reesie
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posted on October 21, 2000 06:23:35 PM new
Hi! I want to hear other people's oppinions on this. I have an auction going that I believe has went beyond the price that the item originally cost new. I feel like either throwing in a bonus or offering it to the high bidder for less. My husband says, let the market decide on the item's worth. I've given an accurate description with a picture, so I'm not trying to cheat anyone. Just curious as to how some of you have handled these situations. Thanks, Reesie
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jenado
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posted on October 21, 2000 06:29:19 PM new
Handled the situation with pure & utter glee! 
Someone obviously wants the item; when ya gotta have an item, ya gotta have an item. Kick back and enjoy and have a good dinner out when payment is received. Had a CD single we paid .50 for once go for $168.50. (Yes, $168.50!!) An obvious fan thought it was a must have and worth it; even paid right away with our old friend Paypal.
Good luck!
Jenado
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eoi
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posted on October 21, 2000 06:56:50 PM new
I published a book, and besides selling to bookstores, I auction off single copies at half price on ebay. I'm often had copies go for 150-200% of cover price, even though it is listed and in stock with Amazon.com
It is the benefit of an inefficient marketplace
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HartCottageQuilts
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posted on October 21, 2000 07:19:45 PM new
Indeed, bids CAN go too high.
Definitely offer it to the high bidder for less, on condition that he spend the "overbid" portion (which you of course won't charge him) over at my auctions 
Seriously - relax. Nobody twisted that bidder's arm. You'll get enough sales that DON'T meet what you thought the item should've gone for - in the end it all balances out.
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mballai
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posted on October 21, 2000 07:35:35 PM new
Yes they can go too high.
This balances out the ones that go for less or take longer to sell. I spent over $180 one weekend on a big pile of books--much much more than usual. I was sweating.
Well just one of them closed at a hefty $142... making the rest an easy coast to the bank depository.
As long as they pay up...cheers!
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avaloncourt
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posted on October 21, 2000 08:24:22 PM new
Bidders can be so strange! Sometimes a bidding war starts and their sense gets lost along the way. I had an item on that was commonly available through retail. I started the price at half of the retail price and watched. A bidding war started for some strange reason and the final price was 900% of retail. It made no sense to me. The bidder paid promptly and seemed to be pleased she got it.
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mybiddness
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posted on October 21, 2000 08:39:41 PM new
I've had that happen too and more than once I've sat in front of the computer yelling "are you nuts?" But, they always pay up and seem thrilled. My advice is to just enjoy it!
Not paranoid anywhere else but here!
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reesie
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posted on October 21, 2000 08:50:21 PM new
Thank you all for your replies! I feel better now. Your posts made me laugh and I needed a good laugh tonight. Thanks, Reesie
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xardon
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posted on October 21, 2000 08:55:23 PM new
Many threads describing situations like yours are entitled Happy Dance. That should give you some idea of the general mood around here regarding such matters.
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eoi
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posted on October 21, 2000 09:40:57 PM new
There was one day where I pulled up a list of my auctions, saw that I item was up, reloaded a few minutes later, it was up, started click reloaded, and it was just going up, up, up with every reload.
Better then the stock market... no down ticks
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uaru
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posted on October 21, 2000 09:55:49 PM new
As a buyer bids get too high for me on a regular basis. Each time that happens someone else wins the auction.
As a seller bids never get too high.
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Microbes
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posted on October 22, 2000 07:58:54 AM new
Can bids get to high? ROTFLMAO.
Seriously, I've had a few surprises. Like a trackball for an Apple II that I paid 25 cents for at a yardsale, and the 25 cents price was in black magic marker on the box, and it showed real clear in the pictures. Bidding got to $76.00..... Buyer Overnighted the money...
Yup, sometimes ya' do the happy dance!
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onsale
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posted on October 22, 2000 09:38:24 AM new
I once bought a set of dishes for less than $5. Not all the pieces were there- but it was a nice set and a pretty well-known pattern. So I bought it. Listed it at $25 with no reserve, I would have been VERY happy to just get that.
Well, up to the last night, there was only one bidder for $25. A few hours before the auction ended it went to $70. I went to the auction and by the time it reloaded it went up to $110. I hit reload again and it went up again. For the next couple hours, I was wearing out that reload key! The auction finally ended at $300.00. 
I thought it was a prank. The bidder had 0 feedback. I sent them the EOA email, and told them I would pay the shipping (it was the LEAST I could do!).. but I never really counted on that payment in the mail. About 3 days later there was a money order for $300.00 in my mailbox!
Talk about HAPPY DANCE! 
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sharenv
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posted on October 22, 2000 10:19:39 AM new
I had a similar experience to onsale's. I bought a set of dishes at the last yard sale stop of the day. The seller was already packing up for the day and have given up hope of selling the set (this is usually where I get my best deals). It was marked $20 and he accepted my offer of $10. My husband scowled at this as we were relatively new to auctioning, were just about out of cash, and had never listed dishes before. But, it was a good name, an old pattern and I figured even if there were some broken pieces in the bottom of the box, I was sure to at least get $25 for them.
Got it home and listed it without a reserve; would have been happy to get $25. There was a bidding war and they ended up selling for $370!!
It turned out that the high bidder had started this pattern as a young bride and after buying a house and having children, never could afford to finish it. To have purchased all the pieces in the set from a china replacement company, she would have had to pay more than $750. So, in the end, the yard sale seller was happy to get my $10, my high bidder was happy to finish her set and I was doing the happy dance with my $360 profit!!
There are times when a very simple item goes for way more than retail value. I just figure these people must live in a remote area of the country where there are no retail sources for the item.
Happy auctioning!!
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macandjan
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posted on October 22, 2000 10:29:42 AM new
If you have the guilties for people giving you money go do something else where you won't spoil it for the rest of us on the auction. You can go to Yahoo and do fixed price first bid wins.
We don't need anyone training bidders to expect discounts after the close. There are already too many trying to nip us out of shipping costs or trying to get a partial refund instead of returning things.
Trying to be helpful this way is like the old ladies who stop where there is no stop sign out on the road and wave people through. They are applying social rules where we already have rules of the road. All they do is confuse everyone as to what to expect. Same online - follow the program - it is business deals not a social encounter.
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BlondeSense
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posted on October 22, 2000 10:37:02 AM new
I don't know what you have listed, but it could be identical to one Grandma had in her kitchen many many years ago and so someone just has to have it.
Whatever the reason, just do the happy dance!
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Microbes
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posted on October 22, 2000 10:43:32 AM new
macandjan
>We don't need anyone training bidders to expect discounts after the close. There are already too many trying to nip us out of shipping costs or trying to get a partial refund instead of returning things.
Ya' said a mouthfull here. It's for another thead, but we refuse to do partial refunds. People are either happy, or their not. Turn down a full refund, including 2 way shipping, and we won't even waste time answering any more emails.
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