Why are ebay sellers so fond of the term 'rare'?

Irn-Bru-Kid

I buy a lot of video games on ebay and I see it all the time.

People seem to think because a game is older, it makes it rare. Honestly, you should see some of the toot people try to get rid of with the word 'rare' in the title.

Does it happen in any other category?

soolin

I sell quite a lot in the antique and collectable categories and often smile at the term 'rare' especially when I have several sitting at home waiting to be sold.

Mind you I recently sold an old original item and buyer feedback mentioned this being ultra rare, never seen this beofore etc..I have 2 more sitting here and am almost embarrassed to list them now

soolin

I also blame the non stop 'antique selling' type programmes where they all get excitied over something and claim it is worth oodles of money as it is so rare.

I can guarantee that at th enext half dozen auctions I attend there will be loads of them, all bought in from people eager to make their fortune. Parker pens was the best, someone made a lot of money on one on the Antique road trip and we can't move for them now in an auction. All the newbies are paying silly money for them while the rest of us who have been round the block a few times quietly check ebay on our smart phones.

One auctioneer had two near identical pens, sold one as ultra rare and there was a bidding frenzy. However if people had checked their auction categories carefully they would have noticed the second one about 50 lots later, even the auctioneer failed to keep a straight face when he tried to big it up as 'ultra rare'

shaun_from_Africa

If you ever want to make a bit of extra money, buy a couple of dozen Roman coins and put them up for auction at a local auction house.

The money that some fairly common coins go for is amazing especially if you look into exactly how "rare" many of them really are.

Many people assume that because they are Roman and a couple of thousand years old then they must be worth a fortune, but the truth is that you can pick up many Roman coins for only a £ or two.

porto_bello

I guess 'rare' sounds more promising than 'old, unwanted, unloved and looks it'!

Ben84

I buy and sell old computer and games consoles a bit. It's not hard to find a rare commodore 64, despite it being the most popular and best selling computer of the 1980s. You could frankly build a life size replica of the Great Wall of China with these things.

Some people may be throwing the word in just because it's old. Other people may be using it because they figure buyers who don't know better will be encouraged to bid in case they never see another one. Personally, in this situation it just makes me think "doesn't know what they're talking about" and less confident about the other comments in the listing. If the computer that sold more than any other ever to this day is rare then their 'mint condition' might be my idea of 'worn out'.

nikki1520

I particularly like the "rare vintage" items from Primark!

forgotmyname

Very Rare, One of only 1247 identical items listed on ebay this weekend. Get yours now before ebay is flooded with them next week.

jetplane

Yes the words 'vintage' and 'shabby chic' are often used to describe something that is just old and worn out on items that are neither classic nor stylish.

luxor4t

Out of interest I did a quick search - 542,845 results found on Ebay for "rare" right this minute.

And, my pet hate, 51,114 using the word l@@k.

Yes, I do need to get out more

Blackjack_Davy

Lol, I noticed that when I posted on one of the threads on this forum "things you thought you'd never sell on eBay" or something like that and the last time I looked there were more than a dozen of these things for sale on eBay whilst before there were none at all... power of this forum eh?

Needless to say the market is now flooded with said item and none of them are selling.