# Maximum bid?...



## Jonathon (Mar 9, 2013)

Hi all,

New to this site,please see my previous post in the Gaggia Forum.

A Silvia has recently appeared on Fleabay,the bids have reached £103:00 at the moment,with 2 days or so left until the end of this particular auction.

Questions:Would it be worth bidding on this machine,and what would be your maximum bid-given the fact that these auctions can become silly in the extreme?

Or,would I be better off buying a Gaggia Classic as a starting machine from here,or say,the Amazon Warehouse,and leaving this grade of machine until I become more experienced-with any luck!!

.

Your advice,as always,would be much appreciated.

With thanks and regards.

Jonathon.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Depending on the condition £200-£250 would not be unreasonable

If the buidget stretches then go for a Silvia first off. There is not too much difference between them so a Silvia as an 'upgrade' is kind of pointless.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Jonathon said:


> A Silvia has recently appeared on Fleabay,the bids have reached £103:00 at the moment,with 2 days or so left until the end of this particular auction.
> 
> Questions:Would it be worth bidding on this machine,and what would be your maximum bid-given the fact that these auctions can become silly in the extreme?
> 
> Jonathon.


Jonathon, I sold a two month old Silvia V3 to a forum member recently for £275.00. One on Ebay looks like a V3 - check with seller how old it is. Prices on Ebay can be mad - I've seen Silvias go for over £300.00 which is silly. Personally, if the Silvia is less than two years old, I wouldn't pay more than £225 - £250.

The Silvia is a better machine than the Classic IMO (I've owned both). The Silvia has a boiler roughly four times the size of the Classic's 100cc one so it has more steaming power. It's a more demanding machine to tune in than the Classic so a decent grinder is a must. Once set up right, the Silivia delivers, IMO, better shots than the Classic can. But don't underestimate the Classic it's is a good machine and if you are on a tight budget, a good choice. You can pick up a decent second hand Classic for around £80.00. This forum is a good place to look for a well maintained second hand machine. If you haven't, extend your search to Preloved and Gumtree - you're likely to find a better bargain there. If buying second hand, check with the seller to see if s/he has maintained it properly, i.e. descaled and backflushed it regularly. If you've got any further questions, ask away.


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## Jonathon (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks for the above.I've asked the relevant questions to the Fleabay member,so it's just a case of waiting for a response.

Regarding the Silvia.I note from numerous other posts on here and CoffeeGeek etc,that the Silvia is more temperamental,and requires more "dailing in" in order to perform properly;is there any particular reason for this,given that the Gaggia (seems) to require less faffing in order to pull a decent shot?

Rhanks again.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Jonathon said:


> the Gaggia (seems) to require less faffing in order to pull a decent shot


A decent shot, yes but a Silvia will, in my experience, consistently make a wonderful espresso if you take the time to learn & look after her


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

ronsil said:


> A decent shot, yes but a Silvia will, in my experience, consistently make a wonderful espresso if you take the time to learn & look after her


Having used Classics for 10yrs+, I was surprised my first shots with the Silvia were poor. After dialling her in, was rewarded with shots of great depth - something, IMO, the Classic couldn't do. Make sure the Silvia has been properly maintained. Good luck with the auction.


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## Jonathon (Mar 9, 2013)

Hi all,the seller has replied;the machine is a 2009 model & well maintained,any additional info regarding this would be much appreciated before I bid.

The link to the label is here-hopefully!!

http://emob1295.photobucket.com/albums/b634/saddinall/eBay%20info/d7db1dc43622f20e50e4740d8e576112_zps03cb3cca.jpg?t=1363378375


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Jonathon said:


> Hi all,the seller has replied;the machine is a 2009 model & well maintained,any additional info regarding this would be much appreciated before I bid.
> 
> The link to the label is here-hopefully!!
> 
> http://emob1295.photobucket.com/albums/b634/saddinall/eBay%20info/d7db1dc43622f20e50e4740d8e576112_zps03cb3cca.jpg?t=1363378375


Good luck with the bid. You might want to think of offering the guy £225 to end the auction early - he'll save ebay fees. Worth a punt.


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## Jonathon (Mar 9, 2013)

So you think £225 is a fair price,+ postage obviously?-He's quoting £15:00 dor that,which seems reasonable?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Jonathon said:


> So you think £225 is a fair price,+ postage obviously?-He's quoting £15:00 dor that,which seems reasonable?


Yep, £225.00 is OK but make sure you go through PayPal. That way, you have some cover. Is his feedback good, can't remember from when I looked. £15.00 shipping is OK - it's quite heavy - much heavier than a Classic.


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## Jonathon (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks again,I will keep you posted,I'll PM him with an offer as recommended,although will not offer more than £225,I suppose offering him £200-£210 would be cheeky?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Jonathon said:


> Thanks again,I will keep you posted,I'll PM him with an offer as recommended,although will not offer more than £225,I suppose offering him £200-£210 would be cheeky?


No such thing as 'cheeky'. He doesn't have to accept your offer does he? Just remember, I sold a Silvia that was two months old for £275.00. His is four years old. That's not too important as long as it has been properly maintained. You might want to quizz him on his reference to defects being 'none as far as I am aware'. He may just be cautious but I always find that striking up a conversation helps me figure out who I am dealing with. Always best to be cautious. Remember, buy in haste, repent at leisure as my dear old mum used to say. Still ignored her!!


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## redricks (Jul 8, 2012)

The Silvia is an excellent machine ive had my v3 for 9 months now, if i was buying second hand i would make sure i could see her working make sure she has been descaled this goes by region (water quality).I live in a soft water area and use a filter but i still descale every 5 weeks (making 8 cups a day on average) i clean the brew head weekly as i change beans.You wont regret buying one when you switch on flush some water 5-10 seconds through the brew head ensuring there is water in the boiler.


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