Thread: Ebay selling dangers - blade width

Originally Posted by DaveW

I say that as a guilty seller. About a quarter of what I've bought in tools and razors and have resold has been sold at an almost total loss because I didn't feel like I could list something the same way a seller did (as in to my detriment) when I bought the item. I don't generally buy things thinking of flipping them, but knowning my nature, most of the things I buy I will probably sell eventually because of an itch to try something else and a desire not to have an endless pile of things to keep rust off of (tools or razors). It sucks to take a big hit when you feel you have to list a flaw that quarters the value of something!!

My only beef with sellers are the one's who bury in the description that there's a crack or some major flaw while under, "condition" they have it listed as used but otherwise fine. Yes, it's up to the buyer to fully read the description, but there's been some blades I've seen where it's hard not to think that "this minor, cosmetic flaw", is purposely buried to mislead...but again, caveat emptor....buyer beware.

Originally Posted by Phrank

My only beef with sellers are the one's who bury in the description that there's a crack or some major flaw while under, "condition" they have it listed as used but otherwise fine. Yes, it's up to the buyer to fully read the description, but there's been some blades I've seen where it's hard not to think that "this minor, cosmetic flaw", is purposely buried to mislead...but again, caveat emptor....buyer beware.

I agree. Ebay will side with you if the description is subtle but the flaw is not, all you have to do is start a dispute process. I personally take those items as a loss and list the flaw front and center. My escher with mild cracking (but stable), I bought for $400. The seller didn't know enough to look at it, they just found it at a yard sale. I used it for a while and cut them a break. When I sold it, I got $155 (it was a 10x2 y/g with a half inch of thickness remaining, it had been used hard) on a straight up auction. That sucked!!

Iv'e got a few stories where I've made $10 on a razor when I finally decided to sell one and a lot more where I took a $10 loss, and too many stories about stones where I really took the exchange in the shorts (especially jnats that a seller thought were fine but I know from experience are not actually finishers in the sense that most people will expect).

It sucks to take the loss, but what else can you do? I guess the only thing I can think of is to do a better job of avoiding getting stuff you feel you'd have to compromise on.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Is there any standardization for the measurement? When I think of a 6/8 razor, I think of 6/8 under the spine, and not 6/8 including the spine. If I sell a razor and it measures 6/8 including the spine, I call it 11/16th. I can understand if the guy was mad due to the razor being just a little shy, but when you're buying, it's good to ask the question first.

There is not. Some manufacturers measure from the top, and some from under the spine, at the honing flat. Kind of weird but that is show biz. I bought an 8/8 Livi and thought that was really cool. I wanted a Takeda and he made them 7/8. So I was stuck with that but wished for that 1/8". Some of us are strange folk. With W&B FBUs I have to have at least 8/8 or I don't want it. I was really stoked getting one at 8/8, a variation at 9/8 and yet another variation at 10/8. Funny thing is I prefer shaving with a 6/8 or a 5/8. I don't know what the psychology is behind all of this.

Originally Posted by DaveW

If I can't get 6/8 under the spine, but it's really close, I'll say just shy of 6/8.

+1. I listed a razor in the classifieds as 11/16, 'cause that's what it was. It was dieing a slow death up there so I edited the title to read 1/16th less than 6/8 and it sold. That may say something about perception, or maybe it has nothing to do with it ?

Originally Posted by DaveW

I say that as a guilty seller. About a quarter of what I've bought in tools and razors and have resold has been sold at an almost total loss because I didn't feel like I could list something the same way a seller did (as in to my detriment) when I bought the item. I don't generally buy things thinking of flipping them, but knowning my nature, most of the things I buy I will probably sell eventually because of an itch to try something else and a desire not to have an endless pile of things to keep rust off of (tools or razors). It sucks to take a big hit when you feel you have to list a flaw that quarters the value of something!!

I saw you do that with a 7 day Solingen set. I was curious as to why you didn't try to get your $ out of it, but that ain't my business.

Why, didn't you know Jimmy...Dave's running a charitable organization.

Originally Posted by JoeSomebody

Why, didn't you know Jimmy...Dave's running a charitable organization.

Some days it seems like it, and I hope if anyone ever buys anything from me (because I am not a dealer, and not even good at recovering my own dollars as a collector) that they sure do let me know if they think it's got a shortcoming, because if I'm losing money all the way, what's the difference on another item!

Jimmy's right about that Kobar razor set. I chanced it and thought it might be 6/8 or something just under, but they turned out to be very nimble 5/8 shape with a very thin grind. I'd imagine they were expensive when they were new. I listed them straight up on ebay and thought they'd do better, but they didn't. I honed them usable on natural stones, so the buyer probably thought he got robbed when he got a natural stone edge...haha. If I had them again after spending the time to clean them up, correct their bevels and hone them, I would've at least set a BIN price on ebay that would've netted me what I paid.

Jimmy - I've noticed the same stumbling at 11/16th vs. 6/8. It seems to me that 6/8 is worth 50% more at least. I personally like 6/8 razors (6/8 under the spine) all other things being equal, for personal reasons, but if I was shaving someone else like a barber, i'd probably like a 5/8 razor better. There must be a reason so many of those old razors were 5/8, they could've easily made their dies stamp out a 6/8 blank if they'd have wanted and charged another 50 cents for the grind time (in the day when razors were $2).

One last comment, I've learned from giving tools away to people and selling at a deep discount. Most of the time when I've bent over backwards to give a beginner or novice a honed razor at a discount or a tool at a discount and one that's already prepared, they don't appreciate it. There have been several times I sent something to someone free when I knew they were in the weeds and never even got a thanks after they asked if I'd help them out. I don't think that's necessarily because they're pigs, I think it's just that people have to want something enough to pay full price for it to even appreciate it, and if they just sort of want it and you really cut them a deal or help them out, they think "well, that person didn't really do me a favor, because I wouldn't have bought that at full price, anyway".

So I don't do that much anymore.

Yeah, Dave, it stings as that happens. I have taken to PIF'ing to guys who show their mettle here for awhile exclusively.
Sometimes, it is disappointing to send free things to a newb who needs help and get little or no thanks. Sometimes, it pays off in spades.
As to razor size, picky folks are out there. Some have nothing to do except pick. I have bought many razors advertised as, say 7/8 knowing full well it was probably not. Lots of sellers tend to 'round-up' so knowing the probable width of the tang and using it to judge blade width is mostly how I roll. If I get an 8/8 and it turns up 15/16, it is my fault for taking a sellers judgment instead of my own estimation into account, OR, It does not matter to me either way. I DO prefer to see a MM measurement instead of someone saying 'an inch wide'. It tells me they actually measured the thing!

What I really hate is when the say "about" an inch ........

[QUOTE=sharptonn;1391808]Yeah, Dave, it stings as that happens. I have taken to PIF'ing to guys who show their mettle here for awhile exclusively.
Sometimes, it is disappointing to send free things to a newb who needs help and get little or no thanks. Sometimes, it pays off in spades.
Thats so true thats why I do not PIF anymore,I loaned a very expensive Hone to a member (since banned) said he would send it back in a week.
Has been two yrs,still no hone.

This whole chopper craze is just freakin' ridiculous! I wont buy one now, because of the silly prices that have sky-rocketed on these. I'm going to make my own out of some great steel and circumvent these astronomical prices! Btw, use a 1/32" ruler in the pic and tell them to be the judge and no returns. That'll learn them!

Some people are just pointless to deal with