Selling Multiple Items. How Many Auctions Should I List at One Time in Auction Format?

[wifesaysgetridofit]

I like to sell ~200 items at the same time, using an auctions format, so that they all end in a certain time frame. Is there a sweet spot for the time frame that they should all end in? What I mean is, if I were to setup 120 auctions with each ending in one minute intervals (120 auctions = 120 minutes), is two hours too long to expect people to sit and wait for the final few seconds of each auction to bid? Or should I only list 60 a day or some other time frame?

What have you found to be the sweet spot for a time frame?

If it helps, I sell autographed memorabilia.

TIA!!

[slippinjimmy]

There are differing opinions on this subject and none of them are more correct than the others. Much depends on your items and your target buyers.

I don't do Auctions anymore (gave them up more than 10 years ago) but when I did I listed every day so Auctions ended every day. The target was 10 listings per day.

For timing, because my customers are both domestic and international I would list the Auctions during the afternoon period (1 - 4pm Eastern Time), this would ensure that they ended at reasonable times for North America, Europe and Asia.

Some buyers use sniping services for Auctions, they don't care what time it ends but for those that bid in real time it may. This could vary depending on what you sell and who your buyers are.

Conventional wisdom was that Auctions should end on Sunday afternoon/evening, for some people that's a good time, for just as many it's the worst time. My own Fixed Price sales still happen most frequently on week days rather than weekends, same goes for questions from buyers.

The conventional thinking is somewhat dated as it comes from a time when people only had dial up and for many of those access was only at work/school. These days most people have access 24/7 no matter what they are doing or where they are.

You have been selling football stuff, maybe Sunday is good or maybe it's bad, personally I watch the Sunday games, I'm not doing shopping.

[onefootflipper1]

I never list anything auction format as I prefer to actually get what the item is worth.

With that said the 1 minute increment should be fine, it isn't super likely that people are frequently going to be interested in 2 items in a row, and those who are can figure it out. Going to 2 minutes stretches the timeframe to 7 hours, which is too long if you want people hanging around bidding all night.