My First eBay Sale

[iamn8]

Ah good idea! Here's the link...

 

[jorgesoler]

Is it brand new and unsmoked?

 

[jorgesoler]

You ship to the UK?

 

[iamn8]

It's as new as a 1981 Dunhill can be. It still has the white powdery stuff on the inside of the bowl. Here's a better photo of the bowl...

The UK? I'm not sure.... I think I said no to international. Had I been able to pick countries I would've said UK. I'll see if I can change that if you're interested.

Ps. Nope it won't allow me to make changes now. I'm guessing they place a time limit once auction has begun.

 

[jorgesoler]

No, but you can still ship overseas if you want to. Just tell me how much that would be and I´ll bid for it.

 

[jorgesoler]

No need for that: you can tell this is gonna sell for a few hundreds.

 

[dmcmtk]

Seems to me, even if it's not listed as such, you can ship it wherever you want, right? I think some people don't want to deal with customs forms, and don't like the lack of tracking. I've sent pipes to the UK without issue.

 

[pitchfork]

Nate, you might consider adding that photo to your listing. The other photos don't show as clearly how sharp the rim is or that the pipe really is unsmoked. I haven't sold in a few months, but you could always add photos if you haven't exceeded the limit. Sometimes a bidder will ask for a photo after you've already listed.

 

[mojoe]

Just checked the listing.....over $100....I'd say your initial post to ebay is shaping up to be a success.

 

[phil67]

I hope you set a reserve price on it of the minimum you will be willing to accept. I forgot once and took a bath on a pipe I sold on ebay. It was an expensive lesson. Good luck!

I wouldn't recommend using a Reserve Price. Many people won't even bother giving a second look, much less bid on an item when they see a RP and the same goes for me. If you're going to bother with doing that then you might as well place in a 'Buy it Now' price.

 

[kcvet67]

I wouldn't recommend using a Reserve Price. Many people won't even bother giving a second look, much less bid on an item when they see a RP and the same goes for me

+1

I don't follow listings with a Reserve Price. If you're concerned, set a high starting bid although it really isn't necessary for this one, there are always plenty of bidders for a Dunhill.

 

[sablebrush52]

HI Nate,
It's a nice looking listing. Best of luck with your auction!

Regarding the term "unsmoked", it means just that. I've bought unsmoked pipes that had teeth chatter on the stems. Evidently their former owners like to use them like pacifiers and never put a match to them!
eBay does allow you to add images after the listing has been published. I've often asked for more detailed pictures and these often get added to the listing.
When hunting for a pipe on eBay there are a few things that I absolutely want to see, and these are details of the "business" areas of the pipe, the chamber and rim, and the bit or button. If it's a collectible then I also want to see details that affect collectibility, such as the condition of the nomenclature.

 

[allan]

Having a 'reserve' price can be a turn off to many, but there is a risk in not posting one. If you are someone like Pipestud, he has many regular followers where it won't matter if he starts at $.99.
But for an unknown, theoretically it could sell for $2.00 if it passes notice.
I have heard that it is possible to list an item and then the day before, if there are only low bidders, remove it without penalty?
Is this true?

 

[ssjones]

I always check the "international shipping" via 3rd party. The few buyers who chose this (Asian) seem to love the feature and as a seller, it is painless. Technically, you aren't supposed to list your own Ebay auction links here....

 

[iamn8]

Thanks to everyone for your input and advice!!! The auction is going soooo well!!! It's quite possibly the most excitement I've had in a long time which is kinda sad but still... So exciting!! The bidding is at $160'ish!!

 

[gambit88]

Ebay can be addicting. I buy lots on ebay or at estate sales and keep the ones I like and sell off the rest. I do a lot better on grabows then I thought I would. I started at the beginning of the year and have sold probably 20 pipes now and kept 10 or so for my collection. I found I really like the cleaning and restoration process of old dingy pipes.
Good luck in your ebay ventures! Remember paypal and ebay take a cut after the sale. Have fun with it.

 

[sablebrush52]

I have heard that it is possible to list an item and then the day before, if there are only low bidders, remove it without penalty?

eBay allows sellers to end auctions early for a variety of reasons. All you need to do is pick one.

 

[ssjones]

If you end it early, Ebay tracks this and you might get a message saying "your rating will be effected" (or similar). I've ended a few and not had any issues. I suppose if a pattern develops, Ebay might take further action against your account. But I bet it takes a lot of early closings.

 

[sparrowhawk]

I'm currently auctioning two pipes on Ebay: a Castello Sea Rock, currently bid at over $100, and a Forensi, about $30. I started them out low, and was amazed to see bids so rapidly. Usually the bids start in the last hour and the furious bidding in the last minute. Both are good pipes, but the Forensi is new to the US, and I don't expect much. It's a great pipe, but like the Sea Rock, just lost it's attraction for me; I'm not as fond of freehands as I used to be. Truth to tell, I think there's only one pipe I want to get now, and my collection will be reasonably complete, and that's a sandblasted HCA churchwarden, but at $130, that's got to wait until later in the year. I think much of my remaining pipe buying will be for Cayuga pipes at Paul's Pipe Shop in Flint, because I've never smoked a better pipe: I have two shell grains from there, and ordered one more. And they are ridiculously inexpensive. Maybe when I make another trip there in the spring, I'll pick up one of their short churchwardens.

 

[sablebrush52]

If you end it early, Ebay tracks this and you might get a message saying "your rating will be effected" (or similar). I've ended a few and not had any issues. I suppose if a pattern develops, Ebay might take further action against your account. But I bet it takes a lot of early closings.

Interesting. There are a number of sellers who have a B&M presence and they state that they maintain the right to end the auction if the item sells in their store. I've seen a number of auctions ended early because the item is "no longer available". Also, if you make a factual error in your listing, you can end the auction.