US: AUCTION: Fab Gear - Keysight, Anritsu, Rohde & Schwarz, Tektronix HUGE!

[EEVblog]

Another US Equipnet auction, huge range of stuff.
San Jose, but says maybe multiple locations?

http://www.equipnet.com/auctions/surplus-to-the-ongoing-needs-of-global-leading-next-generation-mobile-techn/862/?utm_source=eevblog&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=etm091217

Agilent 6614C's for $10 opening
Agilent 33250A Arb's $25
Advantest R3267 Spectrum Analyzer $25

And that's just the start of the insanity.
Back up the truck...

Keep us updated if you nab anything!

[robertbaruch]

LOL, I registered and their registration confirmation email sent me the password I chose in the clear.

[voltlog]

Ebay will be flooded with all of these items with increased prices as soon as the auction is over 

[julianhigginson]

Yikes! There's some amazing stuff in there.

[Bicurico]

Is it just me or do all spectrum analyzer have scratched screens???

Also, note that it is a "popcorn" auction, where the auction end is extended for 5 minutes whenever a new bid is placed. This can lead to some considerable price battle...

Finally, if you are abroad, the logistics to pickup, package, ship and go through customs can have a huge impact on price.

This makes me continue to look at local (EU) eBay listings and not dream the "if only I were there" illusion.

Regards,
Vitor

[Bicurico]

Why did I still look... 

Now I am dreaming with this one: http://www.equipnet.com/auctions/rohde-and-schwarz-fsv7-10hz-7-ghz-signal-analyzer_listid_556678/

At 100 Euro I would risk buying this non-working device to try to repair it... 

[mairo]

Why did I still look... 

Now I am dreaming with this one: http://www.equipnet.com/auctions/rohde-and-schwarz-fsv7-10hz-7-ghz-signal-analyzer_listid_556678/

At 100 Euro I would risk buying this non-working device to try to repair it... 

This is not the price this equipment will sell for, it will sell in the thousands. The logistics (worldwide) for a small items (e.g. 4 oscilloscope probes) is ~US$200, 2-3 items below 5-6kg could be ~ US$500. Prices in recent auctions have been quite high and very close if not same to the one you will get from eBay.

[Bicurico]

I know... that's what I tried to say in the first reply.

The second reply I the dreaming part...
...dreamung you would be the only one budding and getting the de ice for just 100 dollars.

[EEVblog]

Finally, if you are abroad, the logistics to pickup, package, ship and go through customs can have a huge impact on price.

I wouldn't even know how to arrange such a thing 

[murlis]

I'm eyeing the Rigol DP832, starting bid of ~$10 ain't bad at all!

one of the few times when the high cost of living in the Bay area seems worth it!

[Bicurico]

Finally, if you are abroad, the logistics to pickup, package, ship and go through customs can have a huge impact on price.

I wouldn't even know how to arrange such a thing 

There are companies that do that for you and are appointed by the auctions.
I once asked for a quote in a UK auction.
The quote I got was more expensive (pack and ship) than what I had in mind for my bid... and in this case there wasn't any customs involved.

I think such auctions are for professionals who live from reselling the stuff afterwards, unless you happen to live closeby.

Regards,
Vitor

[Brumby]

I'm eyeing the Rigol DP832, starting bid of ~$10 ain't bad at all!

one of the few times when the high cost of living in the Bay area seems worth it!

The starting bid means nothing.  It's the final bid that matters .... and that is a long way off yet.

I wouldn't start paying attention to the bidding until the last day - and you won't get an idea for where it's heading until the last hour.

If you get two hard-headed bidders that get lost in "auction fever", expect some stupidly high prices.

[mark03]

An astonishing number of the pieces with screens (scopes, analyzers of various kinds, etc.) seem to have sticker residue or ?? on the screen.  I'm trying to figure out what exactly happened there...

[nctnico]

An astonishing number of the pieces with screens (scopes, analyzers of various kinds, etc.) seem to have sticker residue or ?? on the screen.  I'm trying to figure out what exactly happened there...

The item I looked at said 'non functional'. Better read the description for an item before bidding!

[PaulAm]

Before getting all hyped up on this one, read the bidder's terms carefully.  In addition to the handling fee noted on each item, there is an 18% buyers premium added + sales tax.  They also require you to put in a deposit before bidding of $400.  A bit of a red flag: I had to read more than halfway down the terms before seeing the buyers premium.  Most reputable auction houses will put that up at the top in bold print.

I avoid auctions like this, but I have a friend who frequents them and sometimes you can get them to waive the deposit requirement.  I would be somewhat loathe to bid on anything without inspection.  This is not ebay; if you win the bid, you own it (unless you have a crooked auctioneer which also happens) and your only option is to pay for it.  If the case is empty, you just bought an empty box for $2K (+ buyers premium).  Smile while you pay the man.

[edavid]

If the case is empty, you just bought an empty box for $2K (+ buyers premium).  Smile while you pay the man.

I haven't found that to be the case... if an item is substantially misdescribed, they will generally take it back.

(Of course if you paid with a credit card, you have extra leverage.)

[SMB784]

For the life of me I cannot find where they discuss whether or not they will actually return your deposit to you upon successful completion of a purchase through the auction, or if it will be returned at all should you not actually buy anything.

Does anyone else see where I can find that information?

[8086]

I just don't understand these type of auctions, from what I've seen, you end up paying too much once you factor in buyers premium and auction fees, taxes, handling fees(??) etc.

So what's the point?

[orion242]

They did on the last auction I did with them.

The popcorn bidding coupled with their staggered auction endings can be a nightmare.  You might have a few items your willing to shell out for and others you want if the price is right.  Come the end of the auctions, the popcorn kicks in and your not sure what your winning or losing.  Trying to keep tabs on a dozen auctions that may end any minute or extend another 5 mins, factoring in the buyers premium and trying to track what you having hanging out there in bids was a PITA.

[edavid]

For the life of me I cannot find where they discuss whether or not they will actually return your deposit to you upon successful completion of a purchase through the auction, or if it will be returned at all should you not actually buy anything.

Sometimes you have to rely on common sense.  Of course they return your deposit.

[nctnico]

I just don't understand these type of auctions, from what I've seen, you end up paying too much once you factor in buyers premium and auction fees, taxes, handling fees(??) etc.

So what's the point?

Someone trash is somebody else's treasure. If you are an equipment dealer who can flip equipment with a huge margin then I'm sure auctions like these can be a gold mine. But just like Ebay you have to avoid auction fever.

[Brumby]

I just don't understand these type of auctions, from what I've seen, you end up paying too much once you factor in buyers premium and auction fees, taxes, handling fees(??) etc.

So what's the point?

You have to do your homework.

All these figures should be identifiable before the auction ends - so you need to work out what your bid limit is to keep your total spend within an acceptable amount.

Don't bid $100 and then scream about the total cost being $180 when it's all said and done.

Do your homework - and, more importantly, be prepared to walk away if the bidding goes over your limit.

[sokoloff]

For the life of me I cannot find where they discuss whether or not they will actually return your deposit to you upon successful completion of a purchase through the auction, or if it will be returned at all should you not actually buy anything.

Does anyone else see where I can find that information?

Of course they do.

I bought a few things at their RIM/Blackberry auction and they never even took the deposit (they authorized the card, but never charged it).

[SMB784]

Sometimes you have to rely on common sense.  Of course they return your deposit.

I never rely on common sense/decency when it comes to spending my own money!

Of course they do.

I bought a few things at their RIM/Blackberry auction and they never even took the deposit (they authorized the card, but never charged it).

Thanks for the heads up, I'll be trying to bid on some of this stuff.  They've got some nice gear, hopefully the stuff without red tags actually works.  We will see!

[gslick]

Why did I still look... 

Now I am dreaming with this one: http://www.equipnet.com/auctions/rohde-and-schwarz-fsv7-10hz-7-ghz-signal-analyzer_listid_556678/

At 100 Euro I would risk buying this non-working device to try to repair it... 

Sold today for $4,750.00 USD (Plus an additional 18% premium of $855). Just a bit over the opening bid.

[Brumby]

I'd forgotten about this auction.... and that ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ is why.

[ruairi]

The timing was horrible for me.  The one piece that I really wanted went for just over $1k, a price would would happily have paid but just couldn't swing right now.

It was a faulty Audio Precision analyzer BTW.

Cheers,
Ruairi

[SMB784]

It wasn't all bad.

I really wanted a spectrum analyzer but all the working ones went for over $750, and the junkers were still in the hundreds of dollars. Scopes are always a hot item, and many of the power supplies went for hundreds of dollars too.

However, the Fluke PM2812 power supplies were totally overlooked. I picked one of those up for $10 (assuming they approve my bid that was below the minimum reserve), and most of the HP/Agilent 6620 series programmable multiple output power supplies were overlooked as well, I grabbed a 6623A for $45.

The handling fees for both of them were a bit steep at $20 per, and the 18% commission adds a bit to the overall price, but all told I got two high quality programmable power supplies for under a hundred bucks + shipping. Not too bad if you ask me.

[Berni]

Was also anyone else annoyed by the horrible website?

The inability to properly sort things and the unclear ways it shows whats going on made it a lot of work to keep track of a large number of items, especially when the items had closing times tightly together.

[Ice-Tea]

Me. Horrible site.

[Brumby]

Hmmm.... I just had a cursory look and walked away.

So - it din't get any better going deeper into the site?

[orion242]

whats going on made it a lot of work to keep track of a large number of items, especially when the items had closing times tightly together.

My thoughts exactly.  Once things start to close, tracking what your winning, losing, and how much $ you have hanging out there is a nightmare once the popcorn bs starts.  Next thing you know its half dozen or more auctions your watching and bouncing between.  WTF they don't include the buyers premium and handling fees in your bid amounts....

Its certainly setup to extract the most for each item.  Next time I'm just going to watch for neglected items rather than picking a dozen or more things to put bids on.

[SMB784]

Next time I'm just going to watch for neglected items rather than picking a dozen or more things to put bids on.

That is the approach that I took. I waited till close to the end to find items that hadn't even been bid on (or still had very low prices), and then picked the least active items that I was interested in. Per my previous post, that strategy paid off pretty well.

[gslick]

Next time I'm just going to watch for neglected items rather than picking a dozen or more things to put bids on.

That is the approach that I took. I waited till close to the end to find items that hadn't even been bid on (or still had very low prices), and then picked the least active items that I was interested in. Per my previous post, that strategy paid off pretty well.

Having a lowball highest bid which is below the hidden reserve value doesn't mean anything yet. I had the highest bids on 3 items which were all below the hidden reserve value. I'll have to wait a couple of more days to see if the those bids are approved as winning bids.

One thing that was not clear to me at the time I placed the bids is that if the bid is below the reserve value the bid that they use for consideration of approving your bid appears to be the proxy bid limit, which might be higher than what your bid got pushed up to by the second highest bidder. For example if your proxy bid limit is $400 which was below the reserve but the second highest bidder only pushes your bid up to $300 they appear to use the $400 proxy bid limit in considering approving your bid. I guess if it's something you really want you might want to put in a higher proxy bid limit to improve the chance that they accept the bid, while if it's something you just want to get lucky on just bid enough to have the highest bid. Of course once the reserve is hit you only need to have the highest bid.

[Bicurico]

What a mess!

As soon as I read about popcorn bidding, my interest faded totally away.

For hobby/amateur use, I think eBay is still the #1.

The only better option is direct deals on forums like this one.

Regards,
Vitor

[SMB784]

Having a lowball highest bid which is below the hidden reserve value doesn't mean anything yet. I had the highest bids on 3 items which were all below the hidden reserve value. I'll have to wait a couple of more days to see if the those bids are approved as winning bids.

One thing that was not clear to me at the time I placed the bids is that if the bid is below the reserve value the bid that they use for consideration of approving your bid appears to be the proxy bid limit, which might be higher than what your bid got pushed up to by the second highest bidder. For example if your proxy bid limit is $400 which was below the reserve but the second highest bidder only pushes your bid up to $300 they appear to use the $400 proxy bid limit in considering approving your bid. I guess if it's something you really want you might want to put in a higher proxy bid limit to improve the chance that they accept the bid, while if it's something you just want to get lucky on just bid enough to have the highest bid. Of course once the reserve is hit you only need to have the highest bid.

Only one of my lowball bids ended beneath the hidden reserve value.  The other was above it ($45 for an Agilent 6623A, a good value).

Hilariously enough, the item that I won but did not reach the reserve bid on was not a proxy bid, I just bid the opening price and won it.  We will see if they accept that.  You are right about the proxy bid situation regarding the reserve limit though, it is unclear as to whether they ask the seller for the proxy bid price or the actual closing bid price.  We will see what ends up happening.

What a mess!

As soon as I read about popcorn bidding, my interest faded totally away.

For hobby/amateur use, I think eBay is still the #1.

The only better option is direct deals on forums like this one.

I honestly like the popcorn bidding.  I hate that items skyrocket in price in the last minute of the bid on ebay.  Having the high bid in the last 10 seconds only to find out you lost because 70 other people button mashed to drive up the price is terribly irritating to me.  The popcorn bidding gives everyone time to think about their bids and bid up to the maximum that they are willing to go.  I happen to like that.

[eeviking]

The timing was horrible for me.  The one piece that I really wanted went for just over $1k, a price would would happily have paid but just couldn't swing right now.

It was a faulty Audio Precision analyzer BTW.

Cheers,
Ruairi

Me too. I was looking at the R&S UPV audio analyzer, but decided against bidding as money is a little short and shipping would properly be a nightmare.
Now Im kicking myself as it went for only 1050$ 

Did anyone in Europe buy anything from them? How is the shipping handled?

[Ice-Tea]

I tried to buy some stuff (including those audio analysers) but as I was looking for silly cheap I didn't get anything.

[gslick]

My highest auction bids for 3 identical items were all the same value X. My proxy bid limits on those 3 items were 1.23X, 1.43X, and 1.54X. I'll see which, if any, of those bids are accepted. If they accept any I suppose I hope they accept all 3 to lower the average cost, but then I'll be wondering if they would have also accepted only X for all 3.

[SMB784]

My highest auction bids for 3 identical items were all the same value X. My proxy bid limits on those 3 items were 1.23X, 1.43X, and 1.54X. I'll see which, if any, of those bids are accepted. If they accept any I suppose I hope they accept all 3 to lower the average cost, but then I'll be wondering if they would have also accepted only X for all 3.

My proxy bid value for the item I won under the reserve amount was value X (proxy bid value = to final price), so we will have 4 data points to go with for future auctions

[grumpydoc]

I honestly like the popcorn bidding.  I hate that items skyrocket in price in the last minute of the bid on ebay.  Having the high bid in the last 10 seconds only to find out you lost because 70 other people button mashed to drive up the price is terribly irritating to me.  The popcorn bidding gives everyone time to think about their bids and bid up to the maximum that they are willing to go.  I happen to like that.

The only way to deal with eBay is to use sniping software (just like the "other 70", I guess). I use JBidWatcher as it runs locally without needing to trust a 3rd party web platform with your eBay login details.

Effectively this turns eBay into a "sealed bid" system, once you realise this it's no so bad.

[_Wim_]

Did anyone in Europe buy anything from them? How is the shipping handled?

I was also wondering that... Last time I got a quote from a site like that to package and ship a CMU200, it was above 800€! Since then I never bothered any more. Ebay is now also my main resource to buy affordable gear, but prices on Ebay having been going up and up the last years in my opinion (certainly in Europe). Ebay US is still quite reasonable, and the Global shipping program makes it hassle free.

[Ice-Tea]

Did anyone in Europe buy anything from them? How is the shipping handled?

I was also wondering that... Last time I got a quote from a site like that to package and ship a CMU200, it was above 800€! Since then I never bothered any more. Ebay is now also my main resource to buy affordable gear, but prices on Ebay having been going up and up the last years in my opinion (certainly in Europe). Ebay US is still quite reasonable, and the Global shipping program makes it hassle free.

If you buy single pieces, prices for pickup and packaging are silly. Gets a bit better when you have several items. Depends enormously on location and packager as well.

[_Wim_]

If you buy single pieces, prices for pickup and packaging are silly. Gets a bit better when you have several items. Depends enormously on location and packager as well.

Yeach, I can imagen that. But you never know how many you are going to win when you start bidding... And if shipping a single item costs more than the item itself, it risky to "only" win one.

I do not understand why they make it so expensive, their effectively limiting their potential market.

[Brumby]

I do not understand why they make it so expensive, their effectively limiting their potential market.

They will be charging for actual time and costs, probably for an external logistics service - not as an 'add-on' service to the auction.

In the US, limiting their market is not a big issue since there are likely a lot of people in the market they already have.  Besides, if they are an auction house, I can imagine them only being interested in getting product out with the least amount of faffing around.

[CoalCreekPlastics]

I got the Agilent 54624A Mega Zoom Oscilloscope for $105.  It was powered on in the photos, we'll see if it's a good deal after the premium tax and shipping.

[Ice-Tea]

If you buy single pieces, prices for pickup and packaging are silly. Gets a bit better when you have several items. Depends enormously on location and packager as well.

Yeach, I can imagen that. But you never know how many you are going to win when you start bidding... And if shipping a single item costs more than the item itself, it risky to "only" win one.

I do not understand why they make it so expensive, their effectively limiting their potential market.

AS someone mentioned: ussualy not the same party. Some auction houses have a list approved shippers, shopping around makes a difference. Recently bid on another auction, shipper A was twice as expensive as B. But shipping still makes up for about 25% of the final price...

You're right, off course, if you end up with a single item you're likely to be screwed. You can always ask around and see who's in your area and willing to work together. You can then maybe agree not to bid on the same item.

Wink. Wink.

[PaulAm]

WTF they don't include the buyers premium and handling fees in your bid amounts....

That's normal practice, at least for US auctions.  The whole point is to get you to bid up.  In addition to those charges, the auctioneers also get another 15-25% of the bid amount as their commission.

This is the first auction I've seen handling fees, as if 18% isn't enough.  I hope that's not a trend.

[Yansi]

hassle free but idiotically expensive.  I could get most if not every item I bought from ebay with the GSP, through our customs with significantly smaller fees. And then there's the problem that most US sellers hate Europe and will not send anything in here...

[_Wim_]

You can always ask around and see who's in your area and willing to work together. You can then maybe agree not to bid on the same item.

Wink. Wink.

Hmmm, sounds interesting....

[_Wim_]

hassle free but idiotically expensive.  I could get most if not every item I bought from ebay with the GSP, through our customs with significantly smaller fees. And then there's the problem that most US sellers hate Europe and will not send anything in here...

For Belgium I am under the impression that it is about the same total price, but a lot less hassle... I also find that selles that work with the GSP have no issue to send to Europe, it is indeed more difficult for those not using the GSP. All in all, I like the GSP

[Yansi]

Well, I live near the customs office and know quite good about how the paperwork shall be done, so it is usually just about a 10-15 minutes visit in the office, VAT is payed if necessary and done. I will always pay more using the GSP, than I could get it through myself.

However as you said, shipping abroad from US is a problem for the sellers. But not always, have worked with some great people from the US, and very bad sellers from EU, especially Italy.

[bitseeker]

This is the first auction I've seen handling fees, as if 18% isn't enough.  I hope that's not a trend.

Likewise. Other industry auctions I've bought from only had the buyer's premium, although some were as high as 25%. So, for high-priced items, a lower premium and fixed handling charge works out better.

First-world problems.

[CoalCreekPlastics]

WTF they don't include the buyers premium and handling fees in your bid amounts....

That's normal practice, at least for US auctions.  The whole point is to get you to bid up.  In addition to those charges, the auctioneers also get another 15-25% of the bid amount as their commission.

This is the first auction I've seen handling fees, as if 18% isn't enough.  I hope that's not a trend.

This is why I think the conventional auctioneers are about on par with carnies as far as business practices.  eBay is so successful because it does away with all of this nonsense and charges a fee.  When they get shady (charging final value fees on shipping?!?) they lose customers.  The jury is still out on my experience with this auctioneer.

[grumpydoc]

This is why I think the conventional auctioneers are about on par with carnies as far as business practices.  eBay is so successful because it does away with all of this nonsense and charges a fee.  When they get shady (charging final value fees on shipping?!?) they lose customers.  The jury is still out on my experience with this auctioneer.

eBay started adding final value fees to the item+postage when too many sellers charged 0.99 £/$/€ for the item and 200 £/$/€ for "postage" in order to scam eBay on fees.

As to handling fees, buyer's premium etc. being added to the hammer price in these auctions - well, that's just how a physical auction usually works. As with everything in life you have to understand all the costs before you enter a deal.

What I don't understand fully is why the prices are always way over what you'd think the items are worth - I suspect it is because these auctions are more likely to attract commercial bidders.

[gslick]

My highest auction bids for 3 identical items were all the same value X. My proxy bid limits on those 3 items were 1.23X, 1.43X, and 1.54X. I'll see which, if any, of those bids are accepted. If they accept any I suppose I hope they accept all 3 to lower the average cost, but then I'll be wondering if they would have also accepted only X for all 3.

To follow up on this I just received the invoice for this auction. All 3 of my bids were accepted based on my proxy bid limits, which were above what the items were bid up to during the auction. I might have taken a sightly different strategy if I knew exactly how that was going to work before I bid.

The 18% premium is calculated on the total of the item bids before the handling fees are added. Then the CA state sales tax rate of 9.25% is calculated on the total of the ((accepted item bid total + premium) + handling fees). In my case the invoice total is 1.32x my accepted bid total, and 1.85x the total of what my bids reached during the auction.

Then on top of that I need to deal with transportation of the items as I am not local. Given the size of the items I imagine the 3rd party shipper quotes might be a few hundred $, and based on past experience there would be a good chance of the 3rd party shipper doing an inadequate packing job resulting in damage during shipping. With the cost of gas likely being less than the cost of shipping (but still not cheap) I will most likely take a road trip to pick up the items in person.

Assuming the items are all fully functional then it's not a super bargain in the end, but maybe I can sell one of the 3 items for around 2x its total cost to me when everything is taken into account and then it would be an OK deal in the end.

[SMB784]

My highest auction bids for 3 identical items were all the same value X. My proxy bid limits on those 3 items were 1.23X, 1.43X, and 1.54X. I'll see which, if any, of those bids are accepted. If they accept any I suppose I hope they accept all 3 to lower the average cost, but then I'll be wondering if they would have also accepted only X for all 3.

To follow up on this I just received the invoice for this auction. All 3 of my bids were accepted based on my proxy bid limits, which were above what the items were bid up to during the auction. I might have taken a sightly different strategy if I knew exactly how that was going to work before I bid.

The 18% premium is calculated on the total of the item bids before the handling fees are added. Then the CA state sales tax rate of 9.25% is calculated on the total of the ((accepted item bid total + premium) + handling fees). In my case the invoice total is 1.32x my accepted bid total, and 1.85x the total of what my bids reached during the auction.

Then on top of that I need to deal with transportation of the items as I am not local. Given the size of the items I imagine the 3rd party shipper quotes might be a few hundred $, and based on past experience there would be a good chance of the 3rd party shipper doing an inadequate packing job resulting in damage during shipping. With the cost of gas likely being less than the cost of shipping (but still not cheap) I will most likely take a road trip to pick up the items in person.

Assuming the items are all fully functional then it's not a super bargain in the end, but maybe I can sell one of the 3 items for around 2x its total cost to me when everything is taken into account and then it would be an OK deal in the end.

That is a very interesting turn of events.  You can see what their reserve dollar amount was by going to your invoice on the equipnet website and clicking the orange link for each item on the invoice.  The dollar amount at the top of the page of that link is (what I believe) to be what their reserve amount was.  It would be interesting to know if they accepted proxy bids at a dollar amount higher than the reserve amount if it turned out that the proxy bid was indeed larger than the reserve amount.

Also, on my end, I can confirm that they accepted my proxy bid at the proxy bid amount, however I made that that proxy bid at the opening bid amount.  So, I can confirm that they accepted a much lower bid than the reserve amount (reserve appears to be $75 and I proxy bid at $10).

For me this turned out to be quite a bargain.

[bitseeker]

Also, on my end, I can confirm that they accepted my proxy bid at the proxy bid amount, however I made that that proxy bid at the opening bid amount.  So, I can confirm that they accepted a much lower bid than the reserve amount (reserve appears to be $75 and I proxy bid at $10).

That's good since the orange status indicator means that the current bid is below the reserve, but the seller has the discretion to accept or reject the bid. However, I'm undecided how I feel about them taking a higher price from a proxy bid amount if the highest bid is below that. It kind of makes sense, but is kind of weird, too.

[gslick]

That is a very interesting turn of events.  You can see what their reserve dollar amount was by going to your invoice on the equipnet website and clicking the orange link for each item on the invoice.  The dollar amount at the top of the page of that link is (what I believe) to be what their reserve amount was.  It would be interesting to know if they accepted proxy bids at a dollar amount higher than the reserve amount if it turned out that the proxy bid was indeed larger than the reserve amount.

I don't know if the value shown there is their estimated market value and not necessarily their reserve value, of if that is their reserve value.

In my case my accepted bids were only 0.137x, 0.160x, and 0.172x of that estimated or reserve value. These items are discontinued but currently still supported by Keysight. The Keysight Malaysia eBay account recently sold one of these for around 1.6x the estimated or reserve value here so I suppose even after I add up all of my costs this would be an OK deal, again assuming the items are all fully functional.

Of course if I do flip one of these to recoup some of the costs I should try to do it as soon as possible. These things have a way of eventually flooding the used market over time and quickly losing value.

[gslick]

Also, on my end, I can confirm that they accepted my proxy bid at the proxy bid amount, however I made that that proxy bid at the opening bid amount.  So, I can confirm that they accepted a much lower bid than the reserve amount (reserve appears to be $75 and I proxy bid at $10).

That's good since the orange status indicator means that the current bid is below the reserve, but the seller has the discretion to accept or reject the bid. However, I'm undecided how I feel about them taking a higher price from a proxy bid amount if the highest bid is below that. It kind of makes sense, but is kind of weird, too.

I guess I'm ok with them using your proxy bid limit if it's below the reserve value even if that might greatly exceed the amount that the bidding hits during the live auction. If there is something you really want but no one else is interested enough to drive up the live bidding you would probably rather have them potentially accept your proxy bid limit rather than reject a much lower live bid value. I suppose that is more like a sealed bid auction when you're the only one interested. Just as long as you know exactly how it works and base your bidding strategy accordingly.

BTW, I'm more familiar with GoIndustry DoveBid auctions in the past where if the reserve value isn't hit there was no consideration of your proxy bid limit and no sale. This is the first time I have bid on an EQUIPNET auction.

[Ice-Tea]

Ah...I didn't see that coming. Received a mail outlining that one of my bids, that was under the reserve, was accepted after all.. Dirt cheap for sure, but I wasn't planning at all to end up with a single piece. So, I'll have to figure out shipping options. Agilent 1683AD headless LA.

Alternatively, I'll have to try to get rid of it. So, if there's anyone local or anyone who has bought stuff and has to ship anyway, let me know. If needed, I'll offload it very cheap or even free if it makes more sense than shipping it to me.

[gslick]

Ah...I didn't see that coming. Received a mail outlining that one of my bids, that was under the reserve, was accepted after all.. Dirt cheap for sure, but I wasn't planning at all to end up with a single piece. So, I'll have to figure out shipping options. Agilent 1683AD headless LA.

Alternatively, I'll have to try to get rid of it. So, if there's anyone local or anyone who has bought stuff and has to ship anyway, let me know. If needed, I'll offload it very cheap or even free if it makes more sense than shipping it to me.

I saw those 1693AD but didn't bid on either one to avoid the possibility of finding myself in the situation you are in now. If one of those was the only item with a bid that was accepted the shipping fees on that single item would be too expensive relative to the value of the item.

I plan on picking up some items in person and might offer to do so for you while I was there, but I won't have time to get there until just before the removal deadline Oct 13th.

[Ice-Tea]

Interesting... Would you still be interested in it? I don't care when you would pick it up...

[CoalCreekPlastics]

So just an FYI for anyone keeping score at home on costs, here was my experience in USD:

Agilent 54624A Mega Zoom Oscilloscope: $105
Handling Fee: $10.00
Buyers Premium (18%): $18.90
-----------------------------------------------------
Invoice Total $133.90

Shipping: $95.00
Insurance: $25 (optional)
-----------------------------------------------------
Grand Total: $228.90

I opted out of insurance, in retrospect probably not wise.  Oh well.  Shipping is what I would expect for a large HP/Agilent scope to be packaged properly.

I found 4 new Keysight 150Mhz probes on eBay for $25.00 each, My OCD made me purchase a cover at $51 and I need to order the accessory pouch that goes on top for another $25.

Total for scope probes cover and pouch:  $404.90

Overall I wouldn't call it a screaming deal, but when you look at the listings on eBay these go for ~$499 up to ridiculous prices.  So I feel I came in at a good value (if it works 100%.)  The scope was powered on and had traces so I am hoping for the best. 

This is basically the same scope Dave liked in EEVblog #591 Agilent (54622D) but with 4 channels and no mixed signal capability, which is ideal for me because I would rather have the extra channels and have a standalone logic analyzer.

I hope this gives you an idea of what to expect at auction from Equipnet.

[TK]

I opted out of insurance, in retrospect probably not wise.  Oh well.  Shipping is what I would expect for a large HP/Agilent scope to be packaged properly.

Look what happened to another forum member: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/can-i-do-a-little-ranting-about-shipping/msg1307236/#msg1307236

[TK]

This is basically the same scope Dave liked in EEVblog #591 Agilent (54622D) but with 4 channels and no mixed signal capability, which is ideal for me because I would rather have the extra channels and have a standalone logic analyzer.

It is a very nice scope.  I have the 54622D.

[CoalCreekPlastics]

I opted out of insurance, in retrospect probably not wise.  Oh well.  Shipping is what I would expect for a large HP/Agilent scope to be packaged properly.

Look what happened to another forum member: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/can-i-do-a-little-ranting-about-shipping/msg1307236/#msg1307236

Yikes!  They assured me it would be packed in bubble wrap.  Nothing I can do about it now.  ETA: If it gets here like that I will initiate a chargeback in a heartbeat.