Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4

Geoff,
That is not a good example compared with insane bid-up of an used lens
($1,100) compared with a brand new one ($800)
Also a simple shipping cost difference could explain a little
deviation of $10.
The example I made was plain to see.
Daniel

>As an example, I was looking at a particular lens, it sold at KEH for
>$50, with a box, caps and instruction book in excelent condition. KEH
>had several of them some a little more ($2-$3) some in bargain condition
>for $40. All included a 90 warranty and reasonable shipping costs.
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

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 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

Well, why don't you do this yourself?
Call resellers, buy them up, and put them on eBay.
Make the money yourself.
Yes, there is an irrationality to it all.
But it's a free world. Enjoy it.

Collin
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

It's not insane, it arbitrage. Happens all the time in financial
markets. No reason it can't in camera markets.

The bigger difference is this. If you buy from b&h and it is
backordered, you will get your camera eventually. Are you willing to
take that risk with someone you don't know who is a continent away?
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

dtong22 wrote:
> Can somebody explain to me? This is around 5 pm EST Saturday . And I
> was looking at the ebay bid of a Pentax FA85mm 1.4. It is now over
> $1,000 and still one hour to go which means that the sales probably may
> end up over 1,100 pl shipping from Portugal. Yet B&H price is just $800
> on back order though. Big deal that it is on back order and you have to
> wait . Also 77mm limited 1.8 is $700 available right now brand new.
> Just not real with that much of a premium ? It is just insane The
> price of lens have really gone up lately.

Not just eBay. I was looking on craigslist.org for a lens, and the
seller was adamant about being firm on the price, which was higher than
the lens cost new. He sold it at the higher price. He was happy, I could
buy the new lens at Amazon for less, and the buyer of the used lens was
happy, though naive.

It's almost the rule, rather than the exception, that you pay more for
stuff on eBay than you pay elsewhere.

I've purchased stuff on eBay, but usually only when the item simply
isn't sold anywhere else. I needed a specific new plumbing fixture, and
I couldn't find it at any store, on-line or brick and mortar, but it was
on eBay.
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

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 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

dtong22 wrote:
> Can somebody explain to me? This is around 5 pm EST Saturday . And I
> was looking at the ebay bid of a Pentax FA85mm 1.4. It is now over
> $1,000 and still one hour to go which means that the sales probably may
> end up over 1,100 pl shipping from Portugal. Yet B&H price is just $800
> on back order though. Big deal that it is on back order and you have to
> wait . Also 77mm limited 1.8 is $700 available right now brand new.
> Just not real with that much of a premium ? It is just insane The
> price of lens have really gone up lately.

I've seen this before. I think "I need an xyz". Look on eBay and see
one, only to note that it is bidding higher than I can buy one new!
I've got no answer for this phenomenon, except to think that there are
some strange people out there.

John
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

In rec.photo.digital dtong22 <dtong22.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Can somebody explain to me?

Yep; it's a free market and there are daft people out there. More power
to those that know and can exploit them

pete
--
pete.DeleteThis@fenelon.com "there's no room for enigmas in built-up areas" - HMHB.
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

"mfshadow" <mfshadow DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1139232107.857804.310500@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> And the idiots on ebay will gladly bid past retail on ANY photo item
> just to be the "winner".
>
There is a very good answer to this.....Become a "seller", and let those
idiots bid up your stuff......
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" <gsm.RemoveThis@mendelson.com> wrote in message
news:slrnduf9lc.63b.gsm@cable.mendelson.com...
> Mike wrote:
>> Could have something to do with avoiding a customs charge for "new"
>> items.
>
> Possibly.
>
> Israel and all of the E.U. countries calculate the taxes based upon the
> price paid. If it is a used item they use a depreicated value.
>
> If something is sold on eBay, the seller will declare the value of the
> item. Here, if the customs people don't agree they will ask you to
> show up at their office and open the package in front of you.
>
> If you can prove that you paid $10 for a lens, they will let you go.
> If you can't prove anything, they will look at the lens and come up with
> a price. If it looks new, comes in a box, has caps, an instruction book
> and a warranty card, they will charge you taxes based on the new price.
>
> A friend of mine once bought me a used 2 speed CD-ROM drive I needed for
> an old computer. He happened to have a box from a brand new one,
> complete with foam packaging, so he sent me the old drive in the new
> box and packaging
>
> I could not convince the guy in customs that the drive in his hand was
> worth the $29 declared for it and had to pay duty on $150 which was more
> than the drive and the airmail postage. After all, who would pay $25
> postage for a drive that cost $25?
>
> I'm not even going to go into the time I paid $50 for 10 used cell phones
> over the internet..........
>
> Geoff.

A better question is, "What business does the government have charging you
taxes on such a transaction, anyway?" Do they charge you income tax? - If
so, then they have already taxed you once on your money, so what gives them
the right to tax you for it again when you try to spend what you have left
over after they have already taxed you for it the first time? Sales taxes
should be illegal. They restrict trade, and are therefore regressive in that
they discourage people from doing business with one another, which generates
jobs and more tax money for the government. They shouldn't even tax you for
buying brand new items, much less for buying used stuff. Just how does your
swapping some item with your neighbor increase the governments costs of
providing you with education for your kids, or a standing army for your
protection, or for anything else that government provides? And if it
doesn't, then what business does the government have in taxing it?
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

On Mon, 6 Feb 2006 19:51:04 +0000 (UTC), gsm.TakeThisOut@mendelson.com (Geoffrey
S. Mendelson) wrote:

>Mike wrote:
>> Could have something to do with avoiding a customs charge for "new" items.
>
>Possibly.
>
>Israel and all of the E.U. countries calculate the taxes based upon the
>price paid. If it is a used item they use a depreicated value.
>
>If something is sold on eBay, the seller will declare the value of the
>item. Here, if the customs people don't agree they will ask you to
>show up at their office and open the package in front of you.
>
>If you can prove that you paid $10 for a lens, they will let you go.
>If you can't prove anything, they will look at the lens and come up with
>a price. If it looks new, comes in a box, has caps, an instruction book
>and a warranty card, they will charge you taxes based on the new price.
>
>A friend of mine once bought me a used 2 speed CD-ROM drive I needed for
>an old computer. He happened to have a box from a brand new one,
>complete with foam packaging, so he sent me the old drive in the new
>box and packaging
>
>I could not convince the guy in customs that the drive in his hand was
>worth the $29 declared for it and had to pay duty on $150 which was more
>than the drive and the airmail postage. After all, who would pay $25
>postage for a drive that cost $25?

Didn't the fact that the device *in* the box didn't match the
description *on* the box mean anything?
I mean, if the box was for a BelchFire 32X burner, and the device in
the box was a SlowLane 2X burner, doesn't that mean anything?
Especially with an invoice that is for a SlowLane 2X burner?
>
>I'm not even going to go into the time I paid $50 for 10 used cell phones
>over the internet..........
>
>Geoff.

--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

dtong22 wrote:

> Can somebody explain to me? This is around 5 pm EST Saturday . And I
> was looking at the ebay bid of a Pentax FA85mm 1.4. It is now over
> $1,000 and still one hour to go which means that the sales probably may
> end up over 1,100 pl shipping from Portugal. Yet B&H price is just $800
> on back order though. Big deal that it is on back order and you have to
> wait . Also 77mm limited 1.8 is $700 available right now brand new.
> Just not real with that much of a premium ? It is just insane The
> price of lens have really gone up lately.
>
> Daniel

Was the buyer in the US ? Photo gear is cheaper in the US than in Europe so
stuff that's dearer than "new" in the US may still be cheaper than "new" in
Europe.

Ronnie
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4 

"dtong22" <dtong22.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1139231683.469173.282400@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Can somebody explain to me? This is around 5 pm EST Saturday . And I
> was looking at the ebay bid of a Pentax FA85mm 1.4. It is now over
> $1,000 and still one hour to go which means that the sales probably may
> end up over 1,100 pl shipping from Portugal. Yet B&H price is just $800
> on back order though. Big deal that it is on back order and you have to
> wait . Also 77mm limited 1.8 is $700 available right now brand new.
> Just not real with that much of a premium ? It is just insane The
> price of lens have really gone up lately.
>
> Daniel
>
This kind of thing happens all the time.
Jim
 >> Stay informed about: Insane price of Pentax 85mm1.4