Luggage tag on eBay

[Skyring]

This item is up for auction, starting at $4.00. No, it's not a Frequent Flyer tag - it's a plain red stiff paper tag. Grab a handful at any checkin.

 

[straitman]

This item is up for auction, starting at $4.00. No, it's not a Frequent Flyer tag - it's a plain red stiff paper tag. Grab a handful at any checkin.

Peter,
Let's keep this quiet and go in for a killing :!:

 

[aus_flyer]

It's amazing how people will buy any old tat on ebay.

I wonder how much a black platinum luggage tag would sell for?

I also wonder what Qantas thinks about people flogging QF branded junk on ebay!

 

[JohnK]

Anyone bidding on it needs their head examined!

 

[oz_mark]

Not exactly brisk bidding action going on there.

 

[aus_flyer]

And $20 for a copy of Australian Way magazine!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Qantas-Inflight-Magazine-Ian-Thorpe-Mar-06_W0QQitemZ6612879213QQcategoryZ40048QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Skyring]

There's a legitimate market for collectibles, and just because we can scoop up an armload of plain red paper luggage tags doesn't mean that some collector in the USA can do so. If they want such an item, then $4 plus postage is a lot cheaper than coming here.

I also see Qantas economy longhaul kits up for auction on eBay, and occasionally they go off.

The business and first class kits are guaranteed sales. They usually go for between $5 and $20 depending on what's inside.

I'm guilty of buying this stuff to some degree. I carry a red leather men's First Class kit in my carryon. I've augmented it quite a bit, and it does double duty as being my inflight amenities kit with better gear than I get in the economy pack, such as lip balm and stuff, and it's also my emergency toilet bag if my baggage is delayed or (more usually) I am between flights and I want to freshen up a bit. The small canister of shave foam is particularly good for this - it's a lot smaller and lighter than anything I can buy in the shops, and beats trying to lather up with the squirty soap in the gents.

Besides, it looks great. That soft red leather bag is really nice. I don't know how much something like that would cost in a specialty luggage shop, but I'm betting it would be closer to fifty dollars than the few dollars I paid for it on eBay.

 

[JohnK]

There's a legitimate market for collectibles, and just because we can scoop up an armload of plain red paper luggage tags doesn't mean that some collector in the USA can do so. If they want such an item, then $4 plus postage is a lot cheaper than coming here.

But a plain red paper luggage tag. What would you do with it? Frame it?

Look here chaps I have a plain red luggage tag from down under.

 

[Skyring]

There's no accounting for taste. Look at stamp collectors. Some manky old stamp from a hundred years back you can't even stick on a letter and they prefer it over (say) an AONE4.

If someone's collecting luggage tags from every airline, or they want every bit of Qantas kit ever issued, then the tag has quite a bit of value to them, and $4 is a bargain.

However, I doubt that there would be a great number of folk who would be such collectors. You couldn't sell a thousand red tags and wind up $4 000 to the good.

 

[JohnK]

Agreed, I wouldn't think there would that many luggage tag collectors.

I am just amazed at the type of person that would go to the trouble to list something as silly as a red luggage tag on ebay for a measly $4. Are they that desperate? It reminds of the people that go through garbage bins on garbage collection nights looking for aluminium cans!

 

[NM]

This tag has been available on EBay a few times from this seller. It did not sell and was relisted.

 

[JohnK]

This tag has been available on EBay a few times from this seller. It did not sell and was relisted.

Why am I not surprised?

Is it really worth the effort?

 

[Skyring]

It costs about 35c to list an item IIRC. If he takes a few swings at it and finally gets a buyer, then he's ahead. If he's got the item loaded on Turbolister then it's only a couple of mouseclicks to relist it. And if it sells he can put another one straight up. From the box of a thousand in the back room.

In theory, it's money for old rope. But not a lot of money. And then there's the hassle of collecting the money and shipping the thing off.

This guy's got hundreds of items up for sale, but nobody's bidding on them. Looking at his completed items, he moves very little of his stuff, maybe 5% a bidding cycle. It's all similar collectable items - biscuit tins, old rail tickets and so on.

I'd say he gets it from markets and garage sales, lists it until it sells and makes some extra money on the postage. He's got a shitload of feedback ratings, most of them very positive.

Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

 

[NM]

It costs about 35c to list an item IIRC.

His posting will be a little more than that. For a starting price between $1.00 and $19.99, the insertion fee is $0.50 - his listed starting price is $4. He has not included the picture gallery option with this listing. Listing fee for an item with a starting price between $0.01 and $0.99 is $0.30.

If it was to sell for $4, his final value fee will be 5.25% of $4 = $0.21.

So his costs will be $0.71 if he sells it for $4. This is at least the second time around, so his costs have hit a minimum of $1.21 if it sells this time for $4.

Once it goes around 7 times, he is not going to be looking very profitable.

I sure hope he has a bank account that does not charge him a fee per transaction or his profit margin could be eroded further.

Of course, with all of us "watching" his item, he thinks there is a great interest and so that has probably influenced his decision to relist the item :roll: .

 

[ksthommo]

Be Quick only 3 hours left on this one, 2 Gold Luggage Tags up to USD $41.00, bargain? Check the one question and answer.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Qantas-Gold-Frequent-Flyer-Luggage-Baggage-Tags_W0QQitemZ6623970647QQcategoryZ40048QQssPageNameZWD4VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[straitman]

Be Quick only 3 hours left on this one, 2 Gold Luggage Tags up to USD $41.00, bargain? Check the one question and answer.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Qantas-Gold-Frequent-Flyer-Luggage-Baggage-Tags_W0QQitemZ6623970647QQcategoryZ40048QQssPageNameZWD4VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Good to see that he totally ignored the important part of the question. :roll: :roll:

 

[Dave Noble]

Once it goes around 7 times, he is not going to be looking very profitable.

With a final bid of $41 I think that he has made quite a tidy profit on 2 plastic luggage tags

Dave

 

[straitman]

Maybe I should ring Qantas and get a couple of new Platinum tags :!:

Imagine what they'd go for. 8) :roll:

 

[JohnK]

Be Quick only 3 hours left on this one, 2 Gold Luggage Tags up to USD $41.00, bargain? Check the one question and answer

Still amazes me what people will buy? There was 26 bids. :shock: US $41 for 2 plastic luggage tags!

If QF started listing plastic luggage tags on eBay they could make a tidy profit and stop charging us high fuel taxes.

 

[Skyring]

I had to laugh. I don't think these tags do anything at all except provide a warm feeling for the flyer.

I was at the checkin for my flight Honolulu-Syydney a few moments ago, and I realised that I had a Silver tag on my small bag, a Gold on my large bag and a Plat on my carryon. Just the way it's worked out. Nobody turned a hair.