quote:Nothing makes a buyer click out of your auction faster than seeing a reserve.
This isn't necessarily true (depends on the item) but I do think a hidden reserve will make more buyers hit the back button.
Jett, if you ask this same question on the eBay forums you'll be pelted with suggestions to reveal your reserve. The thinking is why should the buyer have to guess how much your item costs? I think a lot of buyers will hit the back button rather than playing games.
I think the people who will tolerate a hidden reserve are the people who would more likely meet a revealed reserve anyway. So why not reveal it (in the listing itself) and encourage more people to bid?
The reserve is only there to ensure that you make a certain amount for your item. But I don't see how it benefits anyone by being a secret.
Also, I have my doubts about it being an eBay rule that you can't reveal your reserve. It's your listing -- nobody's going to stop you from revealing it if you choose to do so.