BIN: Keep lowering Price OR Relist w/lower price?

[tomatbay]

I'm selling a rare item with an as rare number of buyers - but when a buyer needs this, they will pay highly for it.

Not knowing the market price and since there may be only one Buyer, an auction cannot be relied upon to produce a fair price if only 1 bidder.

So I'm listing top dollar and plan to lower price about twice a week.

So how to do it?

My concern is that if someone finds the listing with a price that is too high for them, they won't pay any attention to it as I lower the price.  Yes or No?

If I cancel and relist, the new listing will popup on everyone's radar again.

QUESTION:  If I lower the price, are Watchers notified?  Viewers? (probably not?)

WATCHER STRATEGY:  Could offer to watchers:  I will be lowering price until item sells.  Tomorrow I'm lowering it from $400 to $335.  I'm offering the $335 to Watchers now.
PROBLEM:  If watcher thinks I'm a crook, they'll think I'm bluffing about lowering the price.  BUT I could put that information IN the listing.  But if I do that, then people will hold back and wait for the price to lower until they are afraid others will beat them to it.

...too much information, running through my brain...  LOL

I'm from SW Pennsylvania and we call this a Dutch Auction:  a single item where the ask is lowered until someone takes it.  It is NOT a multiple item offer with complicated rules.  Here if it's a multiple item lot, it gets sold as a lot to the high bidder in a normal auction.  Dutch auctions here are used to quickly go thru cheap stuff (box of wrenches, etc.) that will sell for around $20.

[annadryl]

Your No Returns policy is also narrowing your buyer pool by a lot. Many people search with the "returns accepted" option and that right there takes your listing of the table. Besides, why won't you accept returns? Your missing most of the audience from the start.

[luckythewinner]

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@tomatbay wrote:

My big issue is that I need to show some income taxwise this year

So I need to sell before the end of November.  

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This is an entirely different issue than you stated in your initial post. 

As I understand it now, you have two conflicting goals - (1) the need to show income this year , and (2) the desire and the need to sell this item at a good price. 

It seems to me you need to decide which of these two goals is more important, because trying to achieve both of them simultaneously will likely increase the chance that you achieve neither of them. 

[tomatbay]

This is not an item a buyer would decide to return.

No returns does not affect SNAD

I buyer's remorse, am not going to eat original shipping.

[tomatbay]

No, items will be sold so proceeds count to this year's 1099K.  Just trying to determine how to get best price given that constraint.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@tomatbay wrote: ... Previous posted mentioned 30 day hold back of payout.  That could screw up my 1099K reporting - I need the reporting done this year.....

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The basic Help page about 1099-K, under "What's included" states:

As Form 1099-K is an IRS information return, it includes the gross amount of all reportable payments within a calendar year, based on when funds settle to eBay, not necessarily when funds are received by sellers.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/ebay-form-1099k?id=4794

[laststopgeneralstore]

Your wasting to much time.

Just List it at or below market value and wait for it to sell. Depending on the sell thru rate it could sell in a week or so, it could also take a year if the sell thru rate is no good.

Better yet if you're that concerned, sell it locally at an auction or something.

Don't concern yourself to much with what others think about you/what your doing, you'll drive yourself nuts.

[grandmasjewelry123]

Set a high fixed price and let buyers interested make you an offer.

[tomatbay]

RE:  Make Offers:  I've found that most of the time, people don't make offers - seems like they are more interested in buying something instantly without waiting around - same reason I think auctions bring less money (it's a different crowd).

[reallynicestamps]

You talked to a clerk?

The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.


https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/


https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.



The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.

And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
 

[grandmasjewelry123]

The auctions do bring lower prices. Sometimes they bring more traffic. If the product is in short supply and demand high, auctions bring a better price( beanie babies years ago) Today fixed price brings a better dollar but let it sit and give somebody the ability to offer you a price. You don't have to take it. Just list it and forget it for awhile. If it doesn't sell, change the listing, the words, the price, etc...

[tomatbay]

Yes, the other thread said use the link to the chat and then in the chat you can have eBay telephone you back.  (I've done this before, however the link to the chat was somewhere else in eBay.)