allbutnew / How it works
What we show you, and how we make it.
Each shop gives a model three things: a clean photo of it, a buying guide with picks from real listings, and the date those listings were checked. Here is how each one is made, and what it can and can’t tell you.
The photos
Every model gets one representative photo, made by an image model from four inputs:
- One style anchor: a reference shot that fixes the backdrop, the light and the angle for the whole shop, so its catalog looks like one photo shoot.
- Three real seller photos of that model, taken from eBay listings, so the shape, colour and details come from the real thing rather than from imagination.
The result is a clean photo of the model, not of any one listing. It is there so you can see what the thing looks like and compare models at a glance.
What it isn’t:
- It isn’t the item you’d buy. Wear, colour variants, missing parts and later replacement parts all vary. The seller’s own photos, one click away, show the actual item.
- An AI image can get a small detail wrong: a knob, a badge, a screw. If a detail matters to you, check it against the listing.
Wherever a photo is shown large, the shop labels it: “Representative photo, AI-generated from real seller photos. Individual listings vary.”
The picks
Each buying guide reads the live listings for one model and tags the few that stand out. Most listings get no tag at all, and that’s fine. There are 6 kinds of pick, each used at most once per model, and 2 warnings, which are never picks. Every pick comes with a one-line reason.
- Cheapest
The lowest delivered price (price plus shipping) for a working, complete example.
Only one per model, and never a for-parts listing. If the cheapest one has a catch, the note says so.
- Best value
The most condition for the money.
Priced at or under the model's typical range, with the seller saying it's tested or the photos showing a clean example.
- Best for beginners
The one to buy if you just want to use it, with no fettling.
A standard version, serviced or tested, at a fair price, from a seller with high feedback.
- Easiest to get working
The least work between opening the box and first use.
Already serviced or cleaned, complete, nothing missing. Often the same listing as the beginner pick.
- Collector's pick
The most collectible example at a sane price.
An early production run, correct original parts, or box and papers, without a silly premium.
- Project piece
A cheap for-parts or as-is unit worth restoring.
Common, fixable faults, and well under the delivered price of a working one.
- Check the sellerwarning
The price is fine, but the seller is a risk.
Feedback under about 98%, a brand-new account, or vague stock photos. A warning, never a pick.
- Priced highwarning
Asking well above what this model usually sells for.
The premium isn't clearly justified, for example a new-old-stock claim with no box. A warning, never a pick.
Prices in picks are delivered: the asking price plus shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on the snapshot date. Free shipping is the same for every US buyer. Paid shipping is often calculated by distance, so those totals are marked “est. delivered” and yours may differ; eBay shows your exact total before you buy. If a listing doesn’t state shipping, we say so instead of guessing.
The snapshots
A snapshot is a checked capture of the live eBay listings for one model on one day: how many are listed, how many are for parts, the full price range, where most asking prices sit, and the picks. It is dated, and the date is shown everywhere its prices are.
Snapshots are taken in batches when a shop is surveyed, not continuously. Auctions end and things sell in between, so treat a snapshot as a guide to what a model costs and what to look for, then check the live listing before you buy. Each guide links to the full, current eBay search.
Where things stand today:
- Fishing reels: 36 of 36 models have a buying guide and 36 have a photo, captured Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2026.
- Typewriters: 36 of 36 models have a buying guide and 36 have a photo, captured Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2026.
- Cast iron: 36 of 36 models have a buying guide and 33 have a photo, captured Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2026.
- Hi-fi receivers: 34 of 36 models have a buying guide and 34 have a photo, captured Oct 3, 2026.
- Football apparel: 36 of 36 models have a buying guide and 36 have a photo, captured Oct 3, 2026.
- DJ gear: 32 of 36 models have a buying guide and 32 have a photo, captured Oct 3–4, 2026.
- Road bike components: 36 of 36 models have a buying guide and 36 have a photo, captured Oct 3, 2026.
- Mini PCs: 34 of 58 models have a buying guide and 34 have a photo, captured Oct 4, 2026.
The other shops still work as model-by-model guides (price bands, known faults, pre-bid checklists) with a live eBay search link, and get photos and buying guides one shop at a time.
Who pays us
Nobody, for now. Links to eBay listings are plain links: no affiliate tracking, no commission, no cut of the sale. You buy from the seller, not from us. Picks aren’t paid for, and a listing can’t pay to be picked.
The guides pick on condition and price: every guide names the cheapest working example it found, and listings asking well over the usual price are flagged as priced high. If that ever changes and some links start earning a commission, this page and every shop’s disclosure will say so first.