Am I the only one who finds this odd??

maggie7

maggie7

O.G.
Sep 8, 2006
3,107
2
#1
It seems to me somebody's working this forum, finding out what people's preferences are, what everybody's longing for and which bag would be the most sought after...

There are so many Koobas nobody has been able to get hold of, popping up on ebay lately with such a high starting price and BIN, the sellers must be pretty confident of the popularity of these bags...

Doesn't seem very ethical, as we're all here to tell everybody how much we yearn for certain styles and colours..would hate to think somebody's just using our friendly discussions purely to be able to mark up their listings, especially as most of these listings contain offers of bags from several seasons ago, which only fervent Kooba lovers would appreciate...

Or maybe I'm being paranoid, I don't know...
 
#2
I don't know...I actually wouldn't mind having the bag of my dreams suddenly appear on eBay, as long as it's authentic. It is ultimately my decision whether or not to buy, just like HuskyLover decided not to get the brown Kendall currently on eBay. It is a free market, and figuring out what is in demand is part of the game. And that's really the nature of public forums, isn't it? Whatever's written is there for everyone to see. We're providing free market research for the sellers out there.
 
#3
I agree. But to be honest, the new Kooba are not really that exciting so I can see where everyone is trying to grab the last of the "classics" before they are long gone. They are still selling at mostly half or a little more than retail.
I became a Kooba lover less than a month ago and I am addicted!
 
#4
I agree with the prior two ladies. Sellers are always trying to cater to consumers, and by doing so, given the right place, such as eBay, it is fair game. Corporations spend countless time, effort, and money to figure out what exactly the consumer wants. So, when the information is out in the open in a public forum, then the consumers are directly telling sellers what they are looking for. This is a public forum and what is so wrong with delivering what is wanted. And in the end both buyer and seller are happy with the outcome.
 
#6
Yeah, if I come across the bag I want and its the right price, I go for it and am happy. The only problem is coming across people that you can trust. In the past I have had problems with fakes(LV) and it is really annoying..
 
#7
katscorps said:
I don't know...I actually wouldn't mind having the bag of my dreams suddenly appear on eBay, as long as it's authentic. It is ultimately my decision whether or not to buy, just like HuskyLover decided not to get the brown Kendall currently on eBay. It is a free market, and figuring out what is in demand is part of the game. And that's really the nature of public forums, isn't it? Whatever's written is there for everyone to see. We're providing free market research for the sellers out there.
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I agree with this to a certain point. Having the bag of someones dream appear on ebay is great for that person, and I totally understand sellers trying to figure out what people want, I buy and sell on ebay too. But if that's the case, then you watch from afar, you don't try to befriend the people of the forum, and you do not promote your own auctions. The problem here is not about business though, it's about ethics, something that I pride myself on, and expect from others. Yes, everything written here is for everyone to see, but it's supposed to be a fun place to come and talk about bags, dreams of bags, likes and dislikes, etc., without feeling like you're being spied on by someone just for profit. It's friends, opinions, pictures, deals to be had and general goodwill between people who love Koobas. It's not supposed to be people promoting their own auctions, nor should it turn into people bashing each other, but there are some 'bad apples' out there, people with no ethics, and no regard for truth and honesty. To me, the Kooba forum has lost alot of its appeal, it's not fun to be here anymore because you have to be careful about what you say, and that's a shame, because it was a wonderful place to be.
 
#8
HuskyLover said:
I agree with this to a certain point. Having the bag of someones dream appear on ebay is great for that person, and I totally understand sellers trying to figure out what people want, I buy and sell on ebay too. But if that's the case, then you watch from afar, you don't try to befriend the people of the forum, and you do not promote your own auctions. The problem here is not about business though, it's about ethics, something that I pride myself on, and expect from others. Yes, everything written here is for everyone to see, but it's supposed to be a fun place to come and talk about bags, dreams of bags, likes and dislikes, etc., without feeling like you're being spied on by someone just for profit. It's friends, opinions, pictures, deals to be had and general goodwill between people who love Koobas. It's not supposed to be people promoting their own auctions, nor should it turn into people bashing each other, but there are some 'bad apples' out there, people with no ethics, and no regard for truth and honesty. To me, the Kooba forum has lost alot of its appeal, it's not fun to be here anymore because you have to be careful about what you say, and that's a shame, because it was a wonderful place to be.
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Well, I think it's still a wonderful place to be. And I'm not going to overthink anyone else's motives for being here, but plan on continuing to enjoy everyone and their input.
 
#9
Rosenpetals said:
Well, I think it's still a wonderful place to be. And I'm not going to overthink anyone else's motives for being here, but plan on continuing to enjoy everyone and their input.
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Same here, I think this is a wonderful place to have some "female bonding" as the hubby would say. I fall in love with a new bag everyday..:heart::heart::heart::heart: That doesn't mean that I can or will run out and buy it though...

And you know what else? I don't know how many times I have posted where(in retail stores) the deals are at...Like certain bags in certain stores so that other people can get the same price..
 
#10
shewolfy12 said:
Same here, I think this is a wonderful place to have some "female bonding" as the hubby would say. I fall in love with a new bag everyday..:heart::heart::heart::heart: That doesn't mean that I can or will run out and buy it though...

And you know what else? I don't know how many times I have posted where(in retail stores) the deals are at...Like certain bags in certain stores so that other people can get the same price..
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And we all appreciate your sharing the great deals!
Seriously, we're all just Kooba lovers here, right?
 
#11
luxoleather said:
So, when the information is out in the open in a public forum, then the consumers are directly telling sellers what they are looking for. This is a public forum and what is so wrong with delivering what is wanted. And in the end both buyer and seller are happy with the outcome.
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see i used to feel like this was a place where friends talked with friends,,, not consumers directly put information out to sellers,,, i dunno i mean of course i see that any info is for everyone to see and i guess if sellers are watching to see what they can make $ on, thats their business but i always just thought it was a place for friends to talk about what they liked and disliked and such and not a place where i felt people were trying to make money off my likes and dislikes,,,

not trying to argue just giving my 2 cents,, i just remember the board used to be something a little different,,
 
#12
helpl!!! slush said:
see i used to feel like this was a place where friends talked with friends,,, not consumers directly put information out to sellers,,, i dunno i mean of course i see that any info is for everyone to see and i guess if sellers are watching to see what they can make $ on, thats their business but i always just thought it was a place for friends to talk about what they liked and disliked and such and not a place where i felt people were trying to make money off my likes and dislikes,,,

not trying to argue just giving my 2 cents,, i just remember the board used to be something a little different,,
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And that's exactly what I meant, Bess..if we ever found Koobas cheap or there was a good deal going or anybody trying to help somebody get something without having to pay an arm and a leg, that was all good..but lately some of these listings have been touching retail.. ok, it's still our choice whether to buy or not, but don't tell me some ebayers are not using this forum to find out which bag they can jack up the price on and which not to bother with...it's the total focus on financial gain I'm against...
 
#13
Perhaps it's just 2 ways of looking at it. I could be strictly an ebay seller, have no real love for the bag , and my main goal would be sales. This forum started on the main forum when our love for Kooba bags overuled it at times. We all became friends..and I don't ever recall anyone listing a bag at an inflated price just because so and so said she'd really want one. It's the difference in being "a real part of this group and interacting and knowing each other" to an seller basically using us as a Test Group of sorts.
 
#14
I guess I don't care if sellers watch this forum or any others here in order to list their bags. I only wish they'd do it ethically, no shilling, no price inflation, no second nicks to promote their own listings and just play fair all around.

So if any of you sellers out there have a red Elisha at a FAIR price, list it! I'm watching for one!
 
#15
Grace123 said:
I guess I don't care if sellers watch this forum or any others here in order to list their bags. I only wish they'd do it ethically, no shilling, no price inflation, no second nicks to promote their own listings and just play fair all around.
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I agree. I have felt a sense of price inflation and the mentioning of possible 'hard to find' bags to several tPF members concurrently, expecting higher prices. No one minds a seller making a profit, but greed is where I draw the line. Yes, I'd like a cognac or desert Marcelle and a black or sand Lucy, but I won't be paying a heavily inflated price for them, which is why I have walked away from certain auctions, as the seller has priced her bags beyond my budget. I'll get what I want in the end, it just means being patient and waiting a bit longer.
 
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