Tool source (online garage sale/auction site)

Hi all,

I’ve recently used an on-line auction place called Ebay. It is
well organized and after a cautious approach or two I think I
like it. Two things about it were worth sharing. One is that they
have a very large tools section with a search engine (under
miscellaneous), and for example, there was a beautiful, totally
complete (all the tools and bits one could want) watchmakers
lathe that finally sold for $331.00 which I considered a deal,
and there are other jewellers tools that crop up, a burnout kiln
that went for $20.00 for example. Secondly I have run across
several people, included a jeweler or two who make their living
selling their work through the ebay site, quite a different
marketing method. And I’ve got a copy of Cheap Thrills in the
Tool shop up for sale there at $15.00 at the moment :slight_smile:

Their address is ebay.com

Charles

Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain

Metals info download web site: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tree.cgi
Book and Video descriptions: http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Gallery page at: http://www.ganoksin.com/brain/gallery.htm

Hi Charles,

My friends and I have used ebay auction extensively. I have
bought many many gemstones from the auction. You always get at
least 7 days return policy on the stones. There is also
always a feedback file on both buyers and sellers. This file
is made up of comments pro or con. If you know what you are
looking for you can generally beat the price and at least equal
the quality of “wholesale” on-line dealers. These gems range
from $3 topaz to $12,000 tanzanites. An Example is a 6.07ct lot
of 2.25mm tsavorite garnets I bought. They are mostly eye clean
with a few slightly included. They have an excellent cut and
a suburb luster. On a 1-10 color range, 10 being the perfect
tsavorite color, I would place these at 7.5 - 8. They cost me
about $33 including shipping. You people out there who have the
big experience in gem purchasing should let us know if these
deals are as good as they seem.

Just my $,02 worth.
Regards,
Skip

Is this so for all purchaces via ebay.com? Or is it entirely
related to the terms of the Seller? In
http://pages.ebay.com/aw/guidelines.html they state:

It’s not a straightforward auction. Ebay are the link between me
and a seller. Reminds me of the situation with credit card
companies - and they back away from any merchant/customer
disputes.

Brian
B r i a n =A0 A d a m R u t h B a i r d J e w e l l e r y
http://www.adam.co.nz ph/fx +64 9 817 6816 NEW ZEALAND

Hi Brian, What they do is take .50 cents per listing for sellers,
and between 5% to 2.5% or so, the bigger the amount the less they
take. Before bidding on anything, one checks the ‘feedback’ about
the seller to see what kinds of comment there are, a kind of
self-policing, peer pressure thing. Charles

Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain

Metals info download web site: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tree.cgi
Book and Video descriptions: http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Gallery page at: http://www.ganoksin.com/brain/gallery.htm

Hi Brian,

Ebay has a feedback file that behooves the bidder to peruse.
They will give you the actual words of the customers. It also
has a synopsis of the feedback in a box in the beginning of some
ones feedback file. The headers are Positive, Neutral and
Negative. They are further segregated into the last 7 days, the
last 30 days, and the last either 3 or 6 months. A person who
has a large number of negatives. be he buyer or seller has a
problem. Sellers will refuse their bids. The knowledgable
bidder checks the feedback file and it becomes increasingly
difficult to do business for those with a number of negatives in
the feedback department. I tend to do business with those
sellers who under describe and over deliver.

Regards,
Skip

Skip Meister
@Skip_Meister

I am also an ebay user, although not for jewelry related items
(I collect antique uranium-colored “Vaseline glass”). I second
all the positive comments! The ebay system is very well
organized, you can leave and view feedback, and with many items
you get to see a photo. Many vendors have return policies, and
all the things I’ve purchased have been very accurately
represented.

I’m a fairly new user, only about a dozen transactions so far,
since this summer. I’ve also been online for only a few months. I
still have some difficulty formulating “searches” for items and
categories which interest me. Would some of you who are frequent
users in jewelry categories offer some especially useful keywords
and catergories to search by? Ebay seems huge. Sometimes I find
it hard to wade through unrelated items to find things related to
what I had in mind. Gemstones aren’t my particular interest, but
tools definitely are. Any suggestions?

Thanks.
Rene

‘You always get at least 7 days return policy on the stones.’ And
today I replied, ‘Is this so for all purchases via ebay.com? Or
is it entirely related to the terms of the seller?’

but some of my post was deleted as it used quotes. Here’s what
was left out:

In http://pages.ebay.com/aw/guidelines.html they state ‘Make
sure you clearly understand the shipping terms (who pays?),
payment terms (can you pay by personal check? credit card? and
so on) and other details. Look at the seller’s feedback and see
how others have interacted with this seller in the past. Always
check the feedback of the seller first> before buying an item and
read the descriptions of the feedback in addition to simply
looking at the seller’s feedback score.’

So it’s not a straightforward auction, ebay.com are the link
between me and a seller. Reminds me of the situation with credit
card companies - and they too back away from any
merchant/customer disputes.

Brian
B r i a n =A0 A d a m R u t h B a i r d J e w e l l e r y
http://www.adam.co.nz new work

Hi all

In my experience with e-bay, I believe conditions of sale are
strictly between the buyer and seller. I think that in a
dispute, e-bay would remain uninvolved! I have only purchased
gemstones and jewelry items but find most sellers allow returns
within 7 to 30 day periods. I’ve never made a return so have no
basis for evaluating the terms.

I find that since I am willing to accept medium quality stones
at a reaonable price the auction serves my needs. Perhaps there
are top quality items for sale there but as yet I am unwilling to
make expensive outlays without prior evidence of value. (ie. I’m
still a bit gunshy)

The feedback on buyer and seller I find of little use to me. I
suppose if the nature of the comments were heavily slanted in one
way or another they might portend a problem but I seldom read
them.

I do find a couple of problems. The sellers often tend to
fatten up on shipping and handling problems. For a small
purchase, say $10 or less, a fee of $4.00 is a bit much! I ship
lots of gems for less than $1. Small purchases don’t warrant
insurance! In addition, I find many e-bay buyers are totally
unaware of what gems should sell for and often overbid. They
seem to be overjoyed with the seller’s description of "a $500
item " with bidding starting at $1 ! I suppose that is good for
the seller but does skew the pricing scales.

I do appreciate an escape from the "wholesale only " sellers.

Bob B

Hi Rene! I have found that ebay sellers don’t have a common
vocab. for describing their wares so you have to get creative and
run several searches. For example, if you want to look at what is
being offered that has been gilded (can include everything from
antique china and picture frames to gilded brass fire
extinguishers!), try searches with the words “gilt”, then try
"gild", then try “gilded”, then try “gilding”, etc. Whatever you
can think of that could describe your quest.

Good luck!

Mary Carol (who enjoys all the conversation on Orchid and who someday wants to
put some of the tips to work)

I have used Ebay many times for both stones and tools display
items and specimens and have found everyone except one Aussie to
be honest friendly and accomadating .I have made several returns
with no problem and Ebay customer service was very helpful when
I needed on a seller…I have also found very high
as well as terrible quality you just have to use your return
privlage…also you can negotiate for longer periods with the
seller if you want to have something professionaly
appraised…the real upside is finding suppliers that will work
with you OFF the auction some of my best sources came thanks to
bay…I,m sure someone else would say differant things but for
me Ebay is a great resource