Is It Me?

[SKIPH]

Hey Gang! Is it me, or does this M8 scabbard on ebay seem kinda high? Just ran across this very nice, mint looking early M8 scabbard on ebay item # 224171003228. Seller has it at a Buy Now price of $230, and offers a payment plan. . I do not know the seller. But, what scares me is that this could set a bad precedent for M8 scabbards. The last time I bought an M8 I paid around $20 and felt that was high. I understand, that they are no longer made, but also that they are not rare either.  Hate to see M8s going the way M6 scabbards have gone. It just seems a little too high for me.  SKIP

[DaBomb]

Given the fact that you could have gotten this set for $331.98, the M8 you speak of is ridiculously priced. That is also considering it's OD7 and not OD3.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-WWII-2-Imperial-U-S-M3-Fighting-Knife-M8-BMCO-scabbard-Army-Military-/184453684813?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=az2jOhowYj7%2BTZZ2R%2B2RAZ2Wvag%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

 

eBay has been so hit and miss. This Imperial that sold for $331.98 was a deal for blade stamped with OD3 M8, considering what some of the junk has sold for lately. Youv'e gotta hunt everyday to find the deals. This is the way things are headed. 

 

[thorin6]

For a while now I've seen M8 scabbards, in good shape, selling for $50 on ebay.  Lately I've seen some ridiculous prices like Skip.  While not rare, they are somewhat uncommon.  Also interesting is that the M8A1s from WW2 are starting to be priced in the $50 range, while later M8A1s are in the $35-$40 range.  The last time I bought M8A1 that were post-WW2 I could get all I wanted at $14 apiece, and even in the shows they were $20 or so, and M7s in scabbards could be gotten for $35-40.

Prices do change but over $200 for an M8 seems a bit ridiculous. 

[SKIPH]

WOW! Seller upped the Buy Now price to $355.  Not sure I understand the train of thought. If it didn't sell at $230, why would he think it would go at $355. He must want to keep it. Oh well, good luck to him. SKIP

[stratasfan]

34 minutes ago, SKIPH said:

WOW! Seller upped the Buy Now price to $355.  Not sure I understand the train of thought. If it didn't sell at $230, why would he think it would go at $355. He must want to keep it. Oh well, good luck to him. SKIP

 

There is a huge thought among online sellers that if it doesn't sell at one price, you keep raising it each relist. I've never quite understood it myself, but it is a huge thing. Etsy is really big into this.

 

You put it on and it doesn't sell. If it is an item that you know should sell, it means your price was too low and you made people think you item was a cheap, junky item. As you raise the price, it makes people think that they are getting a better, much more valuable item than the other person. That's the marketing thought behind it. Not that I go for it, but Mom's read enough threads and discussed this with other sellers at length.

[SKIPH]

Elizabeth- I agree to an extent, have seen it before. But, in this case, there were approximately 1,700,000 M8s produced , and another 3,125,000 M8A1s all in 1944. It is not a very rare item just by numbers alone. Plus, occasionally mint, in the box M3s, w/ M8s pop up.   They're out there, and no where near that price.   Curious to see how it goes.  SKIP

(numbers from Gary's book)

[thorin6]

Just doing a quick look for M8 sheath/scabbard on ebay there were several in the $30-50 range with a couple of bids each.

[DaBomb]

13 minutes ago, thorin6 said:

Just doing a quick look for M8 sheath/scabbard on ebay there were several in the $30-50 range with a couple of bids each.

Like this?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-WW2-M8-Scabbard-for-the-M3-combat-Knife/224169495755?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

[sactroop]

I've had something like the opposite happen to me back when I would occasionally set up a table at the local gun show.

I had a piece for sale that was a very average example of a PAL 36.  It was in rather used condition and I had very little in the knife, so I priced it very reasonably.  Lots of looking but no real interest.  One of my friends came by to visit and before he left he just mentioned that I had the knife priced too low.  I didn't think anything of his comment at first but later in the day, just as an experiment I went ahead and wrote a new tag.  The knife was sold less than an hour later and for double of what I was originally asking.

I'll probably always be at least a little puzzled when it comes to the human condition.