New on Ebay

[BlueKrono]

Play Visions Gerrothorax
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174256312813

I had no idea it would show as that much. I guarantee I would try to find the cheapest way to ship it. I'd be willing to try to opt of this shipping program. USPS international should be able to ship it for about $15 to Europe.

$31.85 for international shipping via the "oh so great" Global Shipping Program for such a tiny figure?!
I have stopped trying to understand US shipping quotes.
I'm very glad that most of the things that are interesting to me do not come from there anymore.

[SidB]

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

[postsaurischian]

Play Visions Gerrothorax
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174256312813

$31.85 for international shipping via the "oh so great" Global Shipping Program for such a tiny figure?!
I have stopped trying to understand US shipping quotes.
I'm very glad that most of the things that are interesting to me do not come from there anymore.

I had no idea it would show as that much. I guarantee I would try to find the cheapest way to ship it. I'd be willing to try to opt of this shipping program. USPS international should be able to ship it for about $15 to Europe.

That's very nice of you. Unfortunately many eBay sellers do not react this way.

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP ....... ?

Making some uninvolved capitalists who want to work as well rich .
The whole eBay and Amazon thing is based on such behavior.

[stargatedalek]

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

Security against tariffs. Which only matter (in most countries) if you are spending large amounts of money or buying specific items like automobiles or cell phones (gotta protect those teeny tiny little mom and pop ISP businesses ).

[Shonisaurus]

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

Because of eBay's global shipping system, in my case it "benefits" me in the sense that my package is not detained by customs and I am never imposed additional customs fees.

[SidB]

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

Because of eBay's global shipping system, in my case it "benefits" me in the sense that my package is not detained by customs and I am never imposed additional customs fees.

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

Security against tariffs. Which only matter (in most countries) if you are spending large amounts of money or buying specific items like automobiles or cell phones (gotta protect those teeny tiny little mom and pop ISP businesses ).

Thank you both, that makes sense both positively and negatively.

[Ikessauro]

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

Because of eBay's global shipping system, in my case it "benefits" me in the sense that my package is not detained by customs and I am never imposed additional customs fees.

I guess they charge the custom fees in advance included in the shipping cost, that's why you don't pay them. You are actually paying them, but doing that before the package arrives in your country speed things up. When it arrives in customs ebay pays the fees for you, thus the quick processing time of the package.

[Shonisaurus]

What's the purpose and advantage of the GSP, increased security against loss? It seems that the cure may be coming worse than the disease.

Because of eBay's global shipping system, in my case it "benefits" me in the sense that my package is not detained by customs and I am never imposed additional customs fees.

I guess they charge the custom fees in advance included in the shipping cost, that's why you don't pay them. You are actually paying them, but doing that before the package arrives in your country speed things up. When it arrives in customs ebay pays the fees for you, thus the quick processing time of the package.

@Ikessauro Exactly Ikessauro bought a figure for example of 360 euros to give an example by the global shipping method, they impose a fee of 45 or 48 additional euros and in this way it comes to my nation without withholding said package and imposing tariff rates on my part from my nation's tax system, this way I can buy any legal product without any tariff rates being applied since when you buy the figure through eBay's global shipping program you have already paid for them in advance. It is much more practical and does not create headaches for the buyer or the seller.

[Halichoeres]

When I was more active on eBay, I usually avoided the GSP because it was clearly much more expensive for most buyers. But it came at real risk. Under GSP, as others have pointed out, customs fees are calculated and included up front, which avoids delays in the destination country. In addition, the GSP uses Priority International Shipping, which is the cheapest option with tracking. I have found that international buyers often expect packages to be tracked, but also to be shipped cheaply, and it can be hard to get across that those cannot be true simultaneously. The main benefit of the GSP to sellers is that once the package has reached eBay's US distribution center, the seller is no longer liable for anything that happens to the package afterward. That means that eBay is responsible for any refund if the package never reaches its destination. If a seller uses the most affordable option (first class shipping, not available with GSP), then they have no recourse if the buyer reports that they didn't receive the item or is unhappy with it. Moreover, without the customs fees paid up front, I have had some corrupt postal services simply return the package to me, often months after I sent it, without ever having notified the sender of a package being detained.

The US has some really lopsided trade agreements that make shipping from here artificially expensive, and shipping to here artificially cheap. That fundamental asymmetry engenders suspicion, understandably, on the part of residents of other countries. I hope our friends abroad know that any shipping-related profiteering is squarely on the part of eBay and its distribution contractors (Pitney-Bowes), and rarely on the part of sellers themselves. And a lot of it isn't profiteering at all, but the product of incoherent tariff regimes.

[Loon]

Battat Acrocanthosaurus (Original)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164173564524

[SidB]

Battat Acrocanthosaurus (Original)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164173564524

Someone better snap it up ... $25 is an amazing price. I got mine for $70 several years ago, when that was a very fair price. It had typically been selling for over $100.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Battat Acrocanthosaurus (Original)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164173564524

Someone better snap it up ... $25 is an amazing price. I got mine for $70 several years ago, when that was a very fair price. It had typically been selling for over $100.

I think it's a good sign the Battat craze is pretty much done as of now. Lots of people selling the reissue for 5.00 or so.   Is the casting better on the original?

[Loon]

I think it's a good sign the Battat craze is pretty much done as of now. Lots of people selling the reissue for 5.00 or so.   Is the casting better on the original?

I think so too, I've seen two complete sets pop up on eBay recently (both of which have been listed before), that are not selling at all. They even have the sought after Diplodocus in them, and no one's biting.

I think these sellers would do well to list these items individually, but I wonder if they release that they won't get as much as they'd want. I really doubt figures like the Ceratosaurus or Stegosaurus are worth more than $30 anymore, and even the Diplodocus might be a hard sell for the prices it once went for. The only ones, I feel, that can still demand those high price tags are the Ouranosaurus, Maiasaura, Triceratops, and Styracosaurus; as they have yet to be surpassed by any modern figure

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I prefer the colors and posture of the original over the re-issue acrocanthosaurus. The only reason I didn't take it was because the paint seems rough in places-- particularly on the snout.
I might have said it before, but more and more Battat listings have less than perfect paint, especially the diplodocus. I'd rather hold out for one in better condition. I would imagine that's because of their age and that those in good condition belong to collectors who aren't looking to sell. Still I'm surprised it hasn't sold yet.

[Shonisaurus]

That set of figures with the Battat diplodocus and tyrannosaurus rex included is honestly cheaper your set than the individual purchase. Fortunately, they seem to have lowered Battat's dinosaur prices. Fortunately I have all those dinosaurs including the previous versions (versions one and two of the tyrannosaurus, version one of the acrocanthosaurus and versions one and two of the dilophosaurus).

What I think is that it would be more beneficial for them to sell these figures individually since they would get more economic benefit. As a collector, I would not risk buying all these figures for the exorbitant price of 900 euros, which is a very high price plus shipping costs.

[Loon]

Battat Mini Styracosaurus
https://www.ebay.com/itm/353062964072

[Loon]

Battat Mini Box Sets

Edmontonia, Styracosaurus, Amargasaurus, Galimimus, Ouranosaurus
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274355564230

Dilophosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Utahraptor, Triceratops, Stegosaurus
https://www.ebay.com/itm/274355564702

[Loon]

Bullyland Arizonasaurus
https://www.ebay.com/itm/202988389375

Play Visions Mosasaurus
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184288709159

[Eocarcharia]

Safari Ltd. Smilodon Cub, if anyone wants to bid 40+ dollars.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/353075649795

[SidB]

First time that I've ever seen one (Smilodon cub).