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10 replies

What do you think of reserve prices?

R rickbradfordMember
What are your opinions on setting a reserve price for auction listings?

I've only been selling on eBay for about six months but my impression thus far has been that it puts some people off. Maybe most? Or maybe it depends on what you're selling?

I think it can be seen as deceitful when the low starting bid that attracts a bidder actually reveals an invisible reserve. Not that I'm above using it, of course...

Also, I assume that reserves are probably less likely to really bother the more serious or more determined buyers ("collectors", in my case).

I'm curious because I'll probably start using it soon on a few of my items, so any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
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auctivadavidauctivadavidAuctiva Support
This is my personal opinion, but when I look for stuff to buy on eBay I never bid on an item that has a reserve. I see it as a waste of time since my bid cannot possibly win the auction until people outbid me and the price goes above some unknown amount. I want to know how much I will have to pay before I start bidding. There are plenty of auctions that don't use reserve prices, so I will just go to one of those. I see plenty of bids on reserve auctions though so maybe I am alone here Smile
C cavaleriesoldaatMember
For me, when I buy, reserve price doesn't usually affect my decision to bid or not...unless there are two of the same product, 1 with, 1 without, then I'll go with the product without a reserve.

As a seller, I rarely use reserves. It drives your listing costs up significantly, and I only use it on the occasionaly item that I know can sell for X amount, but might not the first lising due to fluctuating buyers. As I said, this is rare for me.

My two cents Smile
R rickbradfordMember
Thanks for the input, guys.

David, this was my thinking as well, but others are advising me to state the reserve in the listing. That's a new concept to me as I don't think I've ever seen that done (but I gather that it's common).

It seems you could also lose people that way but I guess the question is just how many would you lose? And how many would prefer it?

Any other thoughts are more than welcome!
R rickbradfordMember
Well, I'd wondered the same thing, but many folks over on the eBay forums swear that the way to go is to set a low starting bid and state your reserve within the auction.

That seems like crazy talk but nobody over there suggested any differently. I just set a reserve price for the first time yesterday and it was met the same day. Not that that's conclusive evidence, but I'll definitely keep experimenting with it.
creativenotionscreativenotionsMember
quote:
Originally posted by corona:
Why bother stating a reserve...just adjust your opening bid. If it's good, it's good. If not, you'll know in 7 days. Why play games?


All auctions are games, whether you place a reserve or not.

In my opinion, if you've got a relatively scarce item that is in demand, using a reserve won't affect bidding. I sold an old laptop with a high reserve, and started the bids low ($9.99). It did better than any of the other similar laptops that sold previously.

If the item is readily available from other sellers, reserve will probably hurt you.
P peachMember
quote:
Originally posted by Auctiva David:
This is my personal opinion, but when I look for stuff to buy on eBay I never bid on an item that has a reserve. I see it as a waste of time since my bid cannot possibly win the auction until people outbid me and the price goes above some unknown amount. I want to know how much I will have to pay before I start bidding. There are plenty of auctions that don't use reserve prices, so I will just go to one of those. I see plenty of bids on reserve auctions though so maybe I am alone here Smile


I totally agree with this.

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