Give us your great reasons to love eBay

[Silver]

Well, I don't ebay much, but when I do, I make it worth it.

I think my all time best buy has to be the Mizuno MP-001 driver auction I won just the other day. 460cc, 8.5, with NV65 stiff for...get this...$128.50 US...barely used. The key to this auction was investigation. As the seller didn't accept Paypal and accepted money orders only and didn't have a LOT of feedback (only about 50, but all sales and all positive), it seeemed a bit risky, but not overly so. I went through and read ALL of the feedback and looked at ALL of the items that he'd recently sold and eventually determined that it was likely a pro shop or something similar. When I was satisfied that the risk was minimal, I just decided to keep my max bid under the amount that ebay offers for buyer protection ($200) and decided to go for it. Once I got the "win" and the accompanying email, I figured out that it's actually a country club in College Station, TX. So I send them an email and say "rather than be slow for both of us by sending a money order, why not a CC over the phone?"...no problem, the guy handling it is out of the office until Monday, but I'm calling the actual country club to do the deal on Monday which makes me feel very secure in the purchase.

What were your best ebay buys and what was special about them?

[Rosmo]

I got my Titleist 975 J for under $100 back in the day...it arrived in two days and was in almost new condition, needless to say I was very impressed.

[Rockford35]

X-16 Pro Irons with DGS300 shafts. Mint shape. $240CDN shipped. Local price $1100CDN.

GBBII with stock OEM shaft. Mint shape. 105CDN shipped. Local Price $499CDN.

Cleveland 60* lob wedge. Gunmetal finish. $45CDN. Local Price $159CDN.

Callaway Hawkeye VFT Pro Series driver, mint shape, still had plastic on it. 100CDN. Local Price, $399CDN.

Hawkeye VFT 3 & 5 woods, mint shape, combined total 215CDN. Local price $525CDN combined.

Callaway Biggest Big Bertha driver, stock OEM regular shaft, fantastic shape, mint headcover, $40CDN.

As you can see, i've done well. I can't justify spending hundreds of extra dollars locally when I can get the same product for hundreds and hundreds of dollars cheaper.

R35

[Silver]

Wow Rock, those are some real prize scores there. Are you a "waiter"...in that you'll just wait on a specific item until you get just the right price? I mean, some of that is pretty money.

[Rockford35]

I'm a huge lurker.

I have a an item in my head and I hunt out every avenue I can, every option and weigh out what it's gonna cost me. Then, I make a period in my day planner where no one can be around me while I snipe.

I've tried those E-snipe programs, but they all suck. Twice it hasn't bid for me, and once it did - after the auction was over.

But, if i need something, I usually don't just go and buy it. It often takes me weeks to get it....

And buying in the offseason is huge. My GBBII was 150 bucks more 6 weeks prior....

R35

[Silver]

Word, good technique. I'll usually just give myself a max price (basically the LOWEST things have been selling for) and wait out a snipe on one of those. I prefer not to wait too long, because if I want something, I want it for a reason, but I don't rush either. I generally have pretty good luck with getting good product at good prices, but rarely super fantabulous.

Used MX 23s were 418 CDN shipped, New Launcher 460 was 318 CDN shipped (back when it was new), oh, and I just got a CG10 for $50 US with shop wear only. Money.

[Rockford35]

Nice work on that CG10. Great wedges.

R35

[jc@bg]

Buying in the off-season is a great strategy, as is buying when the market is a little soft on a given item (e.g., almost latest TM driver after the latest-greatest hits the market). Ebay is also the perfect place to purchase items not in heavy demand, such as clothes or shoes in an atypical size. My best buy ever was a pair of Adidas golf shoes for my wife. She wears size 5 1/2, and I was the only bidder. Starting and winning bid? 1 cent. Had to pay $9 shipping, but my wife still likes to tell people about her 1 cent shoes. They were brand new, perfect box, and the whole transaction was very professionally handled. This never works for me, because I wear a size 10--way too average.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by rockford35

X-16 Pro Irons with DGS300 shafts. Mint shape. $240CDN shipped. Local price $1100CDN.

GBBII with stock OEM shaft. Mint shape. 105CDN shipped. Local Price $499CDN.

Cleveland 60* lob wedge. Gunmetal finish. $45CDN. Local Price $159CDN.

Callaway Hawkeye VFT Pro Series driver, mint shape, still had plastic on it. 100CDN. Local Price, $399CDN.

Hawkeye VFT 3 & 5 woods, mint shape, combined total 215CDN. Local price $525CDN combined.

Callaway Biggest Big Bertha driver, stock OEM regular shaft, fantastic shape, mint headcover, $40CDN.

As you can see, i've done well. I can't justify spending hundreds of extra dollars locally when I can get the same product for hundreds and hundreds of dollars cheaper.

R35

Wow...I had no idea you had bought virtually your entire bag off ebay. I like your lurking idea and having a particular time of day when you can devote to it...

To Silver's original post/question: I am buying almost all of my golf shirts on ebay now. Since we wear short sleeve golf shirts 9 months a year - I need a lot (and frankly enjoy the collecting aspect).

I've been doing a lot of Ashworth and Callaway hunting lately. I got sniped on Tuesday of this week by 50 cents on two brand new Ashworth shirts that went for $28 with shipping...

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by jc@bg

Buying in the off-season is a great strategy, as is buying when the market is a little soft on a given item (e.g., almost latest TM driver after the latest-greatest hits the market). Ebay is also the perfect place to purchase items not in heavy demand, such as clothes or shoes in an atypical size. My best buy ever was a pair of Adidas golf shoes for my wife. She wears size 5 1/2, and I was the only bidder. Starting and winning bid? 1 cent. Had to pay $9 shipping, but my wife still likes to tell people about her 1 cent shoes. They were brand new, perfect box, and the whole transaction was very professionally handled. This never works for me, because I wear a size 10--way too average.

Yeah...dammit - you and I are "everyman" when it comes to clothes. If there is a sale on at a local store - I better get there in the first 3-4 hours or all of my stuff is gone..

37-38 waist
XL shirt
44 coat
10.5 shoes

[Rockford35]

I wear a 44 coat, have 10.5 shoes, but my waist is 33-34.

Does that mean I'm below average?

R35

[CKGuY914]

Mizuno MP-32 brand new still in box $550 shipped
Mizuno Aero Frame stand bag brand new still in box $50 shipped
Titleist PT 13 (the old school one) $65 shipped

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by rockford35

I wear a 44 coat, have 10.5 shoes, but my waist is 33-34.

Does that mean I'm below average?

R35

From the clothing industry there is a term called "the six inch drop" which means you can subtract six inches from the coat size and this will be the approximate size of the waist.

Such that myself with a 44 inch coat and a 38 waist is about normal for buying a "suit off the rack".

You have what they call - an "athletic build" - good for you.

Do you work out?

[VtDivot]

Originally Posted by Bravo

From the clothing industry there is a term called "the six inch drop" which means you can subtract six inches from the coat size and this will be the approximate size of the waist.

Such that myself with a 44 inch coat and a 38 waist is about normal for buying a "suit off the rack".

You have what they call - an "athletic build" - good for you.

Do you work out?

40 coat
32 pant

I'm an imp of a man *sob*

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by Bravo

You have what they call - an "athletic build" - good for you.

Do you work out?

I eat at Red Lobster from time to time.

I don't go to the gym, do yoga or get much "extra" ciricular exercise. I play alot of hockey in the winter, but I can say that I have put on on pounds over the last couple of years.

When I graduated highschool and went into first year university, I was about 150lbs. I'm a steady 184lbs these days. But, I have the same waist size, which is sorta weird. My lower body is pretty much the mass of me, which is probably why I can drive the ball so far. And, also why i can't hit my irons far (i'm very arm-y with my irons, just can't get the leg drive figured out consistently enough to stick with that swing).

I have two brothers, one's 5'11" and about 195, the other is 5'10" and about 210. My sister is about 5'9", but she's like 110lbs, if that. Skinny as a rail. My Dad is about 5'3", maybe 140. Only my sister has what I would define as "athletic build", as you said. Both my brothers have beer guts, and they'd tell you that themselves.

I have thought of going on a regular exercise routine, maybe 2 times a week. I can't tell you the number of people that I know that have gone on exercise routines only to wear out their body in a matter of months. Running, weights, even yoga. People just don't understand that to be an "athlete" you have to train, rest, east well and not push yourself too hard. And by that I mean no beer, no snacks, work your muscles regularily with a set routine and never break that routine for any reason. That's what a true athlete does.

Me? I'd like to be about 175. If I got down to 175, I think i'd be at my ideal weight, in my mind's eye.

R35

PS....B, I wasn't taking a shot at the waist size there, I was just having some fun....