# Curious about Ebay



## opmustard (May 6, 2021)

Lately, have a lot of time sitting around the house. So, been looking at my computer too much.
Went to ebay to see what happening, mainly with sodas and mineral waters.
I saw a lot of bottles from England up for sale. Is this a new trend with collecting english sodas and mineral waters?
Am I missing something in the bottle collecting world?
Also, it seems like a lot more hutches up for sale than I remember.
opmustard


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## bottles_inc (May 6, 2021)

I think there's periods of sell off for specific collections/regions on ebay. A couple of months ago there was a huge wave of Civil war/pre civil war new orleans bottles. There was a period of a month or two when half the bottles were Georgia sodas. Now you barely see any of those


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## opmustard (May 6, 2021)

I didn't think ebay worked that way, but then again I stopped using ebay awhile ago when they came up with the seller doesn't accept returns. However, there are some very good ebay sellers selling very good, solid bottles.
So, the English bottles are probably someone's collection and not a trend?
Are there more hutches for sale on ebay? I don't remember there being so many hutches, but I don't collect mainland hutches (nothing against them) and I may not have noticed there being that many.
My wife uses ebay for her business and I help her bid on stuff.
Curious,
opmustard


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## bottles_inc (May 6, 2021)

opmustard said:


> I didn't think ebay worked that way, but then again I stopped using ebay awhile ago when they came up with the seller doesn't accept returns. However, there are some very good ebay sellers selling very good, solid bottles.
> So, the English bottles are probably someone's collection and not a trend?
> Are there more hutches for sale on ebay? I don't remember there being so many hutches, but I don't collect mainland hutches (nothing against them) and I may not have noticed there being that many.
> My wife uses ebay for her business and I help her bid on stuff.
> ...


I haven't seen the English bottles you're talking about, could just be a coincidence of a bunch of people selling theirs at once. Or maybe there's some sort of algorithm in the ebay interface that has decided you should see more English bottles based off your searches or something. There's a lot of hutches on ebay, at least for the past year and a half to 2 years. I scroll through all pre 1900 bottles sorted by newly listed on ebay daily until I start hitting the stuff I saw yesterday, and If I had to guess I'd say there's 20-30 hutches uploaded a day. Usually overpriced or beaten up or otherwise not worth buying, but still, they're there.


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## nhpharm (May 6, 2021)

There are a couple of dealers that bring over container loads of low end British bottles and sell them on eBay in the US.


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## hemihampton (May 6, 2021)

I don't mind Hutch's especially if it's a Michigan Hutch & one I don't have & need. LEON.


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## hemihampton (May 6, 2021)

I'm surprised at some of the High Prices some Hutch's get?????? LEON.

Hutch Bottle | eBay
Hutchinson Bottle | eBay


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## opmustard (May 6, 2021)

bottles_inc said:


> I haven't seen the English bottles you're talking about, could just be a coincidence of a bunch of people selling theirs at once. Or maybe there's some sort of algorithm in the ebay interface that has decided you should see more English bottles based off your searches or something. There's a lot of hutches on ebay, at least for the past year and a half to 2 years. I scroll through all pre 1900 bottles sorted by newly listed on ebay daily until I start hitting the stuff I saw yesterday, and If I had to guess I'd say there's 20-30 hutches uploaded a day. Usually overpriced or beaten up or otherwise not worth buying, but still, they're there.


I usually look at sodas and mineral waters, so if ebay thinks I am interested in something outside the U.S, they're really out of tune with me.
I thought hutches had more listings. I have a collection of Hawai'ian Hutches. It used to be fairly large, but when I moved to the mainland, I gave, sold the majority of my collection.
Buyers on ebay can really go nuts when it comes to what they'll pay for a bottle. I've seen buyers pay over twice for a bottle on ebay and see the same bottle go half that price on GlassWorks. Great for the seller.
What does everybody on the think about Seller doesn't accept returns.
opmustard


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## opmustard (May 6, 2021)

nhpharm said:


> There are a couple of dealers that bring over container loads of low end British bottles and sell them on eBay in the US.


Do they sell?
opmustard


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## opmustard (May 6, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> I'm surprised at some of the High Prices some Hutch's get?????? LEON.
> 
> Hutch Bottle | eBay
> Hutchinson Bottle | eBay


I am surprised at what some buyers will pay for a bottle on ebay bottle.
opmustard


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## hemihampton (May 6, 2021)

I seen a Quart Hutch from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan get around $2,500.00 which totally shocked me. Insane. LEON.


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## nhpharm (May 6, 2021)

opmustard said:


> Do they sell?
> opmustard


They seem to.  There are a lot of bottles that are quite pretty but are worthless in the UK.  Even pre-eBay, I remember going to bottle shows and seeing the same thing; for example much of the stuff Jim Rogers used to sell at shows was from the UK.


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## nhpharm (May 6, 2021)

There are some very valuable/desirable Texas hutch sodas; many of the hutch sodas listed on Ron's site from Texas are one of a kind and that rarity brings good money from local collectors.  For most of Texas, hutch sodas are as old as it gets and thus are very collectible.


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## hemihampton (May 6, 2021)

You've found Bottles in Texas much older then 1880's+ Hutch's haven't you? LEON.


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## Robby Raccoon (May 6, 2021)

opmustard said:


> What does everybody on the think about Seller doesn't accept returns.
> opmustard


As a seller, that's how I prefer it assuming the item was described correctly and arrived intact. If I got paid for selling an item/service, I want to stay paid. I used my packing materials, tape, and time to ship it to you. There's no way I'm gonna wanna have it come back to me, especially since ebay will not return all the fees I get charged for selling on their site. Returning an item will cause me to lose money and time and is overall displeasing. All sales should be final assuming that the item was accurately portrayed in the photos and/or description. An error in a listing is a different story. It's like an antique store, except that it's all through pictures instead of in-person viewing.


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## opmustard (May 7, 2021)

Robby Raccoon said:


> As a seller, that's how I prefer it assuming the item was described correctly and arrived intact. If I got paid for selling an item/service, I want to stay paid. I used my packing materials, tape, and time to ship it to you. There's no way I'm gonna wanna have it come back to me, especially since ebay will not return all the fees I get charged for selling on their site. Returning an item will cause me to lose money and time and is overall displeasing. All sales should be final assuming that the item was accurately portrayed in the photos and/or description. An error in a listing is a different story. It's like an antique store, except that it's all through pictures instead of in-person viewing.


Describing the condition of a bottle is very subjective. It depends on the seller's idea what they personally think thier bottle's condition is. Not everybody would agree on (example) mint. Since you can't see or touch the bottle (some sellers use only pictures to tell you its condition) you must rely on the sellers interpretation of its condition. Its when your able to see it in person can you agree or disagree with the seller.
I used to sell on ebay a long time ago before seller doesn't accept returns. I still think that if a buyer doesn't agree with my description, I think they should the choice of keeping or returning it.
I know about the cost of selling, fees, etc. but to me that all a part of selling on ebay.
Inless I know the seller, on bottles that there is a no return, I ask every question I can think of prior to bidding on, just in case it doesn't match the seller's description. Then I have recoruse with ebay for a refund. That does work. If I don't receive an email back from the seller, I don't bid on the bottles.
Its fine that ebay has come up with another rules change, they're very good at that.
None of this applies to you because I don't know you as a seller on ebay.
opmustard


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## American (May 12, 2021)

Ebay is no longer buyer OR seller friendly for antique glass.  When they took away listing costs and transferred those costs to the other end, ebay was suddenly swamped with sellers that were just playing around and didn't want to really sell anything.  If one listing out of a hundred sticks to the wall they are satisfied.  Auction/bidding is on its way out.


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## relic rescuer (May 12, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> I'm surprised at some of the High Prices some Hutch's get?????? LEON.
> 
> Hutch Bottle | eBay
> Hutchinson Bottle | eBay


Yeah, WOW!


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## opmustard (May 13, 2021)

American said:


> Ebay is no longer buyer OR seller friendly for antique glass.  When they took away listing costs and transferred those costs to the other end, ebay was suddenly swamped with sellers that were just playing around and didn't want to really sell anything.  If one listing out of a hundred sticks to the wall they are satisfied.  Auction/bidding is on its way out.


Interesting concept about auction/bidding is on its way out. What format would take its place?
I know a few sellers on ebay and they seem to like the present format, however these sellers have been selling on ebay a long time. They have build up quite a following over the years. Sometimes they get unbelieveable prices on a lot of they're bottles, other stuff and what most people would consider junk.
I tried to figure out the cost of selling on ebay recently. I think that I came up with about 17% (including Paypal.)
The big auction houses charge 18 to 20% to the seller and buyer and  for the buyer more if you use Paypal. Figure in the cost of shipping to and from them for either the seller or buyer.
I trust the large auction houses more, unless I know the ebay seller.
I guess they all have their place in the selling and buying world of bottles.
Bottle shows I like the best because they are just a lot of fun and I've have bought a lot of bottles at very good prices. 
opmustard


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## nhpharm (May 13, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> You've found Bottles in Texas much older then 1880's+ Hutch's haven't you? LEON.


Yes, but I'm digging in Galveston.  Most of the small towns in Texas were not founded until the 1890's, so for much of Texas, that is as old as the local stuff gets.


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## opmustard (May 13, 2021)

relic rescuer said:


> Yeah, WOW!


Yeah, I am surprised as well at some of the prices that hutches are going for these days.
I am from Hawai'i and most of the older bottles are hutches. Paying anywhere from $10.00 (a long time ago) to paying close to $800.00 ( also, a long time ago) for some rare hutches and every price in between. You guys would have loved the big dig near the airport in Hilo. Some really rare colors and some very rare hutches came from that dig.
I recently looked on ebay and was surprised to see what they're selling for. Mind you, I don't know much about hutches here. I didn't see that many pontiled sodas or mineral waters for sale as I have in the past.
There are so many hutches here, its mind boggling.
I did see a hutch that appeared to be radiated, always been leary of the purplish, amythest bottles.
opmustard


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## American (May 13, 2021)

opmustard said:


> Interesting concept about auction/bidding is on its way out. What format would take its place?
> I know a few sellers on ebay and they seem to like the present format, however these sellers have been selling on ebay a long time. They have build up quite a following over the years. Sometimes they get unbelieveable prices on a lot of they're bottles, other stuff and what most people would consider junk.
> I tried to figure out the cost of selling on ebay recently. I think that I came up with about 17% (including Paypal.)
> The big auction houses charge 18 to 20% to the seller and buyer and  for the buyer more if you use Paypal. Figure in the cost of shipping to and from them for either the seller or buyer.
> ...


I should say bidding and auction format on EBAY is on its way out as sellers are opting for "buy it now" at what they decide is the upper end of a retail price, or just a fantasy price to see what would happen.  If it doesn't sell they lose NOTHING


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## opmustard (May 13, 2021)

American said:


> I should say bidding and auction format on EBAY is on its way out as sellers are opting for "buy it now" at what they decide is the upper end of a retail price, or just a fantasy price to see what would happen.  If it doesn't sell they lose NOTHING


Thank you for your post about ebay. I don't follow it enough to know what is or isn't happening.
However, I think that your on to something about the bidding on ebay (actually, not bidding.)
Does this mean if you don't sell your item then you don't pay ebay fees?
opmustard


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## American (May 19, 2021)

opmustard said:


> Thank you for your post about ebay. I don't follow it enough to know what is or isn't happening.
> However, I think that your on to something about the bidding on ebay (actually, not bidding.)
> Does this mean if you don't sell your item then you don't pay ebay fees?
> opmustard


No, it costs nothing if your item does not sell.  You can just hit a button and relist it for another seven days and if it doesn't sell you can do it again and pay nothing.  Ground Hog day.  Buyers have to plow through hundreds of these listings that they have seen a hundred times.  It used to be that all items started with a low bid and the market would show the current value after seven days, not the sellers arbitrary idea of what the most they can get.


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