eBay Category

[ernest_purdum]

If you think, as I do, that eBay can be useful to large format

photographers, please help to make it more useful. At present, in

the U.S.A. edition (only), everything photographic is lumped within

electronics and computers. This makes searches difficult. I

recently found three photographic items hiding amongst 132 offerings

of software, battery chargers, and other miscellaneous computer

items. At present, the best way to search internationally is to go

first to the U.K. site.

 

Please help me to persuade eBay that there is nothing "electronic"

about a Deardorff. E pluribus unum!

[ralph_barker]

For the average consumer, Ernest, the grouping of camera-related items under electronics probably makes sense. Thus, I doubt that eBay would be inclined to change it.

 

Also there's the side benefit of the potential for getting real bargains on things that have been put up by the uninitiated, and improperly classified. If no one else can find it, you're less likely to encounter a bidding frenzy that pushes the item up to near-retail price. ;-)

[ernest_purdum]

Ralph, you're right about improper categories. I bought a particularly well-equipped MP-5 outfit for $9.95 because of that. When it seems like it might work, lens names for example, I search "aall categories".

 

I hope, though, that you are wrong about being able to get eBay to give photography its own category. In every other country I have looked at, they do.

[terry_spade]

E-bay does have a Category for photography. It's called Cameras & Photography. Go here:

 

http://pages.ebay.com/catindex/photo.html?ssPageName=MOPS5:HEC02

[ernest_purdum]

Terry, the problem is that this is a sub-category under electronics and computers. When you use "search" you can't select other than major categories. Also, I can imagine a newcomer to eBay gazing in bewilderment at the home page, never realizing that he is expected to look for "cameras" hiding in tiny print under the electroncs and computers heading.

[j.l._kennedy1]

"I can imagine a newcomer to eBay gazing in bewilderment at the home page, never realizing that he is expected to look for "cameras" hiding in tiny print under the electroncs and computers heading."

 

This actually makes me happy, because I think of all the people who won't be bidding against me! It also reminds me of the time that I purchased my Chevy Suburban for about $8000-$9000 under market value because the seller had it listed as a Plymouth Suburban (which doesn't exist) and therefor no one saw it in the alphabetized classified ads. The seller told me the ad had been running for about two weeks and I was the first call. My response was "Hmmmm... I wonder why."

[ernest_purdum]

Yes, but how about the person that is loking for a place to sell Grandpa' Deardorff?

[ernest_purdum]

Yes, but how about the person that is loking for a place to sell Grandpa's Deardorff?

[robert_davis2]

"Yes, but how about the person that is loking for a place to sell Grandpa' Deardorff?"

 

Assuming they even know it's a camera? Almost every week somebody will list a 35mm zoom with the LF lenses. Well it is a large lens. I agree it's bad for the sellers how they've set it up. Being a buyer that's okay with me.

[scott_fleming1]

Your best bet is to build your own searches and save them categorically using the 'exclude' box. It's alittle time consuming but you end up with custom search features that will take you exactly where you want to go and filter out all the crap. I refine mine constantly. Example: In my Toyo search I have excluded zoom, tires, lens, filter, teleconverter, mirror, ambico, olympus, omega, and gx.

[erik_ryberg]

Yeah I know. About three weeks ago I got a deardorff (misspelled as deardoff) with four Schneider lenses and a mint

condition Goerz Hypergon complete with the fan, along with

a Ries Tripod, 40 film holders and three backs for US $12.65 because it was in

the vintage remote control airplane category.

[erik_ryberg]

Just kidding.