, cuz I wasn't there) to only go up to £30 max... But he went up to £39 and a bit, and won the bid! I got the deck! *Kiama dances around alot!* He's giving me some money towards it, to make up for going too far, but I'm just SO happy I got the deck! So many good memories come back when I see it... Thanks for all your help and offers to get the deck for me! You were all really great! Kiama

faunabay	31 May 2002
I'm sooo glad you were able to get it Kiama!!!!!! :* :* :* I've been sending out good thoughts for you to beable to and I guess they worked!! :)

Zhritza	01 Jun 2002
The creator of the Rock & Roll Tarot (dworkin777@aol.com, Chris Paradis) did say in a general email that he was planning to sell the cards individually as well. But considering that he's charging $25 including shipping for each deck, which seems reasonable for a limited-edition, self-published deck, I find it hard to imagine that he would charge $4 apiece for single cards unless they were bigger prints or something... Please let us know if you find out more, purplelady; I don't visit ebay even to look around, because you have to register with them to get any distance into the site, and I have a mortal fear of spam.

wavebreaker	01 Jun 2002
I ordered my Rock & Roll tarot from Chris Paradis and I've compared the PayPal email address on eBay with the one I used to pay for my Rock & Roll deck, and it's not the same. This doesn't have to mean anything, of course, because you can register more than one email address for your PayPal account. Another thing: the seller on eBay has indicated he is from VA (Virginia?), whereas I remember the cards being sent to me from Arkansas. It doesn't really add up. I see that one of the cards has been sold for $6...

Zhritza	02 Jun 2002
good. that really didn't sound like something he'd do...

Faerie Lin	02 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama I got the deck! *Kiama dances around alot!* Alright!!! Woohoo!! I know you weren't actually there at the screen to see that you won the bid, but wasn't it such a HIGH!!?!? I bet you felt like you were floating on clouds! I love it when I win a bid! Lin

purplelady	02 Jun 2002
I think I was wrong about the individual rock n roll cards. Just went to ebay and the seller does look like someone different. However, I Do think in one of his e mails he said he sells individual cards. ...............hmmm? Well , I do find that annoying at e bay , but I've learned to ignore it!

Kiama	02 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Faerie Lin Alright!!! Woohoo!! I know you weren't actually there at the screen to see that you won the bid, but wasn't it such a HIGH!!?!? I bet you felt like you were floating on clouds! I love it when I win a bid! Lin It was yes... The problem is now I'm addicted... }) Kiama

purplelady	02 Jun 2002
CONGRATULATIONS KIAMA! (on winning your deck!) BTW the Joni Mitchell card is up to $13.50 with 6 bids, and it isn't over yet. :rolleyes: silly people!

The Ebay Auctions thread was originally posted on 27 May 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.