MAH645
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posted on November 24, 2006 07:08:37 PM new
Unless I get tons of bids on the last few hours of my listings that have several watchers, I ain't going to do worth a crap on this 20 cent listing.
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Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 24, 2006 07:52:24 PM new
Sorry. In my experience, watchers are worthless. They seldom convert into buyers, which is the only thing that really matters.
fLufF
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hwahwa
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posted on November 25, 2006 08:07:11 AM new
' several watchers' is not enough ,you need at least 7-10 to bring 1-2 bids on hot items.
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ST0NEC0LD613
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posted on November 25, 2006 09:10:08 AM new
Sorry. In my experience, watchers are worthless. They seldom convert into buyers, which is the only thing that really matters.
DITTO
Hey eBay, you listening? Dump the broken watch system. It only hurts sellers.
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sthoemke
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posted on November 25, 2006 12:35:47 PM new
I've always thought the watch feature was ebay's biggest mistake.
Before the watch feature, there would always be plenty of bidding early on. Now you just hope to get a few bids during the last minute of a auction.
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MAH645
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posted on November 25, 2006 03:57:30 PM new
I think I'm going to end up relisting this stuff, maybe I'll have better luck in a week or two. I'm trying to sell off a bunch of vintage Christmas items I have on consignment.
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Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
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ewora
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posted on November 26, 2006 11:42:27 AM new
OK...I don't know if this is new or if I'm just seeing it for the first time because it's not really obvious...but
I was on my feedback page and up near the top where it says Hello ewora (sign out) there was a message saying watched item ending soon.
I clicked on it and sure enough it was ending in 10 minutes. I had meant to bid on it but wanted to see if I won an earlier item from the same seller before doing so.
It was nice to have a reminder. I wonder how long they've been doing that?
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merrie
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posted on November 26, 2006 12:26:51 PM new
They have been doing that for quite a while, having a reminder and a clock at the top of your page.
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probeautyeducation
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posted on November 26, 2006 12:57:42 PM new
Hi Folks
I guess the watcher facility is probaly there to encourage us sellers to relist an item. Just a personal thought. You are not able to tell whether any of the watchers bid or not.
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merrie
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posted on November 26, 2006 01:23:06 PM new
I've founds that watchers are other sellers looking to see what your item sells for so they know how to price theirs.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 26, 2006 02:54:12 PM new
watchers are other sellers
I've heard this before. Why do you think this?
fLufF
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merrie
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posted on November 26, 2006 03:49:19 PM new
I've heard this before. Why do you think this?
Because the items that they are watching for the most part are, in my case, not unique. They are items that are bought for resale or are similar to other items that they may have.
Also, I do it myself. I watch items that are the same or similar to ones that I intend to sell so I can gage the market. I used to bookmark them, now I can just watch them, much easier. I have talked to other sellers and they have told me the same thing.
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pat1959
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posted on November 26, 2006 09:43:16 PM new
Merrie
You can add me to your list of "Watchers" who are sellers keeping an eye on the market.
Pat
(Not pat1959 on eBay)
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irked
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posted on November 26, 2006 09:53:08 PM new
Yes I too don't like watchers LOL cause I am a watcher of items simular to what I may sell and yes that seller is dissapointed , only thing I do is watch items that already have bids so their hopes are not dashed too bad when this watcher does not bid. Does that make sense does to me. I get lots of watchers on my items that do not have bids and leaves me hoping beyond hope for a bid but realize they are doing what I am doing so really don't depend on watchers.
Only time I think I am probably going to get the item sold is when I get immediate watchers on a new listed item and I am usually correct in my assumption that a quick watched item means maybe it will probably sell especially with several watchers for new listing say within 6 hours. Just my take on it.
**************
 Check it out
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 26, 2006 10:54:13 PM new
So what is it, you guys don't know how to do searches on completed auctions? Odds are there's at least (oh, let's see) four times more data available there on average.
fLufF
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Damariscotta
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posted on November 27, 2006 04:03:02 AM new
... searches on completed auctions?
Because of title-only search on completed auctions, I also use the watch feature for research. Many of my searches were more nuanced than what may be in a title, for example, postcards showing a type of scene, rather than the specific town.
I thought I saw a reference to a for-pay service that would allow complete access to eBay completed listings, but can't recall where.
I also tend to use watch in place of a "favorite seller". The item showing in the watch list gives me a quick idea of why I "bookmarked" that seller, and if nothing turns up again from that seller in a reasonable amount of time, the watched item expires on its own, so I don't have to clean up my "favorite sellers" list.
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merrie
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posted on November 27, 2006 05:50:42 AM new
Search of completed items??
Watch list is easier. The items stay there forever until you delete them. Quick easy reference. Completed searches have been very unreliable lately. I find items one day and they are not there the next, exact same search and they have not expired.
Watchers = sellers.
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tonimar1
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posted on November 27, 2006 06:31:41 AM new
When I buy an item to sell on Ebay I already know what I'm going to list it for, I do research on obtaining more information about this item but I don't do it on Ebay. Lots of sellers don't even know themselves what they are selling.
And if I buy something that I don't know anything about I do lots of research to find out more information, but seeing what it sold for makes no difference to me. I've seen this happen in the past where one seller gets very little for the same item and another seller gets more.
Also I feel that the ending price for an item does not mean that is what I'm going to get for my item either, it all depends on the buyers at the time of my listing this item.
I don't watch any items because I don't care what others got or what they didn't get. And it doesn't help me to decide how much I'm going to list it for, because I already know what I'm going to do.
As a buyer I shop to find what I want and when I find it I bid, I don't waste time putting it on my watch list and then hoping im going to remember to go back and bid the last min. Personally I rather use BIN when shopping, get it/pay/done.
This watch list is just another toy that ebay put for what reason?........I'll never know.
On promotion days I never list any new auctions, and never relist any old auctions.
In my opinion that is the worse time to be selling on ebay. It's like going shopping on Black Friday.
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merrie
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posted on November 27, 2006 06:43:21 AM new
tonimar1 : I agree that identical items sell for more or less depending on who is bidding at the time.
I also do not watch items I am going to bid on.If I want it, I bid what I am willing to pay and if I am outbid, I move on. I wish more bidders did that, it would make listing and selling more interesting than everyone waiting until the last minutes and asking questions minutes before the item closes when it has been listed for a week. Oh well, whatcha gonna do??
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 27, 2006 07:10:59 AM new
it doesn't help me to decide how much I'm going to list it for, because I already know what I'm going to do.
Smart lady. I'll bet you know how much you're going to list it for before you buy it. Remember that old antiquer adage: You make your money when you buy, not when you sell.
It's like going shopping on Black Friday.
Umm, I agree in principle, but it turned out differently in practice this year.
So many stores were having pre-dawn openings that I chose one of the lesser ones: Staples. Only about 30 people waiting outside, and I only waited 10 minutes in the bitter cold before being let in. Got everything I came for.
Likewise, on special listing days, your sellthrough may be down but you can still make money. You have to look at what you netted at the end of the day.
fLufF
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neglus
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posted on November 27, 2006 07:28:10 AM new
"only waited 10 minutes in the bitter cold"....
in CALIFORNIA??? Define "bitter cold"!
Believe it or not, I actually MISSED standing in line at Best Buy in the REAL bitter cold (some years sub-zero). Lizzie, my older daugher and shopping buddy, had to stay at school this Thanksgiving to work on Black Friday. Standing in line in the bitter cold is not something I like doing alone (never mind that we didn't actually NEED anything Best Buy offered).
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 27, 2006 08:07:53 AM new
I thought that might get your attention, Mary Ann!
You know where we live: on the San Francisco Peninsula, caught between ocean and bay. The opposing bodies of water apparently have the effect of moderating the temperature so it never really gets terribly hot or cold here.
However, on Thanksgiving one must leave this sylvan paradise and trek to the hinterlands: i.e. the burgeoning city of Roseville, near Sacramento. On the day after T-day, in the predawn hours, it was cold enough to freeze a witch's pointy bits.
fLufF
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rhpepsi
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posted on November 28, 2006 01:29:28 AM new
Find out if they TRUELY intend to buy....
Using another ID (friend or yours), start posting questions to these items...examples:
Do you combine shipping? I am interested in this item and also two others you are selling?
Very interested in this piece, what is the shipping rate to ......?
This way the actual "buyers" may see others interested and finally bid on your item.
just a thought.....
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cashinyourcloset
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posted on November 28, 2006 03:56:26 AM new
I like watchers, because we can reassure our consignors about their auctions by telling them how many watchers there are. Other than that, I guess that they're not very useful.
rhpepsi, too much effort (probably illegal, BTW) for quite probably no effect.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on November 28, 2006 06:09:20 AM new
I'm not sure that posing questions on one's own auction is illegal as long as you don't bid. I did it a couple of times on my auctions with jokey questions and answers to see if anyone was paying attention. Apparently they weren't. It doesn't help that the Q & A is way down there at the bottom of the page.
fLufF
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bizzycrocheting
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posted on November 28, 2006 04:05:39 PM new
I really believe alot of sellers are watching my auctions. I find it ironic that whenever I list something, I have tons of watchers. Then I check a couple of days after the auctions close, and sure enough, there are several of the same thing I just listed. I don't know what it's like in other categories, but in my category, I seem to set the tone. Whenever I change the way that I sell or how I sell something, I have the followers. It's hard for me to determine if the watchers are potential bidders or not, so I don't pay attention anymore. Typically, I have 15-20 watchers on my auctions. I would make a fortune if they were all bidders! Yeah, and if pigs could fly ....
Diane
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pixiamom
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posted on November 28, 2006 05:40:01 PM new
Several friends buy for me and anxiously watch the listings to see how they do. I do check to see batches that have no watchers- that is my first clue that there may be problems with search. I believe most sniper programs utilize the watch feature. If an auction has no watchers - one bidder who has upped their bid several times- it pretty much tells me it will sell for opening bid.
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bonval
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posted on November 28, 2006 05:40:52 PM new
Just wanted to say (slightly OT , I admit) that I learn so much from ALL of you whether or not I always agree with all of you! But it is interesting to note how many varying opinions on the subject here probably are why eBay invents all the new toys for us - whether or not we like them, obviously someone does, so eBay gives it to us anyway! Even though my items are so different from those most of you sell, I enjoy learning and picking up the hints here! Thanks all!
Bonnie Jean DiCrocco
www.BonVal.com
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