As many people do nowadays, I yesterday had a quick look on Ebay – the world’s online auction site – to have a look at what people were selling after Christmas, in the hope of finding a bargain or some collectible that I otherwise would not find.
However, on a whim, I decided to have a look at what was available which was Malta related. I tapped in M-A-L-T-A in the text search box and sort by price and was absolutely astounded at what I found. I never realised that there is such a mania for Malta-related paraphernalia and the prices that they fetch.
For those who have never used Ebay, it is basically an online auction site where one can buy literally anything – whether new or second hand. The sellers are sometimes organised shops (where you can still find a bargain, mind you), but many are simply people who want to raise some cash or want to get rid of unwanted items.
The array of products is, to say the least, bordering on ludicrous. I have actually ran a search for “cow statues” and it returned 38 items for sale around the world including a “Large, heavy, bronze, cow boys and horses statue”, which with four days of bidding left was on its way to a person in Arizona for $1,229! Of course, if you want to bypass the bidding, you can always opt for the “buy now” feature and I could have bought it on the spot for $1,279. There are of course pictures accompanying most items.
While bidding, you are sent constant emails which tell you if anyone has outbid you. The best bargains are those which have not sold with an hour left of bidding on them. However, although you might be lucky enough to find a copy of Ultimate Western Collection – 50 guitars album collection at $0.99 with less than five minutes of bidding and no bids placed, you must keep your eye on it as a “shark” may stump you even with only 10 seconds of bidding time left.
Most sellers ship to places all over the world, but it is worth bearing in mind that you have to pay for the shipping and optional insurance. Another important thing to watch for is that if you order from outside the European Union, you will have to pay duty on delivery.
I myself have saved hundreds of pounds when buying camera equipment, even though I had to pay all three of the above extra charges. On the other hand, I bought a 1978 England national team top and that was only a couple of pounds sterling. Well, anyway, you then have to register with paypal or bidpay (two online secure transaction agencies) give them your bank number and Bob’s your uncle – as soon as they find the funds, the seller is notified and your item will be on the way.
OK, so after that “brief” explanation, it’s time to go back to the Malta merchandise. Well, the first item that popped up for sale was a sort of time share at the Golden Sands SAS Radisson in an apartment sleeping four, selling at a starting bid of £5,999 and a “buy it now” price of £6,999.
Another item on the list, from a seller in the UK was a D’Esposito watercolour of Valletta’s Grand Harbour selling at £575.
Two old gold coins (10 Maltese skudi) were on sale from a person in Mosta, who was requesting $900 as a starting bid.
Believe it or not, someone in New Zealand was selling a 1720 map of Malta and Sicily for a starting price of $599.99. An Argentinean was selling a vintage silver match box holder with a rare enamelled Malta stamp on it for $149.
A San Fransisco seller was offering a set of very old mint Malta stamp sets for $595. Knights of St John cufflinks were going at an average of $136. The multitude of items on sale seemed to attract many collectors with other items such as Knights of St John medallions to old Cisk enamelled signs, coins, stamps, lighters and figurines of Malta’s historic personalities all fetching attractive sums.
But don’t take my word for it – look for yourselves on www.ebay.com.