Devil's in the Details (Free Shipping vs Free Returns)

[Elric]

Wore my ACU windbreaker for the first time in months. Original plastic zipper died, and I finally had it replaced. For $30. But it involved opening up a buttock-load of long seams.... Put it on and my Brittany recognized it from hunting last year... She even stood up on me, which she shouldn't do with her ACL... Made me feel like a waste of human skin...

But anyways, I wanted to get another copy of the Lyman #4 Cast Bullet Handbook... Went to Flea-Buy, searched. Sordid through the prices... Oohh, 15 dollars and change... did a BIN, got to the commit to buy, and saw $12.89 for shipping... WHAT?

Czeched the auction... get this, "Free Returns"... -NOT- Free Shipping....

Backed out and found one for 19 and change (plus 5% WI tax)... dropped the hammer...

9 left. Item 251591480950

P.S. No, it is NOT my auction. I have never sold ANYTHING on flea-buy...

 

[Chris]

Got to be careful on ebay, those folks are devious and not our friends. I buy there reluctantly and with care.

Hope your pup is gaining, this may be harder on you than the dog?

 

[Elric]

She's doing better since I started to leash her to go outside. Vet said I needed to take her out, let her get it done, and take her back in. He wasn't kidding. Took me a while to figure the sequence out... Couldn't dead-lift her down the steps, my left knee hates twisting loads. Put her collar on at the top step, open the door, she walks down three steps, and we go out.

She didn't run deer at all this year, even when she was boored spitless dove watching... 2018 might be the year for the woods up by Antigo. In the 70s we could move up to 50 woodcock a day. I'd settle for 25... She needs birds, birds, birds.... So many she trains herself, instead of one bird a day...

 

[RicinYakima]

I've bought and sold on Evil-Bay since 1998. Why? The only game in town, if you can't sell stuff on the bulletin boards. My favorite was a guy selling a like new Contender .45 ACP barrel, $9.99 (and $300 shipping and handling) buy it now. Watched his auction for a couple of years, but finally it disappeared, so somebody was happy with the deal.

 

[Chris]

Yes, it takes game to train the dog. Preferably 5 of 7 days of success. It's hard when you can't come up with it.

 

[KeithB]

Well, I've bought a lot of machine accessories, tooling, cutters, and such off of Ebay the last few years and have been generally satisfied. (knock on wood) But I always read the fine print and instructions closely, and I stay away from anything "antique" or "vintage".

 

[358156 hp]

My favorite auction was a guy who did a big write-up on a mould he had for sale. He billed it as an original Elmer Keith 358429, made back in Keiths day before Lyman "screwed up" the original design. It sounded like my cup of tea, but the guy had a $400.00 (IIRC) "buy it now", with free shipping. Not worth the money by a long shot. The seller stated that he couldn't guarantee that this mould belonged to Keith, but... So I looked it over anyway... square bottom grease groove, small dowel pins, and block venting, blocks marked "Lyman", not "Ideal". Total fake. It was built on a late production Lyman mould blank, the machining looked clean and bright, but rough. The mould disappeared from the auctions that same day as I pondered getting involved in the mess. I still have no idea if it got sold, or simply pulled because somebody called him out on it. This was only a few weeks back.

 

[RicinYakima]

Among sellers it is known as "trolling for suckers", and I'm sorry to say that there are a lot of them on EBay.

 

[358156 hp]

Among sellers it is known as "trolling for suckers", and I'm sorry to say that there are a lot of them on EBay.

There really are quite a lot of them. I just saw an auction for a set of "vintage Lyman mold handles, in original box", only $149.95 with "buy it now" & FREE SHIPPING.

You could buy perhaps seven sets of used mould handles for that, but you might have to pay shipping.

Crooks. While I'm on a rant, the word "vintage" needs to be outlawed. In Ebayese, it means "I don't know anything about what this is, but it looks old so lets start bidding at $99.95".

 

[RicinYakima]

First, BUY BOOKS!!!!!!!!!! Knowledge is power.

 

[Elric]

Books sitting on a shelf are pointless. If a book is worth reading twice, it's worth buying once...

What books are you talking about?

 

[Brad]

If I understand what Ric is saying he means to buy books to educate yourself on other items you may purchase on EBay.
Knowledge is power. Be an educated consumer.

 

[fiver]

so your saying ask the salesman some questions?

 

[Elric]

Flea-Buy has a torrent of books, many are just table top pieces. If you're lucky, Amazon has somerelevant reviews. Or, maybe, some forums refer to it.

 

[Brad]

so your saying ask the salesman some questions?

Ask him a ton of questions.
BS quickly becomes apparent.

 

[RicinYakima]

Elric, I never use or believe anything on the internet unless I have known the person at least 10 years, or checked two printed reference. If you take stuff off the net, you do so at your own risk.

Yes! read the books! What are your interests? Three hours a day of reading will make you smart, in one subject, in a couple of years.

 

[Elric]

OK, there is a fork in the road, and my little wheeled pony has run in between them...

To me, I research the item, if I kno what it is, simple up or down. If something I don't know too much about, I surf, looking for reviews, experience, or references.

 

[Elric]

Three hours a day of reading will make you smart, in one subject, in a couple of years.

Ah, Grasshopper, you pierce the veil of ignorance. I know everything about nothing...

Knowledge by itself is over rated.

More importantly, what needs to be done with this mastery of the subject?

If you haven't noticed, I'm a believer that many folks either don't have the time, curiosity, or discipline, to read...

Interests? Well, yep.

http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/collection.html I was over 1,000 but lost the last version. But I have some period reloading books and the obligatory pile of reloding manuals...

 

[Intheshop]

Old book stores are the shnitz....Goodwill stores will turnip a prize every once in awhile.Amazon used books is easy......

EBay?You are gonna be on your A game finding a book on there.Oh,it can be done but,like buying art and to slightly lessor antique furniture.... must have a little ingenuity and a crystal ball.And then have a few tricks up the ole sleeve as to not send up FLARES to alert certain "trends" to the sellors.

Christmas story....Last year my crackhead sister (her house in W Philly was built in 1695,and she is the "poop" in that sort of way,if you can spend 5 minutes in a room with her....you get the type) gives me a pce of art for Christmas present.Don't need the artist (pm me if you have to know) but,I had given her a book about him a few years earlier....which was a fleabay item.It had some references twds her bullchit so I bought it as a present.Well she's in some antique store,who knows where and see's this artwork for,I don't know $$ but,she was grinning like a W Baltimore homey when she gave it to me.Said the store didn't have a clue...

I was shocked that she took the time to read the dang book?The art hangs in our library.

 

[Elric]

Oh. For those concerned about me being fleeced on flea-bye, my present handle has 525 buys, and my old handle was probably well over 250. Remember the hearty old days using USPS MOs?

Still, there is always reason for caution, mostly if it is too good to be true, it is too good to be true. But every once in awhile, the auction is misnamed, or the images are poor... A few wins...