Should I be excited, or vultures circling (eBay content)

[oldslapper]

In people’s experience is it a “good” sign to have hundreds of watchers, loads of bidde

[BigAlonBass]

Yep. Don't listen to the "I'll take it off your hands for £**** " chancers. Let the Auction run its course. 😊

[Trueno]

It all happens in the last hour.

[oldslapper]

There’s a glitch in the matrix 

[warwickhunt]

Bear in mind a fair few watchers are watching not as potential buyers but they may own something similar and want to see what yours goes for.  I once had 200+ watchers on a bass that was priced quite reasonably (less than anything comparable on BC)... not one single bid!  

[Skybone]

16 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Bear in mind a fair few watchers are watching not as potential buyers but they may own something similar and want to see what yours goes for.  I once had 200+ watchers on a bass that was priced quite reasonably (less than anything comparable on BC)... not one single bid!  

 

This, unfortunately.

[Burns-bass]

I list all my bases at the price I'll accept (with the addition of fees and associated nonsense that eBay brings). That means BC members get a healthy discount. 

 

eBay is basically gumtree now. It's an online marketplace offering fixed price listings for most things.

[Newfoundfreedom]

I sold all my dogging gear on eBay.

 

I had loads of watchers.

 

 

 

(I'll get my coat)

[oldslapper]

15 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I sold all my dogging gear on eBay.

 

I had loads of watchers.

 

 

 

(I'll get my coat)

You can’t, I’ve got your coat! 🧥 

[paul_c2]

2 hours ago, oldslapper said:

In people’s experience is it a “good” sign to have hundreds of watchers, loads of bidde

 

Its completely meaningless. In fact, anything that happens in the first 6 days 23 hrs 59 mins of an eBay auction is meaningless. The serious buyers either use sniping software or are active in the dying seconds of the auction.

 

As with any auction, it is the price the SECOND highest bidder is willing to pay, which determines the eventual sale price of something.

 

In all my years selling on eBay, someone who has contacted me before the auction has NEVER gone on to buy/win an item, so bear that in mind with the time & effort you put in to replying to messages.......

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[oldslapper]

1 hour ago, Jus Lukin said:

 

There is! Are there two of these threads or am I slipping back and forth between alternate dimensions?

Yes, this one is a duplicate of the original. 
It’s the Encore version.

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Bassfinger]

Whenever I see  a listing that says "dont put this on watch unless youre intending the bid" I immediately  put it on watch and ask all my friends to do the sam,e.

[TheGreek]

I don't believe that "everything happens in the last half an hour".

 

I have placed ludicrous lowball bids on items days before and won at bargain prices. I'm also a watcher of things similar to those I own to get an idea of selling prices. 

[Downunderwonder]

16 hours ago, paul_c2 said:

In all my years selling on eBay, someone who has contacted me before the auction has NEVER gone on to buy/win an item, so bear that in mind with the time & effort you put in to replying to messages....

Maybe I'm the weirdo or maybe it's you, but I often ask about stuff before I get onto bidding / buying. If I get a half arsed answer I am less likely to pursue it!

[Newfoundfreedom]

12 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

Maybe I'm the weirdo or maybe it's you, but I often ask about stuff before I get onto bidding / buying. If I get a half arsed answer I am less likely to pursue it!

 

Yup. Same here. I've asked sellers questions many times, and often gone on to bid / buy said item if I get a good response from the seller. 

 

I've even bought stuff on auctions I've lost a few times, because the winning bidder didn't pay, so the seller has come back to me because they knew I was genuinely interested. 

[Trueno]

33 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

Maybe I'm the weirdo or maybe it's you, but I often ask about stuff before I get onto bidding / buying. If I get a half arsed answer I am less likely to pursue it!

I’ve had some really stupid questions asked and the asker has never placed a bid. But I always answer with some enthusiasm… for the very reasons that Mr Wonder has set out above. Other bidders will be reading it and drawing their own conclusions.

 

Don’t know if this works, but I always end the auction just before Sunday evening… so people can have a look on a boring Sunday afternoon, and drunks coming home on a Saturday night might make silly bids. I realise that some use last minute bid software, but every bid before that pushes the final bid up.

 

edit… yes, some people do ask proper questions… maybe something I’ve forgotten to put in the original post.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Trueno

[paul_c2]

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Maybe I'm the weirdo or maybe it's you, but I often ask about stuff before I get onto bidding / buying. If I get a half arsed answer I am less likely to pursue it!

 

All I can give is my experience in the UK. Maybe its different in Bulgaria or NZ where there are far fewer potential local buyers.

 

If you don't answer the question at all, it doesn't appear to the public on the listing.

[Reggaebass]

Questions don’t appear on the listing unless the seller add’s them to the description, do they?

[neepheid]

21 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I don't believe that "everything happens in the last half an hour".

 

I have placed ludicrous lowball bids on items days before and won at bargain prices. I'm also a watcher of things similar to those I own to get an idea of selling prices. 

 

Any time I'm in for something on eBay, you bet I'm there in person during the last 5 mins and my bid will be going in with circa 5 secs to go. You're just lucky that our paths haven't crossed yet

 

Also, in my experience for most things I'm trying to buy on eBay, the last few seconds are sniper alley. So believe what you will, I have experienced the rush of bids in the last few seconds many times, it's not a fairy story.

Edited October 27, 2021 by neepheid

[lemmywinks]

21 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I don't believe that "everything happens in the last half an hour".

 

I have placed ludicrous lowball bids on items days before and won at bargain prices. I'm also a watcher of things similar to those I own to get an idea of selling prices. 

 

Same.

 

It's the bidders who get caught in a frenzy during the last few seconds that complain all the true bargains have disappeared. Best way to eBay is to spray and pray with low bids or keep refreshing the newly listed BIN.

[neepheid]

14 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

 

Same.

 

It's the bidders who get caught in a frenzy during the last few seconds that complain all the true bargains have disappeared. Best way to eBay is to spray and pray with low bids or keep refreshing the newly listed BIN.

 

I respectfully disagree.

[binky_bass]

I've sold hundred of guitars and basses on eBay and at least 95% of the time the majority of the bids come in during the last 5 minutes. Of course this leaves the 5% of bidders like @TheGreek, but the absolute majority of bids come in during the last few minutes. To add a caveat, all my auctions start at £1 with no reserve, so these are the kind of auctions where the action happens in the dying moments! 

[Bassfinger]

I never bid until there are seconds left.  I don't udnerstand why people bid early on, cos all theyre doing is knocking the price northwards.