General Cycling Discussion - eBay addiction?

How much cycling related gear / bikes have you picked up off ebay this year?

None! My dad has picked up tons of stuff for whatever our darkroom though.

None. At least, none now that I've left those bludgers from Telekom behind.

I picked up my road bike off ebay, as well as a HRM, shades, a mini-tool and some tires... ~$1300.00 spent. However, if i purchased everything at MSRP from my LBS, it would have cost ~$4500.00

I said over $2500. 00 that is how much I have sold on eBay this year. I have bought maybe $300.00 worth of stuff on eBay.

that's how i got my road bike. but i refuse to use ebay, i'm too competitive.

Originally posted by cyclochica
that's how i got my road bike. but i refuse to use ebay, i'm too competitive.

Do you use another service / site?

No I don't.

$46
Eggbeater peddles, shipped yesterday...
first purchase

Originally posted by Joe Gardner


Do you use another service / site?

Nope, I would have used Nashbar but another thread discouraged me. I have been pretty lucky and have come across people to help me get the parts I needed to build up the frame. If I do break down and visit eBay, I will only look at items with the Buy It Now option. Otherwise I tend to get into a last second bidding war because I hate to lose.

Hi,
I have done business with Nashbar many times over the last few years. They are ok. I have gotten some really nice deals from them, some of their clothing is a very good value. The stuff I didn't like I sent back. I have gotten stuff from
Performance and Jensen and Sierra and Beans and Campoor and REI. But my first reaction when I want
something cycling oriented is to see what Nashbar has.

None. My LBS is where I go. I like to be able to look at things, get advice on things, try things out etc. Yuo can't do that on eBay.

I have bought more than 25 bicycling items, including chainrings, freewheels, cranksets, and wheelgoods, on eBay, with only one mild disappointment (the rims of an otherwise clean wheelset). I maintain a clean rating as a buyer, read the listings carefully, and exchange emails with prospective sellers.

I use eBay for super-cheap magazine subscriptions and the occassional bike part.

This year? None. I have in the past, probably about $1500 worth.

I did find that eBay is a good place to get rid of those spare parts that you don't want to just throw in the trash. Someone will buy it.

I have had much success with charity thrift shops. In pursuit of knowledge to master bicycle mechanics I’ve focused my efforts on dissection and reconstructive assembly of $15 units that no one else sought. I truly believe that one should try to help the community in which they live and charities strive toward that end…

Interesting, thanks for the replies. I purchased ~$1500 off ebay this year., another ~$500 or so at my LBS, mostly in the like of misc gear, clothing, and repairs / tune ups. Without my ebay purchase, my LBS purchases would be pocket change.

What about selling? Do you have a "problem" with selling your old / used gear online?

I've gotten 3 cycle jerseys in the past 2 days from ebay...only spent $90 for the three and they would have cost me $60-$70 each retail.

I've bought the odd bit of Ebay - brakes, a derailleur and some skewers, but nothing major.

Sales wise, no bike stuff, but a lot of books.

Richard

oh geez, where do I begin?
I'm always searching e-buy.
so far I bought 2 bikes, 1 Serotta frameset,
all sorts of components (mostly vintage campy stuff)
Every morning I do a few searches, Serotta, Masi, De Rosa
Confente (seen 2 of em), Eisentraut (bought 1),
I haven't sold anything but I have a bunch of saddles,
wheelsets, stems etc. that I'll probably look to unload
soon.
Yeah, I E-bay.
oh, I don't think I've spent more than $750 all told.

Marty

My eBay relationship is about 5 years old.

It's fun to shop. It's fun to buy. It's fun to sell. It's fun to get a great deal.

Most recently: New LX 9-speed shifters for $20.52. Mail order. . . $60. Slightly used LX 9-speed crankset with ES70 BB for $62.51. New, mail order. . . $85. XT 9-speed front der, new in box, $10.50. Mail order. . . $20.

I've never bought anything from ebay or any other on-line auction site. I prefer to look and touch the stuff. I prefer to buy stuff new from a shop where you know the it's new and (hopefully) there's a warranty if something happens to it. On ebay the seller could tell all sorts of stories about how good the stuff is etc and only after you have parted with your hard earned cash you could find out that the product was worn out, not what you wanted, doesn't fit or any number of other problems. Also by the time you add freight charges it's often close to the same price as what it costs in a shop. Though saying that I like to touch and feel the stuff I have bought a bit of stuff from bike shops over the internet, so I guess I'm being a bit of a hypocrite there! But they are reputable companies (according to other cyclists that have dealt with them) that will let you return things if they don't fit.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Falchoon
I've never bought anything from ebay or any other on-line auction site. . . . [QUOTE]

Don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

. . . On ebay the seller could tell all sorts of stories about how good the stuff is etc and only after you have parted with your hard earned cash you could find out that the product was worn out, not what you wanted, doesn't fit or any number of other problems. . .

Yes, this can and does happen. But in my experience, rarely, and to me personally, never. I have, maybe, 200 eBay buys/sells over the years with complete satisfaction.

. . . Also by the time you add freight charges it's often close to the same price as what it costs in a shop.

If you buy new from a dealer at the "Buy it Now" price you're correct. However, for those slightly used items, the discounts can be great. If you're buying mail order, then the shipping is the same.

eBay demands that you are an educated buyer and know precisely what you're looking for. You need to know how to use the search engine to find stuff efficiently and check completed auctions to see what the going value is for similar items. eBay doesn't reward igorance.

Reading sellers' feedback ratings is necessary. I never bid on sellers with zero feedback. They are new to eBay and haven't earned any trust yet. I also avoid sellers with recent negative feedback.

I have bought maybe 50 items on e-bay,
from brand spanking new, to old and used.
I've only had one item that was less than
perfectly described, and it was from a seller with
0 feedback. I should know better, but it was a
really good price.
E-bay does very well to protect both buyers and
sellers, they can't afford to have people getting
ripped off, so they police it well if there is a problem.
As Woody said "Don't knock it till you tried it"

and I'm still looking for that 1967 Masi Track bike for
a buy-it-now price of $50. . .
Marty

Haven't bought anything, though I have tried unsuccessfully a couple of times. I sold a bike there, last August, and have some other odds and ends I've been meaning to sell that might be useful to somebody.