Zippy,
I've seen the same thing in the 1:1200 / 1:1250 scale model ship "world" -- something about eBay can bring out the "fool" in people -- as in the old idiom about "a fool and his money are soon parted". I've seen a model of a particular WW II German heavy cruiser, normally retailing for under $25, go for twice that amount.
It makes me think about buying a few and going into business on eBay myself... on the other hand, what if that was the only person willing to pay that high amount for that model... and I'd be "stuck" with several that I couldn't sell at anywhere near what I'd pay for them?
Then who'd be the fool!?
On the other hand... I've seen some models go for what was, to me, a ridiculously high price. Later on, I've found out that a particular model was made in limited quantity, or that a collector needed that one ship to finish a collection... So I guess it's "to each his own" -- and the rest of us can scratch our heads in wonder, but it the bidder was happy, then who cares what the rest of us think!?
But, indeed -- one can see some really "odd" things happen on eBay...
Regards,
Tom Stockton
"Well, I've been to one World's Fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones. You sure you got today's codes?"
-- Major T. J. "King" Kong in "Dr. Strangelove"