Ebay empty box sold for £63.61

I once sold a paper bag on eBay for =A32.50. The buyer was extremely pleased and thought it good value for money!

"naked_draughtsman" wrote

I bet you were quite happy too? ;-)

John.

"Bill Davies" wrote

I may be wrong here (I'm certainly not an expert of Capital Gains Tax) but I was under the impression that CGT was not payable on gains on 'mechanical items', which if true might well include collections of model trains and even classic cars.

John.

I'm certainly no expert on this, I've not come near the £7000 in non-business items in any financial year, so I've not had to study this too closely. I keep a seperate ebay account for any non-business transactions, just to keep my dealings transparent. Cheers, Bill.

If it's a business then tax is generally charged on profits, not capital gains.

They certainly do have to declare if they have other income and the total puts them above the tax threshold. Whether it's a hobby or not is irrelevant if the taxman decides you are trading.

MBQ

wrote

Agreed but there's a different angle - for instance I collect pre-War Hornby O-gauge - all of which is paid for out of taxed income and which I do not buy with the intent of re-selling. That doesn't mean of course that my collection might not eventuall be re-sold, but it is not being bought as part of a trading activity and consequently is potentially liable for Capital Gains Tax rather than Income Tax.

Absolutely, and it's often the non-declaration of 'hobby earnings' which irritates legitimate dealers, particularly in the model railway field.

If someone buys a collection of trains to secure one or more items from it and then sells on the balance, that is unequivocably classed as trading by the Inland Revenue and receipts from such are taxable - if you get caught out!

John.

The Tax Man may well be interested in what people purchase, especially if investigating a person suspected of under declaring their income and then the investigation reveals their expenses exceed the declared income.

Back to the original post in this topic, Ramsay's price guide shows a price range for a BR liveried Wrenn "Grenadier Guardsman" of 90 pounds, and a range of 140 quid for a later version with 5 pole motor, so I guess that if the purchaser had an unboxed loco in excellent condition, buying the box for 63 pounds may be a good move.

John Turner wrote:

Steve, IMO you would be correct if the transaction was private, but it's not. Its on a public auction site and thus in the public domain and open to comment. The original poster was, IMO, expressing the shock that someone would pay that amount for an empty box. As others have commented on, if there is a need then people will often pay whatever they feel is right to secure the item, and I have no doubt that the purchaser will be recovering his costs at some point in time, presumably when combined with the model the box was to house as has been suggested.

Malcolm

The message from "John Turner" contains these words:

I'm sure ebay would find a good home for the kit, but I'd merely been having a nostalgic natter with the blokes on the stand, and put the question as part of the conversation. I don't particularly want to part with the kit (unless somebody is really desperate for it), I've still got the makings of a fair-sized TT layout stored in the loft - including a short rake of Kitmaster Mk.1s.

"Hstvee8" wrote

Oh indeed, but I don't think they'll worry too much about someone spending GBP60.00 on eBay. Sixty grand maybe.

John.

Back to the original post in this topic, Ramsay's price guide shows a price range for a BR liveried Wrenn "Grenadier Guardsman" of 90 pounds, and a range of 140 quid for a later version with 5 pole motor, so I guess that if the purchaser had an unboxed loco in excellent condition, buying the box for 63 pounds may be a good move.

John Turner wrote:

I wish I'd been a couple of days quicker in ordering one, before they sold out, so that I could have kept it and admired it running on my layout, and to hell with what it's resale value might have been!!!

Cheers, John.

did it maker her any prettier?

:)

John Turner wrote:

I once sold a paper bag on eBay for £2.50. The buyer was extremely pleased and thought it good value for money!

Which means we can all stare in amazement at these:

Call me old-fashioned, but when I pop into the newsagents to buy my copy of Railway Modeller and Readers Wives (combined volume), while I'm standing at the counter paying for said publication, it's all in the public domain. That still doesn't mean that I expect anyone else in the shop to be commenting on either the price or my taste in reading matter unless I make a public announcement calling for such.

IMO it's just a matter of good manners. There was a time when you couldn't join a decent club, or marry the daughter of a gentleman, or become an officer in a decent regiment, if you were known to be the type of person who would go around commenting on a chap's things or doings.... let's leave the gossiping to the ladies, I say!

Cheers, Steve

In message , Steve W writes

Treading on dangerous ground here aren't we? I'd just love to hear you repeat that at our local group where the 'ladies' have little time for the type of people you so obviously greatly admire. I think they refer to such 'gentlemen' you seem to prefer as chauvinistic pigs, or more generously as fully paid up members of the cardie and slipper brigade :0)

Cheers.

Ooooh, I just love dangerous ground!

I'd be delighted to repeat it at any time and place of your desire, in fact I can even change it to "the little ladies" if you think that might improve the entertainment value for the harpies!

Nothing wrong with chauvinists (Chauvin was a *great* patriot), pigs, cardies, or slippers IMO. I've met, eaten, or worn them all in my time. In the case of a pig, all of those in a single day!

Cheers, Steve

Of course it is. If one bids on a public auction, it's public business, simple as that. Which gives every T,D and H the right to opine as to whether the price paid was "gaga" or whatever else.

Whether you want to point to *specific* auctions or not, evryone is entitled to a view re. the price paid due to the inherent nature of the transaction on a public domain, i.e. the internet.

Presumably the people who pay top dollar for such things are well aware that their actions will be scrutinized by interested parties.

I get awfully tired of people who think it's their right to dictate what should and shouldn't be discussed in public, what one should and shouldn't be allowed to talk about, look at, buy, watch on TV etc, etc. If you don't like it or want it or it offends you (etc.) then don't look at it or participate!

Or have I just broached an whole other subject? :-)

db.

Sorry John, I have to take issue there.

If you make your purchase in a public forum, it should be expected that others may discuss the details.

Whether or not the price paid was fair really is in the eye of the successful purchaser. However, I still don't think it's particularly wrong for any one of us here to have an opinion on this either way, due to the public nature of the sale, sorry, auction.

That's one of the joys (or not) of being able to express freely.

db.

I wondered when that argument would surface. When you walk into a shop, you pay the price on the ticket, no more and no less. You have no opportunity to bid against other buyers for your purchase of "Reader's Wives" or whatever you wish to buy.

If you did, however and the price raced up to what is generally accepted to be much higher than average market, or street value, then I am sure that you

1. Times change.
2. It's called having an opinion.
3. You do your business in public, in view of millions of people (potentially) and you should expect that many people will call 2., above, into play.

db.