Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

@ £215.80 plus the p&p

How can you see that, Kit ?  I can't. 

You can't on a PC, but you can on an android OS.

Goofbid is also a useful site for such things: http://www.goofbid.com

So what was the dollar equivalent price it allegedly sold for, Kit ? $325 ? 

That looks about right. (I say 'looks' because my android doesn't show me it in dollars, only GBP.) 

Well, it hasn't been re-listed overnight, so perhaps 'Mad Martina' martinachertok's erratic strategy has finally paid off - they managed to find a 'mug punter' buyer who hadn't witnessed their previous multiple re-listings over the last two months - and probably thought they were getting a bargain. Maybe even a first-time buyer who hadn't done his homework. That was always a distinct possibility. 

Thanks to Kit for his suggestion of gleaning more details of the transaction using Goofbid's eBay Seller History tool.

Although there's no longer any evidence of it on eBay, I did see the same bidder ID make an offer earlier yesterday that was declined.

In response to their success, they increased the price on 14th re-listing for their gold-tone 7A38-7289 once again from $235 to $275:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemRevisionDetails&_trksid=p2047675.l2569&rt=nc&item=261200136527

Still nothing like the ludicrous price of $800 they'd previously listed this watch for (for which they paid $61 at the beginning of March).

That 14th listing was allowed to run almost the full 7 days of the listing period, before being ended early in their customary manner ....

To be re-listed for a 15th time in the early hours of this morning:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251263465618

If that ever ends up selling for anything like their stupid asking price, I will eat my hat ! Caveat Emptor, as always, Gentlemen. 

Seiko7A38 at April 18, 2013 at 6:35 PM

Well, I must admit I didn't see this one coming. 

Under normal circumstances one of us would probably have otherwise posted this 'junk' in the '7Axx Bottom of the Barrel' thread. 

Gentlemen,

I give you 'Mad Martina' martinachertok's latest foray into the 7Axx world: a well-worn 7A38-7069 Build-it-Yourself kit.  

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261202859295

It's possibly been cleaned up a bit (note loose bits of blackened dirt around the lugs) but is still without a crown and stem. 

They obviously believe that their 5 minutes effort is worth a bob or two. The price has been increased from $195 to $225. 

That's not forgetting of course that they paid $41 for it just over a week ago: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261195882112

For anybody who is still following the saga of 'Mad Martina' martinachertok's multitudinous eBay listings for their various 7A38's 

Today we have something of a milestone moment. Finally, after 80-odd listings since February, when they started, they've sussed it.

On this 16th re-listing for their dog-eared gold-tone 7A38-7289, they've actually managed to include the 7A38 case model # in a title:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251266868440

All their previous listings titles went something like this (usually with an incorrect date of manufacture):

STUNNING VINTAGE SEIKO CHRONOGRAPH,15 JEWELS QUARTZ,1982,NICE CONDITION!

Not that it's likely to make much difference, with the same ridiculous pie-in-the-sky Buy-it-Now asking price of $275. 

Especially when you can easily pick up examples of this common variant Stateside for around $60 - as they did back in February.

So I guess this one will be around a while longer yet. 

Seiko7A38 at April 20, 2013 at 6:01 AM

Well, it hasn't been re-listed overnight, so perhaps 'Mad Martina' martinachertok's erratic strategy has finally paid off - they managed to find a 'mug punter' buyer who hadn't witnessed their previous multiple re-listings over the last two months - and probably thought they were getting a bargain. Maybe even a first-time buyer who hadn't done his homework. That was always a distinct possibility. 

Thanks to Kit for his suggestion of gleaning more details of the transaction using Goofbid's eBay Seller History tool.

Although there's no longer any evidence of it on eBay, I did see the same bidder ID make an offer earlier yesterday that was declined.

Although I can't prove this conclusively, I think I've uncovered the identity of the mystery buyer who bought 'Mad Martina's 7A38-7000. If I'm correct, then 4***1 is an Italian watch collector who uses the eBay ID butterfly642011.

Strangely, although they're one of these eBay sellers who seem to thrive on harvesting feedback, martinachertok hasn't left any feedback for them, nor visa versa. The reason I believe this person bought 'Mad Martina's 7A38-7000 is because the previous day, the same eBay ID 4***1 made a best offer for Strega_68's grotty over-priced 7A38-701A: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281087766945

There feedback has been left both ways, which is what led me to him. Not exactly conclusive proof that he purchased martinachertok's 7A38-7000, as there could be plenty of other eBay ID's which show as 4***1 in abbreviated form. But for ostensibly the same eBay ID to have made two 'successful' best offers on two over-priced 7A38's in a little over 24 hours, is too much of a coincidence in my book.

As far as: Maybe even a first-time buyer who hadn't done his homework goes, checking his feedback would appear to be the case. 

Belated Edit:

Feedback was subsequently left both ways some 3 weeks later. Perhaps the delay was due to the Italian postal system. Who knows?

ukkit at April 19, 2013 at 1:15 PM

You can't on a PC, but you can on an android OS.

Goofbid is also a useful site for such things: http://www.goofbid.com

I've seen a couple of other instances recently where I'm not so sure this Goofbid eBay Seller History tool is to be totally trusted. 

PS - You can on a PC, and it couldn't be easier. 

In case anybody is still watching 'Mad Martina' Martinachertok's remaining eBay listings for their unsold dog-eared / busted 7A38's ....

(or cares for that matter) I just noticed for their 8th (re)listing for the 7A38-7069, they've increased the B-I-N from $225 to $275. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251279802895

$275 you'll recall, was ridiculous the B-I-N price they were asking for their tatty gold-tone 7A38-7289 (for their previous 7 re-listings) ....

So to rectify the imbalance (in their distorted view), for the latest 21st re-listing earlier today, they've increased that price to $295.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261220673822

'Only' $20 more than the incomplete and equally tatty 7A38-7069. 

Which is ironic really - because at the risk of repeating myself, I'll remind you of the prices Martinachertok paid them for - $41 and $61.

As if anybody really cares any more.   The madness continues. 

Mad Martina Martinachertok's 23rd re-listing for their stupidly over-priced dog-eared gold-tone 7A38-7289 ended about an hour ago.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261225622239

It was replaced with the 24th re-listing almost immediately, but then that was ended early again, 45 minutes later.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251287640480

Unless somebody has had made them a low-ball offer (off eBay) and it's been accepted, I'm sure it'll be back again soon. 

It's back again, for the 25th time of re-listing - just as predicted: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261228256825 and still asking $295 ! 

The seemingly never-ending - that's probably the wrong expression - because their eBay listings do end with frequent regularity 

saga of would-be profiteering re-seller Mad Martina Martinachertok's sorry-looking 7A38's continues unabated - with a new twist ....

When this popped up in my eBay saved search notifications this morning, at first I thought it was the 26th re-listing for their 7A38-7289:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251288869490

Although she's re-used the same set of photos from that long-running gold-tone 7A38-7289 listing, which incidentally ended yesterday evening (early as usual, for the 25th time), the title has now changed to 7A38-7280 and the seller's notes read:

“* NOTE: THIS IS FILE PHOTO OF THE EXACTLY SAME WATCH IN THE SIMILAR CONDITION, EXCEPT THAT

THE DIAL IS WHITE AND NOT GOLDEN. ACTUAL PHOTOS WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW. ....”

I have a pretty good idea which watch this may be, but I'll wait till I see the photos first. 

Note - as per usual, priced NOT to sell, (except possibly to some mug punter who has done ZERO research) at a mere $295 ! 

Well here it is, now amended with the ACTUAL PHOTOS - of a rather dog-eared gold tone 7A38-7280 which may look vaguely familiar:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251288869490

You know how I really don't like to quote myself - especially when I'm right   but .....

Seiko7A38 at April 7, 2013 at 12:26 PM

In the meantime, apart from James 'jumping the gun on me' slightly, with Mad Martina's 50th (re)listing for her stainless 7A38-7000 ....

I have been keeping the running list of martinachertok's various ended 7A38 listings at the top of page 4 pretty much up to date. 

So I had noticed that their 6th (re)listing for the dog-eared gold tone 7A38-7280 ended a few days ago:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251253099284

At the time of writing, some 3 days later, it still hadn't been re-listed in their usual fashion. I wouldn't attach any particular significance.

Because it's finally back again !!! 

I have a pretty good idea which watch this may be, but I'll wait till I see the photos first. 

One really didn't need to check the serial number - the overall shagged-out condition would have been enough to tell, but ....

Here's the case-back photo from their original listing which ran from March through April ....

.... and here's the equivalent photo from the 'ACTUAL PHOTOS' added to their revised listing earlier today: 

As you can see, the serial number 844138 matches; as does most of the accumulated filth on the underside of the watch. 

To save anyone (who might still give a damn) going back to check the links on page 4 - which I'm still keeping up to date incidentally, but I'll admit is now becoming something of a chore, here's the pricing history of this one:

In case anybody needed reminding, here's what they actually paid for this junk on 9th March: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230939674876

What does concern me however is a change they made earlier today to the seller's notes of this latest listing:

“* NOTE: THIS IS ACTUAL PHOTOS(CRYSTAL HAS MINOR SCRATCHES). Please examine this Seiko SUPERB RARE LATE 70s/Early 80s EXAMPLE WITH 15(!) RUBIES QUARTZ MOVEMENT AND ALL CHRONO FUNCTIONS IN EXCELLENT WORKING & PHYSICAL CONDITION!!”

They bought it  with a chronograph fault. Their first line of description of their previous (re)listing, which ended on April 3rd, read:

**EXCELLENT WORKING Condition, EXCEPT THAT SPLIT SECONDS CHRONO DOES NOT RESETS TO -O- AUTOMATICALY**!

This pair of ignorant amateur watch resellers aren't even capable of replacing a badly chipped crystal (on this 7A38-7280), or replacing a crown and stem (on their 7A38-7069). Do you think it's likely they've actually managed to fix a chronograph fault ?

Because I don't.  Check out the position of the 1/10s subdial hand in their latest set of 'ACTUAL PHOTOS'.  

PS - the movement shot they've (re)used in this listing belongs to the gold-tone 7A38-7289 - in case you thought I'd missed that. 

Seiko7A38 at June 9, 2013 at 3:14 PM

It's back again, for the 25th time of re-listing - just as predicted: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261228256825 and still asking $295 ! 

... this popped up in my eBay saved search notifications this morning, at first I thought it was the 26th re-listing for their 7A38-7289.

In fact, that was (initially, before they converted it to the 7A38-7280 listing) in effect, the 27th re-listing for the gold-tone 7A38-7289.

It seems I had missed their 26th re-listing which lasted 3 hours overnight on June 11th. 

I found it today, by running an updated search on the ended listings for their three 7A38's.

They accepted a best offer - quite possibly the only offer they've received on this watch recently (against their asking price of $295):

Fortunately, it sold for 'only' $140 - still a fair profit on the $61 it cost them, but far short of the ludicrous $800 they once were asking.

http://www.ebay.com./itm/251288799099

The buyer appears to be American, whose feedback shows no previous history of buying Seiko 7A38's - a typical 'mug punter'.