# eBay...Is It Just Me?



## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

Or does it drive you crazy when you do a search for say AFX and get auctions with, AFX/JL/TYCO/TOMY/AW/MATTEL/AURORA - SLOT CAR! Then to top it off, IT'S NONE OF THE ABOVE! :>(


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Yeah AFX is like the holy grail to selling slot cars. I hate this type of selling spam myself. 

I have some 1/32 Eldon Slot cars that I am selling right now and have Cox/Eldon in my discription header. That is because Eldon was bought out by Cox and there is a crossover. People that Collect Eldon plastic bodies also look for Cox cars.

When you search AFX....you get these idiots that say "runs on Tyco" If I wanted to look at Tyco then I would do a search for TYCO. As the bay turns.....forever and ever this will be a problem. 

If you are looking for a 55 Chevy AFX then search 55 AFX...but, sometimes you just want to look at all AFX cars for a good deal. Dang it!

I feel your pain hefer, Bob...zilla


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I will not buy a car from an auction that lists brands that are not actually included in the sale, even if there is a relation. And even if its something I really want and its at a good price. I used to buy from auctions like that, but I am really tired of it, and its against ebay's rules, its called keyword spamming. You're not even supposed to say like, "Tyco not AFX". This practice really makes it more difficult to search. Now my searches are set up like AW -JL or AFX -Tyco this makes me not even see the auctions with multiple brands listed. 

If its a Tyco just say Tyco. If its JL just say JL, don't add AW and R2 just because they changed name. etc.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I don't even like this "MINT Panoz Can Am HO Slot Car for Aurora Tyco Tomy Set". The fact that these cars will run on Aurora, Tomy or Tyco sets should be explained in the body of the auction, not in the title as far as I am concerned.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

It could be worse. What if they did this" AFX 55 Chevy orange slot car & Tyco part lot" Just to find out they put a few junk TYCO parts in the dealeo....Hey it is going to happen.

On my COX/Eldon note: I have collected old Eldons for a long time and am getting rid of my collection & collecting ho only now. People that collect Eldon 1/32 want to find Cox and Eldon cars...realy! There are very few cars when you do a search for Eldon and it is not like the AFX, AW...etc thingy. They are old and the bodies are transfer pieces that any Eldon or Cox collector would be glad to find...expecialy since they are Rare and not new AW junk...did I just say that? lol

Just wanted to make sure that eveyone knows that I am not a spammer!!!!!

Bob...zilla


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

bobhch said:


> It could be worse. What if they did this" AFX 55 Chevy orange slot car & Tyco part lot" Just to find out they put a few junk TYCO parts in the dealeo....Hey it is going to happen.


This is fine with me, and I have done similar things. I realize the value of being seen and if you have to throw in parts and such from other brand cars you want to get the attention of more potential buyers that's fine with me.

I am sorry if it sounds like I am calling you a spammer I am not meaning to. I'm sure there is really a place for mentioning other brands. Its just getting out of hand with regard to HO. Sometimes to the point that I'm not sure what the seller is selling. 

I am very interested to see what others think on this subject.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

I'll preface by saying that I'm a remedial computer user.

I've abandoned all hope of makin' any sense of it. The whole Muffy Vander Bear thing has scarred me for life. It's come to the point where even the generic slot listings and "runs on aurora" are better than all the other carp ya gotta wade through. As long as it's about 'lil cars I rekon I'm gonna have to be OK with it. :freak: 

Would you agree that it has gotten worse since the first of the year?...or is it just my immagination.

Frustrating and tedious, I guess it's just gonna be part of the hunt from now on.  I dont see anything happening to curb it.

On an upnote I do get lots of ideas for builds and customs from other scales, and brands... once in a great while I learn something new if I'm not careful.

Like Mic said, I'm sure I miss a lot of auctions.


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

I'm not a big fan of keyword spamming, but if it's a car I want, then I'll bid on it. I'm more bothered by the "MIB" or Mint listings that aren;t even close to being mint. SOme sellers think they wrap a turd in a box, that makes it an MIB Bel Air. I sometimes email these sellers out frustration and ask them... " do you know what the term MINT means?" and then I'll explain it to them. Some send nasty replies back, others send little thank you emails and use the "oh, I'm new to this" ... only to see they have several hundred transactions.

in any case, a picture is worth a thousand words. No pics, no bids... period... pics and the seller's feedback is how I make my determination.


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

I'm Guilty.............I always list my cars XTRACTION AFX BLAH BLAH BLAH.

But its not to "lure" somone into bidding, beleive it or not, their are people getting back into the hobby that don't know autoworld/j.l. cars are out their. I was one of them, and when I heard about it and saw the 1st release pullbacks I almost died.

As for an experienced slothead, you'll know the difference.

If I really wanted to spam it out I would throw works like, nude, naked big boobs on my items and watch the "watched" number rise, lol.


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## Captain Fred (Feb 19, 2000)

I think that AFX is probably the most common brand that everyone knows. It's kinda like calling every brand of soda a "Coke" or every copy a Zerox.

I don't do it on my auctions, but most people aren't as knowlegable about slot cars as this group is.


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## hellonwheels8 (Feb 4, 2007)

There is only one way to stop this and that is to report every one of them to eBay. They do not 'check' anyone until there is a complaint. :wave: 

I have put such and such TYCO Slot Car for AFX LL in the listing AND put in the description that the car will work on Auroro, AFX, Tyco, Life Like track and people still ask if it will work on their track. I used to list ONLY the brand it was and at certain times of the year I was flooded with questions about what it worked with. I got real tired of answering them. People don't read the descriptions as much as they do the title. They don't read the title as much as they look at the picture. It is a never ending battle to get the ad out there and be competitive and NOT get under 'somebody's' skin - :freak: . I agree there are a lot of people that mis-use the system but nobody reports them so they do it forever. An eBay representative told me that 'for AFX Tyco LL' was OK in the ad as long as it worked on those systems.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Although bordering on free speech infringement, perhaps some sort of revamped standardized listing format would be in order. "Submit or or be assimilated". LOL.

Hellon is on the mark. Policing it ourselves and diligence are probably the ticket.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I've reported many such auctions and have never seen one changed or pulled.


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

It's because ebay doesn't care.... As long as they get their money and nothing illegal is going on (i.e. they aren't responsible for upholding it) they typically won't do a darn thing.


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## RacerDave (Mar 28, 2006)

I have no problem with it. Sometimes I spot an item that way which I might have missed otherwise. Which is why the sellers do that. More exposure for there items. If it is something I am not interested in I just keep scrolling. Always hunting, Dave.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

I actually thought e*** had changed their policy to stop those style of listings a year or so ago. However, it has never been enforced. Reportedly the spin was name your product what it was and don't include all the other things it wasn't. Another plan gone awry! :freak: 

What did you expect, a sale is a $, regardless of what they call it.  rr


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

RacerDave said:


> I have no problem with it. Sometimes I spot an item that way which I might have missed otherwise. Which is why the sellers do that. More exposure for there items. If it is something I am not interested in I just keep scrolling. Always hunting, Dave.



That's one reason I don't like it. If I can't think of wanting it, I don't need it. I have enough stuff I want without finding new stuff to want by accident.


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

hefer said:


> Or does it drive you crazy when you do a search for say AFX and get auctions with, AFX/JL/TYCO/TOMY/AW/MATTEL/AURORA - SLOT CAR! Then to top it off, IT'S NONE OF THE ABOVE! :>(


OK, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL REASON THIS THREAD WAS STARTED, THIS QUOTE ABOVE IS OVER THE TOP AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED, BUT, "AUTOWORLD XTRACTION AFX 55 CHEVY SLOT CAR", IS NOT REALLY MISREPRESENTATION.

I'm thinking it's time I walk away, this slotboard has lots of good, but I am tiring of bellyaching. If you hate a tv show, don't watch it. If you think a friggin fleabay listing is bogus, write to the dude, say, "you suck, your lying" and don't bid on his stuff.

Bottom line, did it give you cancer? did it take your childs life? did it rape your wife?......There are much much much worse things in life to upset you, give it a rest, as I will now.

later, sorry friends, you all know who ya are, keep in touch


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

WoW!!!

I don't know if this is directed at me or not, but that's all I am doing is not bidding.


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## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

Well my original post was to point to the fact it's frustrating to have to scroll thru cars your not interested in. If the makes are related, like AFX/AW, TYCO/MATTEL or TOMY/AFX, I have no problem. But alot of folks do it just so more searches pull up the auction.


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

Whoah bud, I must have missed in this thread where you got singled out...

I would agree with you 100% that "AUTOWORLD XTRACTION AFX 55 CHEVY SLOT CAR" is clearly an accurate title line.

Autoworld - gives the manufacturer name
X-traction - the type of chassis by AW
AFX - those who don't know or haven't been into cars for a long time will still know that style of car was made by AFX, more than fair
55 Chevy - style of car
slot car - telling what it is, another no brainer

I think I missed why this thread is a such a big deal to have the reaction you have had, but I hope you have a better day tomorrow buddy! This forum is about the best out there I think, and definitely made better by guys like yourself being around.

Take care,

Marty



sethndaddy said:


> OK, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL REASON THIS THREAD WAS STARTED, THIS QUOTE ABOVE IS OVER THE TOP AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED, BUT, "AUTOWORLD XTRACTION AFX 55 CHEVY SLOT CAR", IS NOT REALLY MISREPRESENTATION.
> 
> I'm thinking it's time I walk away, this slotboard has lots of good, but I am tiring of bellyaching. If you hate a tv show, don't watch it. If you think a friggin fleabay listing is bogus, write to the dude, say, "you suck, your lying" and don't bid on his stuff.
> 
> ...


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

martybauer31 said:


> snip*..... This forum is about the best out there I think, and definitely made better by guys like yourself being around....


Ditto!


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## fordcowboy (Dec 27, 1999)

when i see a e-bey auction and it said the car is mint . i thought it was saiding that the color was mint .


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

martybauer31 said:


> Whoah bud, I must have missed in this thread where you got singled out...
> 
> I would agree with you 100% that "AUTOWORLD XTRACTION AFX 55 CHEVY SLOT CAR" is clearly an accurate title line.
> 
> ...


Why can't the AFX part be explained in the body of the listing, instead of in the title. Putting it in the title leads people not interested in Autoworld to have to sort through the auctions that have nothing to do with AFX. 

Actually it can be better explained in the body, you get more characters to be clearer about it. The only reason for AFX in an AW or JL listing is to get people looking for AFX to look at JL and AW. Some of the buyers might even get tricked because often in the listing the seller never explains the difference between JL, AW, and AFX.


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

I'd say it's probably time to put the micrometer away Mic... 

Like I said, AFX made that style of car for years and years, someone just getting back into the hobby and looking to start up with their kids will remember the brand and do a search wanting some new cars for their tracks. At this point you're splitting hairs. That isn't "tricking" anyone, and the basic search for anything on ebay leads you to the title, NOT the body of the description.

The whole AFX/JL/TYCO/TOMY/AW/MATTEL/AURORA like hefer said in his original post is very misleading, relating AFX to an AW car where in fact AFX came up with the design for the chassis is completely within range.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I really don't get upset so, this really doesn't bother me very much so however people list their auctions isn't going to change my life much.

When I search:

If I'm looking for AFX I search AFX -JL -AW -"A/W" -TOMY -TYCO...etc. I do the same for whatever I am looking for.

I rarely even see the auctions with multiple brands listed. And that doesn't even matter much to the sellers, because I don't buy much anymore anyway.


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## Ligier Runner (Nov 29, 2004)

I had to laugh this morning when I came across a bay sale where the guy listed two GTP cars and in the title line stated "I don't know what scale these are". Funny though how he knew to list them in HO and HO only.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Did you know that you can't sell Yard Darts on E-pay? Yep they close it down right away. It is to dangerous. Bet you can buy knives. God help us all. lol

The sky is falling....nope just a *OUCH, OOOOOH F__K that hurt $#@*&%^&*! Nope just a dang Yard Dart, Duster, Plymouth, Dodge, Hemi, AFX....he,he,he...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pistol-knife-wi...9QQihZ015QQcategoryZ43335QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Bob...zilla


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

bobhch said:


> Did you know that you can't sell Yard Darts on E-pay? Yep they close it down right away. It is to dangerous. Bet you can buy knives. God help us all. lol
> 
> The sky is falling....nope just a *OUCH, OOOOOH F__K that hurt $#@*&%^&*! Nope just a dang Yard Dart, Duster, Plymouth, Dodge, Hemi, AFX....he,he,he...
> 
> ...


Bob,
What do you expect.  Dave


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