Author: Wayne Canning
Contact: w.canning@hotmail.com
Date: 05/14/08
If you’re like me you are always looking for ways to save money on your boat, but we still need all the bits and pieces to keep our boats nice and the occasional new toys. With rising costs this seems to get harder all the time, things never get cheaper! I have found one way to save money is to buy my boat parts though eBay’s online auction service. eBay has grown to be the world’s largest online auction service and because of this it becomes easier to find whatever you might be in need of. This includes all the parts you might need to keep your boat in tip top condition. There are many vendors selling new and used parts of all types on eBay. If you have an older boat eBay is great place to find the used parts you need to fit almost any boat. eBay is also a great place to sell the equipment or parts you have filling the corners of your garage or attic, or like me both. And of course selling parts you do not need is a great way to get money to buy the parts you do need! As a long time eBay user I thought I would share some of the things I have learned over the years. eBay might be a great place to save some money but I have found there are a few tricks to help you save money and avoid problems. Whether you are new to eBay or have been bidding for a long time, you should be able to get a trick or two from this article.
Started in 1995 as a market place for individuals to sell goods and services. eBay has grown to be the worlds largest such market place with an international reach. Although boat parts make up only a small part of the items sold on eBay there are never the less a large number of boat related items for sale at any given time. This really is the mother of all yard sales and the ability to search and hopefully find even the rarest of parts makes it a unique tool for the boat owner. Not only can you locate used parts but there are many individuals just starting businesses selling new parts, as well as many established companies selling old inventory.
A couple of years ago I purchased a 1981 Irwin 40 from an insurance company. The boat had been dismasted in a hurricane and was in need of some serious work. I and like most sailors I had limited funds available to put her back into good sailing condition. If I had to purchase a new rig and all the other parts I needed it would have cost more than the boat was worth or would be worth. This is why the insurance company totaled the boat. This was not my first project boat but it was the most ambitious. The two biggest items on the list of things I needed were a replacement mast and a section of aluminum toe rail that had been damaged by the falling mast. At first I started calling around to boat yards and salvage companies with little luck. The toe rail seemed an impossibility as this extrusion was no longer made and nothing else close could be found. The mast was a bit easier but every one I found was too expensive or simply not the right type. I looked into repairing the old mast but even this was more than I wanted to spend. While calling boat yards I was also looking on eBay. Much to my surprise I found many masts listed and even better a few that were close to what I needed. Although it took a few months I finally found a mast that was a perfect fit and even better was within driving distance. After bidding and winning I got the mast for a fraction of what I would have paid for a new mast, even better the mast came with the complete roller furling system for the main and jib. Although I had to do some modifications to get the rig up I saved thousands over the more traditional methods of replacing a mast. During the time I was looking for and working on the mast I kept searching eBay for a replacement toe rail. Now I did not expect to find a section to match I was hoping to find something close. After almost a year of searching there it was, two toe rail sections off an Irwin 38, and an exact match! Even better I was able to buy them for less than $100.00! Even with shipping this was a great deal and saved me thousands over the alternative of replacing the old rail completely. I was able to replace just the broken section and as the replacement was used the finish matched perfectly. These are just a couple of examples of how I was able to save some big bucks! Since then I have purchased most of the parts I have needed from sellers on eBay, everything from sails to electronics and rigging supplies. I have saved literally thousands of dollars!
As good as this market place is the old adage buyer beware is still is important. Not all sellers are fair and honest. Fortunately eBay has but into place several methods of protecting both buyers and sellers. Among these are the seller and buyer rating system. This system allows buyers to rate sellers and sellers to rate buyers. These ratings and reviews are available to everyone. This system of positive and negative feedback allows a buyer to get a feel for the reliability of the seller before placing a bid. It is not a perfect system but does give you an idea of the person you are dealing with and most sellers try hard to maintain a good reputation. I have found that most of the folks selling boat parts are boaters themselves just buying and selling parts for their own boats and for the most part are good people. Using PayPal the EBay banking system gives you an added degree of protection. Within limits PayPal will help you obtain refunds from bad sellers or for damaged items. I have been saved a couple of times from fraud or bad sellers by the PayPal refund or dispute system. Basically PayPal will attempt to resolve any dispute between the buyer and seller. If an agreement cannot be made, PayPal will make a decision based on information provided and the emails exchanged during attempts to resolve the matter. If PayPal is unable to get a full refund they will pay some of the refund due. So you may not get all your money back but in most cases you will get most of it. Your PayPal account is tied to a personal bank checking account so to further protect myself I opened a separate no fee checking account just for my EBay transactions. I even opened this account in a different bank than my regular one. This helps insulate me from possible fraud and helps limit any loses as I only keep as much money as I need to in this account. Check the seller’s feedback and see how long they have been a member of eBay. If a seller has little feedback or has only been on eBay a short time you may want to use more caution. This is particularly true when buying electronics. Seems this is an area were scammers like to work. Always check the country of origin, if it is from some 3rd world place odds are things are not right, best stick with US and Canadian sellers. Check shipping prices also, some items look like a great deal until you see that the shipping cost is more than the item is worth. Read the descriptions carefully sometimes if a deal looks too good there may just be a reason.
For those who have never bought anything on eBay I would recommend opening an account with both eBay and PayPal to get started. Once you have your accounts set up take your time to explore some. I would not recommend jumping in head first so to speak. Learning the ins and outs of EBay takes bit of time and practice. I often see first time bidders bidding on big ticket items like boats. I think it is best to start small and get some experience first. Buy a couple of inexpensive items first; this lets you get the feel of things without risking a lot of money. It also gives you some feedback ratings so that buyers and sellers can get to know you a bit and that helps build trust. Going though the process of bidding a couple of times will help you learn a strategy that works best for you. Some buyers like to bid a little at a time while others like to put their bids in at the last second. eBay uses a proxy system that allows you to put a bid in at your maximum amount while at the same time automatically keeping your bid as high is necessary to remain high bidder. This system takes some playing with to get the hang of. Do you place your highest right bid away or should you wait till near the end of the auction? These are things every bidder needs to work out to find a system that suits his or her personality. I would recommend having a figure in mind as to the most you will pay before you start bidding. Stick to this number and you will not get caught in a bidding frenzy and end up paying more than you should have or wanted to. Also check catalog prices prior to starting your bidding. I have seen many used items sell for than you could buy it new, particularly when you add in shipping. Do your homework before you start your bidding. Also remember if you have questions about an item ask early as the seller has to respond via email and this could take some time.
Finding what you are looking for can be a bit of a trick. EBay allows you to build a saved search that will allow you to set up a part search based on key words. I recommend experimenting with looking for items and setting up saved searches. The searches are based on key works such as “Autopilot” but remember you sometimes need to get creative when looking for something. Autopilot could be autopilot, auto pilot, wheel pilot, or even self steering. Also do not just search in specific areas such as “electronics.” Broaden your search by looking under boat parts in general. This way you can find the good deals others might miss. You’d be surprised at the places some items are listed. I have found autopilots listed under sailing hardware for example. Check for common misspellings as well, for example dingy or dinghy. Some of the best deals can be found by looking for the hidden treasures. When looking check out the “buy it now” search feature, if you do this often you may just find a seller who has listed an item with a “buy it now” price that is below what the average auction price is. If you are fast you can get a good deal like this. I have gotten more than one great deal like this. EBay is a hunt and you need to be creative to find the best deals, but of course this is what makes finding that special item at a great price that much more rewarding. It really is a good feeling knowing you have found that great deal by finding it listed in the wrong place or with a bad name. I once found an Aqua Signal mast head light listed as a pop up bow light. I knew from the photo this was wrong. The seller had 5 of these brand new in the package for less than $30.00 each. I bought all 5 and sold 4 for more than $100.00 each. I kept the 5th for my boat, so I got a light that retailed for $300.00 for free and made $400.00, not bad!
Taking the time to get a feel for what things are selling for will save you money as well.
I have seen auctions were an item sold used for more than a new one could have been purchased for. It pays to do your homework. Check prices and know what is a good deal before starting to bid. Make sure that item you are bidding on is what you need and will work for your application. Take the time to measure your boat for size and fit before you start looking. Make sure you know the voltage, color, and other details that you need and take time to carefully read the descriptions. I see items listed all the time that say in the description that they were purchased but do not fit that sellers boat. Don’t make this mistake too. Check things out ahead of time. Do not assume or think it looks like it will work make sure first. Photos can be deceiving as far as size goes. If dimensions are not given ask the seller ahead of time. Do not wait till the last minute.
Selling on EBay can be rewarding also. This is a great way to clean out the garage and make a few bucks in the process. You’ll be surprised that something you my think is junk is another mans treasure. Before you list that first item you should be prepared to deliver it. Shipping is a big part of that. Over the years I have learned a few tricks to help with that as well. Shipping can be a real chore if you are not prepared to deal with it. Fortunately in today’s internet world it has gotten much easier. You can setup online accounts with most of the major shippers including the US Postal service and UPS. You can fill out, pay for, and print your shipping labels from your computer, then schedule a carrier pickup at your front door. It has gotten surprisingly easy. You can even have the postal service send you boxes for free! I have found that it is better to use a company like UPS for larger items and the USPS for smaller items. For the smaller items I like to use the Postal service’s flat rate box particularly if what you are shipping is small but heavy. This also helps keep things simple as the buyer will know the shipping cost upfront. eBay has a nice shipping calculator that you can set when you list your items, this way the buyer can type in their zip code and get an estimate of the shipping cost. Another thing to remember when you start selling is to keep up with email questions. The better you do with this the more success you will have. Make sure you describe your item accurately and treat your customers fairly, remember they can and will leave you bad feedback otherwise. Use some of the same tricks you learned from buying for selling as well. Use titles and descriptions that will be picked up with different search keywords. Use good photos and give lots of information such as color and dimensions. I have also found that it is a lot of work to ship outside the US so keep this in mind. PayPay is a great way to get paid but it helps to take money orders and checks as well as some buyers do not want to use PayPal. And when you do pack an item for shipping make sure you do a good job. You do not want to have to take it back because of shipping damage and trust me the shippers can be pretty rough.
It is possible to save money while having some fun at the same time. The challenge of the hunt can be very satisfying when you win a bid and get that great deal. And being prepared can make the online experience a more pleasant one. Set up a separate bank account, open an eBay and PayPal account and then buy a few small items to get the hang of it. Get creative in your searches and know your price range before you start bidding. Be careful and check the details of the item you are interested in. Does the seller have good feedback, are shipping costs reasonable and is it worth the bidding price? Follow these basic rules and you are sure to save some money and maybe have some fun in the process. Good luck and happy bidding!
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