Ebay Vs. Ag Online

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February 27th, 2006, 01:59 AM
prasnlrd

I am beginning to think that Ebay is a waste of my time lately. The prices there are "through the roof". Where is the savings? You can find a deal, but more not than often. I also detest and have very little patience for drawn out auctions.

I have started buying straight from AG the majority of the time. I am just so happy that I got the majority of the retired items I wanted before Ebay went "nuts". AG online prices are far better than Ebay these days and their SH prices cannot be beat. I also have to pay CA. sales tax, but I still think I come ahead.

Will Ebay ever return to being "The Garage Sale" of the Internet???

[img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] [img]rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 02:03 AM
AGTeacher

Agreed!!! everything too expensive!!! I went to look for Bitty Twin girls and they are more expensive than getting BOTH twins from AG! They range over $50 each! while both the girl and boy at AG are $79!
February 27th, 2006, 02:11 AM
Janie3082

I haven't bought anything off ebay in so long! I've gotten a few current AG items for a little less than retail, but I normally look for retired stuff for Kirsten or Felicity. Although Lissie's stuff always goes sky high in price! Otherwise, I just order direct from AG. Ebay has been a madhouse lately! [img]confused.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 02:15 AM
J9S

Ebay's definitely gone nuts. I frequently look for things I want, but...agh. Expensive! My one problem with ordering from AG online is that I usually want to get pm items...especially when it comes to the dolls. I know that's picky, but...Yeah. I can't help it.

-Janine
February 27th, 2006, 02:19 AM
Felicity_Fan85

All I want from ebay is a cheap fixer upper pm doll... [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] I just want a doll who can travel... I suppose I could get a cheap doll from walmart or something and have travel...but...I dunno.
February 27th, 2006, 02:22 AM
talentedtwelve12

I agree. You can't just get an item for a low price. Now it has to be twice what it used to be!!

I saw a kirsten with cut hair and a lense falling out and silver eye going for 48 or so! WHOA!
February 27th, 2006, 02:23 AM
jennifermarym

Quote:

Originally posted by J9S:
Ebay's definitely gone nuts. I frequently look for things I want, but...agh. Expensive! My one problem with ordering from AG online is that I usually want to get pm items...especially when it comes to the dolls. I know that's picky, but...Yeah. I can't help it.

-Janine

I agree with you Janine. I want A LOT of PM stuff and with E-Bay being so nuts lately I have to lay off for a while if I want to actually save money on purchases.
February 27th, 2006, 03:58 AM
Bean Bunny

I'm upset that prices are high AND there's nothing good this month. I can't find anything I like ... except one retired dress that's BIN for $45. Sorry, no. I just want to shake some sellers.

Some prices are just ignorant, too. There's no reason in this WORLD to pay over a hundred dollars for an Elizabeth before shipping! Seriously, I can get a brand new doll off the website for some of these prices!

[ February 27, 2006 12:01 AM: Message edited by: Bean Bunny ]
February 27th, 2006, 06:14 AM
Nethilia

A lot of Ebay prices sicken me. Especially some BINs for stuff I can get straight from the official site. Somebody is selling's Addy's lunch for 33 bucks, her hari ribbons for 13 (I don't even want to buy them from AG because I can just cut some ribbons for less than a dollar at Joanns) and her work shoes for 24! That's a 3 times mark up on her work shoes! One reason I'm glad I know how to sew is looking at the costs of so many things. People are so greedy!
February 27th, 2006, 10:18 AM
julliams

I personally am very perplexed by the prices on ebay. I understand when an item is retired or hard to find - but when I see the same thing on ebay going for twice the price as it is new from AG I find it infuriating.

Every so often you do see someone who does get a good deal which keeps me going to ebay to check but it never seems to happen to me.

I hav found however, that if you have a price in mind and you are willing to wait, the item you are looking for for the price you want does eventually come it. Often we only want things because they are the "flavour of the month" and of course that means the price goes up because of all the bidders involved.

Now that I have a PM doll (I've never seen a Mattel doll in person) I want more PM. For some reason I am attracted to the things that are hard to get - grrrrr.

Juliette
February 27th, 2006, 11:50 AM
MissCurlyCat

It seems like people are so desparate for a good deal that they will bid, and bid, and bid on the same thing if it's cheap, until it's as expensive or MORE than the BIN items (which to me are a bit too pricey! [img]mad.gif[/img] I agree, EBay has been a little weird lately. Have people forgotten that Christmas is over?
February 27th, 2006, 02:21 PM
FelinaDoon

Quote:

Originally posted by Sail-Away:
Ahhhh ladies ladies ladies.....you have to watch and have quick fingers! If one had quick fingers then the "garage sale" is available to all!

I was quick enough today and got a nifty lot.

http://i9.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/52/15/0e_1.JPG

[ February 27, 2006 12:51 AM: Message edited by: Sail-Away ]

Saw that and almost bid on it myself - Glad you got it.

I just got Kirsten's checked dress for $20.00

E-Bay is where I go if I want something retired - I know going there it won't be a bargain, but I willbe able to find what I want
February 27th, 2006, 02:43 PM
mypinkmermaid

[quote]Originally posted by FelinaDoon:

Quote:

Originally posted by Sail-Away:
[qb]Ahhhh ladies ladies ladies.....you have to watch and have quick fingers! If one had quick fingers then the "garage sale" is available to all!

E-Bay is where I go if I want something retired - I know going there it won't be a bargain, but I willbe able to find what I want

Ditto that. I just got the weekend baking outfit, new for $38. Not a "bargain", but a good price for an item that I have seen go for $50 used. Now I just need the clogs that go with it!
February 27th, 2006, 02:56 PM
judiaci

I almost always buy directly from AG. There are a few good deals on e-Bay, and I am always excited to see people post about them here. However, I find that the time you have to invest to find those deals is not worth it for me. Once I go on e-Bay, I lose my whole day. I can't get off of it. One search leads to another and then "poof" my day is gone. So, I try to stay off.

The bright side of it is that e-Bay has been great for selling even with the fees. It is incredibly strange that people will pay more or almost the same as what AG charges for an item. I cleaned out my closet last month and made several hundred dollars more that I thought I would on my extra AG stuff. Some of it was retired, but not all of it. For example, I sold a brand new set of Kirsten's Flannels from her winter story for almost $28. They were new in a box, but they are available on the website for $14. I felt sort of bad. [img]confused.gif[/img] I have no clue why someone bid that much. Odd and unexplainable.

Of course, there is the "found money" theory of Paypal balances for people who want to hide AG purchases from their spouses. There is the theory that people don't feel as guilty using their Paypal money to purchase AG. And, there is the ignorance theory, but it still doesn't explain the e-Bay prices - just a mystery, I guess. [img]graemlins/thinking.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 04:00 PM
jaydon724

Quote:

Will Ebay ever return to being "The Garage Sale" of the Internet???

[img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] [img]rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img]

Sadly, I don't think so. I mean I got a few bargains this weekend, but seriously I think it was just because they were things that no one was really after that tough. As long as people have money to burn, ebay prices are going to be through the roof.

[img]frown.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 04:53 PM
Bean Bunny

Quote:

Originally posted by Sail-Away:
I was quick enough today and got a nifty lot.

I have no idea why, but that looks so very funny with the doll standing over the clothes looking at them. "Oh hello, what do we have here?"
February 27th, 2006, 05:08 PM
judiaci

I do still buy on e-Bay - but it is usually handmade jewelry or handsewn items. I just don't buy AG factory made items, usually. And, it is sometimes fun to look if you have the time and self-control, LOL.
February 27th, 2006, 05:48 PM
PhDfamily

I agree. I am shocked at how greedy some of the ebay things seem. I guess it only goes for that if someone is willing to pay it (rather like Bennie Babies.)

I have just started looking at ebay stuff (and got a paypal and ebay account very resently.) I have been looking into the HH line for my DD and I am amazed how much they want for things you can still get on the AG website for so cheap and reasonabile S&H! I want to yell DON'T BUY IT HERE, got to AG.com and get it! It seems so greedy to me. If I had some retried things I wanted to sell, I would at least hold on to them until AG sold out! I guess there is a sucker born every min and I don't want to be that one.

So far the only things I have bought on ebay (or bid) were handmade doll cothes. I don't mind that because it is someone with a skill and talent making $ from it. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

What is with all the very hight S&H costs too? I know it doesn't cost $10 to ship that? Why are there such ranges and does the seller pocke the extra money?

[ February 27, 2006 01:56 PM: Message edited by: PhDfamily ]
February 27th, 2006, 06:06 PM
TFD68

Part of the reason why Ebay prices are so high is that American Girl does not ship internationally. Anyone overseas who wants AG stuff can only get it on Ebay. That drives the prices up.

As for the shipping prices, I think a lot of sellers are trying to recoup their fees by building that into the shipping cost. Some sellers even go so far as to sell their item for $1 but charge $100 to ship. That way they don't have to pay a high fee to list their item. Of course, the buyer is out of luck if they need to return the item because the seller is only made to refund the purchase price and not the shipping price. The other reason shipping prices are so high is that a lot of sellers are now adding in all their cost for materials such as boxes, tape, etc and even charging for gas and the time it takes to bring the item to the post office.

The old Ebay is gone forever I think [img]frown.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 06:22 PM
Martina's*Mommy

It's true, AG doesn't ship overseas, so for us here, there's no other way than Ebay... [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] It's the same drama with a lot of other brands like Gymboree or TCP, they also don't ship here.

Granted, there are still good deals out there, like this one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

It arrived here the other day and DD wore it for school the very first time today... [img]wink.gif[/img] And I'm still proud on myself for getting that great deal on the jumper... [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 06:26 PM
judiaci

Sonja - that is a great deal. I guess, there still are good deals for some lucky people or those with more patience in searching. I usually find out about them here - after the auction is complete.
February 27th, 2006, 06:31 PM
Martina's*Mommy

It's true - I'm weeding through the listings for hours to find the perfect deal... [img]wink.gif[/img]
I have the obsession to find every item at the lowest possible price.
February 27th, 2006, 06:46 PM
MollyGirl

I'm with you. My goal is not to buy on ebay. The shipping prices have gone crazy also.

The lesson is to buy two of every outfit AG puts out. As soon as the outfit is retired put the second outfit on ebay for twice the price. You then pay for the outfit you kept.

[img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 06:47 PM
Jeanette M.

Quote:

Originally posted by FelinaDoon:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Sail-Away:
Ahhhh ladies ladies ladies.....you have to watch and have quick fingers!

E-Bay is where I go if I want something retired - I know going there it won't be a bargain, but I willbe able to find what I want<hr /></blockquote>That is exactly what I use eBay for, my friends! I got a 1994 Felicity Riding Habit for $29 the other day!
February 27th, 2006, 07:12 PM
moderator

Quote:

Originally posted by Momto3girls:
Part of the reason why Ebay prices are so high is that American Girl does not ship internationally. Anyone overseas who wants AG stuff can only get it on Ebay. That drives the prices up.

Unfortunately, this is what many people outside of the US think, but AG does ship overseas.

From http://store.americangirl.com/pls/ag...o?catid=387016 :

"If you would like to place an order to be shipped outside the U.S. or Canada, please call our customer service department at 1-608-831-5210, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Central Time, or fax at 1-608-828-4790."

[ February 27, 2006 03:18 PM: Message edited by: Melissa ]
February 27th, 2006, 07:17 PM
Martina's*Mommy

WHAT???!!! Sorry for screaming, but I contacted them last year and they replied, that they don't ship here. So off Sonja goes to Ebay, desperated to find the doll of her dreams... [img]wink.gif[/img]
February 27th, 2006, 09:15 PM
Nethilia

I think it's certain countries they don't ship to. Maybe we could set up a network or something, to have people who are in shippable countries buy AG stuff and ship to other people for a little bit more (like to cover tax and reboxing).
February 27th, 2006, 09:22 PM
marisoldancegirl662

Quote:

Originally posted by Felicity_Fan85:
I just want a doll who can travel... I suppose I could get a cheap doll from walmart or something and have travel...but...I dunno.

You could have Susie Mae travel, It's seems like a good idea.
February 28th, 2006, 04:43 AM
angelnise

I think that some people just don't bother to go look at the AG place items for price. They assume it's more than e-bay.

I look for retired items, and for handmade items that are as good as. I just want the look sometimes, so if it's not official AG it doesn't bother me too much. There are some fantastic sewers out there!