Vintage items auction question

[Mreader]

I look at Goodwill Shopping from time to time and was perplexed by these items. One was this necklace which I thought would go for around $6-700 but instead went for 6K!!! I think it may have been an error and the bidder meant to put $662, but even if they put 6K I thought it would be just over what the 2nd highest bidder is, like eBay. I guess not? Anyway I was wondering if this necklace was special in some way but not labeled like the Temple necklace @PreRaphaelite spied once.

Used 14K Square Byzantine Chain Necklace 11.42g

shopgoodwill.com

The other was this bracelet, which price was ok but you could buy outright from eBay or Etsy for a bit less I believe. So I wondered if there was something special about this item or was it auction fervor?

Used 9K Gold Link Padlock Bracelet

shopgoodwill.com

Also tagging @stracci2000 since she has a good eye.

 

[stracci2000]

Hi @Mreader !
Well, I think the Byzantine chain is grossly overpriced at 11 grams. Scrap value today for 11grams of 14k is $373.
I looked at some others just now, and those were in the 30 gram range for 4-5k.
It's a pretty chain, but no way worth that price.
Maybe they added a zero by mistake, like you said.

The bracelet is really nice and authentic antique, but it is 9ct. So $800 seems a bit too high.

I find that eBay and other online prices are all over the place, with no real rhyme or reason.
I personally will decide what I am willing to pay for a particular item, and filter out all others that go above that price limit.

 

[Mreader]

Hi @Mreader !
Well, I think the Byzantine chain is grossly overpriced at 11 grams. Scrap value today for 11grams of 14k is $373.
I looked at some others just now, and those were in the 30 gram range for 4-5k.
It's a pretty chain, but no way worth that price.
Maybe they added a zero by mistake, like you said.

The bracelet is really nice and authentic antique, but it is 9ct. So $800 seems a bit too high.

I find that eBay and other online prices are all over the place, with no real rhyme or reason.
I personally will decide what I am willing to pay for a particular item, and filter out all others that go above that price limit.

I’m almost 99% sure they meant to write 662. Haha. But just wondered if maybe it were some rare thing that nobody knew about.

I thought the same about the bracelet. I was following it for a while, but couldn’t believe it went for that much when you can usually find those for under $700 on Etsy, even heavy ones. Thanks for confirming!

 

[Bron357]

I’ve seen this on eBay.
Sometimes people put in an astronomical “high bid” to ensure that they will be the top bidder. Unfortunately if someone else uses the same “tactic’ it doesn’t work out as hoped. ouch.
There is no way that necklace, at that weight, is worth anywhere near $6,000. For that weight $500 - $600 max as a preloved chain.
If it came with providence and proof that it was owned by someone famous or made by a rare and sought after maker eg Faberge ok, then prices can become ridiculous.
In any regard it’s money for a charity so they will be well pleased with such an unexpected windfall of money!

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Shill bidding.

Sellers bid on their own items, to drive up the final price. eBay has protections built into its system to detect bids coming from the seller’s own IP address. Shopgoodwill doesn’t. The site is rife with fraud. I still look there sometimes, but usually the prices are insane, so no point bidding. It’s a shame, really. In the past, I found some nice things there.

 

[Mreader]

Shill bidding.

Sellers bid on their own items, to drive up the final price. eBay has protections built into its system to detect bids coming from the seller’s own IP address. Shopgoodwill doesn’t. The site is rife with fraud. I still look there sometimes, but usually the prices are insane, so no point bidding. It’s a shame, really. In the past, I found some nice things there.

But I thought the “seller” was goodwill not an individual. Is that not the case? Or does the organization drive its own price up lol? :p

 

[Mreader]

In any regard it’s money for a charity so they will be well pleased with such an unexpected windfall of money!

True but I have a feeling the “winner” will back out somehow.

 

[Mreader]

Shill bidding.

Sellers bid on their own items, to drive up the final price. eBay has protections built into its system to detect bids coming from the seller’s own IP address. Shopgoodwill doesn’t. The site is rife with fraud. I still look there sometimes, but usually the prices are insane, so no point bidding. It’s a shame, really. In the past, I found some nice things there.

Wow I was reading up on it and it seems the organization itself probably does shill accounts which explains the high pricing. Mind blowing. Goodwill is a non-profit so not the same thing as a charity….all of this is very interesting but not in a good way!

 

[luvmysparklies]

Wow I was reading up on it and it seems the organization itself probably does shill accounts which explains the high pricing. Mind blowing. Goodwill is a non-profit so not the same thing as a charity….all of this is very interesting but not in a good way!

Shill bidding at goodwill? Wow. More like ill will. Good grief!

 

[stracci2000]

Their stores are usually devoid of anything worthwhile, and the prices are much higher than they used to be.
I just read up on shill bidding at Goodwill and there is plenty of talk about it.
I never bought anything from Shop Goodwill.com, and I guess I never will now that I know this!

 

[Mreader]

Their stores are usually devoid of anything worthwhile, and the prices are much higher than they used to be.
I just read up on shill bidding at Goodwill and there is plenty of talk about it.
I never bought anything from Shop Goodwill.com, and I guess I never will now that I know this!

I bought a box of duplos for my son once but that was years and years ago. It was a good deal. I didn’t ever think to look at jewelry until recently.

 

[VRBeauty]

They used to sell those chains at Macy’s. Hardly exclusive.

In my area, several years ago, Goodwill rented every high-visibility vacant storefront they could find and turned them into donation drop-off centers, making it very easy and convenient for people to donate their used goods to Goodwill. I suspect that had a lot to do with the closure of a several non-goodwill thrift stores a few years later. Then, when Goodwill was practically the only game left in town, they suddenly closed all of those donation centers. I’m pretty sure that was all orchestrated to run off the competition. But as said, they are almost the only game in town now, so they still get a lot of my donations. I do make an effort to get my better stuff to other non-profits though, though not mainly because of my dislike of Goodwill. There’s a Cancer Society thrift store that does a much better job of displaying and pricing their merchandise, so I figure my cast-offs can do more good if I donate them there.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

True but I have a feeling the “winner” will back out somehow.

This happens literally daily on the site - items with inflated closing prices are relisted immediately over and over again. It's shameless.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

I look at Goodwill Shopping from time to time and was perplexed by these items. One was this necklace which I thought would go for around $6-700 but instead went for 6K!!! I think it may have been an error and the bidder meant to put $662, but even if they put 6K I thought it would be just over what the 2nd highest bidder is, like eBay. I guess not? Anyway I was wondering if this necklace was special in some way but not labeled like the Temple necklace @PreRaphaelite spied once.

Used 14K Square Byzantine Chain Necklace 11.42g

shopgoodwill.com

The necklace at that link (https://shopgoodwill.com/item/136027848) now has an adjusted price of $450.99 showing - I guess the shill bids that drove the price up to $6000 were conveniently cancelled post-auction and (High Bidder: J****E) is stuck with the necklace. Interesting, huh?

 

[Mreader]

The necklace at that link (https://shopgoodwill.com/item/136027848) now has an adjusted price of $450.99 showing - I guess the shill bids that drove the price up to $6000 were conveniently cancelled post-auction and (High Bidder: J****E) is stuck with the necklace. Interesting, huh?

Weird. But they did bid that amount and that price isn’t bad given the cost of gold right now, so I don’t see it as stuck but the whole situation is shady af. What a shame!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

They used to sell those chains at Macy’s. Hardly exclusive.

In my area, several years ago, Goodwill rented every high-visibility vacant storefront they could find and turned them into donation drop-off centers, making it very easy and convenient for people to donate their used goods to Goodwill. I suspect that had a lot to do with the closure of a several non-goodwill thrift stores a few years later. Then, when Goodwill was practically the only game left in town, they suddenly closed all of those donation centers. I’m pretty sure that was all orchestrated to run off the competition. But as said, they are almost the only game in town now, so they still get a lot of my donations. I do make an effort to get my better stuff to other non-profits though, though not mainly because of my dislike of Goodwill. There’s a Cancer Society thrift store that does a much better job of displaying and pricing their merchandise, so I figure my cast-offs can do more good if I donate them there.

i had no idea till this thread that goodwill was actually a brand of shop
i just assumed it was a collective term you guys use for charity opp shops

 

[LilAlex]

I don't get it. It's still $450 with the same high bidder. Maybe they need two non-shill bidders to bid against each other, like eBay, for it to really "count."

 

[Mreader]

I don't get it. It's still $450 with the same high bidder. Maybe they need two non-shill bidders to bid against each other, like eBay, for it to really "count."

The auction is over. I think what may have happened in this case is that the 6K bidder pulled out so it was sold to the 2nd highest. I think that’s a good price given gold costs. I wanted to bid on it when the auction was ongoing but screwed up the time zones and missed it.

ETA - I’m thinking in this case the person did add An extra 0 accidentally but idk. I’m still confused as to why if you bid 6K even accidentally it would show as 6K. I thought it would only show as just above the 2nd highest. But maybe it works differently than eBay .

 

[lulu_ma]

I try to avoid Goodwill after reading articles like this one:

The Dark Reality Behind America’s Greatest Thrift Store Empire

How a Saturday night internet wormhole effectively ruined my favorite store.

medium.com

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I try to avoid Goodwill after reading articles like this one:

The Dark Reality Behind America’s Greatest Thrift Store Empire

How a Saturday night internet wormhole effectively ruined my favorite store.

medium.com

oh my goodness that reads really bad
especially for the disabled

 

[LilAlex]

Weird.

DD used to buy sweaters from "the bins" -- I think it was the stuff that was not quite fine enough for regular Goodwill...

They are quite good on Charity Navigator:

 

[lulu_ma]

Weird.

DD used to buy sweaters from "the bins" -- I think it was the stuff that was not quite fine enough for regular Goodwill...

They are quite good on Charity Navigator:

Yeah, not sure. However, 3 out of 4 areas are not scored. That seems odd to me...

I got curious about Goodwill a few years ago because they started building brand new buildings and opening locations on high rent areas in metro Boston. That curiosity lead me to investigate them further.

My older kids and my nieces and nephews are into thrifting now. I try to encourage them to go to the Salvation Army (which has had its own issues, I know) and other local community charity centers.

Sorry to take your thread on a bit of a tangent @Mreader !

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I’ve had good and bad experiences with Goodwill. I once bought a ring that was supposed to be white gold and aquamarine and turned out to be silver. I returned and they refunded me right away. Another ring was advertised as gold but was gold-plated. So if you do end up buying, make sure to have your purchases checked out

We have a relative who works at Goodwill in management, I tell him all the time that the jewelry descriptions and pictures need improvement. They have gotten better, but I still find listings with nearly no information and lousy pictures where you can’t even see the stone face on.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

There's a distinction between Goodwill Industries International and local Goodwill stores as well. The online auctions seem to be largely local branches of the company and apparently run auctions however they want!