When ppl list their bags higher than retail..

[Swanky]

The marketplace is great because we as a group of handbag connoiseurs can trust eachother not to sell fake bags, we know that if we buy from eachother we'll get the real deal. But we should be getting just that, a good deal, rather than being overcharged. We should sell for fair prices taking into consideration: original price of the bag, the rarity and/or demand of the bag, it's condition and it's estimated current value. Right???

No, the MArketplace was never a vision for a good deal, rather a trustworthy place to buy an authentic product from people you may trust more than a stranger from eBay.

An item is ONLY WORTH what ONE IS WILLING TO PAY.
-could be more or less than retail.

 

[Swanky]

.

I agree though, once it becomes extortionately obvious that someone is only trying to make a huge profit through the MP, then that specific situation would probably need to be reviewed.

I honestly can't ever imagine us {Mods or Admins} getting involved like this.
Is someone wants to ask $10 for a used Gaucho, so what?
We'll probably have a good chuckle and move on, knowing FULL WELL they aren't going to get it.
We're no different than eBay in that respect, eBay doesn't moderate asking prices like that.

KWIM?

 

[yjs82]

i think i know which member this is probably about...and in that case, i agree that what she is doing is taking advantage of us. she came here to do market research, got upset and hurt when we called her out on it, and now she's here to make a profit on us without really contributing anything helpful or fun to the board. her bags are overpriced and i should hope that everyone knows that her bags are still available for less from retail stores.

that being said, it's up to us as consumers to educate ourselves about market availability and fair market value of the bag that we're looking for, but i think that most of the members here are more than aware (or at least easily able to become aware) of the going price of the bag they're looking for. no one should get scammed here by buying an authentic item at an exhorbitant price when ebay is just a click away and all the big department stores can be checked online.

Thank you, thank you!
That's what I was trying to say..

 

[eyelove]

I think the Marketplace is a safe haven for us, especially since there are so many fakes out there.

I think that regardless of where you're online shopping, it is always important in general to do the necessary research and take the necessary precautions as an online consumer.

 

[amanda]

Thank you, thank you!
That's what I was trying to say..

no problem! i don't have any problem with anyone making a profit, i've sold bags for a profit on ebay before, it's up to the buyer. but this particular member is just kind of annoying in how she goes about it since she doesn't really contribute anything. she has enough posts to sell here because she found out what bags to buy and then resell by asking our members on the forum, and then got hurt and upset when we asked her if that's what she was doing (even though it was blatantly obvious that that was the case). so i don't have a problem with profit in general, i just think what she's doing is kind of tacky.

 

[Daisy]

Honestly, that would bug me too. Take it to ebay if you want to make a profit. I consider the Marketplace a place to sell among friends and avoid ebay fees. I dunno, that's just me.

 

[Beach Bum]

^^ Agreed!

 

[coachwife6]

But I also believe in bag Karma. Little pigs are cute..........but big pigs get slaughtered.

Never heard that saying before, but it is great.

 

[Serendipity]

Supply and demand maybe. But I personally would go to the store and find something brand new that I liked as much. I would never pay over retail. Or even exactly what someone paid for a bag if it was used.

I personally couldn't live with myself if I paid for a bag, used it, and tried to get more. Or over charged if I was selling. My car depreciates and so does my bag. I would just want it to go to a loving home!!!

 

[chicky]

Honestly, that would bug me too. Take it to ebay if you want to make a profit. I consider the Marketplace a place to sell among friends and avoid ebay fees. I dunno, that's just me.

I agree

 

[Everevereve]

no problem! i don't have any problem with anyone making a profit, i've sold bags for a profit on ebay before, it's up to the buyer. but this particular member is just kind of annoying in how she goes about it since she doesn't really contribute anything. she has enough posts to sell here because she found out what bags to buy and then resell by asking our members on the forum, and then got hurt and upset when we asked her if that's what she was doing (even though it was blatantly obvious that that was the case). so i don't have a problem with profit in general, i just think what she's doing is kind of tacky.

OK I kinda see what you guys mean this "one" seller in one annoying one. I don't believe her fancy stories so I won't buy from her.Period.

 

[sonya]

It's the law of supply and demand. This isn't a moral issue. The fact that those purses did not sell is just because they were mispriced according to this market. (If you can find it for cheaper in a department store, then you should not buy it here.) In those cases where people have no access to that particular handbag (ie live far away from designer stores, or is sold out, etc.), their willingness to pay is higher, even minus the discount rate for a less secure transaction. I'm sure the seller is just trying to sell to those people.

Yeah, I hear what you guys are saying.. but my question is.. certain bags that are available at the boutique.. current season, current color, current style.. and way above retail only makes me think that they want to make profit out of the bag.. And this is not the case for most of the bags.. but a few bags that I've seen, (of course which weren't selling) were listed as way above retail. And of course, it's not as safe as the high end dep. stores or the actual boutique, regardless of the authenticity.. because of the return issue and stuff. And I understand that for ebay, because that's what some ppl do to make a living, collecting limited edition bags and selling them way above retail.. But here, as all of us are bag lovers I felt more like friends and was hoping that people will not try to make money out of selling bags here. I was looking for something more reasonable, which most of them are.. but some cases they aren't.. If the price was the same, I wouldn't buy the bag from the marketplace that is.. that was my point, (again, that excludes the limited edition bags, and one of those hard to get ones, and past season ones esp. balenciagas in gorgeous colors)..

 

[Greendrv]

It seems positively silly to sell exactly at retail if everyone else around you is getting more for the bag... check Ebay for an appropriate price for a bag.

Frankly, I think that once a bag is in your hands, it's up to you to decide at what price YOU want to part with it. That may be below retail, above retail, or more than you paid for it used on Ebay. Nobody's gonna make anybody buy a bag.

I'm surprised this is even an issue!

If a gal on here can make a profit selling her bag, I'd be happy for her.

I agree wholeheartedly!

 

[Leah411]

i think i know which member this is probably about...and in that case, i agree that what she is doing is taking advantage of us. she came here to do market research, got upset and hurt when we called her out on it, and now she's here to make a profit on us without really contributing anything helpful or fun to the board. her bags are overpriced and i should hope that everyone knows that her bags are still available for less from retail stores.

that being said, it's up to us as consumers to educate ourselves about market availability and fair market value of the bag that we're looking for, but i think that most of the members here are more than aware (or at least easily able to become aware) of the going price of the bag they're looking for. no one should get scammed here by buying an authentic item at an exhorbitant price when ebay is just a click away and all the big department stores can be checked online.

Thank you for saying so eloquently what I was thinking! :unsure:

Specifice sellers or venues aside...I've always been a little irked by people who have no interest in bags themselves but scoop up the popular ones solely to make a buck. Yes, I know..this is America, it's a free market and they're free to do that, etc....but it annoys me and makes me sad that it makes it harder for the REAL bag lovers to buy the bags they want at prices that aren't inflated over retail. I don't know how many times I've been in places like Nordtrom Rack where I've seen people with a cart full of merchandise that you KNOW is going on Ebay. BTW...Nordstrom Rack posts a sign that states when you make your purchase, you are agreeing that you are NOT buying for the purpose of resale. Interesting.

Anywho...I am also mystified by people who buy a bag on Ebay for way more than retail that is still readily available. And I mean readily available online. For example, I've seen bags such as Michael Kors being bought on Ebay at the exact same time Nordstrom has it on sale, online for less. There is something I'm not "getting" there.

As for paying retail - or more -here in the Marketplace...for me it would depend on the situation. Hard to find bag that I really wanted? Definitely. I'd get the bag I want and my fellow forum member would make some money. However, a bag that I could still purchase for the same price at the retail location? I'd probably go to the store to have the shopping experience and so I could return if I had buyer's remorse. Oh..and I'd also go "non-retail" as a way of helping someone out.

Hope I'm making sense...I'm writing this with a migraine....

 

[lucretias]

Yes, I think that's the basic dilemma. One's view of the markeplace determines how one percieves what is happening there. As mentioned previousy, I understand the concept of caveat emptor with regards to the markeplace in terms of pricing and I agree but only if the assumption is that the markeplace is a place of business. However, when buying from a dept store or even e-bay there is some recourse if you are not happy with your purchase. Which is is important for any business, because I believe issues of authencity can occur even in the marketplace.

I know I know..but the feeling of aghastness at that thought seems to be somewhat of oxymoron if all the arguments about being an informed consumer apply. If that is the point of view,then the marketplace becomes just another venue for purchasing just ebay with less of its security and none of the comfort that comes from buying from a dept store where there is a return policy and the chance to handle the merchandise before buying.

However, if this is a place to sell among friends, then the question becomes do friends really sell to each other with the idea of profit? Those who do view it as a place of friends selling to each other I believe would understandably be upset.

As for myself, it's a mixed bag, I feel the marketplace is a business, because honestly, if it was a place for friend to sell to each other, I would be somewhat disapointed. Because it definitely has a business feel to it, that I wouldn't expect/want from friends. I think it's a nice idea in theory, but in practice different values and views of the markeplace make it a mixed bag.

Honestly, that would bug me too. Take it to ebay if you want to make a profit. I consider the Marketplace a place to sell among friends and avoid ebay fees. I dunno, that's just me.