RE: [Harp-L] RE: amps on Ebay

["Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I wouldn't go nuts about zero negative feedback. I've sold a lot of stuff
and I have ONE negative feedback, and it is from over a year ago. This was
from a 20-something year old that won a bid for some concert tix my daughter
couldn't use (very expensive 2nd row seats for Christina Aguilera I
believe). As the concert got close and she hadn't sent payment, I started to
worry. She kept jerking me around, saying she'd sent payment, right up until
just before the show date. Then she finally admitted that her she changed
her mind about going (her winning bid was for face value, not a scalp). I
had to give the tix away, and I gave her negative feedback because she
persisted in lying to me for weeks. She turned around and gave me negative
feedback for spite! So some things you can't control (such as who wins your
auctions!). Don't eliminate sellers just because they don't have zero
negatives. Every other auction I have sparkling feedback because I'm always
honest and ship immediately upon receipt of payment. If the seller has only
ten ratings and one is negative, then be wary. If they have many (as many
ebay sellers do) I wouldn't sweat a single negative. Read the info and see
what they did wrong.

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Laughton, Bob
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 4:40 PM
To: rainbowjimmy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] RE: amps on Ebay


Rainbow Jimmy:

> Do people buy amps on Ebay? How do you know if the amp works?

I've bought two Pignoses on eBay, both were great (and cheap!)

> How do you know what it sounds like? Same with mics. Any instrument 
> really.

I've bought 3 mikes, 5 banjos, a guitar, a B/C button accordion, at least 50
harmonicas (don't tell my wife!:-) and 2 mandolins.

> It would scare the heck out of me to spend any money on something like 
> that.

To buy successfully on eBay takes practice, a feeling for who the seller is
(grammar and spelling are often helpful clues), and checking their feedback
is paramount. Someone with 100 or more positives and no (zero,0,nada)
negatives in their feedback, in my experience can be trusted, once you suss
them out. Someone with 0 or 1 feedbacks can be a new and/or inexperienced
seller, or a scam artist. Then you have to play it by ear (an area where we
harp players excel!)

eBay actually has a lot of web pages with tutorials and help files to guide
the anxious and inexperienced. And start small, build your confidence with
some keys you may be missing in your diatonic collection. If I am
contemplating bidding on a used harmonica, I always email the seller and ask
if it is a 'non-smoker's' harmonica. I learned that one right away...

I also never buy 'store' items, unless it is something rare - I just keep
searching until I find a private party that decided they didn't really need
that Chromonica in C# after all. Both the Pignoses were 'new, but slightly
used' from private parties.

Good luck, let us know what you find.

Bob
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