I've been shopping on EBAY.
If you take the time, you can get some good prices on some products, such as a PALM ZIRE for $60, instead of at least $80 in local stores (when discounted or with a coupon).
If a product is new, durable, and a known product, there are reliable bargains. But I did have to return a virtually new voice recorder that did not work.
What gets my curiosity is that there are some products where the bulk of sellers have a "buy it now" price or a minimum price that is much higher than what you can get the product for through internet sellers. Specifically, I would refer to digital cameras, such as the FUJI 303, which can be purchased over the internet for $190, and you cannot get it that cheap on EBAY. Other products sell for less than the going price over the internet.
Don't know what this would mean to the stock price, but it occurs to me that EBAY may have reached an equilibrium point like outlet stores. WHen outlet stores first came out, they were unique stores that sold discontinued items, seconds, for good prices. Now they are everywhere. The supply of discontinued and seconds was limited, and now they pretty much all sell new products competing directly with the regular malls. They are really much like regular malls (other than that the parking lot is in the middle, rather than on the outside).
In general my opinion of EBAY is that it is way overpriced. It is priced for a lot of growth to go, but I don't see it. But I'm not shorting it. Too scary. |
