Reserve prices work when you have two or more highly motivated bidders for a desirable item.
Most Ebay auctions do not have motivated bidders, they have bargain hunters or other resellers who are taking advantage of the ignorance of Ebay sellers.
I only use Ebay auctions when I am attempting to clear merchandise which is not up to my standard criteria, as a retail priced seller of antiques and collectibles.
I have sold many items at auction (online and in person) in the past 40 or more years, and used reserve sparingly, usually when my courage is failing.
When I purchase an item that has a reserve price I will make 2 offers max. If I get a 'not accepted' 2 times I will move on and not make the purchase as I find the guessing very irritating. Personally I would give the buyer the reserve if asked or you may lose the sale entirely. I think a reserve listing is the worse sort of listing. I try my best not to make an offer on a reserve listing and if I do my max is 2 offers. Why not just put the price on the listing you are wanting for the item? I guess I just like simplicity. 🤗
When I purchase an item that has a reserve price I will make 2 offers max. If I get a 'not accepted' 2 times I will move on and not make the purchase as I find the guessing very irritating. Personally I would give the buyer the reserve if asked or you may lose the sale entirely. I think a reserve listing is the worse sort of listing. I try my best not to make an offer on a reserve listing and if I do my max is 2 offers. Why not just put the price on the listing you are wanting for the item? I guess I just like simplicity. 🤗
Two offers, or bids? If you're sending offers, that's not a reserve.
If you feel you want to have a reserve you might want to consider instead a fixed price listing with a best offer. That way it's a free listing and you will more than likely get the item sold at a more reasonable price than say an auction. When there is an auction it goes for below market value. In your case you might be not getting many bidders at all cause buyers want to know the reserve.
Reserves remain useful if only to encourage early bidding as one of the search parameters offered by eBay is "Number of bids: most first."
While I have no proof, it seems eBay's Best Match probably favors auctions displaying a greater amount of activity over those that are ignored, so the cost of the reserve may be acceptable in some situations.
I get the hypothesis behind having a reserve. People don't know what it is, they start bidding and they get caught up in it. If they just see the starting bid at the acceptable minimum, they may just think it's too high and move on. I get it. Does it actually work? Probably rarely.
Yes, there's a psychology behind it which might have worked great in the early years, but probably not so much now.
One key factor behind using a Reserve in the early years was because your listing fee (yes, we were charged up front for listing) was based in part on your opening price. For example, an auction listing beginning at $24.99 cost less than an auction listing beginning at $25.00. There were several price points applied depending on where you wanted your auction to start.
That's all gone now; we get lots of free listings, so a Reserve really has little value, and considering how high eBay has pushed the fee now for using a Reserve, they are clearly discouraging its use (presumably because it can lead to confused or unhappy bidders who think they won an auction, only to discover that they didn't meet the Reserve and didn't win anything after all that time).
@cstep240 : Just forget using a Reserve, set your opening price to the amount that you would genuinely accept to sell for if you only ever get one bid, and then every bid after that is gravy. 😃
Since most sellers have figured out that just starting their listings at the very lowest price they want is the same as using a Reserve price, plus it doesn't cost extra, it seems like listings that have a Reserve have diminished considerably and are mostly used on higher dollar items than cards. JMHO.
And I am offering this opinion as a former seller (other ID, many years ago) but current buyer.
Yes they can. Sellers are not required to give it. However, if they want to sell it they should. A reserve is a waste of fees and only drives buyers off.
Bidders can ask the seller whatever they want but the seller doesnt have to answer.
I dont understand why sellers set reserve prices and pay for that option, when they could just set the minimum price at the "reserve" and not pay the fee if it doesnt sell.
tobaccocardyahoo
·11 months agoReserve prices work when you have two or more highly motivated bidders for a desirable item.
Most Ebay auctions do not have motivated bidders, they have bargain hunters or other resellers who are taking advantage of the ignorance of Ebay sellers.
I only use Ebay auctions when I am attempting to clear merchandise which is not up to my standard criteria, as a retail priced seller of antiques and collectibles.
I have sold many items at auction (online and in person) in the past 40 or more years, and used reserve sparingly, usually when my courage is failing.
todaysstyle
·11 months agoWhen I purchase an item that has a reserve price I will make 2 offers max. If I get a 'not accepted' 2 times I will move on and not make the purchase as I find the guessing very irritating. Personally I would give the buyer the reserve if asked or you may lose the sale entirely. I think a reserve listing is the worse sort of listing. I try my best not to make an offer on a reserve listing and if I do my max is 2 offers. Why not just put the price on the listing you are wanting for the item? I guess I just like simplicity. 🤗
doc-holmes
·11 months agoTwo offers, or bids? If you're sending offers, that's not a reserve.
bonanza125
·11 months agoIf you feel you want to have a reserve you might want to consider instead a fixed price listing with a best offer. That way it's a free listing and you will more than likely get the item sold at a more reasonable price than say an auction. When there is an auction it goes for below market value. In your case you might be not getting many bidders at all cause buyers want to know the reserve.
redmodelt
·11 months agoOn higher priced rare items where there might be a demand, it might help get the bidding juices going, on other stuff not so much.
pennpicker
·11 months agoReserves remain useful if only to encourage early bidding as one of the search parameters offered by eBay is "Number of bids: most first."
While I have no proof, it seems eBay's Best Match probably favors auctions displaying a greater amount of activity over those that are ignored, so the cost of the reserve may be acceptable in some situations.
bennotbill
·11 months agoOnce upon a time when reserves were more popular I always asked.
If I never got an answer I would just move on to another auction. No sense in wasting my time.
doc-holmes
·11 months agoI get the hypothesis behind having a reserve. People don't know what it is, they start bidding and they get caught up in it. If they just see the starting bid at the acceptable minimum, they may just think it's too high and move on. I get it. Does it actually work? Probably rarely.
adamcartwright
·11 months ago@doc-holmes
Yes, there's a psychology behind it which might have worked great in the early years, but probably not so much now.
a_c_green
·11 months agoOne key factor behind using a Reserve in the early years was because your listing fee (yes, we were charged up front for listing) was based in part on your opening price. For example, an auction listing beginning at $24.99 cost less than an auction listing beginning at $25.00. There were several price points applied depending on where you wanted your auction to start.
That's all gone now; we get lots of free listings, so a Reserve really has little value, and considering how high eBay has pushed the fee now for using a Reserve, they are clearly discouraging its use (presumably because it can lead to confused or unhappy bidders who think they won an auction, only to discover that they didn't meet the Reserve and didn't win anything after all that time).
@cstep240 : Just forget using a Reserve, set your opening price to the amount that you would genuinely accept to sell for if you only ever get one bid, and then every bid after that is gravy. 😃
soh.maryl
·11 months agoSince most sellers have figured out that just starting their listings at the very lowest price they want is the same as using a Reserve price, plus it doesn't cost extra, it seems like listings that have a Reserve have diminished considerably and are mostly used on higher dollar items than cards. JMHO.
And I am offering this opinion as a former seller (other ID, many years ago) but current buyer.
kensgiftshop
·11 months agoWhy not?
If they are not willing to pay the reserve price, there's no need to bid on the item.
Why are you using a reserve on those cheap cards, just start the auction at the price you want and save that fee.
simba6
·11 months agoYes they can. Sellers are not required to give it. However, if they want to sell it they should. A reserve is a waste of fees and only drives buyers off.
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·11 months agoI'm not sure why anyone even uses the reserve option. You have to pay a fee whether your item sells or not.
Why not just start your auction at the minimum you are willing to take?
I avoid reserve auctions because I'm not into playing a guessing game
klhmdg
·11 months agoBidders can ask the seller whatever they want but the seller doesnt have to answer.
I dont understand why sellers set reserve prices and pay for that option, when they could just set the minimum price at the "reserve" and not pay the fee if it doesnt sell.
heckofagame
·11 months agoThey can ask. You don't have to answer.