Wildly Optimistic WH Sickle Bar Seller

[ztnoo 2,298]

I was perusing the eBay WH listings this morning and ran across a WH sickle bar for sale by a seller in Streator, IL.

The item looks to be in pretty rough, unserviceable current condition.

I know that aren't tens of thousands of the sickle mowers out there, especially operating and serviceable units.

I also have a pretty rough idea of what the generally go for, even when functioning.

But IMO, the seller's asking price is way more than starry eyed and blissfully wishful, its down right nuts and outrageous, for what it is. 

Priced @ $750.

I am not posting the link, but it can easily be located on eBay.

Opinions anyone?

 

[Achto 27,502]

Too rich for my pocket book. I would like a sickle some day but the price on most of them is fairly high for me. Hoping I'll fun across a junk one for a low price some day to rebuild.

[ztnoo 2,298]

Well, there's one recently listed in Classifieds for $500 by a forum member from NY who is a Supporter here at RS for $500.

It's in primo shape compared to the one I noted.

What would make the eBay seller think his is worth $750???

[Achto 27,502]

I've looked at the one in the classifieds, your are correct it is nice and in my opinion fair priced.

 

As for the ebay guy  I guess he's throwing it out there, hoping some one will bite.

[ztnoo 2,298]

Casting a lure, and hoping for the "Big Hit".....

[Jerry77 1,218]

Caveat emptor.....

[WHX?? 48,770]

 

 

35 minutes ago, ztnoo said:

make the eBay seller think his is worth $750???

'Cause he is on crack??  I only paid 100 for mine, yes it was in a basket and needs custom made parts but that's the fun of it  for a Franklin.

That wobble box could be toast and you wouldn't know it till you got it home and apart. I've already got another 100 in it for belts, bearings, bushings & seals

Yes he is hoping to find a sucker for sure. @hcminis had some fully restored dandies  for sale and for a couple of bills more than the ebay guy a choice 701 it was attached to!

Gotta pass on this one!

49 minutes ago, Achto said:

across a junk one for a low price some day to rebuild.

Yup Yup

 

For you other sickle bar junkies

 

[Sarge 3,463]

I think that same seller has had other stuff in the past - it's all "gold" in his mind and he's somewhat known in the area by the collectors if it's the one I'm thinking of - I've worked on several jobs in the Streator area (we call it Little Chicago, for good reason). I saw that sickle and just laughed, I doubt the box is in one piece as most of his other "rare finds", not too sure he's not digging this stuff out of scrap piles - although at times that can be a gold mine...

 

This reminds me of the new crowd of flippers showing up on the various FB groups - no offense but the prices they are asking for parts/equipment/attachments is well north of sanity. What gets me is they do seem to sell this stuff - a few of them are almost making a business out of it , scary stuff that can destroy the used market in a hurry.

 

Sarge

[ztnoo 2,298]

49 minutes ago, Jerry77 said:

Caveat emptor.....

 

That's a good policy to follow anytime, not just on this item.

One of the great Latin phrases........along with a few others I can think of.

[953 nut 55,069]

3 hours ago, ztnoo said:

IMO, the seller's asking price is way more than starry eyed and blissfully wishful, its down right nuts and outrageous, for what it is

We all said that about the seller who wanted an arm and a leg for a S/G belt guard for a 701 ($250 if I recall correctly), we all figured he was crazy, but it sold!

There are some extremely starry eyed optimists in any hobby and unfortunately there will always be novice who has deep pockets. Seems they are never around when I'm selling.     

[Aldon 4,826]

I’m the NY square member. And my price will likely dip just a bit in Spring...

[Chris G 3,296]

6 hours ago, ztnoo said:

Well, there's one recently listed in Classifieds for $500 by a forum member from NY who is a Supporter here at RS for $500.

It's in primo shape compared to the one I noted.

 

6 hours ago, Achto said:

I've looked at the one in the classifieds, your are correct it is nice and in my opinion fair priced.

Thanks for the advertising!!!

[WHX?? 48,770]

Being a S bar junkie I had to check it out @Chris G Just cause your not hungry don't mean you can't  look at the menu! Looks like you got somebody interested too.

[ztnoo 2,298]

57 minutes ago, Aldon said:

I’m the NY square member

 

Aldon,

I was referring to the mower offered by @Chris G

[WHX?? 48,770]

Yours is nice too Aldon, good thing I'm not a GT junkie! If I bought yours I would have to get a tractor to put it on. That would mean more storage room/bigger barn and that would mean a bigger lot and that would mean .... somebody feel free to stop me here!  

[Aldon 4,826]

Doh!

[ztnoo 2,298]

9 minutes ago, Aldon said:

Doh!

 

I honestly forgot about yours. 

I was just surfing through the first page of For Sale listings and the Batavia, NY sickle just jumped out at me.

That was shortly after I stumbled across the salty eBay listing this morning.

[Thegearhead0324 1,255]

I paid 300 for this one last year. This was how it looked before I redid it. In working order too. I feel that 750 for an unrestored possibly not functioning sickle bar is crazy. 

[R. L. Addison 299]

Yup, they are all over, It's a "make me rich" society, and as long as I get what I want, I'll steal it if I have too, and I could care less about what it does to you. I'm there now!

[ol550 830]

Looks like the seller has provided plenty of pictures and isn't trying to hide anything. Even let a buyer know that the gear box shaft is loose and would need repair. He has a 100% rating and deals in outdoor power equipment. Looks like it just needs a few repairs and a good oiling as the patina is already there. Would I give his asking price, no but if I were to put mine up for sale on a worldwide auction I would start a lot higher.

[AMC RULES 37,127]

    

Got this one in a tractor package deal...

sold the tractor then, kept all it's free attachments. 

Original owner claimed to have only ever used it one time.  

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by AMC RULES

[SylvanLakeWH 25,490]

I have always gone by the "willing buyer - willing seller" philosophy when buying or selling anything. Only caveat to that is I always disclose known issues and expect the same so each party knows what they are buying / selling...

 

For the most part I have found folks to be pretty reasonable over the years on various Craigslist sales. Just sold a WH deck to a guy - not a Redsquare member - and we had a great talk about his  herd...In the process I found what I have always found with CL sales - I got zero calls until my price dropped to where the "market" said I should be...Not what I "wanted" for it, but it is what I could "get" for it at that time...

 

And yes - I told him all about and suggested that he join. He is doing the deck for the  tractor he redid for his  grandson...

 

[ztnoo 2,298]

Well, remarkably, this morning the price on the eBay sickle bar I first noted to open the thread, has been lowered 2C notes to $550.

Headed in the right direction for sure, but IMO, still way too much for what it is.

Everyone is his own judge of worth and everyone should have some relative subjective limit in what they are willing to shell out for anything.

IMO, if this were dropped another @ 2 C notes or 2 1/2 C notes, the seller might have a shot at a relatively quick sale.

Otherwise, he probably is in for a very long and extended slog to finger the right buyer at the seller's chosen price.

You are correct........the market eventually will determine and set a range of reasonable value.

The question for the seller is he going to cave to the market evaluation, or continue to go down the same path he began the sales adventure on.

Only time will tell the full story.

[hcminis 1,555]

Yup... he is high....

 

I have one for sale right now with a buddy and asking $650.00. It has all new bearings and the gear box has been rebuilt.  Fully functional.  PLUS, it is currently mounted on a 520-H.  Will be listing it in the classifieds section soon

[WHX?? 48,770]

1 hour ago, hcminis said:

Yup... he is high....

The sickle mower King has spoken!

 

1 hour ago, hcminis said:

currently mounted on a 520-H

How do we know that if there are no ?!?!?