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HP Forum Archive 12

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Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #1 Posted by Norm on 11 May 2003, 7:44 p.m.

I've been learning to sell a thing or 2 on eBay. Just a babe in the woods, mind you. Now, somebody plz explain this to me.

You only get 45 characters for the main title, which is what people search on. That's not much !!

What if you just plain need more than that ?? If they were going to put a hard-limit in, I could imagine 55, 60, maybe 65 characters. But 45 is nothing.

So, is there a way to make the main heading capacity 'expand' ??

- Norm

      
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #2 Posted by Naim on 11 May 2003, 8:01 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Norm

a place where people get rid of their junk at unbelieveable prices

            
I see your point :o)
Message #3 Posted by Norm on 12 May 2003, 2:23 a.m.,
in response to message #2 by Naim

I see your point :o)

eom.

      
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #4 Posted by Bob on 11 May 2003, 9:34 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Norm

There is no way to expand the headline. However, the description for the item can also be searched.

The best advice I can give is to: 1. Take a picture 2. Make headline descriptive 3. Sell without a reserve price, have faith.

Bob

            
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #5 Posted by Dave Shaffer on 12 May 2003, 1:02 a.m.,
in response to message #4 by Bob

I'd agree with Bob's succint description - except to add that the auction title should contain as many different words as you can think of that people might search for: brand name, type of product ("PC"; "digital camera"; "calculator" (!), "battery", ...); model number or other terse description ( e.g. "P(entium) III"); and perhaps condition ("NIB") if likely to make it more desirable.

      
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #6 Posted by Randy on 11 May 2003, 9:41 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Norm

This is how it works:

You email me that you have some vintage mint boxed HP41CX's and every peripheral in the 41 series, plus a brand new HP42S, and that you will be listing them as a bulk sale on ebay in a few minutes. You set a Buy-it-Now price of $25.00 and shipping will be another $10.00. Then I bid, you get your money, and I get the stuff.

Sounds fair to me, but you might want to ask someone else.

Best regards to HPcalcjunkies.

            
isn't that a little steep?
Message #7 Posted by Norm on 12 May 2003, 2:25 a.m.,
in response to message #6 by Randy

isn't that $25 and $10 to ship, a little steep ?

How about you can have the pallet load of boxed 41C's for $20.00 and maybe I will drive them to your house for free, seein' how I have got a pickup truck.

      
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #8 Posted by David Smith on 12 May 2003, 3:57 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Norm

When listing an HP calculator, list the model number as "HP-65" and not "HP 65". If somebody seaches for "HP 65", both headings will match. If somebody seaches for "HP-65" only the first one will. Also best to include the magic words "Hewlett Packard Calculator" and spell them properly.

Never place a hidden reserve price. Set your opening bid at what you would have reserved it for.

Also accept as many forms of payment as you can. "Paypal only" auctions typically bring less than half of what an "any payment that I can convert to bucks" auction does.

            
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #9 Posted by Howard on 12 May 2003, 5:01 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by David Smith

As an Australian I would also say do not sell exclusively to US.

            
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #10 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 12 May 2003, 6:12 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by David Smith

david; can you restate that first paragraph so i get? thanks - d

            
David, good ideas
Message #11 Posted by Norm on 12 May 2003, 7:48 p.m.,
in response to message #8 by David Smith

I never liked reserve price either. I start bidding on auctions like that, I put in some fairly hefty numbers, I push the bid higher and higher, but it says 'reserve price not met'. Then I say "come on what the @#$^*& is this @#%@#% thing for sale or not?" and then I quit bidding and dont come back, OR, I email the seller what the reserve is, and then he (usually) tells me, and then I decide I dont want to go that high so whats the use.

I LIKE THE IDEA ABOUT HP-19 type of listing (include the hyphen). See, lets say you had an HP 19Bii then officially there's no hyphen (because HP lost their marbles about 10 years ago and couldn't even figure out how to quote their own model numbers). So officially it shoudl be listed as HP 19Bii HOWEVER, you say list it as HP-19Bii and it will get caught by the searcher whether they type in HP 19Bii OR HP-19Bii . Smart, very smart.

Hey know whats dumb, very dumb ?? What the @#$%#@$^ is an HP-19Bii ????? SHOULDN'T IT BE HP-19C ????? What the heck is a 19Bii ?? That means they bumped the rev, it should be HP-19C. I was wondering back when Ronald Reagan dumped out all the insane asylums and put the kookoos back on the street... where did they all go ? THE HP BOARDROOM!! Ah hah, Carly's past mailing address is now out of the bag.

                  
spell it right?
Message #12 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 12 May 2003, 10:35 p.m.,
in response to message #11 by Norm

david; did your spelling comment have anything to do with this guy and his Hewlett-Packerd Compurter?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2729314889&category=14305

                        
ROTFLMAO!
Message #13 Posted by Michael F. Coyle on 13 May 2003, 12:13 a.m.,
in response to message #12 by db(martinez,california)

Hi db,

This is the funniest auction listing I've read in a long time! Thanks for pointing it out!

Now I guess I'll have to widen my searches to include "Hewlett-Packerd calcurlater."

- Michael

                              
EXPLAIN ROTFLMAO
Message #14 Posted by Norm on 13 May 2003, 3:06 a.m.,
in response to message #13 by Michael F. Coyle

IT IS TIME. For all the times I have read a chat board, somebody explain "ROTFLMAO" I have seen it quite a few times.

I have a hunch on 'LMAO'

but "ROTF" is a real mystery to me.

                                    
a matter of degrees of tickle
Message #15 Posted by glynn on 13 May 2003, 5:48 a.m.,
in response to message #14 by Norm

LOL--- laughing out loud

ROFL-- Rolling on floor laughing

ROFLMAO-- Rolling on floor laughing my asterisk off

ROFLMAOAWMP-- ...and wet my pants.

Have fun on AOL now. ;-)

                              
Re: ROTFLMAO!
Message #16 Posted by Ernie Malaga on 13 May 2003, 2:08 p.m.,
in response to message #13 by Michael F. Coyle

>"Hewlett-Packerd calcurlater."

Better that than "You let pecker", hmm? 8^)

-Ernie

                  
Why II, que?
Message #17 Posted by Ellis Easley on 14 May 2003, 5:23 a.m.,
in response to message #11 by Norm

For calculators, HP stopped using the suffix for a revision at least on the Woodstocks, where "C" first meant continuous memory. For that matter, I don't think the HP35 was an "A" but the 9100 did have "A" and "B". But on the Pioneers, "B" means business (!) , "S" means scientific - why didn't they call the HP27S the "HP27BS"? So to replace the original purpose of "B", they came up with "II", although the specific meaning seems to be "retrofitted with RPN" (except maybe the 32SII where it might be the opposite), for which we should be thankful.

      
Re: Somebody explain eBay to me
Message #18 Posted by Ernie Malaga on 13 May 2003, 8:04 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Norm

Sorry; eBay is an unexplainabe phenomenon. Perhaps this famous phrase sums it up:

"There's a sucker born every minute."

-Ernie

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