Actronics Monster Maze game

RobbXR · Guest

Hi people! Smile

I've got an unused, boxed with instructions/packing Monster Maze console made by Actronics, copyright 1981.

Heres a pic;

Does anyone know what its worth? Neutral

I've been offered ?40 for it - does this seem like a good price?

Dan · Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject:

No, I think that since you already have it up on eBay, anyone making offers for it is trying to rob you, as they rightly expect it will go much higher than their offer before the auction ends.

I am one of the people watching and waiting to bid at the end, when prices on these kind of games tend to skyrocket.

These offer makers are scum. There, I said it. I don't care if they frequent this board and see me saying it, either. It is reprehensible, it is unfair to the seller, other bidders, and even to eBay as they deserve the final value fee the item brings, fair and square. The offer maker gets a steal and everyone else gets screwed. I don't see how they can justify it.

Rik · Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:54 pm Post subject:

Personally, I'd just let the auction run it's course... I have a feeling that game is worth at least $100 (if not more) as that particular version doesn't pop up too often...

RobbXR · Guest

Thanks for the input guys - appreciated! Smile

Haku · Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 4:09 pm Post subject:

"Thanks for the offer but I don't end auctions early as it is unfair to other bidders." is my usual reply to the fishers, usually if you have several people asking if you'll end the auction early to sell at (what may seem like) a high price it's a good indication you'll get a lot more for it.

Only time I had several people ask me if I'd end the auction early and sell to them was when I listed an old Tamiya Sand Scorcher, 3 or 4 people asked me if I'd take ?100-?120 for it and I declined, good thing too because it ended at ?275 Very Happy

elepla · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:17 am Post subject:

Dan:
What if the "offer maker" makes an offer that is NOT way below the realistic price? So that the price is similar to the (possible) final auction price.

Then there would be no clear disadvantages for the seller...

It wouldn't be fair to ebay, ok that's true. And not to other bidders as well... but only to those that would place extremely high bids.

Or it could be that the offer being made involves a TRADE of some kind. It can happen that a seller prefers to trade an item for something he (or she) has been looking for a long time. Sellers are often collectors too : )

Just a few thoughts.

Jaro

Rik · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:25 am Post subject:

True, but most of the time when someone makes an 'offer' to a seller it's someone offering $100 for that Adventurevision with a starting price of $1 in hopes that the seller will think 'Hell yeah, I'd never get that much for it in auction!'.

In _EVERY_ instance that I've found someone selling something that they ended the auction early for a price, the price was FAR below what it was really worth. (The AV mentioned above is a perfect example. That actually happened.)

There's been cases where the seller told me they had a certain offer that they were considering, and I told him I'd pay more than twice that amount, so he opted to let the auction run it's course. The person that had made him the offer ended up bidding more than twice what he offered in an attempt to get it. Needless to say, the seller was very appreciative of my advice.

One more thing: It's not that it's not fair to Ebay when this is done, it blatant theft and is illegal (in this country) to do it. You are basically signing a contract with Ebay saying you will NOT do this kind of thing when you use their service. Sure, Ebay's not going to file criminal charges for a $2 end-value fee, but it's still against the law (some people just don't care I guess...).

And there's always the trade situation as well, but if you are using Ebay for the advertising, you should at least tell that person to place a bid on the item, and then end the auction with that person being the high bidder, and work out your trade behind-the-scenes.

Haku · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:29 pm Post subject:

I've seen people put in their auctions a statement saying that they've advertised the item elsewhere (probably a trading board they regularly post to) and that the listing may be cancelled if sold elsewhere, I avoid those sellers like the plague because how do I know they're trustworthy - if I won the auction and they'd sold it elsewhere at the same time the listing ended then who would actually get the item?

Dan · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject:

Jaro,

What Rik said! Also, a "fair" offer is subjective, who will ever know if it was fair when the auction didn't run its course? Also, it's not only unfair to would-be high-bidding bidders, but everyone else. I watch lots of auctions to learn what things are worth when I already know I won't bid high enough to win.

Sadly, the only way eBay will act on this activity is if the seller reports the offer-maker. And they never do...