I see 50 or 100 white or blue LEDs for just $5 in eBay. Are these any good?
Mouser or digikey wants 50-75 cents per white LED.
Are bulk LEDs on eBay any good?
Moderators: Sparky, Moderators
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Scott Hasty
- Posts: 3419
- Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 4:13 pm
- Location: Chesapeake, VA
I've ordered LED's from eBay for 10 years with no issues until my last purchase. I bought from them because they were stateside. They claimed same-day shipping (shipped after five days) and better quality than Chinese bought equivalents. I bought 20 soft whites at 13,000 mcd. None were that bright, 3 were DOA and two more failed after an hour of testing. It was my first negative feedback left on eBay. His response was more than childish...
On the other hand, I have had stellar results from abcTronics and frankly I've had nothing but good service from China.
On the other hand, I have had stellar results from abcTronics and frankly I've had nothing but good service from China.
I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason
Same here. I had a whole order not show up and they resent everything with nothing more than me saying I hadn't received it yet...Scott Hasty wrote:I've had nothing but good service from China.
Additionally, I kind of wonder if the stuff direct from China is made better because they don't have to please some U.S.-based middleman's bottom line... It's certainly always been my experience.
-Rog
Couple of things to remember...
You're not buying from eBay, you're buying through eBay - they are just the gateway to connect you and the vendor. The quality of that vendor (and their goods) can rate from 100% to 0%
Most semiconductor devices are made on large wafers that are cut up into individual components and then graded on performance. They are then sold on at a price or spec based on that performance.
Reputable dealers will charge you a representative price - the best stuff commands a premium, the not so great ends up cheaper with a lower published spec.
The problems arise when less than reputable dealers buy up the cheap stuff and then sell that on as a premium product, hoping to make a bigger margin at your expense.
Almost all of this is made out in the far east these days, so buying overseas cuts out many of the middlemen and you are likely to get a better quality product for a cheaper price. But being so far detatched can make problems difficult to resolve, especially when there is a language barrier. Many vendors have great support like the one mentioned that resent the whole order above, but if you do have problems, you can have big problems. Buying locally, you are usually paying a small extra premium for local support and piece of mind. The worst case scenario is the local dealer who's just out to screw you over.
At the end of the day, check the eBay feedback. That's what it's there for. Choose someone who's both established (lots of feedback) and reputable (lots of good feedback) and you should be fine.
You're not buying from eBay, you're buying through eBay - they are just the gateway to connect you and the vendor. The quality of that vendor (and their goods) can rate from 100% to 0%
Most semiconductor devices are made on large wafers that are cut up into individual components and then graded on performance. They are then sold on at a price or spec based on that performance.
Reputable dealers will charge you a representative price - the best stuff commands a premium, the not so great ends up cheaper with a lower published spec.
The problems arise when less than reputable dealers buy up the cheap stuff and then sell that on as a premium product, hoping to make a bigger margin at your expense.
Almost all of this is made out in the far east these days, so buying overseas cuts out many of the middlemen and you are likely to get a better quality product for a cheaper price. But being so far detatched can make problems difficult to resolve, especially when there is a language barrier. Many vendors have great support like the one mentioned that resent the whole order above, but if you do have problems, you can have big problems. Buying locally, you are usually paying a small extra premium for local support and piece of mind. The worst case scenario is the local dealer who's just out to screw you over.
At the end of the day, check the eBay feedback. That's what it's there for. Choose someone who's both established (lots of feedback) and reputable (lots of good feedback) and you should be fine.
I have also had nothing but good luck from Hong Kong and Chinese shippers. I do the Buy It Now, look at the cheapest ones, and then from there choose sellers with nearly perfect feedback. Of course with 100,000 sales they are going to have a few negs, but I am comfortable with 99.5 and above. I don't think I've ever dealt with anyone on Ebay with a lower rating than that and am not about to start.
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Grumpy Popeye
- Posts: 1011
- Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 9:11 pm
- Location: Lower left hand of Canada, surrounded by a moat!
I buy the bulk of my LEDs on ebay these days. The only time I don't is when I'm in a pinch, then I'll run out and buy them in town.
The reccomendations the others have provided is sound, check the seller feedback and if there are negatives, have a look at what the most recents are, sometimes it's as simple as buyer/ seller misunderstanding or a buyer who has a poor concept of how far China is!
One thing I would like to point out, free shipping is nice, but that also means that your stuff may end up on the slow boat from China! 3+ weeks for my current order!
The seller has kept me informed of the progress of my order, so I'm not concerned 
The reccomendations the others have provided is sound, check the seller feedback and if there are negatives, have a look at what the most recents are, sometimes it's as simple as buyer/ seller misunderstanding or a buyer who has a poor concept of how far China is!
One thing I would like to point out, free shipping is nice, but that also means that your stuff may end up on the slow boat from China! 3+ weeks for my current order!
The seller has kept me informed of the progress of my order, so I'm not concerned The rakishly handsome artist formerly known as Darph Bobo