<p>This is a semi-econ question for all you econ nerds. </p>
<p>But I've always wondered,
Why is there such an interest in ebay if you are paying around the same retail price? Give or take about $5 dollars on certain products.</p>
<p>Because it’s possible to find things for much cheaper if you look hard enough, and people will go to ridiculous lengths to buy things $2 cheaper.</p>
<p>Instead of buying a bar of soap for $5, I bought a million bars of soap at $4 each. This means I saved a MILLION DOLLARS, with which I purchased my new Pagani Zonda.
I was trying to think up a response to this thread, but then this idea came to me and I decided I had to write it down before I forgot it</p>
<p>It’s psychology. Sure, you may end up paying retail price in the end, but it’s the auction system that pulls you along. The endorphin rush you get from seeing that brand new Ferrari next to “$15,000” gets you into bidding. From there, it’s just a bunch of “Oh, just another $2000, still a deal” moves until you have that shiny new Ferrari, for about the same price as you could have gotten from a dealer.</p>
<p>That’s not always true…
I’ve gotten TONS of stuff for like a million times cheaper.
Just last week I bought a Puma hoodie for 8 bucks, a Free People Shirt for 4, AE T-shirts for 2.50.
There’s a lot of cheap stuff on eBay.</p>
<p>I use to buy lots of things on ebay, but rarely do anymore because generally speaking, at least for new items, the price is not significantly less and many times I can find the item for much less elsewhere, especially at stores where shipping is included. For me ebay is no longer the bargain it once was.</p>
<p>Depending on the item, you can get significant deals on ebay</p>
<p>Lol@OPbeingjellybecausehecan’tfinddeals
I got a brand new Xbox 360 game off ebay once for $22, it would’ve been $60 at Gamestop or wherever. And that’s just one example of cheap stuff I’ve gotten.</p>
<p>It really does depend on the item, and if you want to get used stuff for cheap usually that’s the best way to get it.</p>
<p>Lol@OPbeingjellybecausehecan’tfinddeals
I got a brand new Xbox 360 game off ebay once for $22, it would’ve been $60 at Gamestop or wherever. And that’s just one example of cheap stuff I’ve gotten.</p>
<p>Minnesotaguy, I ain’t “jelly”. </p>
<p>Hey I got a brand new COD: black ops game for $15 on a different site. You jelly?</p>
<p>Oh and this is from EA. So don’t even try to say I got it from a Chinese wholesaler or that its a replica.</p>
<p>The only things I buy from eBay are things like rare books. Other than that I’d rather pay the extra $5 and have the gratification of having it instantly.</p>
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<p>I call foul, EA doesn’t make Black Ops</p>