4-20-00
I just found ebay.com. I used to love to go to live auctions (before my house was full of stuff). There's something terribly exciting about bidding for and winning an item off the auction block. What's best, though, is the deal - the bargain - the value - the savings for something you really want/need. So, a few days ago, I decided to try eBay.com for a Dell Laptop computer. Using my best auction strategy, I was the highest bidder after placing 2 bids. I won the auction, but did I actually win the computer? NO! My bid was lower than the reserve price - the lowest price the seller was willing to sell it for. Some sellers on eBay.com publish the reserve price, some don't. Some sellers start the auction with a minimum bid. Oh well, I guess I'll wait a little longer for that laptop. I didn't really want to work on my vacation anyway.
For those of you looking for spa business equipment, is eBay.com a good place to bargain hunt? Let's find out. On May 19, there were 32 massage tables listed on eBay.com. Let's check a few of them out. The following tables show the information as given at eBay.com and the cost of getting a new table from a source found on the Spa Site Spa Industry Suppliers page:
| Item Number | Description | Reserve |
High Bid |
Cost of New Table / Source |
| 311360940 | Massage
Table Like New 3" pad 30" wide. Perfect condition. Earthlite
Avalon Tiel/blue. Must Go Cleaning out the Attic!
(shown with headrest) |
undisclosed reserve (however, reserve was met when bid was $212.50) |
$305 (met reserve price) (buyer pays extra for shipping - undisclosed amount) |
$339
Table $45 Headrest EarthLite $22 shipping - UPS ground |
Conclusion: Assuming shipping is the same, the winner saved $79 (20%). The table is used. Hopefully, there is less than $79 of wear and tear on it.
| Item Number | Description | Reserve |
High Bid |
Cost of New Table / Source |
| 307278358 | New Avalon by Earthlite. Covered with 2" high density foam. Table weighs 30 pounds and is squeak proof at every joint. Covering material is naugahyde known as doeskin vinyl. This table offers your clients comfort. It is pictured with the optional headrest. Options include: standard at $49.99; adjustable at $79.99; and deluxe at $89.99. | $295 minimum | Auction closed with no bids
on this table
(buyer pays $40 shipping) |
$339
Table EarthLite $22 shipping - UPS ground |
Conclusion: No takers for this. If someone had bid $295 and won, they would have saved $26 (6%). I guess that just is not a good enough bargain.
Note: The same seller had no takers for item 307279018, an EarthLite Harmony model either. He/she wanted $279 + $40 shipping, Earthlite sells them for $299 + $22 shipping. I don't see a deal here. No one else did either.
| Item Number | Description | Reserve |
High Bid |
Cost of New Table / Source |
| 308019906 | This is an almost new Oakworks Elite 30 massage table which comes with a small bolster, carrying case and face cradle. Lightweight, sturdy, perfect for travel or house calls. Excellent condition, paid $550 originally. THIS IS A LOCAL TRADE AUCTION--ITEM CANNOT BE SHIPPED. We will deliver within Chicago city limits for additional $10 . Email with any questions. Personal check or money order OK. Good luck! | undisclosed reserve |
$305 (met reserve price) (buyer pays $10 delivery - will sell only to buyer in Chicago area) |
Unable to find the Elite model in any online catalog or the old (1997) Oakworks catalog I have in print. Perhaps it has been discontinued? Assume replacement cost would be $550. |
Conclusion: Sounds like a good deal for someone in Chicago. A savings of 43%. The table is used. Hopefully, there is less than $235 of wear and tear on it. The picture on eBay.com looked pretty good.
| Item Number | Description | Reserve |
High Bid |
Cost of New Table / Source |
| 312380982 | Fully
assembled Brand New Philvan Table, 72 " long, 28 inches wide with 2
inches of foam and the table is equipped with a FULLY ADJUSTABLE HEADREST
Holds 650 pounds live working weight and 2000 pounds of static weight. Fully height adjustable from
23"-33" Wood: maple (no extra charge) Comes with a Philvan Manufacturing 5 Year Warranty against manufacturer’s defects Sells for around $499 to $550 US in many retail stores |
$323.33
minimum |
none at time of publication
Additional $59 for secure UPS shipping to Canada and the continental USA. |
$300 (assuming this is the
Ecomony model) Philvan assume shipping comparable.
|
Conclusion: Not one bid on any of the tables 24 hours before the end of the auction. No surprise here - why pay more (7%) than retail??
Note: Seller put 28 of these tables on auction , at the same time. The only difference was color: (4) Green, (5) Navy, (5) Burgundy, (6) Rose, (2) White, (1) Black, (3) Seaman Blue, (2) Purple,
|
Overall Conclusion |
There were lots of other massage tables to look at. By 4-20, the number had grown to 65. In my opinion, very few of them were bargains. Many listings had reserves or minimums at or very near the retail price. If you choose to go this route, expect to invest a significant amount of time researching and determining if the item is worth bidding on. If an item has no bidders, there is probably a good reason. Massage tables are not the only item you might be interested in on eBay.com. I also saw aromatherapy supplies, candles, massage wands, books, videos, fountains, whirlpools, and crystals. However, it would probably be more difficult to determine fair market value for most of the other things I saw. Let the buyer beware.
Additional places to look for good deals on
massage tables:
Bodyworks Central Used
Massage Table Exchange
The Massage Therapy Homepage
Have you bought anything from eBay.com?
Post your experiences - good and bad - on the Spa Site Forum in the
"General Spa Information" folder.
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