Ultraman Bidding on the Bay.

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I've been watching this myself and agree ebay is the wrong place to sell.
I'm looking at selling mine but the commission charged by the auction houses is crazy. And you need two people to want what you have. I'd rather deal direct but the options to advertise seem to be limited.
I've sold quite a few watches via the auction process, if the watch is desirable it is still usually the best way to obtain the most money in your pocket. It will get the most number of SERIOUS eyeballs and will generate the most action. Set your reserve properly and there is not much downside but plenty of upside. Five years ago I wanted to sell a Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse watch that I bought in 1998. Offering it to various dealers just brought a lot of hemming-and-hawing and 'I don't know' and 'that's not our style' reaction. I was only looking for what I had paid for it back in 1998, $2,600, but no takers. Consigned it to Antiquorum in NYC, bam, it hammered down at $5,200 and I netted $4,680. Desirable pieces are always wanted by the houses, and commissions and fees are sometimes negotiable if the piece is hot. Auctions aren't for every item, but for the right watch it is the best way to go. Don't ignore that option because of the fees.
 
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I think eBay is fine for high value items. In this case the Seller was over ambitious with price, had a strong reserve(probably set at the higher end of prices realised at an auction house)and the watch was over exposed after weeks on an inflated buy it now. No chance of a good result. If the ad was done sensibly it would have got $25k I think. Considering the fees are only 1% at this price I would say it’s not a bad deal for the seller.
 
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$10,000 plus seems a little steep for just a red sweep hand, at least to my mind.

I’ll never understand the extreme premium paid for Ultramen. $5k extra, maybe.

With all the Ultramen that have surfaced and been sold recently, maybe the market has absorbed all the buyers for these at these high prices?

I mean, I’d certainly prefer a nice 2998 for the same money.
 
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I think eBay is fine for high value items. In this case the Seller was over ambitious with price, had a strong reserve(probably set at the higher end of prices realised at an auction house)and the watch was over exposed after weeks on an inflated buy it now. No chance of a good result. If the ad was done sensibly it would have got $25k I think. Considering the fees are only 1% at this price I would say it’s not a bad deal for the seller.
Do you feel the seller’s risk of being scammed for higher value (say five figure items) is higher on eBay, or is that category of item actually safer for a seller since a buyer/scammer is really putting himself out there for an unsuccessful scam?
 
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Do you feel the seller’s risk of being scammed for higher value (say five figure items) is higher on eBay, or is that category of item actually safer for a seller since a buyer/scammer is really putting himself out there for an unsuccessful scam?
Pretty sure eBay usually sides with the buyer; as terrible it may seem sometimes if something goes awry. Definitely a risky move either way in my opinion, as I’d also go the auction house route.
 
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Do you feel the seller’s risk of being scammed for higher value (say five figure items) is higher on eBay, or is that category of item actually safer for a seller since a buyer/scammer is really putting himself out there for an unsuccessful scam?

Much lower. I don’t think many eBay scammers have $25k to play with, and in this case for a very identifiable prize with limited appeal. PayPal would not just side with the buyer without proper investigation at this price bracket.
 
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Wrong venue to sell it, I'm afraid.
Edited:
 
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