Thread: eBay?

There are several reasons that ebay is a bad place for newbies to straight razors. First are the objects that look like razors but are completely ill suited for shaving. Second are the so called restorers who are looking to make more money by making the blades look good but ruining the temper. Then there are the sellers that really know nothing abiut razors and don't disclose or know about the things that we look for in shavers, i.e. cracks, rot, pitting on the edge, etc... And finally, there are the unscrupulous sellers who only care about making money and mislead buyers.

Originally Posted by Theseus

There are several reasons that ebay is a bad place for newbies to straight razors. First are the objects that look like razors but are completely ill suited for shaving. Second are the so called restorers who are looking to make more money by making the blades look good but ruining the temper. Then there are the sellers that really know nothing abiut razors and don't disclose or know about the things that we look for in shavers, i.e. cracks, rot, pitting on the edge, etc... And finally, there are the unscrupulous sellers who only care about making money and mislead buyers.

All that is true. A buyer, whether a new shaver or a veteran, has to be observant and discriminating to avoid buying a pig in a poke. I don't discourage new guys from buying on ebay though. I just tell them what to look for and what to avoid. I figure if they are old enough to shave with a straight razor they better be smart enough to figure out what they're buying. If they get burned it will probably only be once and maybe worth the lesson.

Evidently people have had enough negative experience in the past to warrant this concern. However, my experience has been quite different. I have picked up 6 blades from the Forum here, a dozen on eBay and another handful on Craigslist and BricknMortar locations in the last few months. I can honestly say the only surprises I got were due to my lack of diligence or failure to ask questions before bidding. With eBay feedback I have experienced the exact opposite... I see people maximizing communication, offering to settle disputes before any actually exist and the customer service is extremely high. Obviously, my best deals have been here for sure but by being diligent and keeping an eye on Feedback Scores and Sales Numbers have comfortably completed a number of transactions... AND, the majority of those had a return guarantee where I could return the item for ANY reason if not satisfied or if I felt it were misrepresented.

This Forum, like so many others is far and away superior but it simply cannot match the sheer number of availability in the global market of eBay and there are largely decent folks out there in the world in general.

Common sense is the key...

A hint I just thought of that helps sometimes...

Use varying types of search data. Like, if you are looking for a Wade And Butcher do your searches for "Wade And Butcher" and "Wade & Butcher". Sometimes the search engine will include both but not all.

Think of as many different terms for what you are looking for and search in as many ways as possible. I've had some luck from mis-typing something that got me a different search result which was not being bid-up as much as another.