Who Buys The E-Bay Lanterns

[Woodbutcher]

Who buys on Ebay.....Most of the world does. Sorry to disagree with Gus but not all are fools with to much money or are lazy. Ebay has to be looked at like a store. You need to know what things are worth, and worth to you. While I like to kick up my own things in the wild, sometimes you just don't find them there. I spend time every week looking at garage and Estate sales. Usually at least one flea market as well. I've been an antique and collectible dealer for over 25 years. I know how and where to find deals. But I also live in a large market being in Chicago. That is not the case with much of the country. Smaller market, equals fewer options. So for those people Ebay fills a need.
About 4 years ago I decided I would like to try my hand at Dutch Oven cooking while camping. I came across a Griswold 12" Camp Dutch oven the seller wanted 40 bucks for. Well it was a 90 degree day and that thing was heavy. So I decided to walk around awhile and think about it. Well it was gone when I got back. I know better then to do that. But I did not really know it's value. When I went home and checked what they were selling for on Ebay, I was even more sorry. To this day I have NEVER seen one again in the wild. In the old days dealers always quoted what the "book" value was. Well now it's what Ebay sales have been. That is real time pricing. When I am at a sale and I see something I'm not sure about, I check Ebay from my phone to see what the thing is worth before I buy it. Many time I take it home and list it. I love Ebay, but you have to use it wisely.
I am now getting down from my soap box......

[campmaster-k]

I just WON a lantern on e-bay. It was fun. Winning!

Proud Owner of a Big Hat. Thank you very much!

[3822sean]

[eamarquardt]

In my post I didn't use the term "lazy". I think (based upon my experience) that you can do much better purchasing lanterns than doing so on EBay. However if you don't have the time to scrounge around to get better deals EBay can work if you are intent on having the lantern of your choice and find it on EBay. I am quite certain, though, the same lantern can be had for less if one shops around.

Cheers,

Gus

[Moho]

I just WON a lantern on e-bay. It was fun. Winning!

Thats the part (the fun) you have to be careful of and why many prices on eBay are overinflated. It's the rush of bidding just like you get at an auction.

Some other places I watch for vintage items are craigslist, shopgoodwill.com and etsy.com. Not always a good price but it happens sometimes. All of them have applications which email me when something I'm looking for is posted. Most of them I use a combination of the apps in the site and iPhone apps for the email notifications.

I just got a set of 6 vintage Griswold skillets for 10.00 on etsy, 20.00 including shipping. So the deals exist you just gotta watch for em.

[campmaster-k]

I have never done heroin but I think its like WINNING on ebay.

Its only money .

[honeask]

Woodbutcher, I agree. Some people don't live in areas where there are fruitful garage sales. Driving distances only add to the cost of any items you might find. We shop Ebay routinely after doing research on prices. We have never gotten a bad deal, whatever the item. Of course opinions vary. Maybe for those that purchase on Ebay they should put a big E on their forehead, you know, just to do away with any speculation.

[Ratkity]

Congrats Kirk!!!

There's also a website called shopgoodwill.com that has good deals and can be more reasonable (or used to be - been a while since I was there).

Hugs,
Ratkity

[Alfred]

Another one that is fun to browse is the government surplus auction website. This is legit, I found it because it is where our local county school system sells their surplus. One of these days, I'm going to buy an old schoolbus:
http://www.govdeals.com/

My funny Ebay story is when I was working nights, on my nights off I would sometimes have insomnia at 3:00am, and I would get up and browse Ebay in the middle of the night, and sometimes I would bid on things, then I would go back to bed, wake-up the next morning, first thought would be: "Oh no! What did I bid on? I hope I didn't win!"

AL

[Wolffarmer]

Like Sandy I live in a rural area, where yard/garage sales and estate sales are far between. That being said I have done good at the estate sales some people I know run. Over the past 2 years i have gotten about 4 lanterns, including a nov. 1927 L227, about 4-5 stoves a Coleman Extreme cooler. and a catalytic heater from their sales. Max now watches out for me and kind of sets things aside for the first few hours until I can get there.

Randy

[Woodbutcher]

Kirk, I am happy for your victory. Enjoy your lantern. The big hats are a neat lantern in that the light is directed down some. makes for a great lantern for a table without blinding anyone.

Sandy and Randy, I'm glad you understand the point I was making. Any time you can buy where the dealers buy you are saving money. But often times that is hard to do. When I camp, I always go "junking" as I call it. Out in rural areas I can burn up half a tank of gas going to sales that are miles apart. Sometimes I strike gold other times nothing. So that has to be figured into what you are spending. On an average spring weekend, I can hit 30-50 garage sales within 2 miles of my home. That sure helps my chances of finding what I collect much easier then rural folks can do. So Ebay can fill the bill if you know what things cost.
I rarely buy anything in an Antique Mall. Not because I don't see things I like but I don't see prices I like. Occasionally I will run into something real unusual that I have never seen. That I might buy. There are all kinds of places to find deals. Not all suit everyone.

[doug hodder]

I remember when you could get a decent 242B for under 20$ on E-bay....sigh....those days are gone....glad I got what I wanted then.

Beat the bushes, ask your friends/contacts if they have any they want to get rid of, let everyone know you are looking...they will ask others etc....you'd be surprised what some people will let go of just because they don't want it anymore. If someone gives you something...return the favor somehow, what goes around, comes around. Doug

[campmaster-k]

Thanks Doug you are right. I have been telling people and they are looking. It does work.

[campmaster-k]

Thanks Ratkity I will check that out.

[Aaron Coffee]

around here I have found farm auctions are a good place to pick up coleman stuff, and other vintage stuff. I got a coleman stove along with a porta pot for $8 at an auction, at another auction I got a steel cooler(not coleman)for $5, they had thrown a graden hose reel in that didn't sell by itself, a guy walked up and bought the hose reel from me for $5.
If there is something I am looking for on ebay, I also search for possible typos (coelman, colemen, etc.). Sometimes an item will be listed under a typo and will go for a reasonable amount. Also search generic terms(camp lantern, etc.) as there are still some that don't know what they have and are just trying to sell it.