Buying a Sterling kit on Ebay- would like your thoughts

Hello,
I am new on here and I was hoping to get some thoughts from some more internet savy people than myself. I have been looking for a Sterling U/C kit for some time now and my wife found one on Ebay. I have not bought on there before and I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers, or might have dealt with this seller. The ID on there is Coachman. His rating looks very good, but I have heard some real bad things about Ebay.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

It seems that everyone hears something "bad" about Ebay and nobody ever hears anything good. The guys at the hobby shop and golf course where I work part time continually bad mouth the bay. Reason being, of course, that they can't compete price or tax wise and try to discourage folks from looking.

A few weeks ago I was hitting a new Taylor Made V steel 3 wood on the range and the head pro comes over to take a look and try it. He asked where I got it "Ebay". How much "$82 new in wrap, no sales tax" He shakes his head mentioning that his cost is way over that and goes into the usual E bay rant(bunch of crooks, will lose your money, etc.)

I have made a bunch of money selling stuff I would not use and a lot of satisfaction in purchasing items that are difficult to find and feel I have usually gotten a bargan. I guess I am at a thousand transactions, more selling than buying. I have never, repeat, never been totally taken and the few(count them on one hand)transactions that were somewhat less than they should have been are offset by several magnitudes by the satisfying/profitable transactions I have enjoyed. I have recently begun venturing into Ebay vehicles which looks like a possible gold mine. Hobby shop owners and golf course pros are usually helpful, knowledgeable guys trying to stay in business but if you really want to get screwed in every orifice go to your local car dealer.

I seem to recall that "coachman" is one of the most reputable sellers of modeling items. All of his items I have seen appear to be quality items correctly described. I bought one engine a couple of years ago from him and was pleased.

BTW-if you want something to fly, there's lots of stuff out there better than Sterling kits.

Ripoffs on ebay are extremely rare. That is why you hear about them. Check out the shipping costs so you don't get any surprises. Understand what forms of payment the buyer will accept. Then get signed up as a buyer and bid exactly as much as you are willing to spend. The go do something productive somewhere else. You will either get the item or you won't. If someone wants it worse thn you do then they should have it, don't you think? I'm advising a first time buyer here, and you may want to do it different in the future.

I have recently begun venturing into Ebay
>vehicles which looks like a possible gold mine.
>
FWIW I heard Clark Howard warning about shopping for autos on the Bay because Ebay doesn't verify that the person selling the vehicle is actually the owner. He said there have been some incidences of people getting ripped off.

I have recently begun venturing into Ebay
>vehicles which looks like a possible gold mine.
>
>FWIW I heard Clark Howard warning about shopping for autos on the Bay because Ebay doesn't verify that the person selling the vehicle is actually the owner. He said there have been some incidences of people getting ripped off.
Elwyn
I have bought two in the last two weeks. So far so good. Actually, there is a way to check ownership, verifly mileage, flood damage, repaired wrecks through Carfax for a small fee.

BTW-Who is Clark Howard? Glad he is not in the E bay car business as I don't know how much competition the state can handle.
Later
Jim

Hi David,
My 2 cents worth. You are better off buying a kit from our host.
He offers a very fair price on kits.
I have tried to buy a few kits on ebay and people are clicker happy.
I found out also that there is a third party site now that will bid for you on ebay at the last second. I think it is called "snipping".
I tried a number of times to buy a twister and people will run the price up higher then what I could by new.
I hate ebay. Not to say there there are deals to be had, you just have to have a lot of time and luck.
Paul

If there is a specific kit that you are looking for and our host or other cottage industry guys do not offer it, then ebay is a great place to go. But be carefull, watch the top price you are willing to pay and don't get caught up in frenzy bidding. If it was there once, it'll probably be there again. And lord help us if it's just another ringmaster. You'd be better off buying plans and scratching.Best you can do with that kit is template it and use, well, wood would be a good start, balsa even better.

I picked up a couple of CG Goodyears for cheap on the bay and it happens all the time. I've also seen Fox 35's go for 10 bucks and 100 bucks for the same quality of motor. It's a free marketplace with all the thrills and dangers. I've not been burned ever.

And to add to what Mr Clean sez above, You might go on this forum in the classified section and see if anyone on here might have one.
What is it that you want?

Bidding and winning the bid on EBAY is an aquired art. I have bought close to 300 engines/kits and a few non hobby related items with very little anquish. Know your limit and bid no more than that. Francis Heil aka the "Coachman" is a no risk seller. Good luck!

If it's a deal you are looking for depends on what you are buying, CL model airplane stuff seems to bring a premium, at least it does when I am buying

On the other hand profesional video stuff usually goes for pennies on the dollar, I have purchased several $8000.00 video cameras for 5 to 6 hundred bucks.

>Hello,
> I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers, or
>might have dealt with this seller. The ID on there is
>Coachman.

Coachman has always delivered quality items when I have bid on his auctions.

He is an experienced modeler and trader in modeling so you won't get any smokin' hot deals, but you will get what he describes.

I would have no qualms bidding on any kit or engine he offers as long as I (well, you, being a newbie) read the description fully and understood what I was bidding on.

He is one of many trustworthy ebay vendors.

My two sense worth.

Thank you all for your input. The kit in question is a Sterling Spitfire that I had some 35 years ago just before I went to Vietnam. I still have a new in the box Johnson 33 SS that an old flying buddy gave me years ago and I have always wanted to put it in a Sterling Spitfire. Never got to fly the first one as it was tossed when my parents moved while I was away and I guess I am just trying to relive a lost opertunity.

If I am understanding some of you correctly, there is a reproduction of this kit available? If that is correct can anyone tell me who and how to contact them.

Thanks,
David

I don't know of anybody reproducing this particular kit. This kit will go for a premium. Be prepared for a high bid!

Tank you. My wife has been great. She told me I could go as high as I feel comfortable with. Since several of you have said that this seller is good to deal with I think I am going to take a shot.

Thanks again,
David

Hi David,
Good luck, I hope you can get it.
I would suggest that you take the kit, and carefully make another kit from it with as good wood as you can get. It will be a much better flier than using the kit wood. I have a Spitfire I am refinishing now. Had it since 1972. I am taking all the wood I can out of it to lighten it up!
A flying buddy also has one that's very pretty that suffers from being overweight, also.
I do like the looks of it in the air.
Bill <><

Hi David....Like someone else said, about the only way you get hosed sometimes is the S&H...A lot of sellers (not many modelers) will pad the S&H to add to their take....Just ask "How much for S&H to your zip code" then offer what you think is a fair price....KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BIDDING ON!....Have fun...Keep flying....Keep riding, Mike

David, If I got that plane and I were you, I would clone it. Buy new select wood and copy off all the parts and build the plane from the new wood parts. That way you will always have the kit if you want another or if you want to sell it and recoup some of your cost.
You may even want to make templates from mylar or plywood to use to reproduce the plane later.

Marvin,
Great minds think alike. (post #12)
Bill <><

I've actually made some good friends on eBay. I've done around 350 deals, only one of which I regretted much. It was my fault, not the seller's. Coachman is a high quality seller, by the way.

When looking at an auction from a seller I do not know, I first read their feedback. Not just the rating, but also the things they post, especially in negative feedback situations. If the seller gets angry and calls the other guy a scummy, yellow-bellied liar, I generally will not bid.....Then I look at his other auctions. If the person appears to handle my type of item regularly, he should know something about them. I look for well written copy and decent photos. If something (anything!) doesn't feel right, pass on the auction.

The sniping service mentioned above is call <www.auctionstealer.com>
It's easy to use and free unless you want the fancier services. You tell it what your highest bid is to be, and it bids in the last 10 or 20 seconds. It will e-mail you if the bidding exceeds your maximum bid.

I make reproduction canopies for it - exact copies of the one in my kit

Johnson Advice:
Mount it and run it and you have just lost about $50+ in collector's appeal.
If the Johnson is the ONLY engine you want on the kit then OK but that engine is a collector's engine and will bring big $$$ on Ebay and you could mount a cheaper/better engine for a quarter the price the Johnson will get from a collector.
PS...I'll give you $50 for it!!!haha

The Johnson's I sold on Ebay last year were well used, but, they had been taken care of. they brought as little as $80.00 to well over a hundred. I had no use for them and was selling them for someone else. -DOC

I sold a Sterling Spitfire kit on Ebay over a year ago. It was complete, but the box had water damage. I still got about $125 if my memory is accurate. I have an Ebay rating around 500 and I only had one real problem. A seller wanted $120 to ship a built airplane via UPS. That one took some negociating.

>Johnson Advice:
>Mount it and run it and you have just lost about $50+ in
>collector's appeal.
>If the Johnson is the ONLY engine you want on the kit then
>OK but that engine is a collector's engine and will bring
>big $$$ on Ebay and you could mount a cheaper/better engine
>for a quarter the price the Johnson will get from a
>collector.
>PS...I'll give you $50 for it!!!haha
>
Heck, if it's a NIB small case Johnson with a little "s" stamped under the exhaust I'll give you a hundred for it and will bid up whoever tops me.

On the other hand, if that's the engine you've got, put it in your Spitfire and have a grand old time. It is one sweet engine. Runs like a Fox but easier and a little more powerful. I'd rather you sold it to me but if I had it I wouldn't sell it to you!

Ebay is most likely one of the best places to pick up hard to find items for usually better then average price and fairly common items for sometimes half off or better. I have bought a lot of items on Ebay including airplane kits and engines and so far have only got one bunk item.

As with any purchase, even in the stores you take a risk everytime you buy an item.

Hi David,

A friend of mine emailed me about your pursuit of a Sterling Spitfire Kit # S-19. He knows that I have one I've been holding on to since it is Brand New in the Box. I also have Bill Sawyers Canopy for this kit since his are far nicer than the originals.

Please email me at [email protected] and if the deal is right I might let it go.

Sincerely,