Lots of Military Vehicles on GSA site in MO - ends Jan 15th

[jasonjc]

I'm on the fence on this one both sides have good point.
But I will say this for all to think about.
I know of a lager group of trucks and parts that whent to the scrap heap because some knew they where there but wanted to keep them to hisself/resale them (what ever) but know they are all paper clips. IS this what we want. I see Kenny's point on those seat and I beat they are beer can but now. I hate seeing this stuff in srcap piles because some one what to keep it to them self and thought it wood just sit were it is untill mite need it. Have I bid on truck's and been out bid YES. Do I like it NO. Do I whish that only I can bid on trucks YES. But if I'm the only bidder and I don't want it then where does it go?? I hate to see good running truck get cut up just so some one can have the axle because he thinks he's going to build a ______ with them someday.

What's the right thing to do???? I don't know

 

[Armada]

What's the right thing to do???? I don't know

That's the hard part Jason. Two sides of the coin. You always want to help another MV'er out, and perhaps save a piece of green steel, but also not bite yourself or someone else either.
There has been times when I've seen things on GL for example, that was not something I was looking for, but wanted to let other guys know about it that might be interested, but didn't. I figure if they want something, they know the places to look. I've also sent pm's to guys and recieved them as well to act as eyes for screening or to pick up something. We all make this site a GREAT network.
There has been the occasional oddball trailer or something that was going to be in an upcoming GL auction that I had questions about (like dual wheels on an M105 trailer, for example) and posted a link to it, and maybe someone was wanting to keep it on the down low and not advertise, so I guess I've been guilty of not following my own rule before. But, bottom line is we all want to help each other out.
Now, help by not saying anything about an item to hopefully keep the bidding within the budget, or help by making other members aware of something they may be interested in? What is right? ....... They both are! We just need to make each other aware privately. Sad but true, as there are a whole lot more unregistered users cruising this sight than us registered guys.
Man, this kinda reminds me of my ethics class...lol

 

[citizensoldier]

Hey Paul PM sent... oh. Did you pass your ethics class?

 

[CUCVFAN]

I don't want to see trucks go the scrap yard anymore than you guys do. I don't think any of us do. Unfortunately, I can't buy everything. So, I let my friends know about that stuff that they might not have seen and I cannot buy. If they can't buy it, maybe they tell a few other guys and that's how the cycle goes for us. Hopefully, someone in the chain will buy it.

Is it wrong to keep something a secret in the hopes that I can one day afford to buy it? I don't know. If it ends up at the scrapper before I can buy it, then I guess it was. If I let it rot into the ground until it cannot be saved, then I guess it was. If I eventually buy it, then no it wasn't. Personally, I can't answer the question without actually knowing the end result, and therein lies the problem. I hold to my position because I know there are plenty of other guys like me who do scour the sites regularly and I hope that one of them is able to acquire some of these trucks and give them good homes. If somebody wins a truck and just intends to cut it to pieces, then so be it. Sad, but it happens.

I don't know who will win a truck or where it might end up, but I refuse to guess at it's fate. I don't know that the truck will go to the scrap yard anymore than I know it will go to a collector. The sad reality is not all trucks can be saved, much as we all would like them to be. I just encourage you guys to watch closely and PM your friends if you're not going for something.

My fingers are starting to fall off now, so I'm outta here...

 

[M1075]

I like to share my finds with other MVers. And I like to hear about stuff from you guys as well. Auctions are auctions, and the highest price wins. They are open to the public and we are naive to think that Steel Soldiers members and lurkers have the market cornered on military surplus, or effectively influence it much. I'll post about things I plan to bid on (FMTV, M936, towbars, etc.) without a second thought. A fellow member here once said something like "If you bid more than me, you will get it." I think that sums it up on auctions.

 

[Armada]

Hey Paul PM sent... oh. Did you pass your ethics class?

Hmmm...... Would it be wrong to say I did pass, if I didn't really? Who would be the victim, if any? My own conscience? What would the moral reprocutions be and could it contribute to a decline in my ethical judgement? .........lol. hehehehehe

 

[citizensoldier]

You and your head cheese babble! Dont mind f%^& me boy!!!Go forward young man and never look back!!

 

[doghead]

I thought there was a discussion here(SS) before about posting stuff where the general public(not signed in) could not see this type of info. Is this correct? Is there a section here for this type of "private info" to be shared by SS members only? Would this help members share info more safely or freely? Btw, I posted this back when i was looking for a truck http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=5947&highlight=ebay and as you can see it did not generate a lot of discussion or competition. I won the truck at a reasonable price. And I had a very nice member here bow out after we talked about my desire to win it. As it turned out he was solicited with a bogus second chance offer and promptly contacted me to confirm this was a bogus offer! We then notified Ebay. I thought it was great to be able to share info in this case. ( Also i apologize for such an off topic post.)

 

[Stretch44875]

Maybe members could post in the wanted section of the classifieds what they are looking for, and if you see an auction, just PM the member. That way everyone knows if someone is looking for a deuce or towbar, and can help out without putting it in a public forum.

Dennis

 

[Towman2277]

Not too bad of an idea Dennis.

 

[BKubu]

I was actually the one that said (and I am guessing you remember that since we know each other) "If you bid more than me, you will get it," but you are quoting me out of context. I had targeted that M936A1, too, as I saw you did. You posted something to SS like...(I have not gone back to quote exactly, but I am relying on my memory)...you wanted the M936A1 and planned to bid unless someone alerted you that they had to have the truck...then, presumably you would have backed down. I wanted the truck and wanted to be forthright, but I did not want to stop you from bidding...so I alerted you to the fact that I planned to bid and basically said "let the best man win." Please let me know if that is out of context...I believe it to be accurate. What you are supporting here is different. I am not happy when people bid against me, but I have been around long enough (since 99) to expect it. Feel free to bid against me if you want an item. I do NOT feel as though I have a right to "corner" the MV market, but I like to think it is common sense NOT to steer people toward auctions that interest me and I offer that same courtesy to the rest of the MV community, some of which I know and some I don't. What I am against is the wanton posting of items just because "I (the poster) don't want the item, but I feel it is the right thing to alert the world to bid against all comers." As I said, feel free to bid against me...I'd most likely do the same unless someone I've come to know asked me to steer clear...in which case I would honor that request.

People who know me on this list know me as an honest, helpful friend. However, I feel no need to alert the world (helping some, but hurting others) by posting general auctions/items of which I have no interest (or even if I have an interest...my attitude is...and you quoted it correctly..."If you bid more than me, you will get it."). This does not mean that I won't alert friends about trucks that I know interest them (Kenny knows I've told him about more than one tractor, before I personally helped get my old M275A2). My question is: M1075, would you have felt the need to alert other fire departments in your area about the availability of your M1075 PLS? Would you have wanted to help out the community ("I like to share my finds with other MVers") you suggest here, there by complicating your department's ability to acquire the machine that you love so dearly? I doubt it...and therein lies the crux of my point. Do you think I should have posted to SS about the location of my HEMTT before I acquired it? Maybe, I'm selfish.

M1075...we know each other and I mean no offense. Feel free to respond privately or publicly as I think this is of interest that affects the list and is of interest to more than just a few.[/quote]

 

[pa.rich]

Sounds like a good idea. Alot of us check the classifieds daily anyway,I just got some parts for someone I knew was looking for em.It takes time, but to help a brother out is rewarding and saves the vehicles , progresses them towards being functional, and makes friends.

 

[M1075]

Bruce, I think you make good points and I value your opinions. When you mentioned about high bidder wins, I thought that is the way it should be, especially with public auctions. If possible, we shouldn't bid against each other. But if we do, then we do. I can respect that.

I sent you 2 PMs on the matter, but I'm not sure if either one went through. They don't show up in my sent box for some reason.

 

[CUCVFAN]

The classified idea has some merit, but when you have 30 guys posting that they want an M813 in the mid-altantic, who do you notify first? Notify everyone? Talk about increasing competition! If the group consider themselves "friends", that's a hard thing to resolve. I don't feel that anyone (especially fellow SS members) should be put in the position where they need to agree to let someone else have a truck. That's bid rigging. PM your friends and let it go at that.

While I like to help out fellow MV'ers when I can, I think someone who is looking for a truck should be doing just that -- looking. The sites are public and well known. Check them regularly!!!! I think most people understand the dilemma here, but some of us clearly don't get it. Do I like to be on the receiving end of these posts?? SURE!!! But I don't want to be the guy who knew about it and just had the world let in on it. I would rather you did not share it. M1075, if I recall, neither you or Bruce posted your interest about that M936A1 until it was posted here by someone else. Am I wrong?

NOBODY posts about the trucks they are bidding on with the objective of inviting other bidders. Why? Because they don't want to increase competition for themselves. Period. If they do, then they have more money than sense. So, why do people feel they have the right to increase competition for anyone else?? Talk about presumptuous!! I guess I'll never get it...

 

[Katch1]

I've been burnt by the posting of a item, I waited a while longer ( 6 mos.) and the same item came up, and I bought it. As far as I see it there is enough of this surplus stuff to go around, its all in if you got the coin in your pocket at the moment.
One big point missing here is theres two different threads on this site for stuff listed on e-bay, member and non-member, and I guess I look at postings for stuff listed on other sites as fair game as well, even though I've never posted about any such listing.
Maybe I'm being overly simple about the whole thing, but thats just me.
Again maybe I'm just not knowlegeable in all things on the net?

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

I kind of like to post the I WON IT info because Bruce, Kenny and Neil are right about prices being driven up. I hope that 77008500 is not lurking on this site because that guy has scooped me and lot of others out of some nice trucks and trailers. The Google power allows many to find this site if they are looking for a score on something that we like to collect. I hope anyone that is looking for Military vehicles would join us here as this is a great site. I do think it is adviseable to post general information about vehicles that may be coming up on a friend to friend basis with the exception being large numbers of trucks or trailers in a single sale since that gives many possibilities and not real specifics. I posted info on an M 818 that I was hoping to get but 8500 beat me on all of them. So in summary I do not fear the folks here if someone on this site wins something to me, that is good news even if it was not me.

 

[DDoyle]

This is a real sensitive area, with both sides having merit - and I have friends on both sides of this issue.

Back a few years ago when I was more aggressively buying trains than I am now, two buddies and I went to the world's largest train show - over 10000 people are in attendance. My friends and I all walk up on a guy selling a locomotive, that we each want. We looked at each other and said - "who's going to buy this?" My response was "I don't care, so long as it goes back to Memphis with us, instead of going home with one of these other folks."

That's how I tend to view these things. The collector in me wants to buy cheap - the taxpayer in me wants GL and GSA to sell high. The secret to me buying cheap is only I bid - the secret to returning the max of my taxpayer dollars is that this stuff shows up on the "military shopping network".

Before the internet ruled the auction world, I attended, in person, many GSA and DRMO auctions. You stood toe to toe and knew who you were bidding against - even sealed bid DRMS sales listed the bidders, and bid amounts. If your buddy was gonna bid against you on something - you knew it - and after the sale you went and ate pizza together. I don't recall any friendships being lost over a bidding war.

I have a lot of friends in this hobby - and I have a lot of friend whose business is this hobby. Many folks wouldn't consider trying to "scoop" a friend on a buy - but wouldn't hesitate to scoop a dealer. I've always found that interesting, as most of us are buying this stuff to play with as a hobby - the dealer on the other hand is counting on this stuff to feed and clothe his employees. So, who should get the best deals?

I make the bulk of my living writing price guides on collectibles. Many people have approached me and told me about the "deal" they got when they have bought something "under book". But in all my books, I try to emphasis the true value is what is worth to YOU, the buyer. If a water purification deuce is worth $4000.00 to me, and I want one - that is what I'm willing to pay. IF I get one for less - that is OK - but I won't enjoy it any more. The "good deal" part of it won't come into play until "if" I decide to sell it, when it begins impacting profit - but at that point, its moved from hobby to business.

I'm involved in several forums, and this same topic comes up time and again (usually focusing on ebay auctions) - to date I have not seen any resolution.

My .02,
David Doyle

 

[M1075]

DD-

Your .02 is always good. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Towman2277]

Great post David. I agree and feel the same way. Maybe thats why I paid WAY TOO MUCH for my bridge truck, but I saw it, I wanted it, and I wasn't leaving without it!! Now it's my everyday transportation. Not because it has to be, but because i'm very proud of it. I hate to see members get upset, and I can also relate with both sides. All I can say is good luck, keep your auction quiet, and the highest bidder wins!

 

[Recovry4x4]

To be quite honest folks, I think this thread has been presented well on both sides without ruffling any feathers. I'm glad that it's gone this way and at least most of us know what page the other is on. Carry On.