Author Topic: The impossibly priced Cycle Garden Ebay bikes thread - It's all about marketing, you know.  (Read 33053 times)

Offline jackson

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What Rodekyll, Lannis (and a few others) said.  This was a scam and the last person who was legitimately involved in it (maybe) was the bidder at $20k.  Too many naive people out there along with those who think it's okay to lie, cheat and steal as long as you can get away with it.
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Offline Motogogo

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Could be someone is screwing with Moes auction, this shill bidding can be done as an act of vandalism.  It happened to me at ebay, and getting help from ebay was next to impossible.
 
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oldbike54

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Could be someone is screwing with Moes auction, this shill bidding can be done as an act of vandalism.  It happened to me at ebay, and getting help from ebay was next to impossible.

 Hmm , maybe , but why did they proclaim it sold at $38K , and claim that at $35k they were losing money ? Pretty sure an outsider can't alter the text of the ad .

  Dusty

Offline rocker59

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I've just done a merge.  This will be the new thread for all of Moe's Cycle Garden Ebay advertising "auctions".
Michael T.
Aux Arcs de Akansea
2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

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oldbike54

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I've just done a merge.  This will be the new thread for all of Moe's Cycle Garden Ebay advertising "auctions".

 What , no "Bitch Fest"  :grin:

  Dusty

Offline rocker59

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What , no "Bitch Fest"  :grin:

  Dusty

When he starts auctioning customized SOA-syle Cal 14s, I will change the title!  :evil:
Michael T.
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2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

oldbike54

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When he starts auctioning customized SOA-syle Cal 14s, I will change the title!  :evil:

 EEK and DOUBLE EEK !

  Dusty

Offline Chuck in Indiana

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Hopefully, but not really.  You know how may times I hear a seller with an inflated price say "Moe gets $30K+ for his bikes, so mine at $15K is a steal".   Think Jackson Barrett with cars.

Yeah, I overheard someone at the Nationals with a so so Eldo for sale say that if it was only in SoCal he could get 12 to 15K for it.  :smiley: I didn't disabuse him of his fantasy. I hang out at MGC when I'm out in SoCal, and know what Loops bring. They *are* going up, though. His *might* bring 5-5500 in SoCal.
Chuck in (Elwood) Indiana/sometimes SoCal
 
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oldbike54

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Yeah, I overheard someone at the Nationals with a so so Eldo for sale say that if it was only in SoCal he could get 12 to 15K for it.  :smiley: I didn't disabuse him of his fantasy. I hang out at MGC when I'm out in SoCal, and know what Loops bring. They *are* going up, though. His *might* bring 5-5500 in SoCal.

 The flip side . A guy once offered me $500.00 for my /5 , back before it got quite so tired . When I laughed , he claimed , "well hell , that's what the sell for in California" :rolleyes: I suggested we take a truck and a trailer and make the trip  :laugh:

  Dusty

Offline Lannis

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The flip side . A guy once offered me $500.00 for my /5 , back before it got quite so tired . When I laughed , he claimed , "well hell , that's what the sell for in California" :rolleyes: I suggested we take a truck and a trailer and make the trip  :laugh:

  Dusty

Had a dealer try that on me once.

He had a nice 1970 full size Chevy shortbed pickup for sale, nice truck, I could buy one for about $4000 at the time.   He was asking $6000.

He insisted "You could take this truck down to North Carolina, they love these down there, and get $9000 for it easy."

Since he was in the business, I sort of wondered why he didn't make an easy 5 grand by towing it 150 miles south, selling it, and riding home ... Pretty good day's work, that.

One of the reason's that Moe's Cycle Garden's schemes don't set well with any of us is by contrast.    We're used to dealing with MPH and Moto Int'l and Rose Farm and Joe Eish and guzzisteve and Charlie Mullendore and guys like that, honest folks who don't shill and scam and use smoke and mirrors and pump-and-dump, but still manage to make a living and make friends in the Guzzi business.     This Moe's "skillo wheel" business is RIGHT on the edge of unethical, immoral, and really is unusual in the world of Moto Guzzis.

Lannis
"Hard pounding, this, gentlemen; let's see who pounds the longest".

oldbike54

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  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 Lannis , I always laugh when the seller makes claims like that . A friend of mine was just convinced that his 200K mile Diesel PU with a bad paint job was worth $10K because well , some guy told him they were hot in CA. Surprise surprise , when he listed it in CA for $10k , what he got was , why would I pay that much and still have to come and get the damn thing . Round about way of supporting guys selling boats in coastal Alaska for a bit more than what they sell for in , oh say , Nevada . Hmm , did that make any sense , the humidity/stupidity factor may be in play here  :grin:

  Dusty

Offline Arizona Wayne

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  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 Lannis , I always laugh when the seller makes claims like that . A friend of mine was just convinced that his 200K mile Diesel PU with a bad paint job was worth $10K because well , some guy told him they were hot in CA. Surprise surprise , when he listed it in CA for $10k , what he got was , why would I pay that much and still have to come and get the damn thing . Round about way of supporting guys selling boats in coastal Alaska for a bit more than what they sell for in , oh say , Nevada . Hmm , did that make any sense , the humidity/stupidity factor may be in play here  :grin:

  Dusty



Location, location, location....just like real estate.  :wink:

oldbike54

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Location, location, location....just like real estate.  :wink:

 So Wayne , are you saying that in AZ a boat has less value than , oh say , a Camel ? :laugh:

  Dusty

Offline Arizona Wayne

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So Wayne , are you saying that in AZ a boat has less value than , oh say , a Camel ? :laugh:

  Dusty




Variation of boat prices I know nothing about, but we are close to the Colorado river so here it might not be an issue.  :undecided:  I know our fuel is cheaper than the states around us.  :grin:

oldbike54

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Variation of boat prices I know nothing about, but we are close to the Colorado river so here it might not be an issue.  :undecided:  I know our fuel is cheaper than the states around us.  :grin:

 Hmm , this begs the question , can Camels swim ? :grin:

  Dusty

Offline Arizona Wayne

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Hmm , this begs the question , can Camels swim ? :grin:

  Dusty



Don't know, Dusty, never seen a camel in Aridzona.   With your name thought maybe you'd know.  :tongue:   I know the Army used them here back in the 40's.

Offline LowRyter

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'60 model , and if you remove the Baroque roof what's gonna keep the rain out ? :grin: Yeah , my taste in cars , and most things in general , runs in a counter to most American preferences . Women with no makeup and natural hair , notch back instead of fast back Mustangs , '56 Chevies over '57 models , Jackals over blinged out Calis , Mary Ann over Ginger , and early ZZ Top before they became a parody of themselves . Oh , and friends that don't care how , UH , well OK , "strange" I am  :grin:

  Dusty

nope, it's a '59.

agree with all your examples except for the fastback Mustangs and "blinged out" EV vs Jackal.  EV is much better.  :grin:
John L 
When life gets you down remember it's one down and the rest are up.  (1-N-23456)

oldbike54

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nope, it's a '59.

agree with all your examples except for the fastback Mustangs and "blinged out" EV vs Jackal.  EV is much better.  :grin:

 EVs are better than Jackals , except when they aren't . (Running that is)  :shocked: :evil: :grin:

  Dusty

Offline LowRyter

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.......or bashed up falling off the trailer. 
John L 
When life gets you down remember it's one down and the rest are up.  (1-N-23456)

oldbike54

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.......or bashed up falling off the trailer.

 I wasn't gonna go that far ...  :laugh: Dang , self inflicted pain is the worst , huh bud ?  :rolleyes:

  Dusty

Offline LowRyter

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yeah, but she's as pretty as new now
John L 
When life gets you down remember it's one down and the rest are up.  (1-N-23456)

Offline rodekyll

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Could be someone is screwing with Moes auction, this shill bidding can be done as an act of vandalism.  It happened to me at ebay, and getting help from ebay was next to impossible.

If this was the first time it happened I might buy the argument.  But it happens all the time and has been happening for years.  So either he's got a very dedicated group of organized vandals diligently watching ebay for his auctions, or we've got the worlds most moronic ebay seller or both.

Ebay allows a seller to disqualify any bidder and reject any bid.  I can see CG getting hit on vandal-bidding on a $35k bike once.  Maybe twice.  But by the 5th or 6th time (or maybe the 10th or 12th -- after all he's from California) he'd catch on and delete their bids.  All it would take is the most cursory attention to the auction.

Offline stmike

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Well, the bike is listed on ebay as "sold", so it'll cost him $125 for some pretty good advertising even though in all likelihood it isn't really sold.
OTOH, I wonder whether he looks at this forum at all, and whether he realizes how reviled his methods are among most Guzzi faithful.

Offline rocker59

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But by the 5th or 6th time (or maybe the 10th or 12th -- after all he's from California) he'd catch on and delete their bids.  All it would take is the most cursory attention to the auction.

I didn't realize he was in Rio Linda...

 :grin:
Michael T.
Aux Arcs de Akansea
2004 California EV Touring II
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

oldbike54

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Well, the bike is listed on ebay as "sold", so it'll cost him $125 for some pretty good advertising even though in all likelihood it isn't really sold.
OTOH, I wonder whether he looks at this forum at all, and whether he realizes how reviled his methods are among most Guzzi faithful.

 Fortunately we aren't his target market , most of our celebrities are either too smart or too broke to play his game  :laugh:

  Dusty

Offline Lannis

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Well, the bike is listed on ebay as "sold", so it'll cost him $125 for some pretty good advertising even though in all likelihood it isn't really sold.
OTOH, I wonder whether he looks at this forum at all, and whether he realizes how reviled his methods are among most Guzzi faithful.

Why would he care what a red-suspendered Guzzist thinks?   He's not selling to anyone here, he's selling to people with more money than sense that want to buy into some marketed "idea".

Lannis
"Hard pounding, this, gentlemen; let's see who pounds the longest".

Offline rodekyll

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Well, the bike is listed on ebay as "sold", so it'll cost him $125 for some pretty good advertising even though in all likelihood it isn't really sold.
[snip]


 . . . except if he tells ebay he got deadbeat bidders.  Then the auction becomes invalid and they don't punch his lunch card.  So in practice he can list a bike, get a legit bidder, send in the shills, and then complain that the "0" bidders queered the sale.  Ebay waives the fees and the advertising happens for free.  A buzz is created on WG and the hits on his name and website go up -- another win for his e-business. 

Then he contacts the high legit bidder and tells him the sale fell through -- does he want the bike for a slightly higher price than the bid, on account of the rube DID get outbid by 2x, and doesn't that mean the bike is worth more than he thought?  Really, rube, considering what the piece bid up to, $3k more than your high bid is a very good deal . . . a discount, if you think about it just right.   :wink: :wink: :wink:

So in this scenario the $35k bike got legitimately bid up to $20k, CG got the buyer lined up for free, and then conned him out of an additional $3k.  Ebay hosted the scam and got nothing.

Offline acguzzi

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so the real value is 8k$?

Offline Lannis

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so the real value is 8k$?

A straight auction, with no shills, smoke, mirrors, and misdirection, would give you the "real value".    Haven't seen that, though ....

Lannis
"Hard pounding, this, gentlemen; let's see who pounds the longest".

Offline jackson

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Rodekyll nailed it directly on the head with his last post in this thread.  That's the way the scam works.
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