Ebay rant...........??

[Gramps]

Does anyone pay attention to what is happening on ebay??

I was just doing some "looking" back at feedbacks, items and buyers, etc.
It seems that one in particular and a couple others to less degree, are buying up just about all the Gillette adjustables they can... have been for a few months and now, are driving the price up to $40.00 and beyond.

Seems like a self-serving way to 'corner the market' and deny any new wet-shavers a cheaper alternative to 'brand new' when starting out.

Dry up the availability as best one can then, wait awhile and try to resell at grossly inflated (and unreasonable) prices.

I know, ... capitalism at it's best. Make a buck. All right for some, but a bit unethical in my book ... who am I right? LOL

I'd rather deal with an honest, up-front businessman like Charles. He always seems to have everyones best interests and good ethics in mind when posting and providing a great service.

Anyway, rant over.

Take care

Gramps

_________________
~~ Larry ~~

[qed-usa]

Larry -

There are a lot of turds out there, without doubt.

I just sold for $15.00 (less than what I paid for it a few years ago) my personal vintage adjustable gold Gillette to a customer. Now I have only a non-adjustable. Initially I was going to suggest he go to eBay but it is rather apparent the winning bids on the good quality adjustables are up there. So rather than see him eagerly bid on a Gillette to the point of big $$$, I parted with my baby.

My best advice to guys is just persist. As Peter did with his recently acquired vintage silver-plated razor, some good buys can occasionally be had.

For guys who want to try the DE (for the first time), suggesting a Gillette on ebay use to be a great starting point.

One other bit of advice, there is a long handled Bic throw-away called "Metal" which Richard (of Plano, TX) feels is a good first-time DE ... for a newbie to determine if the DE experience is right for him. On his suggestion, I went out and purchased a package ... forget if there are 10 or 20 razors in the pack. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to use the razor so I cannot give my personal opinion. But perhaps Richard would care to expand further on his experiences with the DE?

Oh, by the bye, Richard, I think we got about 30" snow last night. Had to go out first thing this morning and shovel a path so my cat could take a pee ... snow's over his head by a foot.

Regards,
Charles
Q E D

[Coche_y_bondhu]

Hello Larry & Charles,

Larry, those Bic Metal disposable single edge razors come 10 to a pack, about $2.75 at my local Wal-Mart. They have a long handle, longer than my Merkur long-handle DE.

This is my travel "DE" (it is carry-on legal) and my "in-a-hurry" razor. It is an excellent "training" razor for a new guy to hone his technique before using a real DE. It gives an acceptable shave, and I use the razor once and throw it away. I do two passes and one T&C pass. For travel, I just take one for each day on the road. And there is usually a Wal-Mart available somewhere if need be.

If you have problems with razor bumps, ASR makes a single-edge razor called Bump Fighter, in a nice weighted long handle model and a disposable five-pack, also at Wal-Mart.

Charles, you should look into buying a snow-blower when they go on sale in the spring thaw. The cat can only do so much, especially when the snow is taller than he is . But you do have very nice pleasant summers there on the RI coast, versus our "hotter-than-hell" Texas scorchers.

Cheers,
Richard
Plano TX

[VinceFX]

I for one have been very aware of the ebay market as it relates to the Gillette adjustable DE's. I just won an auction for a black handle Gillette DE for $17.00. It's in really great condition and I'm glad to have it. I think it's in less demand than the all metal handle adjustables which is why I got it for a bit less.

I was bummed to see the Gillette all metal adjustable DE's start to skyrocket above $30. I think it will die down soon enough. I'm still gonna put my bids in but I will try to get it for as cheap as possible.

I really don't think the demand for these razors is great enough to sustain these prices. The supply is also fairly large so it will only be a matter of time before the prices start crashing! I encourage everyone to be patient. You will likely be able to get one of these for $10.00 if you can hold out.

Vince

_________________
:::Vince:::

[jhco50]

You ought to see what they have done to straightazors on ebay. What I used to pay 5 or 10 dollars for are going for a hundred. Sheesh

_________________
Sixshooter
NRA Life Member
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StraightRazors/