FFZFlyer Posted November 6, 2017 Share #1 Posted November 6, 2017 There's a s***load of PHs on e-bay today. One is a USS Arizona Pearl Harbor KIA with a BIN of $5000.00. There's another USN WWII Kia, and several other named examples, including a Silver Star and a PH, both named. Guess their PH polieman must be on vacation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_Smith Posted November 6, 2017 Share #2 Posted November 6, 2017 I noticed that too. The prices on the items on eBay are significantly higher than here. There is the Pearl Harbor medal, USN medal to a destroyer casualty, a Korean War Army KIA, two WWII Army KIA's and a few to WIA's including a nice Silver Star/Purple Heart pair. It would great to see them on eBay again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted November 6, 2017 Share #3 Posted November 6, 2017 Love the enthusiastic bidding. Im guessing people are bidding stuff up and hoping for it to get pulled? Then are going to offer less? If someone wants to pay $200 for an un-named Purple Heart please PM me Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_Smith Posted November 6, 2017 Share #4 Posted November 6, 2017 I agree with you Pete. I think people bid super high thinking it will be pulled and they won't have to pay for it. I've always thought that sellers should close the auction early and send the high bidder an invoice. They may or may not get paid, but the high bidder would crap themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted November 6, 2017 Share #5 Posted November 6, 2017 I never really understood that strategy. Has it worked for anyone? I would be worried the seller would then think the inflated price was what the item was worth and wouldn’t settle for less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratasfan Posted November 6, 2017 Share #6 Posted November 6, 2017 So, why are they all of a sudden allowed on eBay? I looked, and some have been running for days? Did the policy change? Always interested in hearing. Interesting comments, too. For instance, if I wanted to buy an unnamed PH on here . . . what would a WWII era one run? What would a modern issue run? Just curious. I wonder about the prices sometimes, on medals I see on eBay, but don't exactly know what they would normally go for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted November 6, 2017 Share #7 Posted November 6, 2017 I dont think policy has changed probably just asleep at the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted November 6, 2017 Share #8 Posted November 6, 2017 Un-named no box WWII 60-75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMechanic Posted November 6, 2017 Share #9 Posted November 6, 2017 Yea, I also noticed a lot of Purple Hearts, Silver Stars, etc. have made it to the end of their auctions. There is even an overpriced unnamed WWII Robbins DSC that has a BIN that has been listed for several days now. I think this is just a temporary lapse in their enforcement of their ridiculous rules. All these auctions remind about the good old days of eBay though, when amazing medals or groupings were rather common, and were sold to the highest bidder. Since they essentially vilified specific medals, they are now typically sold as quick BIN auctions, or more commonly through backdoor transactions. I guess they would not like to make more money by lifting their medal restrictions, but I know for sure that that has not stopped many sellers of these medals anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs1130 Posted November 7, 2017 Share #10 Posted November 7, 2017 Yes, the eBay Stasi must be on vacation as they're missing everything! Even the Nazi stuff is going and selling! Most is fake but it's interesting to see! As for the US military stuff they should just drop the stupid policy! I've been warned and suspended so many times I forget! Why have the catagory if you can't sell it and others get to sneak it by... On the flip side, I've picked up some real steals and deals! If your lucky enough to be at the right place, at the right time! But yes, eBay bidders drive up the prices to rediclous amounts! Supply and Demand! Not a lot of PHs on eBay so they go batty when they come up! eBay's happy, they're making money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFZFlyer Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted November 7, 2017 Egads, the lack enforcement of their own rules has sellers flocking to e-bay. There are more PHs today, 3-4 DSCs, and I even saw a named, split brooch SS w/OLC. BTW, the Pearl Harbor Arizona KIA PH is listed in the forum's For Sale section, along with a second Pearl Harbor PH. Wonder how long the enforcer's vacation will last? Maybe enough to get even more treasures listed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY Militaria Posted November 7, 2017 Share #12 Posted November 7, 2017 I just added another on a 3 day listing to the mix...might as well ride this while we can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDermut99 Posted November 7, 2017 Share #13 Posted November 7, 2017 Are the enforcers on vacation/asleep at the whell, or are they just observing the surge of listings and choosing not to act for some reason? Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhcoleterracina Posted November 7, 2017 Share #14 Posted November 7, 2017 Reminds me of the olden days when I would bid on Purple Hearts and then get outbid by some guy named Tarbridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted November 7, 2017 Share #15 Posted November 7, 2017 Reminds me of the olden days when I would bid on Purple Hearts and then get outbid by some guy named Tarbridge.I'm glad that is not me...I'm tarbridge... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeclown Posted November 7, 2017 Share #16 Posted November 7, 2017 Ebay must need a few more bucks so they are letting them through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs1130 Posted November 8, 2017 Share #17 Posted November 8, 2017 So many Purple Hearts now it's crazy!! So are some of the prices! But I did score an unnamed WWII PH in the case for $16! Not everyone is priced over the moon! Happy bidding while it last! I'm sure will all be suspended next week when they review the sales! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY Militaria Posted November 8, 2017 Share #18 Posted November 8, 2017 My WWI PH/ SS group just got pulled by eBay. Guess they are back to work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crotalus358 Posted November 8, 2017 Share #19 Posted November 8, 2017 Most of the ones I was watching are now gone - Vaca is over apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMariner Posted November 8, 2017 Share #20 Posted November 8, 2017 Two or three days there it was going crazy now it appears to be slowing down! I didnt notice a lot of the medal looked very familiar looks like a lot of are forum member got to do some selling as a lot of the medals sold there were also for sale on here! Hope everyone did well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth Thompson Posted November 8, 2017 Share #21 Posted November 8, 2017 Gents, This cycle has happened before. Ebay employees are generally not the ones trolling ebay for PHs. It is usually some self righteous do gooder who then reports a policy "violation" to ebay and they then act on on the report. Virtually every time some DSCs, PHs and SSs have been successfully listed and sold on ebay some one starts a post either here or on the WAF about these medals being sold. Guess what happens then the remaining listings are removed. Can't we make the connection? The trolls get their information from the forum posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFZFlyer Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share #22 Posted November 8, 2017 Why would someone troll the USMF for info on certain medals being listed on e-bay, when they could simply look at e-bay?? Makes no sense to me that they would start here. Why waste the time here? I do believe you are correct that there are people who review e-bay listings in search of prohibited items, i.e., that former army captain who thinks it should be an executable offense to even dare touch a PH that you didn't earn (I'm sure this applies to other sales categories that have prohibited items, as well). I would imagine he has inspired others, perhaps even some PH recipients, to the evils of non-recipients owning a PH. I imagine, too, that there are sellers who had their items pulled who now look for similar items and report them in an "If I can't do it, then you can't do it, either" attitude. I just wish e-bay would include a warning against listing certain U.S. decorations much as they do with Nazi stuff. That would put it right up front and save some trouble for innocent sellers who are unaware of the prohibition until they get zinged by e-bay. But that would be too easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFZFlyer Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share #23 Posted November 8, 2017 Most of the ones I was watching are now gone - Vaca is over apparently. As of 1515 hours PST today, there were 5 PHs listed, 1 PH & SS set, 7 SSs, 3 DSCs, and 1 AFC. This do not include the Australia/European listings. Others either sold via bid or BIN or a few were removed by e-bay. It'll be interesting to see if any of these others remain in 48 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMariner Posted November 9, 2017 Share #24 Posted November 9, 2017 Sold examples did do very well! Some people made a little extra spending cash! Unnamed Unnumbered PH Set Sold for $222 Shipped 2 War Veteran Korean War DOW PH w/extras Sold for $410 shipped Unnamed Unnumbered PH Set sold for $157 shipped WW2 Army KIA PH framed with certificates Brough just short of $700 A lot were listed but not many made it to completion, I could find no record of any completed Silver Star or Distinguished Service Cross sales! Of Course some could have been removed after the sale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 9, 2017 Share #25 Posted November 9, 2017 I will be slightly contrary to the theory that bidders are bidding up items hoping they will get pulled... I have, admittedly, sold a few Purple Hearts on eBay via auction and they have always sold far better than they would have sold on here, and even at a show (and I sold the medals on here within hours at higher prices than I was asking at the last two Show of Shows...where the same medals languished, untouched, on my table for three days...) In emailing with the buyers, they are collectors who don't attend shows nor are they members of online forums. They simply collect in their own little world and have a general idea of "values" so if they see something they want for their collection and it's within their idea set of "values" they go for it. (Keep in mind it wasn't all too long ago that an "average" ground-pounder Purple Heart was fetching $400+, even on here...that sort of market value greatly influences people's purchases.) Also keep in mind that much of the knowledge about things like engraving styles and such is, for a large part, confined on this forum and in the heads of collectors who have built the knowledge base here. That explains why we've seen, on several occasions, medals on eBay with spurious or more modern engraving get big bucks...there are many collectors out there who don't have a clue about engraving and if they see something they believe to be real, they bid on it accordingly. Just a few observations from the times I asked questions about buyers that made no sense to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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