The MLP Arena

Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: WaterDraw on June 03, 2018, 08:08:06 PM

Title: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 03, 2018, 08:08:06 PM
Hey all, I've been searching for a Whizzer to join my pony family for a couple years now. Recently I have noticed this weird shift in price. Almost 2 years ago she was only around $10-15, but now I'm seeing her listed for $17, $20, even $50! I know price can vary on condition but these prices just seem ridiculous...
She seems like she used to be such a common pony so I'm very confused as to why she's had such a price surge. I know prices can change within years, but 2 years seems like such a short time...
If anyone has an explanation, it would be well appreciated!
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Silversnow on June 04, 2018, 03:33:27 AM
Sometimes depending on the "trend" some ponies will go up just suddenly, maybe it's just been a very mint one. I was thinking you might have seen a nirvana Whizzer (Spain?) starting at 50 USD but they would go way higher than that... however I'm sure you'll get one for less, also depending on how picky you are. Hope it has helped!
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Noasar on June 04, 2018, 03:46:24 AM
There are lots of Whizzers on eBay UK ranging from between £6-£20 so you definitely shouldn’t be paying $50 unless it’s a Nirvana. Maybe there is just a bit of a trend for them in the US at the moment? You may be better off buying from the UK and paying a bit more on shipping if that’s the case. 
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: banditpony on June 04, 2018, 04:32:00 AM
Where are you looking?

On ebay there are lots of them currently listed and sold in the less than $15 range. (some of those look pretty nice looking)
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: goddessofpeep on June 04, 2018, 05:29:40 AM
There are sellers who put outrageous BIN prices that will never in a million years actually sell. Check the sold listings, not the active ones. Sometimes this is due to a non-collector seller seeing crazy prices for another pony they think is similar(“that green unicorn sold for so much, and this pink pegasus has the same kind of eyes!”).  Sometimes a random bidding war happens, and one particular auction ends for what I call “stupid money”.  This usually catches the attention of less knowledgeable sellers, and you’ll often get a rash of high BINs after one of those.  Sometimes it’s just plain greed.

Fyi - ebay’s making it harder to look at completed auctions.  When you go to an ended auction, it redirects to a similar active one.  You can click on the word “link” in the bar at the top that says something like “this link is no longer available” to see the endd auction.  It’s a new “feature” on ebay, amd it stinks. It’s been rolling out site-wide for about a week now for me. 
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: banditpony on June 04, 2018, 05:55:55 AM
Fyi - ebay’s making it harder to look at completed auctions.  When you go to an ended auction, it redirects to a similar active one.  You can click on the word “link” in the bar at the top that says something like “this link is no longer available” to see the endd auction.  It’s a new “feature” on ebay, amd it stinks. It’s been rolling out site-wide for about a week now for me. 

I usually click on the sold check box on the left side bar to filter results.
Is that effected?
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Leave a Whisper on June 04, 2018, 06:08:52 AM
Ha! $50? Probably just some ignorant sellers who think they can make a mint off any old toy.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Taffeta on June 04, 2018, 06:23:59 AM
Whizzer does have a slew of common flaws such as head and body mismatch and discolouration spots so it is feasible that one without those flaws might command a higher price. Even my MOC one has the mismatch, so yeah. It's quite rare to find Whizzer without those kinds of issues.

It is also much easier for sellers in the US to jack up prices on ponies in the US because so many US buyers don't think about looking on other ebays or to other places for purchasing. It's all part of the myth that ponies like Whizzer are 'US' ponies, so why broaden the search? Most overpricing happens on US ebay - both on ponies sold globally and on ponies imported, although UK ebay is starting to catch up with overpricing on some exclusives.

It pays to shop around. And also to look at alternate ways of acquiring the pony, ie in lots, from another country, from forums like this.

Also, a loose Whizzer even at $15 is overpriced unless she is absolutely missing those flaws I mentioned above. Whizzer at $10 is still a little pricey but in nice shape maybe acceptable. Anything over that is stupid. But it has become more and more the norm that those kinds of inflated prices are being slapped on common G1 ponies...especially on US ebay...which is why it really pays to wait for the right price, rather than panic buy at the first opportunity.

Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 04, 2018, 04:34:14 PM
Okay everyone, thank you for the information.
1st off, I am on US eBay so :/
2nd, the $50 Whizzer was just the regular Whizzer so ;-;
3rd, For some reason, my eBay works super weird. Sometimes when I search a listing up I will get all the results and sometimes I can only find certain results in the recommended thing. So maybe that's why I'm not finding any of the cheap Whizzers?
4th, It's almost every kind of condition of whizzer who is going for high prices. I saw one with a serious head and body mismatch and a weird discolored eye (with very ratty hair, but I usually don't mind hair since it can be fixed with TLC) going for the high $15-$17.

I hope this tend ends soon because Whizzer is such a beautiful pony but I can't afford a leg and an arm on one who isn't even in "good" condition.

Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: banditpony on June 04, 2018, 04:48:35 PM
What is your search term?

I put in "My Little Pony Whizzer" and I see one for 6.99 + 3.99 shipping
... She looks fine. What's wrong with that one?
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 04, 2018, 04:59:49 PM
What is your search term?

I put in "My Little Pony Whizzer" and I see one for 6.99 + 3.99 shipping
... She looks fine. What's wrong with that one?

Oh yeah I just saw that one? (if it's the one with the haircut?) I didn't see that one earlier since not every single result comes up. Usually I just search up "Vintage MLP Whizzer" or something like that, sometimes I leave out the vintage though.

If you're talking about the one with the haircut, then I probably won't get it since the tail is too short for my taste.

I think I found one, however it's a little overpriced. But I mean it comes with accessories so it isn't too bad?
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: banditpony on June 04, 2018, 05:24:51 PM
Eh. No hair cut. Tail is definitely normal length.
(I mean maybe her mane had been, but it's really hard to judge when it's curly and unstyled. The tail isn't at all tho)

Maybe it's your search term...

Just put in My Little Pony + pony name. The more generic the search term, the more results you will get. MLP isn't the greatest term to put in either.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: tailrustedtealeaf on June 04, 2018, 06:18:32 PM
Banditpony is right, and prices tend to be lower within the community if you can find a seller selling on here.
If you really want her for cheaper, you may want to wait until after the pony fair to see if anyone is selling excess stock.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 04, 2018, 07:16:02 PM
Eh. No hair cut. Tail is definitely normal length.
(I mean maybe her mane had been, but it's really hard to judge when it's curly and unstyled. The tail isn't at all tho)

Maybe it's your search term...

Just put in My Little Pony + pony name. The more generic the search term, the more results you will get. MLP isn't the greatest term to put in either.

Hm, then it must not be the one I'm thinking of. Can you PM me a link?

Banditpony is right, and prices tend to be lower within the community if you can find a seller selling on here.
If you really want her for cheaper, you may want to wait until after the pony fair to see if anyone is selling excess stock.

Yeah I could try that, but I'm not sure how my mother would feel about that. She generally only lets me buy stuff online from eBay or possibly craigslist (which I am wary of using)
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Ponyfan on June 04, 2018, 07:37:02 PM
Everyone has given great advice so far. :) I agree with bandit pony that you'll get more results typing "My Little Pony and the name of the pony you're looking for instead of using " MLP" and with tailrustedtealeaf that prices are usually lower/more reasonable for the pony's condition here than on Ebay.

To me a ribbon and comb added to the pony wouldn't be worth much of a price increase. I'm not sure about the sticker though.   

I'm sure you'll find a good condition Whizzer for a good price. :)

Just saw your last post. Maybe you could show your mother the feedback of the person that you are thinking of buying from on here if someone has a Whizzer? To check on a member's feedback just click on the number next to Trade Count. :)

Ponyfan
 
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 04, 2018, 09:17:46 PM
Everyone has given great advice so far. :) I agree with bandit pony that you'll get more results typing "My Little Pony and the name of the pony you're looking for instead of using " MLP" and with tailrustedtealeaf that prices are usually lower/more reasonable for the pony's condition here than on Ebay.

To me a ribbon and comb added to the pony wouldn't be worth much of a price increase. I'm not sure about the sticker though.   

I'm sure you'll find a good condition Whizzer for a good price. :)

Just saw your last post. Maybe you could show your mother the feedback of the person that you are thinking of buying from on here if someone has a Whizzer? To check on a member's feedback just click on the number next to Trade Count. :)

Ponyfan

Thank you! I will definitely do that if I ever decide to trade on here :D
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Taffeta on June 05, 2018, 07:28:09 AM
Okay everyone, thank you for the information.
1st off, I am on US eBay so :/


Also, to come back to this - being registered on ebay in the US does not prevent you from browsing or buying from other regional ebay sites. Only it seems like mostly it's US people who don't realise this.

My account is in the UK but there was no UK ebay when I registered back in 1998 and so I'm still officially a member of Ebay.com. Despite that, my default is UK Ebay, and I often use French, Spanish, Italian and German ebays as well. And of course, the US ebay. I know there's also other ebays but I've yet to actually buy from one of those...

In any case, being a member of US ebay doesn't mean you're stuck with US ebay when buying.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 05, 2018, 10:40:47 AM
Okay everyone, thank you for the information.
1st off, I am on US eBay so :/


Also, to come back to this - being registered on ebay in the US does not prevent you from browsing or buying from other regional ebay sites. Only it seems like mostly it's US people who don't realise this.

My account is in the UK but there was no UK ebay when I registered back in 1998 and so I'm still officially a member of Ebay.com. Despite that, my default is UK Ebay, and I often use French, Spanish, Italian and German ebays as well. And of course, the US ebay. I know there's also other ebays but I've yet to actually buy from one of those...

In any case, being a member of US ebay doesn't mean you're stuck with US ebay when buying.

Forgive my ignorance, but how exactly does it work when you buy something from another country with another type of currency? Does paypal just charge you what it would be in your currency and give the seller their own currency or do you need the actual currency? I've never bought internationally so I'm totally clueless.

Also when I said that, I was more-so talking about the fact that more sellers over here overprice stuff like everyone was saying. Sorry for the confusion! ^^;
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: ZeldaTheSwordsman on June 05, 2018, 11:00:41 AM
PayPal converts the currency for you.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: WaterDraw on June 06, 2018, 12:49:21 AM
PayPal converts the currency for you.

Thank you for the information!  :)
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: Taffeta on June 06, 2018, 02:26:21 AM
Also, a neat trick for you to try :)

If you find an auction on ebay UK that interests you, go to the URL bar and change where it says .co.uk to .com and hit the enter key. It will load the auction on US ebay and give you the conversion for the bid amount and shipping cost in $ as well as in £. Same applies for european ebays.

That way you know what you are paying.

You can also put the amount into google, ie writing "£20 in $US" and google will give you a rough conversion (although paypal rate is slightly different).

When I sell to US buyers I mostly convert to $ for their convenience as $ has always been the currency of pony trading and most values are calculated in $US. But it is just as possible as others say to pay in your currency and the seller receive theirs. Paypal has got more sophisticated with this over the last several years.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: LadyMoondancer on June 06, 2018, 07:38:00 AM
I would suggest not searching for either "MLP" or "My Little Pony", but going to the MLP category and limiting your search to that category, then search for "Whizzer".

eBay prices do tend to be high, partly because sellers have to pay for eBay and Paypal fees and partly because eBay's BIN formatting really rewards it.  If a seller takes good pictures and is patient, they often can sell a pony for a surprisingly high price.  A lot of buyers will pick a more expensive pony they can definitely get right now over a cheaper pony going up for auction, which they might or might not win.  Auctions definitely tend to skew on the cheaper side on eBay.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: banditpony on June 06, 2018, 07:57:59 AM
I would suggest not searching for either "MLP" or "My Little Pony", but going to the MLP category and limiting your search to that category, then search for "Whizzer".

How many people list a pony name but don't put My Little Pony in the title? O.o
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: LadyMoondancer on June 06, 2018, 08:03:06 AM
A lot of people put MLP or My Little Pony, but not both.  But if you're searching by the pony's name, you'll find both types (provided they know the pony's name, ha ha.)
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: ZeldaTheSwordsman on June 06, 2018, 08:13:30 AM
I tend to just search (character name) pony in the Toys & Hobbies category. Entirely too many people fail to list in the specific brand category even when they clearly know the brand.
Title: Re: Price Increase in Whizzer?
Post by: banditpony on June 06, 2018, 08:34:27 AM
A lot of people put MLP or My Little Pony, but not both.  But if you're searching by the pony's name, you'll find both types (provided they know the pony's name, ha ha.)

Well no.. not both..

I meant someone who wouldn't list "My Little Pony" in the title.

I don't use the browse function. I've found it to be worthless in the almost 20 years I've used eBay. People don't put things in the right category.

I just use a minimal search term as possible to come up with my searches. Hense My Little Pony + name of pony (or more creative things if I wanna do a non name search.. for sellers who didn't look up the name of the pony)

My whole point was.. there seem to be Whizzer ponies in OPs price point based on using the most basic search term.
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