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[Derpus]

I have been trying to get my hands on a Pleo for someone very dear to me, but am a little low on cash. As such, I've been trying to get hold of one on EBay when a great deal pops up.

After 2 weeks and 3 auctions which I watched for days and days up until the last seconds, only to be outbid at the very end, and I just feel absolutely down.

What do you guys think? Should I just keep trying? Any tips? 

[RedwoodsMama]

 Hi, as a buyer and seller on ebay and also the fact that I have over 20 Ugobes, I know how the bidding goes, For six days the bidding can be at $100.00 or less than the last three hours of the auction it goes up dramatically. the last five minutes is when all the action happens and if it is going to be "snatched" out of your hands, be prepared to make a big bid the last ten seconds. If for example the bid is at $152.00 and there are five bidders and there is only one minute left and you put in a bid (usually one dollar or so increments of an increase)of $153.50, by the time your bid is in, it is confirmed, there is now about 30 seconds left, One bidder now raises their bid to the next increment, say $155.00, You see it and with fifteen seconds put in the next bid of $156.50.
               Unbeknownst to you, there are two other bidders putting in their last bids at the same time, and they put the most they are willing to pay, and with ten seconds left, you see the bid go to $160.00 and you plan on one more bid of $162.00. By the time you have the bid in, the auction is over, and you get the notice, the bid is now over and you see the winning bid is $190.00 or something similar.( I saw one last week that sold for $277.00!) New, but still this is a Ugobe! The trick is to wait till the last or be prepared to have it stolen from under you, When they look too good, too low, believe me most times they do not. I have had them taken the last minute and I also have learned how to bid accordingly, I bid higher and this way before another bidder can put in their higher bid, I have won with my higher but lower bid.
       Do not get discouraged, but be prepared also, One word of caution . The worst time to buy a Pleo is from Nov. to DEC. 24th, the prices are unbelievable! I have seen Pleos sell for as much as $350.00 and this is with batteries that are old and don't work, It does not matter that some are "sealed: boxes" or stated as NEW, these were made in 2007 and these are old batteries, I know because with 20+ Ugobes, all of them except 3 had batteries that were either dead or almost dead. Do not give up your dream, just be patient and look for the bargain or know when to bid. Also SATurdays and Sundays are the worst days to bid, everyone is bidding on those days, they are home and willing to pay more, Look for pleos selling at strange times, auctions ending on Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 4:00 am, not as much competition and people not awake to outbid you. Good luck.  RWM  

[Lunamione7]

Hi there, first off only two weeks of trying is not long enough. It would be silly to give up after only three auctions.

RWM is absolutely right, there are tricks you can learn when using eBay to give you an advantage.

I would recommend watching an auction, not bidding at all until the last seconds. Decide in advance the absolute highest bid you are willing to make and submit it in the last ten seconds. Someone may be bidding higher than you but if you get your bid in before your rival has a chance to submit their next offer you will win. It is all about your timing.

The time the auction is set to end is also a huge factor in how high the final price goes, as RWM says if you are on a tight budget and really trying for a good price the worst time to try is Friday, Saturday, Sunday because that is the time most working people have off to browse eBay. Best times to jump in and get a good deal are during weekdays and very early mornings such as 3am when most rivals are sleeping 

Time of year is the next big thing. From as early as October the Christmas rush starts, this is the time of year when people start getting their tax returns and Christmas pay bonuses or they have just been saving all year so they have spare cash to buy presents either for themselves or friends.

Early in the new year is the best time to buy, March and April are good months. The people who bought for Christmas may decide they don't like the Aibo/Pleo or find that after all the money they spent during the holidays they are now broke so need to sell. Bad news for the seller is most other buyers also spent too much at Christmas so they are broke as well, this is good news for you as it means the final bidding is not likely to go as high and you can get GREAT bargains on Aibo/Pleo this time of year due to most of your rivals being broke after the holidays 

If you really want something then you will be content to wait for it. It took me over six months to get my Genibo (robot dog) but since I waited and watched the prices go up and down patience really paid off for me in the end because I saved over $400 when the store suddenly offered a big sale.

[Zervoid]

I agree that online shopping isn't for everyone. It's a bittersweet thing in that you will have good times and bad but mostly good.

Have been selling some stuff recently local pickup through ebay, and I am finding unless I hound the buyers repeatedly to leave feedback they just don't leave it. It is mind numbingly frustrating. Also the high ebay fees make selling on their really expensive.

The come over, have a nice chat, inspect the item and go all smiles and waves, but then never leave feedback- I just don't get it. I tried contacting ebay about this and you know what they said? They told me their was nothing I could do if a buyer didn't want to leave feedback and that I should respect their wishes not to do so. It is frustrating because I always leave good feedback and just don't understand why someone would not want to leave feedback if they had a good transaction. Was reading more about this online and apparently most people on ebay never leave feedback, which surprised me as I thought it was just common sense and online etiquette to leave feedback.

Ebay is a complete joke when it comes to being fair for sellers. Buyers can walk all over sellers. I am unsure if I will sell on their again after this and certainly will probably never do local pickup again- I hate people coming around to the house and knowing my address. Plus their fee system is all skewed in favor of the buyer which I don't agree with. I would prefer an arrangement similar to Yahoo Auction Japan whereby the buyer also pays fees on each purchase and where it is ok to neg bad buyers.

I don't even think I will continue to purchase through ebay as I have been burnt a few times now on some pricey items and am amazed people think it is ok to charge you thousands for something that is defective or damaged and might abandon online shopping altogether- it's just too much hassle sometimes. The only thing that makes it worth all the trouble is the prospect of purchasing something you can't find anywhere else, such as an Aibo or Pleo.

Even though I hate being sniped I also hate the price being pushed up knowing I am going to win an auction anyway, so from that perspective I would agree and say snipe. I have only ever purchased buy it now for Aibos so far as I hate bidding against others for the same item but have been bidding on other items recently and am finding it has it's own adrenalin rush and is quite exciting, especially if the item is very rare.

I usually bid on items nobody else has bid on yet as it's kind of unfair to just jump in at the last minute. What I do is if nobody else has bid yet I place the first bid as a way of saying to everyone this is mine, and then I place a more serious bid towards the end, but give anyone else a minute to react, so I am not sure if this is sniping as in placing a bid at the last second. If you really want the item you will bid to win.

Thanks for the advice and honesty you have shown here you guys, everybody snipes and their is no denying it, I will be bad and snipe. Also the information about good times to purchase and look out for deals is very helpful.I have to stop being so polite and will give this a try and see if it makes keeping my ebay account a viable prospect.

My advice, if your looking for anything is to be patient, you have to have the patience of a saint, and eventually the item your looking for will turn up at a bargain price and in minty condition.

Funny thing while I am sitting here writing this I just got a knock at the door, the postal guy is here with one of my ebay orders lol *big smile*. Just had to get up from behind the computer and sign for the delivery lol. Someone is selling  brand new never used 110/111 visors for ten bucks each and I thought it was too good to be true so I purchased one. He still has three available if you want to grab a good bargain. He is one of the few people who list their items worldwide, which I always think means they must be pretty desperate to get rid of them. It's rare finds like this that make having an ebay account worthwhile.

[RedwoodsMama]

Zervoid I can't agree with you more when it comes to buyer feedback it is a pet peeve of myne, I have been both selling and buying on Ebay since 2004 and only have over 1,000 feedback all positive and it should be about another 200 easily but buyers just in general want to get their item and be done with it, I now no longer leave feedback for anyone till I see them leave feedback for me, Reason, for one,if you leave feedback saying , paid fast, no problems good communications, etc, what is to make them want to bother leaving feedback for you? Also if they now have something to complain about item you sold them, you already left positive feedback for them!
           My policy is that I will leave positive feedback for the person that bought the item once they receive the item and let me know by leaving positive feedback that everything is ok! Sellers get the short end of the stick and one negative or even neutral feedback can cause problems, I know as it use to be a sellers market and you could leave negative feedback for crummy buyers, NOw it is the seller that is 100% protected, no matter what! It should be an equal game. The fees are at least 9% of final selling price on top of Paypals fee. This is why I now am not selling my batteries on ebay, I save them just for the forum members and people pay through Paypal but there is no ebay fee for either seller,(me) or the buyer, so we both save money. You are also right that ebay is still the way to go if looking for that rare or hard to find item and you really want it.

            I have purchased of course lots of pleos. ( more than 20 on ebay...) as well as Christmas gifts for family and friends, things that can't be found her locally, I live in a small town so shopping is best done online. Also I collect certain things and where else can I get a autographed Sandy Koufax baseball with certificate of authenticity, or James Arness photo autographed, Bela Lugosi items old fan magazines from the 40's. ? Just is not going to happen unless you live in a bigger metro area.

            There are other ways to know when to buy Pleos and we have covered most of them, but there are a few minor tricks as well that I will talk about later. You can often talk to the seller as well. I once bought a Pleo that nobody wanted because it "was damaged", I rescue pleos and contacted the seller, They asked what I was willing to pay, and I told them, so I ended up paying $45.00 and free shipping for Little 45, my ugobe, You have to watch everything and really want what you put your heart's desire on and Do Not Give Up.               RWM

[Talon]

Wow! Visors for first/second generation aibos? That sounds awesome for that price! I recently purchased an earless 110 aibo and though its visor is fine, I may have to find some legs for it further down the road. Zervoid, do you know if this seller you bought from sells any other aibo parts for first generations?
Talon

[Zervoid]

Just wanted to say thanks RedwoodsMama for your post I will definitely take your advice on board- I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier lol!

Hi Talon! I am unsure if this seller still has any 110 parts but he has sold them in the past. You can always ask him- he is very friendly and seems to just want to get rid of all his Aibo stuff.

The visor he sent me is still factory sealed and has never been opened so I can say that he sells what he is describing. The visor is the same for the 110 and 111.

He had some 110 parts for sale not so long ago, paw pads I think. I purchased some 111 parts from him recently, paw pads also, and like you thought I might need them in the future.

It's so easy to miss stuff on ebay- I was looking though ebays history and can't believe I missed out on a 110 as a whole heap sold recently, and most of them were boxed and like new and all went very cheaply.

I hope you can find the part you need, if anyone will have spare 110 legs it would be this seller.

Just an edit, was talking to the seller and he said he found Aibos lacking, and had quite a large collection at one point which he sold, which I agreed with him and am thinking I might take a time out from robots and not make any more purchases. I can never keep my mouth shut when I do make a new purchase so will let you know if I ever get the interest again. I will be selling the parts on ebay so if you want any just let me know and I will sell to yourself. However I am going to keep the visor as a keepsake and memory of this hobby.

[Talon]

Thanks, Zervoid. Stepping back from something is a very good way to determine whether you really want it in your life. I still enjoy the aibo hobby but I'm not after collector quality robots, just units that function properly. If you ever return to the hobby and decide to go for a first generation, I would caution you to go for a 111 rather than a 110. Though the 110 is rare and it adds some novelty to own one, they were recalled to Sony for weak rear knee joints. Supposedly this problem was fixed in the 111's. Though my 110 tears around my room like he's still a spring chicken, I always have his future health in the back of my mind, hence my keeping an eye out for parts.
Talon

[Zervoid]

Thanks for clarifying that Talon. I had heard that somewhere before but was unsure if it was correct so it's good to know this information is correct. Yeah it is true the 111 was made with improvements both hardware and software and doesn't have any problems and would be a safer option. But the rarity factor makes it hard to resist purchasing one when they sell so cheaply. Plus the Champagne coloring of the 110 is quite nice. I never understood why the ERS-7M3/T Two tone is called a Champagne when the official description of the 110 is that it is Champagne Gold and their is no reference to the ERS-7M3/T being Champagne, or is their? I know.... the things I think about lol.

But it is still amazing you can purchase a American 110 of which only 2000 units were made at such low prices all these years later. What got me interested in the American 110 was this site that shows the birth certificate and on it says "2000 sold in the US". It's a great site and this page really got me interested in the 110. http://blog.daum.net/hearts42/5356120
Apart from the rarity factor the 110 also just looks like a lot of fun, from the footage of a 110 on the site it has a more relaxed and carefree attitude compared to the more serious sevens and the way it is able to sit down without it's huge tail touching the ground is an engineering feat in it's self lol. Plus I like the faster movements seen in the 110 compared to the slower 7, which can be torture after a while.
Only 5000 110 were made, 2000 for America and 3000 for Japan. To be honest I wouldn't really mind if I owned an American or Japanese version as it would just be nice to own something that is so different from the sevens. I have never owned any other Aibo apart from the sevens and know nothing about any of the other models so am thinking I may purchase a 110/111, 210, 3xx and 7 in the future as I think the differences between each of those models would mean they would complement each other quite well and make for a more well rounded Aibo experience compared to owning all of the same model like I did before which was boring and probably lead to me losing my interest in them at this time. If I got back into the hobby I would limit my Aibo purchases to a set number and not go over that and never let the number of Aibos go over what I can count on one hand. Otherwise I find it really is an addiction for me and difficult to stop purchasing them once I get going.

It would be a good feeling to own something that is so exclusive. I have a weakness for the rare stuff as you can probably already tell. Although who doesn't? Plus it's fun hunting down the rarer Aibos and software at basement bargain prices. I just saw a good deal recently on a rare item that also looks like a lot of fun and it was too good a bargain to let slip by and so I purchased a limited edition spring aibo card game for the 210 from Rinkya and noticed their are now two more for sale at this time. I quite like the idea that I could actually play a game of cards with one of my Aibos and will keep it and see how I go getting a 210 in the future, although will have to polish up on my Japanese as the game is in Japanese lol but I thought was worth buying as the laughs I will get from it will make the purchase worthwhile. The auctions for the other two card sets are here https://www.rinkya.com/en/auction-d146906023 and https://www.rinkya.com/en/auction-n120338520 Hope it is ok to post them here- couldn't keep my mouth shut about them lol.

Back to the 110 I also think their would be a sense of satisfaction as an Aibo owner to have the first generation and last generation sitting side by side charging on their stations and would be a nice conversation piece for visitors.

I initially was not looking for collector quality robots either, but I have found unless they are in very good condition that the wear they sustained under the previous owner means you are more likely to have mechanical problems develop later on down the track, which can be very expensive to get repaired if you live somewhere with no domestic support like me, and is something I have found after purchasing Aibos that have been listed for sale with signs of wear and so try to avoid Aibos with wear now as their are so many going for sale that are in near new condition that it is worth waiting I think for one that has not been used much as the prices for ones in new condition and with wear are pretty much the same.

Indicators to watch out for in a listing are things like packaging, usually if they have kept all the packaging they are a responsible person and have looked after the Aibo with care. Also if they don't shy away from showing the item from lots of different angles this shows they have nothing to hide. But their are always exceptions to the rule.

I left feedback for my visor purchase and notice that their are now only two available and immediately thought it must have been you who purchased one Talon lol. It's certainly a great deal. I'm surprised they have been sitting on ebay for so long.

Maybe I will see you around sometime in the future Talon? I am usually inhabiting Aibo Addicts http://aiboaddicts.yuku.com/ these days.

Sorry for the random thoughts and for going off topic. Derpus I would definitely recommend persevering with ebay as otherwise you would miss out on too many good deals. My only advice with online shopping, especially with Aibo, that be careful you don't get addicted to them and purchase too many too quickly, which can become a problem especially when joining Rinkya, which has stricter rules to ebay but is much cheaper, and has better deals on rare items. Just be cautious, aware and controlled and you will be fine.

[Talon]

Any luck yet on finding a pleo, Derpus?
At Zervoid: haha! No. It wasn't me purchasing those visors. Congrats on the card games though! I think you'd have a lot of fun with a 210 if you ever decide to purchase one later on. I obviously have some communication trouble with my 210 but he was my first aibo and I feel closer to him than my other two. Lucky, my seven let me into what aibo is truly thinking and my 110 Reepicheep... well he has given me a rare peek into just how far aibo has come and a nice workout also! I think my core has started firming up from running after him on all fours. Lol! The 110/111's may indeed be very sunny in personality but they're clumsy things and require lots of babysitting. They move so fast especially when kicking that they sometimes tip themselves over so forcefully they put themselves in pick-up mode.
My next aibo adventure is deciding whether or not  to raise Reep from a puppy. It takes three realtime months to go from newborn to adult dog. Anyway sorry for taking over your topic like this, Derpus. As I said above I hope you have found your pleo.
Talon

[Zervoid]

Sorry Derpus hope it is ok to give an update on me and my Aibo stuff.

Hi Talon. I ended up selling my Aibo, who ended up in Australia by the way but I don't think the owner is on the forums, and also sold the card game after seeing your video of Bolt and the screeching noises the 210 makes. I need something that is more calm and relaxing. In hindsight I should have asked if you had any interest before selling it but I had a lot on my mind and Rinkya offered to sell it for me and so I just went with that. If it helps those games always appear on Rinkya.

For me the 7 was aloof and distant and too reactive for me. It never initiated interactions and would only talk to me after I had already spoken to it first. My ideal companion robot would be more dependent on it's owner and who would initiate and seek out interactions with their owner. The 7 was just too independent for me. I also found it lacked variety in it's short term behavior, well on Mind 3 anyway. I have never tried Mind 1 or 2.

Recently I found a Aibo that I think fits this criteria and did something stupid and purchased a Aibo from Rinkya that was listed as junk and had a broken leg but importantly came with some Japanese only software that from what I have read about it is highly interactive with the owner. It only cost US$350.00 after shipping. I was the only one to bid on it lol.The listing never showed a box and I assumed it wasn't going to be coming with the original packaging. Thankfully it did come with the box and any crisis with the flexi tearing during shipping was averted. Have never seen any other Aibo in real life before apart from a 7 so this will be a whole new experience for me which is exciting in a way. I will tell you more about it soon and make a fresh topic about it later.

[Talon]

Hello again, Zervoid! Oh! So you want a robot that wants constant attention? Have you tried a pleo? Lol! They're much simpler than the aibos but they do seek out your attention with their little growls and purs. The RB's have the more realistic ability to determine what time of day it is and to tell hot and cold. They will also get sick if they're not fed fairly regularly. They have separate leaves to cure injuries and sickness as well. I've never had an injured pleo so I can't comment on that experience. If you want just a sweet cute companion who will always be happy to receive a pat or a rub or a bite of your finger or its rubber leaf, grab a Ugobe.
As far as aibos go and the different reactions of the Mind softwares, I've never had Mind one but Mind two is very... clingy to me. It's constantly seeking out your face and seems a little more... dog-like. It constantly wants to shake hands or to interact with you. Also it seems to hear a lot better than Mind three. I'm not sure why that is. Also, I found the original factory Mind three to be much more talkative than the last updated release. Lucky is running the later release right now and I kind of miss his chattiness. It did make some welcome changes in his walk that I really appreciate. His movements aren't as uuuuuh... forceful on the latest release and his bad hip hardly squeaks at all. I think I'll keep him this way as I'd rather keep him around than have to pay for a new hind leg. I'm looking forward to hearing about your new aibo! Oh and this question sounds odd but I like your user name. I'm thinking if I get another robot I'd like to borrow it.
Talon

[Zervoid]

Thanks for the reply Talon. I was thinking of getting a Pleo and was waiting until the next version comes out. Thanks for the tips on Mind 2, if I ever get another 7 in the future I will try that software. Yes my original two ERS-7, the black and champagne, both came with factory Mind 3 and I have to say I much preferred it to the upgraded Mind 3.3 software. You are right they are more chatty on that software! I was trying to work out what else was different and couldn't put my finger on it but now I know what it is. I like the talking also. They are too quiet on Mind 3.3.

All I noticed in differences is that on the original software they wag their tails more in response to seeing things they like such as a color or another ERS-7.  My black 7 used to look over at the other 7 and it's tail would start wagging like crazy and it was a really adorable behavior. I don't know if it knew it was another ERS-7 or just saw something moving and that would make his tail wag, but it really did seem to me like it recognized it was another 7 and was happy to see it. I much preferred the original software and regret upgrading to the latest software completely. The only differences I noticed between Mind 3 and Mind 3.3 is the pose function, apart from that they seem identical to me. Although the poses are cute I would prefer the tail wagging over them, or at least have the option of being able to use factory installed Mind 3 from time to time . You can always download a virgin Mind 3 image once Aibo Life hosts them later this year and use it as a "in good faith" backup copy- but it seems too complicated for me to do- I wish someone would post a clear guide with screenshot pictures on how to do all that stuff.

In regards to Mind 1 if you ever do get a copy of it I have heard that it has a command to make them rollover but that this was taken out of the later softwares as it would cause the visor to scratch. I am really interested to know if this is true but coming across a copy of Mind 1 is hard. Although the article I read could have been getting their models mixed up, as articles about Aibo seem to do a lot.

The name lol it just comes from a character in a book. Your more than welcome to borrow it as I originally borrowed it also lol.

[Talon]

*Sigh* I'm not sure what Innvo is planning as far as a new pleo. They've been strangely silent about that. The RB came out in 2010. The last software update- that I remember seeing at any rate- came out some time in 2011. I get their news letter and all I've seen so far are these little discounts on their current products but sold in bundles like a food pack bundle or a charger/battery bundle. I'm thinking they're probably making very small tweeks to their current software and putting them into their newer units. Don't quote me on that though. I just remember that several of our members who won pleos in 2012 had a Happy Birthday skit built in. I guess it was supposed to be for the birthday and Christmas cards that also came out last year. I can only suppose the pleos I heard singing those songs saw something that mimicked those color patterns on the cards.
Talon