a place for your wish lists on parts

[crystal59]

This is just food for thought. As well as a vendor list, we should consider a members wish/request list. I am constantly prowling for Mark II parts and there must be others. I am thinking of a system where the part gets posted immediatley and a method by which the member who needs the part gets it or gets first dibs without worrying about bidding against members. There are no doubt kinks in this thought and it will require honesty and trust. For example, if I know a member is looking for a tachometer and I see one I either let the member know through a posting on the forum or I buy it and the member designated has first option to buy at cost plus shipping or person who bought it keeps it. One can never have enough parts. If it seems unworkable forget it, but I think something could be developed for members. I always wonder when I bid on ebay if I am bidding against a member who may need the part more than me and we succeed in driving up the price of a specialized item for the sellers benefit. I believe in free market but surely there is room to develope something for members. Sometimes information as good as it may be falls short of what is really needed - the actual replacement part. Just a thought. Gary

[Barry Wolk]

I only buy parts when I need them. What's the point of hoarding, taking parts out of circulation that others may need?

I can see why Jack and others that make a business out of it do it, but why the philosophy of "you can never have too many parts" for an individual?

All that will happen is someone will buy your parts for pennies on the dollar when you're gone. Happens all the time. Why burden your heirs with disposing of something you'll likely never use? Does your wife know what a T-pot carb is worth? How about a rocker panel moulding? :confused:

I collect lots of art, but none of it is in closets or hidden away for the future. It's out where I can see it and share it and enjoy it. My father is an art hoarder, putting away most of his art and wrapping his entire retirement fund around it. He still has to work at 83 because his art isn't worth the canvas it's painted on while his "stupid" son is ready to retire in luxury at 58.:rolleyes:

[Shelly Harris]

What Gary is suggesting is the same as a "Wanted" post, here in Marketplace.

[Barry Wolk]

We already have that.

Marketplace For Sales, trades, wanteds, Dealers Welcome. All for sale items must have a stated price... no solicitation of offers! For sale posts without a selling price will be deleted.

[crystal59]

I am suggesting a method wherebye we do not end up bidding against each other without knowing it and the seller benefits from our lack of communication. For instance if someone needs a tachometer and lets everyone know by posting that knowkedge that there is one on ebay. We all back off and let that person go after it without our competing bids. I realize we can not stop the rest of the world from bidding but we can by acting together as a group stop ourselves from shooting ourselves in the foot in a very specialized market. Knowledge is power to use an old phrase. Then when the next tachometer comes up we do the same with the next member who needs one. I say now I do not need any part and yes I am a hoarder because I plan to outlive the parts or have parts for my children. It is just not ebay that I am thinking about. If I find a tachometer and I use that as an example only, I will post it with the knowledge that as a member of this forum someone probably needs it more than me at the present moment and so we share the wealth. Like I said if my thoughts do not make collective sense we can keep on bidding against each othet and drive the prices up. I get very competitive that way. I am trying to put across a method that works for the members instead of the sellers. Gary

[Barry Wolk]

Gary,

You're not running out of room. When your post gets long and you get to the bottom of the message window, just hit the return key and you'll see a scroll bar at the right of the window. You can just keep typing in the same window instead of starting multiple threads. Please do that.

I still don't understand the hoarding mentality. Why on earth would you bid on something you don't need???????????

The type of collusion you are speaking of would be inappropriate for a regular auction. Why do you think it would be appropriate here? I wasn't interested in the car you were bidding on, why the secrecy?

I think that if YOU were the one selling a part then YOU would be pretty pissed if a bunch of bidders got together to keep your price artificially low, wouldn't YOU????? Why do you think that that's OK to do to someone else? Do unto others what you would want done unto you.

[Pat Marshall]

I suppose Barry considers this hoarding, but since I have 3 cars, I do try to keep an inventory of spare parts and am always looking to up-grade the quality of items on my cars. When I do that, it invariably gives me an extra part.

This Forum will give me the opportunity to swap parts or sell my parts to fellow Mark II enthusiasts who need them.

On the other hand I am not in favor of collusion to hold down the cost of parts or cars. The free market allows you to not buy an item if the price is too high. People who sell MKII parts provide a service to us all, we should incentevize them not penalize them.

[Barry Wolk]

I understand having spare parts. I don't think that that is hoarding. What is hoarding is buying multiple copies of the same part with only a desire to possess, not to sell.

In my opinion, hoarding just drives up the price for everyone as it artificially raises the prices when supplies are limited.

When I got my Porsche on e-Bay, collusion worked in my favor, even though I didn't participate in it. Everyone stopped bidding on the car almost a day before the auction ended. The car hadn't met reserve. My wife really wanted the car so I bid $20K higher than the existing bid at the last minute.

Fortunately for me the reserve was only $200 higher than the last bid so I saved $19,800 and the competition lost out. It was apparent that there was collusion as there was a flurry of activity after the auction closed with the seller receiving calls from all over the world asking him to cancel the deal and sell them the car at a higher price.

The seller was a mench and sold me the car for the auction price, cutting out those that had colluded to keep the price artificially low. They got what they deserved. Nothing.

[Rick Payton]

I am with Barry,

The free market should set the price. If you need a part and are willing to pay more than the next guy you win. Now that being said, If you have parts and want to sell them to others on the forum offer a discount That is great. I guess if I needed a certain part that came up it would be hard for me to bow out and let someone else get the part I need just because we want to keep prices down. How much is a flux capacitor worth?? :rolleyes:

[crystal59]

Ok I hear you. Let the marketplace decide with the inevitable result that we bid against each other without knowing that information. We are in a very small specialized market where in that mind set only the seller wins as by bidding against each other we will drive the price up. Speaking for myself if a member is bidding on an ebay item as an example send me a private message that you are bidding and I will repect that and not bid or let you know that I intend to bid. Also if I find a part that has potential for a member such as gauges I will post that. Gary

[Barry Wolk]

That would be great.

[crystal59]

One last note on this subject. I do not think it is collusion if I know that a member needs a part more than me and out of respect for that I back off and do not bid instead of bidding and driving the price up against a fellow member. If I need the part as much as he does I either go nuts and bid to the sky or we understand that next time around I bid. Probably too idealistic and so will act in manner I set out here which is let me know and I will let you know. Gary

[Barry Wolk]

Any way you describe it Gary, it's still collusion, which circumvents the free market system.

It's nice that you want to help others, but this is not the way, IMO. If you want to help others, respond to their "wanted" ads and sell them the part through PM.

I hope we're done with this.

[crystal59]

I am done. Gary