First Time Estate Jewelry Auction Pricing & Timing
Summary: oooshiny7 is seeking advice for auctioning a large 207-piece vintage estate jewelry lot on eBay, concerned about setting the right starting bid and timing the auction effectively. oncoyotemountainart suggests starting at ".99 for exposure and ending on a Sunday night, while others like flipping_treasures and tobaccocardyahoo recommend smaller lots or Buy It Now options to attract more collectors. oooshiny7 appreciates the advice and acknowledges the challenges of selling large lots, reflecting on past auction experiences and exploring future strategies with community input. Several participants share personal experiences and tips, emphasizing the evolving landscape of eBay sales.
Good morning, estate jewelry eBayers!
I have one large 207-piece vintage estate jewelry lot that I want to auction. I have the auction all written out, along with great photos and video. I’ve been working on it for weeks! I’m ready!
I do not want to break it up into smaller lots because ALL the work I’ve invested is done, photos taken. Even the box is packaged because I wanted an accurate weight for shipping.
TMI, I am having surgery this week and needed to get the physical part done, so all I need to do is list it from bed.
ChatGPT AI is giving me conflicting info…I will do a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. My biggest worry is not getting enough bids and selling something I know is worth a lot, for a fraction of that. I’m honestly scared to death of starting too low! If it only goes for a few hundred dollars, I’d be upset, but I’ve read that reserves are not well liked and are expensive.
AI is telling me to start anywhere from $.99 to $9.99 to $99 to $149, but I’ve also read that there can be bidding hesitation at and above the $99 mark. Any advice on the starting bid or the psychology behind it would be greatly appreciated.
And then there’s the date. Should I start this Thursday for a 10-day auction, or is that too soon for serious estate jewelry bidders on eBay? Would the 2nd Thursday in October be better?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has actually sold large estate jewelry lots by auction. What starting price and timing have worked for you? OR is there any logic behind posting it as a BIN for a few weeks to get viewers and then switch to an auction to move it before the soft-holiday time?
I’ve been a member of eBay for 20+ years, but I see times have REALLY changed, and I’m trying to go with what currently works for sellers.
Thank you!!
Deborah
oncoyotemountainart
·1 week agoI've been following an instagram page for a reseller who buys scrap sterling jewelry. He buys the worst sterling pieces and simply deep cleans them. One ring wasn't recognizable as a gemstone it was so badly tarnished. It got me wondering what sterling lots look like on ebay these days. I was amazed to see so many of them starting the lot bidding at over $100, and they had no bids. Then I looked up costume jewelry lots, same thing, high starting bid and no bids.
It is sometimes a balancing act between how badly you want it out of your life, versus what it's worth. How many times do you want to try and sell it with a high starting bid? What is it all worth to you to keep it and store it?
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@oncoyotemountainart ”It is sometimes a balancing act between how badly you want it out of your life, versus what it's worth.” oh how true! I read that to my husband, and we both nodded. I recently had two OLD accordions and their cases that no one wanted, but they took up SO much space and I’ve had them over 40 years. After a few dozen tries I finally found a guy that repairs them, he offered to pay shipping and for the music books that I didn’t even think were of value. So I made money, but it was sad too…they were beautiful and no one cared. It was my sentimental side clouding my judgement though. My hubby reminds me “but look at all the storage space we now have!” 😂
frugalmarketplace
·1 week agoDump AI and use your cognitive ability. You will get a better answer
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoI think that’s true with the way most people use AI. I try to use it to learn about things I don’t know much about, while still doing my own research and making my own decisions. 😉
frugalmarketplace
·1 week agoIt should be banned. People are not stupid, but tell me one thing AI has done that is good. I bet you are smarter than any of those apps.
nyr134
·1 week agoA big Thank You to @oooshiny7 for responding to and engaging with all of the often conflicting (but well-thought-out) advice given here.
Too often, someone will ask questions, receive tons of responses and the Original Poster will never be heard from again. Did they even come back to look?
So, good luck to you on this. Hope that your recovery is interrupted by many frequent 'pesky' bid sounds coming your way.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@nyr134 Thank you! I’ve been on eBay for 20+ years, albeit not actively for long stretches, and this was my first Community post (here and in the Sellers group).
I am grateful people take the time to reply. The least I can do is appreciate it, learn from it, and acknowledge it. 😃 And TY regarding recovery…it’s my 3rd surgery this year, so I know what I’m in for, but I’m not looking forward to it again. So, I’ve spent the last few months photographing and organizing for at least several dozen auctions and BIN listings (this is the only big lot). Then, while in bed, I’ll edit images, post, etc. So, the order of tasks is kind of backwards, with hundreds of images to address, but I definitely won’t be bored while I heal! Thank you again! And yes, that chiming noise the app makes is awesome to hear! 😃
flipping_treasures
·1 week agoHi Deborah. Welcome to the board. You have been given some great advice by some great, experienced sellers.
Personally, I agree that the type of lot that you are looking to sale maybe too large for the average collector. This will bring the bidding down rather than increase it.
I have started doing some lots and will limit them to 10 pieces or less, except for earrings, which I have tons of. This is a personal preference. I do know I will not start them out with a starting bid that will lose money. So, my starting bids will reflect my original cost of the pieces. Will it take longer to sell, maybe. There is too much time involved in the hunting, pictures and listing to lose money, IMHO.
Good luck.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@flipping_treasures thank you for the welcome! Your page has great photos by the way! In hindsight, I know you and others are right. Since it is boxed up, I’m going to move forward with this bigger lot this one time, but I won’t do that again moving forward after all the advice here. I did not even think to post the questions above to a message board before I put in the work. I looked up comps, not really grasping how the jewelry-lot genre works. So I thought I was only picking a start date and auction bid price, but everyone has given me so much to reconsider. I’ve learned a lot in two days. Luckily I pulled the NIB bigger brand, jewelry beforehand, and so those will be separate listings. But yes, my husband and I have been talking about the time investment vs. monetary return quite a bit. He asked why I took so many photos, organized, separated each piece, etc., when many comps show a bin of jewelry all tangled up. My answer was that it was two different kinds of sellers and buyers, but I’m not sure my answer was correct anymore. Thank you again! 😃
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 week agoI sometimes use auctions.
I never start at an Ebay recommended price. I never start an auction for a price that I would not be pleased to get for the item.
I never list lots as large as what you are proposing to do.
Few collectors want that many items. They may even have some of the items in the lot and their maximum price may be lower than what they feel the lot is worth because the items which duplicate their collection are not worth anything to them or require effort in selling off which is not as pleasurable as buying.
The only people who are likely to be interested in all of the items in the lot are resellers and they want to be able to make a fat profit on the lot.
Since I do not deal in jewelry, and you have not provided any detail on the contents I can only go by more own prejudices in a recommendation.
I suspect that your lot is too large to do well and you should consider multiple lots of items which might appeal to a subset of bidders. The closer the lots are to a collectors interest will affect the portion of the lot which is not motivating a higher bid.
I would rather have a lot not receive any bids than sell on one bid. The lot can be listed again if it does not sell. And when it is relisted, you may have a more motivated audience.
I have great sympathy for @dream*peddler but am not surprised at the results of his/her auction. I own a lot of 1939 and other WF items and the interest is far less and the prices far lower than they were in the past. I have given some of my NYWF collectibles to a niece with an interest, motivated in part by her great grandparents having owned a candy store not far from the fair in Corona. She does not want any more.
I have had my most recent success with Ebay auctions selling individual related items which are scarce, and had a following of bidders on my Sunday night auctions for a month and a half, but my high bidders bought their fill. I listed my remaining inventory at fixed price at prices a little below my starting bids.
Some of my auctions set new Terapeak highs because the truly were scarce and the condition was quite good.
Auctions are only a small portion of what I offer on Ebay, most of what I sell does better as fixed price.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@tobaccocardyahoo thank you for your insightful feedback! In hindsight, I should’ve broken it up into smaller lots. I know I could take the box apart and start over from scratch, but I’ve put so much effort into the photos and packaging. My husband boxed it up beautifully for me so it’s ready to roll.
I checked out your page and you have some really cool items! I have very few antique things myself, but when I was trying to find a home for my Victorian era highchair, that was a wedding gift, I thought for sure, at the very least, a local antique shop want it… Nope! I reached out and sent photos to a few dozen people. I finally ended up donating it to a historical museum. It’s kind of cool to know it’s in my local museum though. Thank you again!
1940fc
·1 week ago2 more cents coming in here. Good morning! Just going to speak from experience..I used to do lots many years go and have done as you have....had them all wrapped & packaged, ready for shipping.
Then ya get hit with an interested buyer with questions on an item (that you actually need to take another look at to make sure) or needs another photo and that can be time consuming to go on the 'hunt'.
Just something to think about , but sweet of hubby to help out! Sounds like a keeper! 😀 Happy sales to ya
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@1940fc hi! Good point! No doubt that is a dilemma. I had a purse I sold, and I had a two-day long thread with the buyer and she basically had me retaking every photograph close-up, even though my photographs were really good., imo. I stayed kind and gave her everything she asked for, and she ended up being the high bidder.
I have taken extra pictures and videos that won’t fit in this listing itself just in case too. I felt like my bigger dilemma was getting the shipping right. I had no idea what it would come up as until I had it boxed. Even though it’s 10 1/2 pounds of jewelry, by the time it was properly boxed with padding and all the extras (I’m including jewelry boxes and bags), I am at 14 1/2. Although I was surprised hubby got it into a 14 x 14 x 14.5 box. So now I know shipping will be exactly accurate. But yes, that’s a real possibility. 😁 My hubby 🥰, his packaging is truly that of a patient man. Matter of fact, my feedback or PM’s are often about the packaging. He’s a keeper indeed. 35 years together and I adore him.
Thank you again!
dream*peddler
·1 week agoBeing a bit of a control freak, I rarely run auctions. I recently ran an auction of a large lot of 1939 World's Fair memorabilia, some of it pretty rare, and I was soul-crushed at how poorly it did. I would do exactly what coyote mentioned at the end of her post: "Or list they whole thing as a buy it now accepting offers and see what kind of offers you get."
There are posters here who run auctions only, so I hope they see your question and give you their advice. Good luck! It sounds like an amazing lot!
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@dream*peddler I am so sorry that happened for you! After taking a big break from eBay and coming back to see how much things have changed I am surprised at how the really cool antique and vintage world doesn’t get the sales I thought it would. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I’ve got some great advice today! 😃
oncoyotemountainart
·1 week agoUgh, I don't like selling paper type lots. I have a 1939 World's Fair lot too that I haven't done anything with. I keep putting it off. It's programs and maps and brochures. I can't bring myself to toss it, but listing it is so time consuming.
I also have a massive lot of letters and post cards from a family from the 30's thru the 50's. I find stuff like that fascinating to look at, but how do I photograph pages and pages of letters and postcards and make sense of it?
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago · Edited@oncoyotemountainart it is so cool that you have those items! I find it kind of sad that it seems like people don’t honor/respect things from that era I like they used to. I have a few items I’m stalling on myself because I need to research how to approach it. Like a batch of coins from all over the world dating way back. It’s totally new territory for me to learn about. Good luck to you!
1940fc
·1 week agoI gave up on autions years ago..so I`m no help lol
Sit tight & wait for replies..be prepared to get differing tho..
You are right..things have really changed over the years. Taim't what it used to be! 😒
oooshiny7
OP1 week agoThank you for replying though! I’ve got some really good advice today so I’m grateful 😊
oncoyotemountainart
·1 week agoThese are my opinons only. Start at .99. People see a bargain, they hope no one else bids. They will all see that and they'll watch it. Some people put a bid in early just so it continues to show up on their feed, knowing it will go for much much more. The .99 gets you more initial exposure and gets you on people's radar.
I always tried to time my auctions so they ended Sunday night. That's what I was told early on, way back when. You want the end of the auction to be available to as many people as possible, so Sunday evening is considered the most likely time people will be available and in front of their phones or computers. If there's going to be a last-minute bidding war, make it as convenient as possible for people to participate.
Auctions rarely do what you want them too. You have to be prepared to accept the outcome. I've had auctions surprise me and disappoint me. Your option is to take the really spectacular pieces out and list them individually as buy it now with offers accepted. Then list the rest as a lot. Or list they whole thing as a buy it now accepting offers and see what kind of offers you get.
oooshiny7
OP1 week ago@oncoyotemountainart Thank you for your great advice! I’m definitely going to end on a Sunday once I decide whether to do 7 or 10 days. I too have been pleasantly surprised and disappointed by auctions and buy it now listings. I’ve never sold a big fashion jewelry lot like this before, which is why I was seeking advice 😃 . I probably should’ve done a BIN listing for a few months to test the waters, and then auction before the holidays if needed. Ah, hindsight. 😊 Thank you again! I appreciate you taking the time to reply!