Private Sellers trying to Sell Valueless Stamps at Stupid Prices

[jere-nott]

I am a stamp dealer. I sell mainly GB Queen Victoria postage stamps.

Has anyone noticed that some private sellers (since the free listing) are listing valueless stamps at ridiculous prices. In particular I have noticed quite a few listings showing QEII Wildings and some Machin stamps which are valueless. One seller has a QEII 1955 4d Wilding (CV 20p) at a buy it now price of £5000!!

Not only do they make themselves look stupid and a  joke they insult the intelligence of serious collectors (and dealers) when they describe it as "rare" or a "must have" 

It infuriates me when I see listing after listing of these  private sellers chancing their arm and do not have a clue what they are doing. Just clogging up eBay with their crazy prices and lack of knowledge.

Just having a little rant and letting off steam.  Now I feel better!

[plpmr]

Especially when the description is written by AI.

[roserrow]

Well ranted!  These sellers are (quite possibly innocent) spivs who are only bringing the stamp trade into disrepute.  I have written to eBay who merely trot out the old mantra that the items are not in breach of their policies. Of course that reply begs the question of whether their policies need updating. 
In some ways the current situation is harmless because no one but a complete *bleep* would pay the prices being asked for these worthless items.  Indeed it is likely that no one has. However, the real problem is that the more items that appear on eBay at stupid prices the more other sellers will be encouraged to play the same game.  
If anyone who reads this has actually been unwise enough to make a purchase please get in touch.  I know a few lawyers who might be happy to have a go at pursuing a case…

[moldosgifts]

Maybe they just got a load of stamps and listing them at whatever they think they are worth, they may be a con artist trying their luck. you cant really tell from a listing, point is you can buy or not as long as what they are selling is descried accurately, the price is a personal choice.

I would be more inclined to think what sort of loon is going to buy that stamp when other are at 20p.

Or is it the only research they do is what is selling on ebay as there are no others they think it is rare, rather than it too cheap to be worth anyone else selling it.

[gjalp]

I throw those (among others) in clearance lots at a low price. Its the only way I can get rid of them 🤣 I more or less give them away for free, I only want costs covered.

[selective_distribution]

If you think that`s bad you should try selling Vinyl records. Some chancers are asking crazy prices for really common cheap items. Recently saw a listing for a record that you would normally be lucky to get £10.00 for, listed at £1,279.00!.....absolutely insane! On the other hand it always amuses me when I see a listing stating that the record is `MEGA_RARE`, and the asking price is something like £3.50! 🤔

[vintage-emporium-jedburgh]

Coins too!

[theelench]

And Art Deco Glass !

I put it down mainly to the sellers knowing nothing about what they're selling.

Are they using the Image Search in the hope of finding the same item, give up and plumb for something that looks vaguely the same?

The number of wrongly attributed items makes some searches a joke

Bagley, Stolzle and un-ascribed possibly Czech listed as Walther.

Sowerby listed as Bagley,  Bagley listed as Sowerby.

Anything green listed as Uranium when it obviously isn't so no 'glowing' photo.

Anything that they can't find in five minutes listed as "rare".

Half of it listed as "Antique".

I've even seen some stuff listed as "Art Nouveau / Art Deco" !!

But if you think some ebay prices are stupid have a look on GS at some other sites where it seems everything, no matter how common, is worth at least £100+

[roserrow]

Interesting - this is obviously a phenomenon affecting all parts of
eBay.  Perhaps one of the BBC consumer affairs programmes might be
interested in pursuing it....

Roserrow

[honeymonster007]

Cleaning money maybe?

[incredible_how]

yes I was just thinking that - had noticed both coins and stamps at absurd prices.

[roserrow]

Yes - I've seen that suggested too.  However none of these items appears
to sell so it's much more likely to be naive sellers setting silly
prices based on what they see on-line.  Hopefully just a fad that will
die out...

Roserrow

[fatbobfan]

Agree with @plpmr suggests 'AI' to me

You could also say the sellers are using the tools Ebay has given them and you could also say they are just carrying out Ebays best practices by using AI tool. Seller and or Ebay to blame? Poor quality AI?

Yes you'd think a good seller would know the difference but if they are doing whts advised/lazy/dont know the difference this is what happens,

Grinds my gears as well, like a decent, quality gents bracelet/bangle often hunt for a bargain only to find a piece of tat costimer jewellry described as a must have 'piece' for the discening gentlemans collection'

£5 delivered😂

Wonder what the clothing markets like, with the upsell with AI?

[654aac]

This scam is equally rife among coin sellers where I see Victorian and even later bronze coins worth £1 or less being hyped as "very rare" with huge asking prices. The scammer is presumably hoping that some dumb punter will make an offer thinking he's getting a bargain!

However I noticed that "PRIVATE EYE" magazine has recently mentioned this practice and hope that it may shame the complacent eBay staffers into starting to police their content for the huge proportion of scams and fakes that they continue to turn a blind eye to.

[baillin-0]

I am with you about this.

I also used to sell stamps on here before their stupid changes, been a collector for years myself  always knew what a stamp was worth due to its condition and what I could asked for it, always found the buyers did also. 

Like you I cannot get my head round seeing stamps that are ready for the bin (maybe where they came from) that are worthless being listed at eye watering prices.

People doing it are crooks and know exactly what they are doing, I have contacted a couple of them in the past asking did they know what they were doing and was just ignored, but leaving stamps for sale with no changes.

I remember few years ago and its true seeing similar on the America site a seller was listing different lots at stupid prices what looked like Rice Krispies shapes that he said looked like different animals he was listing a small zoo of them. He was probably shaping them when he was having his breakfast.

Mad world out there so "Buyers Beware". 

[roserrow]

Thanks.  I am sure you are right about many listers - but others, I
suspect, are simply looking for comparable items for sale and pricing
accordingly.  eBay wont do anything because it is too much trouble for
them.  At least I have never heard of anyone actually paying these
absurd prices so probably little more than an irritation.

Roserrow

[carrotdrusus2]

I have to relay the tale of an individual, a UK buyer who purchased an advertising postcard of a pair of 1840 mint 2d blue inverted watermark stamps, valued at £60000 each as singles let alone as a pair, he paid the princely sum of £2 for the postcard. The picture was of the front and back of the postcard and described as a postcard. This complete idiot thought he was buying the real stamps and got really snitty when the postcard arrived. He even asked if I could send the stamps instead. He also left NEUTRAL feedback saying that 'he knew it was too good to be true'. Absolutely first prize for the biggest plank I have ever sold anything to.

Your story only in reverse.

[roserrow]

Well at least he didn't over pay!  I'm afraid there are some very
tiresome people out there - as an amateur philatelist I am well aware
that I see only the tip of the iceberg...

Roserrow

[incredible_how]

Someone had about 10 1966 Christmas stamps for near £100, they seemed to be saying they weren't sure if it was rare with "rare?" in title and had 1970 as the date, so in a friendly way I said they weren't rare and they were from 1966 (and one of my favourite stamps. Did the same  for a 1981 Christmas stamp. They wrote back and said they knew weren't rare... then later I got an offer of about £48, about half price - one of those I didn't watch it but I had looked at it, annoying, offers (why do eBay do that).

At that point I felt the seller was bordering on fraudulent "here's a great offer on this rare stamp", when they know it's not rare...someone might get duped.

I did a decline with a message, saying I could get a better deal with some with better postmarks or with faults and their price was ridiculous (after having checked that those comments do not have direct link to the message writer!

[roserrow · Accepted solution]

Hardly worth engaging with these people.  However right now there is a clown offering a 1969 5d QE2 with what looks like a small printing flaw for no less than £29k - suggesting that until eBay cracks down on this nonsense we will be afflicted with these chancers for a long time yet.