Designer couples pins on ebay?

I'm back again! After church, we went over to a friend's house and she has internet access, yay!

So I've been reading about the designer couples pins and decided to do an ebay search to see what they are selling for since I know I will wear mom down to let me have an ebay account. I almost keeled over since I know there's no way in heck I'll get those for Christmas from mom.

I saw someone list the individual pins for sale (all except one of them) but has a picture of all five pins in the set in the listing! Isn't that wrong?

And those 4 pins are going for over $1500. What?! Does that mean the set is going to be $2000?

bookhugger said:

I saw someone list the individual pins for sale (all except one of them) but has a picture of all five pins in the set in the listing! Isn't that wrong?

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Yes, that is wrong. EBay policy states that you must show a photo of the item you are selling as the main photo. Not only are they using a stock photo, but they are misleading everyone into thinking they are selling the set.

Sadly, as you can see, most people are NOT reading the description as Snow White alone was at $500. Snow White AT MAX goes for $150-$200, so whoever wins Snow White, when they get just her, will be out of luck since they did not read the description and they wasted $300 or more on a pin that doesn't go nearly that high

And those 4 pins are going for over $1500. What?! Does that mean the set is going to be $2000?

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No. The pin set is maxing at $1200. It sold once for $1500 and anytime it sells for a lot more is probably rigged. Having spoken to many people who have sets or know people who bought sets, the most the pins generally go for is around $1200, with the breakdown being:

Rapunzel ~$350
Ariel ~$300
Belle ~$250
Jasmine ~$200
Snow White ~$150

Give or take $50 on each pin. That being said, yeah, the pin set at least will probably be around $800 if it ever gets that low, so I know the feeling when I say, having my mom get it for me for Xmas is NOT an option...pins are quite expensive (well, some of them are).

Oh man, that is awful! I was watching those, because I thought they were the whole sets and I wanted to see how much they would truly sell for. Ugh, I feel really bad for the people that have bid too much on them.

I have them on my watch list too and was about to bid on them too!

I almost feel like sending ebay a message alerting them to people miss selling, But I guess ebay do there own patrols, plus as wrong as the seller is for misleading pictures, it really comes down to the buyers falut for not reading the descriptions propley. :-( sadly many people will be disapointed, and we will all have to sit a stare ever wishing at these pins!
:-(

Who bids that kind of money without reading the description?

If you see this you should report it to ebay as it is against their policy!!! They don't seem to catch much on their own, sadly.

docfish2u said:

If you see this you should report it to ebay as it is against their policy!!! They don't seem to catch much on their own, sadly.

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How does one do this exactly? I honestly would report those 5 listings because I feel awfully bad for whoever wins the Snow White pin, considering it's now well over $500 for a pin not even worth $200 (at best)

I reported it. They don't make it easy. The report makes you choose from set categories, and none of them cover misleading listings, so I took liberties with the category and explained the issue in the notes section.

imp said:

I reported it. They don't make it easy. The report makes you choose from set categories, and none of them cover misleading listings, so I took liberties with the category and explained the issue in the notes section.

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Thanks Isabel, that was really a low tactic for the seller to choose. With Crop being such an easy thing nowadays, there was no reason to post the whole set. ESPECIALLY when their second image is just the pin alone, I don't understand why they couldn't make that the main image...

do you have to be a member of ebay to report? If not, I can do it too.

I'll report it too. I almost bid on Rapunzel before checking the description and can see how people might miss it in their excitement.

Since they have the "couples pin" as their 2nd photo, there is no reason for them to have the set as their main picture. That's ridiculous and misleading.

You can see that several people retracted bids on those auctions once they actually read them. I reported it as well. This seller is BEGGING for negative feedback for doing something so stupid.

They did? Prices seem pretty high too, like $2400 for 4 pins.

It is refreshing to see that 2 of us didn't jump on the bandwagon to hang this person out to dry and fall into the "mob mentality". The title and description CLEARLY state in red font the auctions are for a single pin. Who in their right mind bids $500+ on something without READING the entire listing. Answer: an idiot or a fool.It's not like it's even fine print - the red font in the description caught my eye right off the bat. A friend once sold a snow white snow globe (no more than 6" tall) for $1800. I said that was insane, but who am I to judge what a fool spends their $ on?

the member is not violationg ebay policy - read it, you'll understand. Oh, i'm sorry, reading is too much work.

Apparentley lots of folks don't know how to read, cuz if they and you and the rest of this mob took the time to read the few words in the description (and the title of the auctions), ya'll would clearly understand what is being offered for sale. Red font is used to detail the pin. So, please tell me exactly, how is it misleading? Just becasue people are too stupid to read a few lines before they bid $500+ on a stupid pin, the person selling the merchandise is wrong??? BACKWARDS THINKING

pinman said:

It is refreshing to see that 2 of us didn't jump on the bandwagon to hang this person out to dry and fall into the "mob mentality".

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I get the feeling you are either the seller or know the seller. I am very sorry you feel we are under a "mob mentality" and are out to get this seller, that is not the case though. eBay policy states that you must use a good image representing the item you're selling as the main photo. This seller used an image of the whole set to represent 1 pin, that is misleading. He/she is not selling the whole set so using that photo is wrong since it doesn't accurately represent their product, which is only 1/5 that image.

The title and description CLEARLY state in red font the auctions are for a single pin. Who in their right mind bids $500+ on something without READING the entire listing.

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I agree. That is the bidder's fault, many people here clearly read, I don't know why they didn't. Sadly, had the seller used a proper photo, we never would have had this problem in the first place.

A friend once sold a snow white snow globe (no more than 6" tall) for $1800. I said that was insane, but who am I to judge what a fool spends their $ on?

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I also agree. That Snow White globe must have been worth $1800. I've seen the Rapunzel R/C pin go for $2,500. Who are we to judge what other people would spend on a pin. The problem is that the Snow White pin was at $500. It has been sitting on numerous other listings for $300 or less. The pin is not worth $500 so the people who bid $500 thought they were getting the full set (their fault somewhat for not reading the listing). That is why this situation is different since they were about to pay $300 more for something they could have gotten for cheaper.

pinman said:

the member is not violationg ebay policy - read it, you'll understand. Oh, i'm sorry, reading is too much work.

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Once again, I'm sorry you feel that way, but insulting us isn't gonna help this seller.

Apparentley lots of folks don't know how to read, cuz if they and you and the rest of this mob took the time to read the few words in the description (and the title of the auctions), ya'll would clearly understand what is being offered for sale. Red font is used to detail the pin. So, please tell me exactly, how is it misleading? Just becasue people are too stupid to read a few lines before they bid $500+ on a stupid pin, the person selling the merchandise is wrong??? BACKWARDS THINKING

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If you read, you would know that most of us in this thread DID read the description and didn't bid on it. So now it's your turn to read. Red font was used, great! The title of the auction, clear as a bell. What was misleading, as has been said, was the image used. It isn't an accurate representation of the object, that cannot be denied. Especially when the second image was the pin alone. It was the seller's responsibility to switch the 2 images to make the pin alone the main photo. They did not do that, so those are the repercussions.

There is still no reason to have the photo of the couples set on the listing, let alone the main photo. It's not even a real picture, just a stock photo.

Wow. 1st off, I am NOT the seller.

Secondly, you are obviously unfamiliar with ebay polices and practices. The seller you are referring to is...check his profile and history: he has been an ebay member for many years & has 100% positive feedback w/ a score of 1802. This is not something that doesn't come without integrity over time. CLEARLY, this is not a seller out to scam anyone. He would have "gotten his due" from ebay way before now, I assure you.

Thirdly, you yourself have differentiated yourselves, the smart folks w/ common sense from the (assumed) idiots. If my word choice offends any bidder, good...life lessons are usually the hardest and are supposed to hurt.

Once again, the description clearly states in red font (along with the capital letters in the title) the listing is for a single pin. You are assuming some of these bidders are [quite frankly] too stupid to read the listing before they spend $500+. I might add that you are assuming these buyers have the same perception as you regarding their value (there is only 1 person who can value a transaction on ebay: the winning buyer, period) & are defending someone who may very well know exactly what s/he is doing; therefore, your argument is moot. If your scenario is right, they are idiots for not reading the listing. They, themselves had to get to the page with the accurate and plainly clear description (did I mention it was in red font?)

Regarding ebay policy: once the listing is up and running, certain pieces and parts can not be manipulated. It is clear this seller is being flexible and is attempting to clear any misunderstandings (again, there should be none providing the very clear description in red font that was used in the original listing) as the listing has been modified since the start of this ridiculous thread that began to sound like a Salem Witch Hunt. I understand your taking offense of my pointing out that you have not taken the time to read and understand ebay polices before you sound off is a defense mechanism; that's OK.

And, yes, I do know the seller - he is someone who would never take advantage of anyone, ever (as evidenced by his ebay profile). In fact, in the case of the idiot as you describe, he wouldn't hold them responsible for their irresponsibility.

Next time, please get all the facts before venom is spewed and the gallows are drawn out. (Did you notice how that red font kinda sticks out?)

pinman said:

Wow. 1st off, I am NOT the seller.

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I never said you definitely were, I said you either were or know them, that's all, no need to be offended. Trust me when I say I was not out to offend you with that comment

Secondly, you are obviously unfamiliar with ebay polices and practices. The seller you are referring to is...check his profile and history: he has been an ebay member for many years & has 100% positive feedback w/ a score of 1802. This is not something that doesn't come without integrity over time. CLEARLY, this is not a seller out to scam anyone. He would have "gotten his due" from ebay way before now, I assure you.

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Can you quote the part where I said they were out to scam someone? I actually just searched the page and the only person saying the word "scam" is you so far in our banter so I really don't know where you got that from. Secondly, where did I say that this seller wasn't reputable? You seem to be fabricating things to make me seem like I am hating this seller? This seller could be a great seller, by their feedback, I think they are, that still doesn't deny that their listing is misleading.

Heck, I just look back at their listings and in the description, it never once says the world "Only" implying just that pin. The only time the world "Only" is used is in the description, in red font, which is a great thing. However, both the title and the image are misleading. I've seen pins up before where the person listed them like so "Designer Villains Pin Set Maleficent Ursula Gothel" for the whole set in case someone searched for JUST that character. Their listing says "Disney Store D23 Fairytale Designer Princess Couples RAPUNZEL Pin LE 250." If I had known better, I would think they just added the word Rapunzel in their to cover their bases in case someone searched Rapunzel, the title does NOT say only though.

Once again, the description clearly states in red font (along with the capital letters in the title) the listing is for a single pin. You are assuming some of these bidders are [quite frankly] too stupid to read the listing before they spend $500+. I might add that you are assuming these buyers have the same perception as you regarding their value (there is only 1 person who can value a transaction on ebay: the winning buyer, period) & are defending someone who may very well know exactly what s/he is doing; therefore, your argument is moot. If your scenario is right, they are idiots for not reading the listing. They, themselves had to get to the page with the accurate and plainly clear description (did I mention it was in red font?)

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Here's the big problem, here are his current prices on each of the auctions:

Ariel - $430
Snow White - $530
Jasmine - $142
Rapunzel - $710

I just went and searched for the pins alone, and RIGHT NOW, the pins are up RIGHT NOW (did I mention that you can buy the pins right now without even waiting for the auction to end) at these prices:

Ariel - $399 Or Best Offer (so they will go lower than $399)
Rapunzel - $399 Or Best Offer
Snow White - $350 Or Best Offer
Jasmine - $299 Or Best Offer (this pin is the only one that makes sense)

The proof is in the facts, why would the top bidder for the Rapunzel auction bid $710, when RIGHT NOW they can go buy it for $399 or possibly even less if they offer it. Think about it, it makes no sense, no matter how you look at it. Why would someone willingly pay $300 more on a pin that they could go get from someone else RIGHT NOW for close to 1/2 the price (the other seller has 100% positive feedback and is also a VERY reputable seller, so there is no fear on that end).

Regarding ebay policy: once the listing is up and running, certain pieces and parts can not be manipulated. It is clear this seller is being flexible and is attempting to clear any misunderstandings (again, there should be none providing the very clear description in red font that was used in the original listing) as the listing has been modified since the start of this ridiculous thread that began to sound like a Salem Witch Hunt. I understand your taking offense of my pointing out that you have not taken the time to read and understand ebay polices before you sound off is a defense mechanism; that's OK.

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Here's my biggest problem though, I think the seller is great for modifying the sale, I think that's actually fantastic. It shows they are willing to take things into consideration and view things from other's point of view. I applaud the seller for that. Here's the BIGGEST problem, why did they not switch the photos? Their second photo for all the listings is JUST the pin. If they had just switched the images around, everything would be solved. Everybody would realize what they are bidding on (IF they aren't reading the descriptions, which is shame on them if they aren't) and nobody here or anywhere would call the seller misleading.

And, yes, I do know the seller - he is someone who would never take advantage of anyone, ever (as evidenced by his ebay profile). In fact, in the case of the idiot as you describe, he wouldn't hold them responsible for their irresponsibility.

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Wow, way to insult your friend I never called him any bad word, please quote me where I called him a bad word. You are the ONLY person calling him names right now, so way to be a friend.

P.S. Can I just say that I love how you are turning my words around into something much worse than they are :lol: I said "misleading" you say "scamming," I say "seller" you say "idiot." Something is very off with this :lol:

To put this to rest, I am the seller of the pins in question. I have ended all four auctions, but I need to say a few things. First, I made an honest mistake by not using the individual pictures. I never set out to deceive or try to mislead buyers. When I realized what I did, I tried to correct it, but eBay would not let me remove the picture of the set or change the order of the pictures. I even went so far as to contact high bidders to point out this was only one pin. What I am most disappointed in is the treatment I received by the pin collecting community. I was attacked in emails to my eBay account. I was repeatedly reported to eBay even though I was trying to fix the problem without people even giving me the benefit of the doubt or a chance to fix things. I have never been treated so poorly by strangers who don't even know me. My friend tried to come to my defense on here, and maybe that was not the best thing yet he knew what really was happening to me beyond this forum. All I was trying to do was sell the 4 pins in the set I didn't want. I never had a evil intention or, as one poster on here just called me, was a "total douche" to an old lady. I simply responded to her that my intent was not to sell the set. Given the many other nasty messages I was receiving on eBay, what more could I say to her beyond I was trying everything I could to fix the listings. I just needed a chance to do so. I love this hobby as much as anyone else, and it is sad to have fellow enthusiasts come at me so viciously. Thanks for hearing me out, and I hope those of you who assumed I was a scam artist or sent me a nasty email feel better that you made a stranger truly feel like a piece of garbage.

My final thoughts on this absolute nonsense:
1. I never was offended, didn't twist any words and didn't offend my friend (how you got that out of what I typed, I will never know). It was posted that I was either the seller or knew the seller - I was clarifying my relationship with him. Where this "definitely were" came from, I have no clue. Perhaps (synonymous with maybe) an English and reading comprehension lesson is in order? I may have used different words than you, but definitely didn't twist your mean spirited venom. You don't like my word choice - too bad ("scam" is synonymous to "misleading" in this case by the way).
2. The spewing of nonsense continued - he changed what he could. The picture and title could not be changed. GOT IT NOW?
3.It was CLEARLY implied he was scamming - CLEARLY
4. You never stopped to think about the facts as I pointed them out - look at his profile, he has an impeccable reputation on ebay since 1998. In the case of the little old lady winning the bid, she NEVER would have been held accountable for her stupidity and irresponsibility if she said "oops" - A fact I pointed out in my 2nd posting.
5. "total douche"? bullcrap - I know what is happening behind this stupid forum of hatred. The exchanges described never happened.
6. Karma is a *****.

@x626man, I am very sorry that you feel you were attacked or mistreated. I have never believed nor suggested that you were attempting to deceive people and I understand your frustrations aout modifying a listing. I have yet to talk to one person that said you had intentionally decieved buyers, I think that the outcry was because several members of both this group as well as others had contacted you (knowing once there are bids you cannot change the title, pictures or the body of a listing) and suggested that you end the auction because it was clear to pretty much everyone here, that the bids were the result of the bidders not understanding what they were bidding on. Your response to everyone that I spoke to was nasty at best as well as snarky and rude to my nearly 70 year old mother! She genuinely wanted to help you because as I stated she saw your flawless feedback and knew you were going to get four negatives for the simple error of not rearranging your pictures so that the single shot was first instead od second or third.

As a seller you want to make the most money possible and that does not make you a bad person. I am truly sorry that I or this community made you feel so terrible. This pin release was a HUGE disappointment to collectors and as you can imagine, when people see the prices getting higher each day is only adding fuel to the fire. The figures that pins sell for on eBay have become the gold standard at which all future sales are compared. The problems with shilling, fake pins and dishonest sellers is a growing problem and is pushing collectors out of the hobby as well as causing a lot of animosity between collectors.

Again I am so sorry for the backlash you received. I wish you the very best in any and all of your future sales. I hope that if someone contacts you in the future about a listing you can try a bit harder to empathize with the sender and consider the possibility that sometimes people really are just trying to help you and not trying to get over on you.

Good luck!