Regards,
This from the listing tool ... eBay is suggesting Sellers start Auctions at 99 cents ... not good advice. I calculate Auction starting prices the same way I determine GTC pricing ... that way if one bid wins the Auction I make profit.
Mr. L
@coolections wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:I calculate Auction starting prices the same way I determine GTC pricing.
Maybe 99 cent is not a good idea and I would not recommend that low, but what you are doing is pretend auctions. If I can buy the same item from another seller at your BIN price I will hit the back button every time. You should really just skip auctions as that is what has driven away most buyers from auctions.
@coolections There is no difference between a Buyer who purchases a GTC listing on day 7 or one of my 7 Day Auctions with one bid. With collectibles, using the Auction format allows the opportunity for two or more interested parties to bid to a price they are willing to pay for the item ...
While most Auctions sell on 1 bid there are quite a few I have run where they have bid higher then average resale pricing. While I respect your opinion my own experience leads me to disagree.
Mr. L
@chapeau-noir wrote:They're *still* doing the .99 auction start recommendation? Good grief - doling out bad advice since 2005.
@chapeau-noir I posted this because there was a thread (last month if memory serves) about members saying eBay suggest the 99 cent start price on Auctions but at the time nobody could find it in writing ... I know I saw it years ago .... somewhere LOL but could not recall where. So this puts it in writing from Home Office ... I love selling Auction style although its not a true Auction ... but it does allow the chance for prices to go above market average ... and they do.
@katzrul15 wrote:
Great post - thank you for sharing the Graphic.
I am here to make money. Not a "hobby" and not "just for something to do". To "make money", I need to turn a profit. Even if I received the item for "free" - selling something for 99 cents/free shipping, is so a recipe for disaster, especially if the item being shipped for "free" is not something that can go with a Forever Stamp.
For the majority of categories, this is not a sustainable business module.
Auctions can be a great tool - can be a great item well suited for auction and yet sell poorly based on a ton of factors that are beyond each seller's control.
As e-Bay does not actually "SELL" anything, I take their "suggestions" and file 13 them, when it comes to starting price, listing price.
I know my products and typically what the market will bear. Not all items are the same or created equal as regards their condition, merits, etc.
This "agenda" to push 99 cent auctions is just that, an "agenda". ymmv
@katzrul15 You hit the nail on the head there ... eBay limits what categories Auctions can be used in without Fees ... but the 99 cent start price is simply ridiculous ... they shouldn't even commit to a starting price like that, just tell Sellers to make sure their starting Auction price is such that on one bid they will make their profit.
Of course eBay also pushes the Reserve price which comes with a Fee so I am sure that plays in to their 99 cent start price strategy ... otherwise they wouldn't offer that ...
@luckythewinner wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:This from the listing tool ... eBay is suggesting Sellers start Auctions at 99 cents ... not good advice.
eBay's advice to sellers is based on what eBay thinks is good for eBay, not what is good for sellers.
When I bring my car to the dealership for my free oil changes, there is always $500-$1500 worth of other things they "suggest" I do.
@luckythewinner Exactly ... I think they have an algorithm that turns on the Check engine Light just to get you to take the car in ... then you wind up having to replace about 5 Sensors that went bad but the actual devices they were "sensing" were just fine BUT if you want to replace those devices while the car's there they'll do it for you LOL!
@chapeau-noir wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:
@chapeau-noir wrote:They're *still* doing the .99 auction start recommendation? Good grief - doling out bad advice since 2005.
@chapeau-noir I posted this because there was a thread (last month if memory serves) about members saying eBay suggest the 99 cent start price on Auctions but at the time nobody could find it in writing ... I know I saw it years ago .... somewhere LOL but could not recall where. So this puts it in writing from Home Office ... I love selling Auction style although its not a true Auction ... but it does allow the chance for prices to go above market average ... and they do.
@mr_lincoln I remember on the Sell Your Item the auction starting price defaulted to .99 - it would be there in the pricing text box. 😒 Is that still the case?
@chapeau-noir Good question ... the pic on my OP is from the Unified Lister and creating an Auction listing on a new item.
@calntom wrote:Yep, not good for the seller. I recently sold an item I won for .99
My sell price was $195 on a $235 retail item.
Needs to be a high demand product to list at .99 just to get things rolling right away.
@calntom ....................................... WOW ......................................
@calntom wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:
@calntom wrote:Yep, not good for the seller. I recently sold an item I won for .99
My sell price was $195 on a $235 retail item.
Needs to be a high demand product to list at .99 just to get things rolling right away.
@calntom ....................................... WOW ......................................
I could not believe he actually followed through and shipped as he did have a red donut from a previous sale he cancelled from an auction.
@calntom That pretty much sums it up ... bad advice, Seller follows it, item does NOT bid up, they cancel and get neg FB then repeat using the same bad advice and NOT knowing any better because THAT is what is suggested ... then they sell for cheap and someone else benefits.
And it's those kind of transaction that suppress pricing ...
