More watchers than bidders during the auction
So, I've been selling on eBay for a while, mainly using "Buy It Now" instead of auctions. There's this "weird" item with over 300 views, 40 watchers, and it sat there for almost a month. I occasionally send out offers, but rarely get countered offers. Out of frustration, I took the listing down and switched to an auction. This is my first auction ever. Within 24 hours, I only got 1 bidder but 10 watchers. 🤣 Here we go again – if I end up with only one bidder, no doubt I'd lose money. So, my question is, when do bidders become active? Should I expect more bidders since I have 10 watchers within 24 hours? I set a 7-day auction. Do they typically wait until the last minute? Thanks.😊
47 comments
oldschool718
·2 years agoIt's a good Thing, Most who know how to bid will wait and watch !
zrminid
·2 years ago@rebeccy-7
As a buyer who has a 4 to 5 page watchlist, I can tell you that a lot of buyers use the watchlist as a bookmark system. This is very common and very handy. Watchers should be viewed as buyers interested in that item, but they might be comparing to other identical items being offered elsewhere or perhaps they're just bookmarking it for later viewing. Additionally, you need to consider that shipping options are important. Offer more than one. For example, I generally and actively avoid sellers who do not offer USPS as a shipping option. I also regularly ask if Priority mail can be added as an option for the difference in the cost of shipping. Many sellers are happy to do so, but some don't and they miss out on my money.
As for the offers, those can be problematic. The duration of the offers are not long enough. 48 hours is just not enough time to react or decide for many people. For some, it is just bad timing as people could be inbetween paychecks or they're not able to budget the purchase for a few weeks.
There's also the offer discount amount. If a discount offer is 5% or less then there's little to no motivation to prioritize that purchase over other items, discounted or not. And no discount, no matter how large, is going to win someone over if they don't "feel" good about you.
There are many factors that a buyer will consider when shopping on Ebay, price isn't always the primary one. For example, I will happily pay an extra 10% or 15% for someone who is willing to ship the way I like and offers snappy and friendly service. If you can tick enough of their boxes for them before they see your page, then you will greatly increase your chances of getting their purchase.
As for you specifically, You have a solid reputation(only one neutral and it seems like an honest misunderstanding) so you are not going scare anyone off. What you may wish to consider going forward is to calculate shipping for each item, include it in the price. Yes it will slightly increase your Ebay/Paypal fees, but you can work those in too. However, free shipping is a HUGE buying factor. It makes things so very simple to add up for a buyer. Then you can included an extra option for expedited shipping for an additional amount. Making the buying experience with you as simple, easy and pleasant as possible will make YOUR items stand out from the rest even if they're priced lower then yours.
tools*
·2 years agoAs a buyer, I like auctions because things almost always sell for less than I'm willing to pay. As a seller, I like buy-it-now because things always sell for what I want.
yellow-snapdragon
·2 years agoI have learned to "expect" nothing from watchers. Most just put items in their watchlist and sit on them. But... if you do have something that is desirable and it's not bid up to a crazy amount you could get a bunch of last second bids. Did you comp your listed item for solds? I tried to bid on something this morning at 3:50 MT that was sitting at 2 bids $1 higher than starting bid. It went crazy with bids and I lost.
keziak
·2 years agoIs a small stain a "cosmetic imperfection"?
wastingtime101
·2 years agoAsk @chapeau-noir - she's one of the clothing sellers around here. Personally I would have used "new with defects" for that item, then under condition description mentioned the stain (in addition to the item description where the seller mentioned it).
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoI don’t think it has defects. 🫣 It's a white sweater, brand new with tags. I will try to remove the stain later, as I said it looks very removable, I wouldn't think it would be a huge issue.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoHope you do not mind my asking, but why would an experienced seller list any item at a starting price that would make them lose money if they only received one bid?
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoWell, I am not an experienced auction seller. It was my first auction. Many auctions start at .99 to attract traffic. I've already received 7 bids and have 30 watchers. I don't think I will lose money in the end. My other items are selling faster because the store's views have increased.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoI believe I was responding to YOUR statement, ". . . no doubt I'd lose money".
chapeau-noir
·2 years ago@rebeccy-7 The .99 start is actually a relic from a much earlier time when eBay was more of an auction format and there was less competition. It has been a long time since it fulfilled any function save to end up with an item selling for a couple of dollars, if at all, unless the item was really rare and very in demand.
@soh.maryl Makes a good point in that it's better not to list an auction for less than you'll take for it with one bid (i.e., lowest one will take). They're generally a very poor option for clothing sellers but looks like you've got a good item there!
wastingtime101
·2 years agoI hope all the bidders saw the stain since it's listed as new. 😶
keziak
·2 years agoI see it's listed as New With Tags. It has tags. If it's never been worn does that mean New despite a defect (stain)? Should it be listed as Used instead? My only personal experience trying to sell clothes was some swimsuits a while ago.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoThere is a "new with defects" option for clothing @keziak .
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/item-conditions-category?id=4765
Clothing, Shoes & Accessories: Clothing and accessories, Jewelry & Watches, Sporting Goods
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoI just looked at style and brand - didn't fine tooth comb it lol.
The stain is not a defect, it wouldn't be sold as a second, it's just the kind of thing that happens when clothing is handled in stores, but the only way to highlight it with a condition box is to list it 'new with defect' which I have had to do before. I don't care much for that solution but there it is.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoI had the stain removed. Geez, I was just being lazy and didn't want to open the sealed bag.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoDon't get me wrong, I wasn't calling you out @rebeccy-7 . It was an attempt to help for future. I've seen the gamut of buyers and have encountered plenty that would file a not as described claim in a heartbeat over something as tiny as that. Since your auction already had bids the listing could not be adjusted, but I hoped the info would be helpful for next time.
But even better - you got the stain out! ðŸ‘
gurlcat
·2 years agoYES. This is one of the perks of having at least one auction running; your BIN's also get an increase in traffic (and potentially sales!). I started a thread about it some months ago, 'What running an occasional auction can do for your store.'
As for starting bids, well it's not a good idea to use auction format for anything that you aren't fairly certain will fetch lots of attention in the first place. And if you have such an item, then I am of the camp that it IS a good idea to start it considerably lower than you hope to fetch, maybe not 99 cents but low enough that lots of buyers will get excited and start nibble-bidding right from day one, exactly like they did on your sweater! The more bids and watchers it draws, the higher the algorithm places it in search results, thus getting even MORE attention. Look, result #2, even with the broad term 'polo sweater' (then sorted by women's and 'auctions').
If I didn't know better, I would think you'd been running auctions for years, lol! You're a natural!
chapeau-noir
·2 years ago@gurlcat I keep thinking I'll try that, but it has been so long since I've done auctions (for a long time I was all auctions). I finally stopped due to sagging prices and getting tired of chasing people for payment - not that that was anything new, but the chasing people for tanking items was just annoying.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoIn the past several weeks, I have noted unsold Ralph Lauren Polo items in many of the posts complaining of slow or no sales.
If I were offered a bet on whether it would sell for more than your starting bid, I would be unable to decide which side to bet on.
rockyroadtradingpost
·2 years agoI'm wondering if it hasn't sold in the past because of the tiny stain on the chest. It can't be laundered because it's 100% wool.
Maybe you could try and remove the stain, then re-list it? It's a nice sweater.
az93
·2 years agoIf I had 40 watchers on a fixed price listing, i would lower the price a bit. It's like fishing. Eventually someone will bite.
chapeau-noir
·2 years ago@gurlcat The minimum threshold to eliminate the buy it now hasn't been reached by the bid - not sure what percentage of the buy it now that would be (50% I believe) - when that threshold is reached, the BIN disappears.
safan80
·2 years ago50% explains why it would disappear on my auctions back in the day. I changed to fixed price with OBO and that would get me more sales.
gurlcat
·2 years agoOne little side note: your closing day/time of Sunday after supper but before bedtime is PERFECT, I've tested all kinds of day/time combos and that one is the best.
adkhighker
·2 years agoI couldn't agree more, gurlcat. Sunday auctions ending at that time have always been my favorite time for them to close. I was going to launch a couple of auctions last night so they'd close next Sunday night around 9:30 but then I remembered that there's a certain football game that I'd rather be watching instead of watching my auctions during that time. My second favorite day to end an auction is Monday night, between 9:30 and 10 pm EST to catch the the east coast buyers before bedtime like you said, the west coast buyers after they're home from work, and everyone else in between.
OP, best of luck with your auction. Your listing and photos look awesome. I've done mostly auctions over the course of my eBay career on my selling ID, and there is nothing more exciting than watching the action on a hot item during the last moments of the auction, especially during the last 10 or 20 seconds. Auctions will work especially well for you for the times when you pick up a really hard to find item, especially if you bought it right. Those are the times when the final bid will often exceed your wildest expectations.
gurlcat
·2 years agoLOL we've stan'ed for Sunday nights in another thread before. -Remember I said I'm so committed to it, sometimes if I don't have the photos and listing ready I'll just go ahead and post a mostly-blank listing in the category, with this as the photo, then edit as soon as possible.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoThank you so much. I have learned a lot. I should have come here to ask for advice before listing. I didn't know Sunday was a good time to launch auctions. I did it because it was after supper and before bed, and I had a moment to check on eBay lol.
keziak
·2 years agodarn! never stopped to think about the Sunday sporting event! I see re-listing in my future.
lux.ra_14
·2 years agoI don't put much stock in ending times. The days are long gone when you had to be home at your PC when an auction ended. Most people have their phones handy at all times. I can watch a football game and still take a minute to bid on something I really want.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years ago@gurlcat
Guess what! My auction ended with a brand new buyer (0 feedback) purchasing at the buy it now price. Ohhh, i already had 15 bids and I was hoping for a last-minute bidding war! 🤣
gurlcat
·2 years agoSee, that's why I wouldn't like this weird exception about the BIN price not disappearing after bidding starts. For my auctions I sometimes include a BIN price, sometimes don't, but when I do I have numerous times seen the bids end up going HIGHER than what I'd had the BIN amount set to.
Oh well, at least you got the amount you wanted but couldn't get enough eyes on, all that time while it was a BIN only.
Oh one more thing I should have told you about before -if you do continue trying auctions, you can make them even more visible using PLE (Promoted Listings Express). It's the promotion just for auction format listings, it's a flat rate you pay up-front, and it's very cheap, typically $1 - $3. What it does is place the listing in those areas like 'Similar items' on other people's listings. Like I said before, auction format is really best for something you KNOW will get bids, and the same goes for using PLE, because with the payment being up-front, it could theoretically cost you that money for nothing, if the item gets no bids. But assuming that's in the bag, it's not only worthwhile; it's a WAY better value than the BIN promotion types. I use auctions primarily for mixed lots of desirable costume jewelry that I expect to fetch at least $150, so paying a couple bucks to promote those is a no-brainer, and it definitely works (I've run side-by-side experiments). Oh by the way, it's not too late to add this promotion to an auction at any time after listing, if you forgot when you created it. The payment is still immediate, but it just occurs whenever you approve it, and then the listing starts popping up on other listings.
safan80
·2 years agoWatchers don't mean a thing. You should only be concerned with bidders and buyers.
gurlcat
·2 years agoHang on now -I see something very weird. You have a bid, so the 'Buy it now' option should not be available anymore. But there it is. I don't even know who to tag about this. @chapeau-noir -who knows the most about auctions?
wastingtime101
·2 years agoThere are 4 categories where the buy-it-now option remains available until the bidding reaches 50% of the BIN price:
1. Parts & Accessories (eBay Motors)
2. Tickets
3. Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
4. Cell Phones & PDAs
We've always called it a "sticky BIN."
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Auction-Listings/Longer-Lasting-Buy-It-Now-Now-in-more-categor...
EDIT: That link is no longer available. But it did tell the history of the feature.
gurlcat
·2 years agoWOW! I never heard of this, thanks. I swear I learn something every time I come to the Community.
I wonder why those specific categories, though. And does it say anything about this strange exception on the listing page, like to alert the seller when they're setting up the auction?
ittybitnot
·2 years agoThat link is no longer available.
@wastingtime101
Thanks for the gallant try!!!!
What the policy info says now:
When someone bids, the Buy It Now option usually disappears; however, in the case of reserve price listings, the Buy It Now option remains until the reserve price is met. In some categories, the Buy It Now option may continue to be available after the first bid for a limited time.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/selling-buy-now?id=4109&st=3&pos=1&query=Selling%20with%20Buy%20It%20Now&intent=Buy%20it%20now%20option%20disappeared&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1061
Unfortunately, I don't see a list of the "some categories" anyplace (the bold is mine) .
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoUnfortunately, when the eBay Help pages were reformatted a few years ago, they were also re-written by somebody who was not detail oriented. Vague phrases like "some categories" were substituted for actual information. The list of the 4 "some" categories was provided in post #8.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoOh, I don’t know. Can’t we have both on?
ittybitnot
·2 years ago@gurlcat
The listing has six bids as of 11:30 eastern time.
@chapeau-noir
Is that for "threshold" format common in clothing listings?
gurlcat
·2 years agoHa now it says you have THIRTEEN watchers in the past 24 hours, NOICE! Yes you'll get more than your starting bid, I'm certain.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoHaha, thank you. I will let you know the final results 😃
gurlcat
·2 years agoIt's very likely the item will get bids in the final minutes, but it's also totally normal for an item to have way more watchers than bidders. Some people watch so they can get notifications as the closing day approaches, and if the bidding hasn't gone up "too" high they'll bid, also sellers who sell the same thing watch to see how much you end up fetching, and then some people are just voyeurs I guess, ha.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoYay. I got 6 bids now🥳
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoYes - many, if not most, bidders wait until the last minute to try to get the lowest price. Others routinely search "ending soon."
I don't know about "reviews" - do you mean 'views'? Its happened to me a number of times down through the years - I usually assume that my item has shown up on a blog or scraped by some other site, etc.
rebeccy-7
OP2 years agoYes, I meant views. It's very frustrating – lots of views and watchers, but no one buys it. 🫣
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoI know how you feel - I've had stuff get hundreds of views and just sit - usually it's something unusual but once it was a fast fashion boho top - I mean what?! It hasn't happened often, though.