Thread: eBay Experiment, Redux

Awhile back, someone did an experiment to see if the market (eBay) would end up at the same price they thought their razor was worth. In other words - on eBay would it get bid up to the same price they would sell it for elsewhere?

I have been tossing that around lately, and decided to list a razor on eBay to see what the market thinks it's worth.
Wilbert Army Special - Antique Vintage Straight Razor - $0.99, No Reserve! | eBay is the item.

When the auction completes, I'll let you know how it did compared to my expectations.

I wonder how much posting here about your experiment will alter the results ?

The link takes me to ebay's home page?!? No razor to be found.

Very interesting idea!! I look forward to the results!

Originally Posted by mainaman

I wonder how much posting here about your experiment will alter the results ?

I somewhat agree with this statement but I also wonder if saying it's an experiment will alter the results. My thought would be that the results will differ depending on what's said in the post...i.e. If the experiment part hadn't been mentioned and it was just posted, if it hadnt been posted at all, if a different member had posted it or if it was posted "AWESOME eBay find!!!!!!" all that said I feel in the spirit of SRP AND science maybe our members, unless truly looking for and wanting this razor, will avoid skewing the results and, as I did, just place it in their watch list!

Again GREAT IDEA!!!

Originally Posted by ReardenSteel

The link takes me to ebay's home page?!? No razor to be found.

Link worked for me

Originally Posted by mainaman

I wonder how much posting here about your experiment will alter the results ?

For this, the idea is to see what the market thinks it's worth. Posting here gives it more visibility, for certain. The experiment is not about visible vs. less visible auctions - though sometime later if I have two identical razors, that might be fun too.

Originally Posted by ReardenSteel

The link takes me to ebay's home page?!? No razor to be found.

Item# 270890633913

Originally Posted by BenjaminBarker

I somewhat agree with this statement but I also wonder if saying it's an experiment will alter the results. My thought would be that the results will differ depending on what's said in the post...i.e. If the experiment part hadn't been mentioned and it was just posted, if it hadnt been posted at all, if a different member had posted it or if it was posted "AWESOME eBay find!!!!!!" all that said I feel in the spirit of SRP AND science maybe our members, unless truly looking for and wanting this razor, will avoid skewing the results and, as I did, just place it in their watch list!

Again GREAT IDEA!!!

Yeah. There are lots of confounding factors, so it's not a strict experiment. The idea, for me, is to find out if other people value it higher or lower than I do.

But if enough people place it on their "watch list" Ebay places it on the "See What Others Are Watching!" list, increasing its visibility a hundredfold!

It's beautiful, can we bid on it? I've resisted thus far. Been looking for a 6/8

nice razor!
here's a link that works for me Wilbert Army Special - Antique Vintage Straight Razor - $0.99, No Reserve! | eBay

If it's not to much of a pain try to see how many of the bids or from inside this forum meaning members or readers, this would drive up the bid. Then throwing those aside you may get a good idea of "outside" market worth. I was going to bid myself but that would be mean.