posted on September 30, 2000 04:20:57 AM
Good morning to all. I have been looking at a lot of auctions and have noticed that some are started at a low price $1.00 and get a lot of bids. Others start at $1.00 and get no bids or one bid. The exact same item will be listed with a much higher starting price and get the same results. What causes the difference?
I try to start my items at the lowest price I can and still not lose money on them. I describe every little flaw there is on the item. I try to include enough pictures so they a look at the full item without it taking too long to load. I charge for priority shipping and insurance(their option unless it is glass) only. I keep my TOS short and to the point. I always use the gallery.
Some of my items surprise me and go through the roof. Others sit with no bids while the exact same item is going for 3 times the bid amount I'm getting.
Any thoughts on this other than sellers feedback number? In many cases this has not been a factor at all.
I am using my auctions as an example but have noticed this on a great number of items I shop for.
posted on September 30, 2000 04:58:22 AM
I've started several things out at $1.00 - even 1¢ and get NO bids. Then I'll relist that same item for $9.99 and get bids up to $30+! Sometimes I think if you start it out at a higher bid the bidders think it is worth more!
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The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary.
posted on September 30, 2000 07:15:23 AM
I agree with Valerie, the is an old adage in retail, if you have tried everything and it hasn't sold, "Mark it up".
posted on September 30, 2000 08:22:27 AM
Just a thought, but when I am interested in an item and clicking on it results in a zillion pictures, or one HUGE one, loading on an already extremely slow eBay system - I'll click right back out of it and move on to a similiar item with smaller pictures and less load time.
posted on September 30, 2000 08:44:56 AM
I've noticed similar things with very low starting prices. It almost seems at times that if you start too low, that people think there is something not being disclosed about it or it really isn't worth much. The bidders don't know what your cost is and I feel like many assume that it can't be too high if you are starting at $1.
I have a friend eBayer (one of my first customers, actually.) who sells all of her clothes (whole outfits) for $1. She often loses out on these, while on others, she gets a lot more than what she paid for them. She figures that it balances out but I don't see it that way. I really think she needs to raise her prices.
I started a bunch of my clothing auctions the other night at $7 or $8 per outfit, so we will see what the end result turns out to be. I don't want somebody to scoop up a killer buy from me at $1 on an item that is worth $40 retail. If I can get $10 for it, then I will be very happy.
It's strange what happens though, when people bid on something. When they're outbid, they don't tend to go look for the same item again elsewhere. Instead, they increase their bid on the current one. I have done the same thing, but unless the item is very unique, I will let it go and keep looking instead.
posted on September 30, 2000 09:18:45 AM
Well I said it before and I'll say it again.
I recently ran 48 auctions started them at at $1.00.
Put them in gallery and had a "personal gallery link" (thank you again preacher4u)
I put 1 in a popular "feature catagory".
Out of the 48 items I received 370+ BIDS (not hits) but accual BIDS.
Out of a $200 investment I exceeded $1,000.
Yes, I lost on some, if you are going to look at what I paid per item, BUT.... I made 10 fold on others which well made up for my loss and besides I figure that the person that bid on an item and got it for LESS then I paid got a really good deal. THEY WILL BE BACK....
I've been doing "DOLLAR DAZES" since the middle of August and Now I won't have it any other way!
Thanks to reading this board it gave me the courage to try it. No regrets here!
edited for packer by packer!!
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Having a BAD hair Day! ...
posted on September 30, 2000 09:21:05 AM
Starting bid effects bidding in just the way you think it would.
if you start your High priced items at $1 or .01 many look and say well I know this is worth $50 or $200 there must be something wrong with this.
If you start a Item off to highly priced The buyer knows hey this Item has a start of $10 more then its worth people will not bid it they are looking frist for bargans if they cant get the bragan and really want it they want to find an honest price.
next if your start bid is $2 or more then others listed you can exspect it may need a second listing for the lower priced item to move off frist or ajust to compete.
you must do your home work as well on handeling and shipping prices on the same items you are selling even if your start bid is competitive in the cat the handleing and shipping may be higher some may even be offering shipping deals you dont know about and even if they are a bit higher priced free shipping on another auction got the bid.
other factor effect bidding too some buy based on feed back numbers other buyers based on past sales from a seller and starting price is not the frist issue in this case.
price is in any case one of the last reasons some one bids on ebay frist thing that gets the attention is title second thing they are greeted by is your picture that peeks there attention.
then they read you decription if your tos is there and its a turn off they wont bid if your shipping or handleing is to much this turns them away.
all things have to come togeather at the sametime pluss the buyer for the Item has to be out there as well in the week you list or even that wont help.
key is to simply be fair in your start bids to your self and to bidders. Know your Items and learn how to write effective ads and titles.
if your looking to do $$$$ sales at online auction and hope to make a full time job of it you really need to up your listing from 10 to 50 per week up to 400 to 2000 Item for sale 24/7 set a dollar goal to reach where you can give up the day job and lower the goal of selling 100% of your items weekly.
two reasons for this the more you list the more your auction are seen. and the beeter your chances to sell almost garenteeing good results
good goal for daily sales not weekly is $200 to $500 a day. when the really good days make up for the really bad days and the Ebay down times for a few months you should be good to go.
I know small seller personally my self that are makeing $2000 to $7000 a month. people listing no more the 10 to 20 items weekly they are sure will sell for $200 to $500 everytime. these people concider this a part time thing hobby what ever, I cant even imagine what some power sellers with 76 and 80 pages of listings daily are doing.
posted on September 30, 2000 12:06:48 PM
If your item sits while another seller's identical item gets bids, it might simply mean that there is only one bidder right now for your item. Otherwise that doesn't mean squat.
People's bidding often means far less than you think. I have offered the same book multiple times and it always sold. Now I can't get a bidder. Wait awhile and try again.
If multiple copies of what you are selling are out there, you have far less chance of getting a bidder.
