1st time ebay seller..do I have a chance?

[CarlosContreros]

Hi all.......
I recently posted my first ebay "listing" a few days ago(a very nice frameset
at a very fair "starting bid") and I've yet to recieve a bid.

Would the fact that I have NO reputation at ebay be a "contributing factor"?

If so?.....what steps can someone take to assure bidders that the seller
is "legit" ?

I wanted to do a "buy-it-now" option...but..obviously I don't have the
selling history to warrant that.

Also..even though 50 people are tracking my bike...can I "pull the bike"
off auction if I decide to just keep it??
I love the bike...and I'm having "seller's remorse"!

PS..anybody own a De Bernardi??
riding impressions?

thanks!

[Mud]

on high end items take place in the last 10 minutes. 50 "lurkers" is great, your item should sell. You can pull your stuff off if there are no bids with no problems but you still pay the fees.

[Big Dan]

Carlos, I think you can pull the item if there's no bids.
Not sure about the charges for ending the auction like that....

[eddief]

then we can give you some of our famous gentle feedback.

[Fixed]

bro with one min. to go you 'll see some action i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[DfCas]

I would offer that people could email you for your telephone # and you will email it to them,so they can discuss it with you.I get much "comfort" from talking to a seller on a big ticket item.

You can "revise your listing" to add this.

dan

[Argos]

It might be a good idea to sell some little stuff off at first and build up some feedback.

If 3 people are selling the same thing, with the same listing, but one has Zero feedback, the other has 50 and the other has 400, the 400 and the 50 will sell first, and the person with the higher feedback will also trend towards getting more money for their item.

Good Luck.

[CarlosContreros]

Thanks for your feedback!

I'm not "computer savvy" enought to put up a link(where's Keith A
when you need him!!..he's the "king-of-links".. :D ).

But the item # is 7203719124
and thanks dfcas...
I will add that option to my ad....

[Fixed]

It might be a good idea to sell some little stuff off at first and build up some feedback.

If 3 people are selling the same thing, with the same listing, but one has Zero feedback, the other has 50 and the other has 400, the 400 and the 50 will sell first, and the person with the higher feedback will also trend towards getting more money for their item.

Good Luck. bro that is what i did cheers :beer:

[shaq-d]

Thanks for your feedback!

I'm not "computer savvy" enought to put up a link(where's Keith A
when you need him!!..he's the "king-of-links".. :D ).

But the item # is 7203719124
and thanks dfcas...
I will add that option to my ad....

too many exclamation! marks!

picture is blurry

the only positive is the way you answer questions.

you'll get a good price; the 50 watchers is extremely high. but you could get even better if you improve your description so that it sounds like you're a normal person and not! a ! salesperson!

anyway, nothing to worry about it. it'll sell well.

sd

[eddief]

It's too late now probably, but you could have started with a $1 price and put in a reserve price equal to the lowest amount you'd be willing to take.

The way you have it now it looks as though $896 is the lowest price you'd take. That's ok, but how much do you really expect to get?

So now there is not that much room between your starting price and what the frameset is actually worth in the marketplace. So people will wait til the last minutes and place bids between your $895 and whatever the market will bare.

Also it sounds like you're yelling at people and ranting and raving, instead of simply stating the facts and letting them make up their minds.

Good luck.

[JasonF]

Very nice bike. Think about accepting Paypal and including their "buyer protection program" in the auction as well. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about Paypal (not to mention the additional fees you will pay)...but it might be the edge that gets you more $$$.

[djg]

Certainly, you do have a chance, especially if you provide good photos and contact information. I think, too, that folks are right that there may be a flurry of activity right at the end, especially if your auction is being watched.

At the same time, bidders can be fickle and an empty rating doesn't help. A few weeks ago, I bought a front wheel in excellent condition--DA hub laced to a GL330 rim with bladed spokes, with a Vittoria CX tubular in decent condition included--for just under 22 bucks. Another time, and another seller ...

If you are comfortable with your starting price or reserve, just wait and see what happens. If not, check the rules regarding pulling or modifying an auction.

[CarlosContreros]

Ummm...the reason I started at $895 is because I would not sell
for a penny less...if I couldn't get my asking price I will happily
ride the Merckx...but I will be in the market for a higher stem.

I thought the market for this frameset is around $950.
I know a guy sold one less than a week ago(Molteni..60cm.)
in 1 day at the "buy-it-now" price of $1100.
And a guy sold one a few weeks ago At Roadbikereview for
$1200 in a matter of days...so...I totally defend my $895 price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for other suggestions...but...I think the only place I "shouted"
was where I placed the phrase.."NO MORE"!...

I should consider in the future the "overly sensitive" nture of
some potential buyers! :D

Isn't bottom line anyway?
the potential buyers of this bike know this bike...and really won't concern
themselves with the "ill-written" description of this item.


I think if anything is really going to affect my sale is not only the
lack of ebay "rep"...but the fact that it's winter and like 2 weeks
away from Christmas...not the best time to try and sell a "higher-end
bicycle". :crap:


But..live and learn! :D

Carlos<<<<loves his exclamation point key!!!!!!! ;)

[eddief]

If you care about what you are selling, and it sounds like you do, on ebay I think you bend over backwards to provide as much detailed, accurate info as possible. Info in words and pictures - cause that's all they get. And to spend nearly a thousand bucks most people will want really good info.

If you want to create a reputation then part of that is done with how you present it to the customers.

Good luck.

[weisan]

it's winter and like 2 weeks
away from Christmas...not the best time to try and sell a "higher-end
bicycle". :crap:

You got it, bro! A fast-learner such as yourself has the potential in becoming a top eBayer.

The only thing I would add...sometimes with the big ticket item, I would lower the start bid slightly to "entice" competition, operating under the full confidence that my "minimum price" would still be met ($850 in your case).

[Wayne77]

I'll second what others have said about too many exclamation points. You definately don't want to sound like you are sensationalizing your item. It is what it is, and will sell for exactly what the market thinks it is worth.

However, there are things you can do to enhance the auction and final selling price and things you can do that will damage it.

The biggest mistake I see people make is posting low quality, hastily taken pics of the item. I have seen time and time again with my own auctions and with others I have observed where the item that was better represented in the pictures has received a significantly higher price than competing items of the same nature, wear, and features. As you sell items in the future, take the time to clean and polish the item and take nice, high-res pics in good lighting. Especially for bikes, take a little more time to clean and polish up key areas and take some nice close-up shots. Make sure there is not a speck of dirt in any of your pics. Its amazing how many auctions you will see where the item is dusty and grimy. A camera flash will make dust and crud stick out like a sore thumb. The seller could have easily added anoter 10-20% to the selling price just by cleaning and polishing a bit (You certainly don't want to do anything to hide flaws so make sure to give an accurate indication of the age and wear). The added benefit of all this cleaning is that your buyer is pleased to receive an item in its polished up form and you reduce the risk of negative feedback. It is worth it to pay the dollar or two extra to include multiple pictures of different angles. Also, err on the side of "over-packing" the item. Outside of the obvious benefits, this also shows the customer that you are doing the utmost to preserve their merchandise and to earn their positive feedback.

Finally, keep in mind that once you build up your feedback a bit you can compete equally with these power sellers with several thousand feedback comments. It is rare that you will see a powerseller with 100% positive feedback. With that many transactions, odds are that there will be a handful of unhappy customers. Its not good or bad, its just the nature of high volume selling. So you have a lot more to lose with one bad transaction than the big guy. But this can work in your favor: As long as all of your feedback is positive you have the advantage that potential buyers know you have A LOT more to lose with one negative feedback comment than the power sellers do. This can be seen as a less risky purchase by a buyer who knows that you may work harder to ensure a positive transaction than a power seller where one negative feedback comment doesn't really do much to change their overall feedback portfolio.

Anyway, I'm sure your bike will sell, but you can certainly refine the auction to maximize the final selling price. Remember to do some research on any item you are selling or looking to buy: the person with the best, most accurate information in a business trasaction ALWAYS comes out on top.

Ebaying is quite fun - nothing more satisfying than coming in late and succesfully sniping an auction! :D

Good Luck!

[shaq-d]

Ummm...the reason I started at $895 is because I would not sell
for a penny less...if I couldn't get my asking price I will happily
ride the Merckx...but I will be in the market for a higher stem.

I thought the market for this frameset is around $950.
I know a guy sold one less than a week ago(Molteni..60cm.)
in 1 day at the "buy-it-now" price of $1100.
And a guy sold one a few weeks ago At Roadbikereview for
$1200 in a matter of days...so...I totally defend my $895 price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for other suggestions...but...I think the only place I "shouted"
was where I placed the phrase.."NO MORE"!...


dude, it's obvious u can't help urself but shout!!!!!!!!! so u have no idea what the norm is, u need to be calibrated to the community norm, nor your own norm.

the point of starting bids at $1 is that it will obviously be bid up to the market price. that's how ebay works. starting a bid at $900 is kinda useless for items <$5000

sd

[Wayne77]

dude, it's obvious u can't help urself but shout!!!!!!!!! so u have no idea what the norm is, u need to be calibrated to the community norm, nor your own norm.

the point of starting bids at $1 is that it will obviously be bid up to the market price. that's how ebay works. starting a bid at $900 is kinda useless for items <$5000

sd

What Shaq said..

Furthermore, the point of starting at $1 is to attract some initial bidding activity earlier in the auction. You just need to add a reserve amount if you are afraid your item will sell below what you want. The earlier people start to bid, the more likely it is that the final selling price will go up. This early bidding activity drives up the current bid amount to your reserve much sooner than if you started the bid at $895. The sooner the current bid meets your minimum, the larger the window of time there is for people to bid the item up well beyond your minimum amt.

By placing your starting bid at $895 you are, in effect, reducing the amount of active bidding time on your item - only those sellers who think it is worth more will place a bid, and not until the last day of the auction. You might as well reduce the length of your auction to 1 day.

Your minimum amt, or what you "think" it is worth is irrelevant. The market will decide how much your item is worth. If the market values your bike at only $700, you can either sell it for that amt or keep it. That said, the mark of a mature ebayer is knowing (through a little research) the "realistic" market value of an item and the confidence that, even with a starting bid of $1, the market will drive the price up to or beyond your expected sale amount. That is why you usually only see reserve amounts and high minimum starting bids on auctions placed by the newer ebayers.

As far as your use of exclamation points, no offence intended, but I personally place a premium on items offered by sellers that sound reasonably intelligent and don't sound like used car salesmen. So whether or not you want to accomodate those that in your words are "over sensitive" is up to you - you're only shooting yourself in the foot if you don't. The last thing you need, especially with limited feedback is to sound like one of those Nigerian money transfer scams...

[Jeff N.]

You can pull your item off E-Bay, regardless of bids, up to 12 hours prior to the auction closing date. (Click on "Site Map, then click "End My Listing") Jeff N.

[CarlosContreros]

dude, it's obvious u can't help urself but shout!!!!!!!!! so u have no idea what the norm is, u need to be calibrated to the community norm, nor your own norm.

the point of starting bids at $1 is that it will obviously be bid up to the market price. that's how ebay works. starting a bid at $900 is kinda useless for items <$5000

sd
IMO..
I don't think I went "overboard" with exclamation points on my
item description.
I'm happy with it..win or lose.
shaq-d....it's obvious you can't grasp?.....sarcasm!

Or maybe it's me that's mistaken...I'm guessing maybe sarcasm
can't be projected on the internet.
So..for the record..I was "poking-fun" at myself with my subsequent
posts where I purposedly placed an excess of !!!
ya get it?..j/k?
probably not!
Oh well....thanks for the feedback!

[CarlosContreros]

You can pull your item off E-Bay, regardless of bids, up to 12 hours prior to the auction closing date. (Click on "Site Map, then click "End My Listing") Jeff N.

Thanks Jeff..
that's good info for a "first-timer" to know.

And wayne77...thanks for the post..is it too late for me to change
my auction and make it $1 starting bid with a "reserve-price" that
I choose?

Also...forgive me for being a bit "defensive"...I asked for y'all to opine
and that's all you did.

It's just...I know CAPITALS ARE YELLING...I never considered that..."!!!"
is to be construed as yelling.
So..even though it hurt...I learned something.

This bike excites me...so I get carried away...I wish I could keep it and
I still might.
It's just my stem situation with my saddle-to-bar having a 8cm deficit.
Does anybody know of a higher rise stem of my ITM?
And someone asked me if it would accomodate 28cm tires...that's an
idea I would like to try...cause I think the clearance is there.

If I do keep it I will just forfeit the $200 deposit I have on a 63cm MX.

thanks again!

[Keith A]

Carlos,

I'm fairly certain that you can lower the starting price and would assume that you could also modify the reserve price as well. However, since you have only one day left on the auction, I'm not sure I would make any changes to the pricing and just ride this one out and see what happens. If it doesn't sell, then I would relist this at a later date so you can get the full length of the auction to generate more interest.

As far as using a different stem, you might consider a Thomson. They have a +/-10° stem with a 26.0 clamp, but in the 31.8 clamp size they have a +/-17° stem. You can check out the details here (http://www.lhthomson.com/stems.htm).

[Wayne77]

Carlos,

No worries...

That's a nice bike, I wish it were a 58. You should have no problem selling it. If it were me, I'd sell it and go with the slightly larger MX rather than try to compensate with a high rise stem - it would mess up the look of the bike, IMO. Or, if you decide to keep it, maybe try a bar with slightly less reach or shallower drops. You might also try a bar that has less ramp down to the hoods. I think a Deda 215 has a pretty flat transition area. This can raise your hand position on the hoods a few cm's.

Good luck!


Thanks Jeff..
that's good info for a "first-timer" to know.

And wayne77...thanks for the post..is it too late for me to change
my auction and make it $1 starting bid with a "reserve-price" that
I choose?

Also...forgive me for being a bit "defensive"...I asked for y'all to opine
and that's all you did.

It's just...I know CAPITALS ARE YELLING...I never considered that..."!!!"
is to be construed as yelling.
So..even though it hurt...I learned something.

This bike excites me...so I get carried away...I wish I could keep it and
I still might.
It's just my stem situation with my saddle-to-bar having a 8cm deficit.
Does anybody know of a higher rise stem of my ITM?
And someone asked me if it would accomodate 28cm tires...that's an
idea I would like to try...cause I think the clearance is there.

If I do keep it I will just forfeit the $200 deposit I have on a 63cm MX.

thanks again!

[CarlosContreros]

Thanks Keith...
I always appreciate your input(and of course links).

Considering the length and breadth of this board you and I "for-the-
most-part" live on the same street!

I did change my auction from 5 days to 7 days...and I did change to
where my starting bid is $1 with of course a "reserve" of my choosing.
Also edited was my description...which I took the advice of everyone
as I tempered it a bit.

Hopefully it will now be an "easier-read" for potential buyers.

And...it's currently being tracked by over 60 people..so...I hope I didn't
irritate any of them with my "format" change.

In closing..I'm planning on it not selling...and that's kewl..I'll just get a stem
that is higher...and I'm also going to rethink my saddle height(I ride a saddle
at a height of 86.4cm...and my PBH is 94.0cm..so my saddle might
be a bit tooo high?)

thanks again! :cool:

[Keith A]

Hey Carlos -- I saw that you were located in Daytona when I checked out your eBay auction, we'll have to get together for a ride some day.

[shaq-d]

In closing..I'm planning on it not selling...and that's kewl..I'll just get a stem
that is higher...and I'm also going to rethink my saddle height(I ride a saddle
at a height of 86.4cm...and my PBH is 94.0cm..so my saddle might
be a bit tooo high?)

thanks again! :cool:

carlos, it will sell, unless your reserve price is over $600, which i don't think it is? if you're planning on it not sellin i got bad news for you... it'll sell... and then u can't take it back. it's a contract u're getting into. if u don't wanna sell, why dontcha just hold onto it?

sd

[Keith A]

I know I'm stating the obvious here, but unless his reserve is met, which I assume was around his previous asking price of $8??, then there is no contract. However, there is a change from the previous status of the auction now that someone has bid on the auction which reduces the flexibility the seller has in changing the terms of the auction.

[gary135r]

picture is blurry

sd
ditto

[mflaherty37]

I have no experience with what they pay but it's worth a shot to get a bid from the experts at...
www.usedbicyclebuyer.com

[CarlosContreros]

carlos, it will sell, unless your reserve price is over $600, which i don't think it is? if you're planning on it not sellin i got bad news for you... it'll sell... and then u can't take it back. it's a contract u're getting into. if u don't wanna sell, why dontcha just hold onto it?

sd

Hey shaq-d........
Sorry for any confusion.....I'm just displaying my "expectations" in case the
frameset doesn't sell(ya know?...don't get your hopes up").

hey gary135r..
you're quite the Columbo aren't you? :D

Geez...I can live with a little blur...I'm surprised no one's mentioned
the dirty sock on the floor! :crap:

And KeithA....that's a plan!(you've got some wayyy kewl bikes!.

[Keith A]

Carlos -- Thanks for the compliment. BTW, I'm hoping to go over to Clermont during the Christmas break (I'm off the week between Christmas and New Years) and plan on posting something in the ride "Ride" section once I figure out which day.

[CarlosContreros]

Well.......it's safe to say my first venture into ebayland was...."less
than stellar"! :confused:

My frameset had 9 bids..topping out at $466. :confused:

Good thing...while I indeed was "schooled"..I do have the ability to learn
from mistakes(I made a ton) and my next listing will be succesfull.

I was "back-channeled" quite a few offers....one of which I'm seriously
entertaining...or I might jump back in and go back to ebay.

Next time though....new pics...buy-it-now option..no reserve...and will
probably start the bidding at around $700.(even though I've been offered
more than that by a few people).

Also...a friend is going to list for me...and she has had many succesfull
sales so she has a very high reputation factor on ebay.

My question though??? what purpose is the "reserve" if people wont bid
unless they know what the "reserve" is?
I received mail after the auction ended from guys telling me they wanted the
bike and would have bid but didn't 'cause they didn't know what the reserve
was!!
Isn't that defeating the purpose of the reserve?

PS...I had a fem e-mail me about the frameset(a gift for her male friend for
Christmas) and she LAID-INTO me 'cause I didn't list the reserve!(well
exxxxxxcuse me missy!! :no: ).

Oh well......live and learn!


Keith...I'll keep an eye out for your listing...but..I will probably be out
of the state during that period.

[christian]

That is why you usually only see reserve amounts and high minimum starting bids on auctions placed by the newer ebayers.

Totally agree. I've sold some expensive cycling and dive equipment on ebay. I always start at $1, only set a reserve once, and am constantly astounded by the prices I get.

Take good pictures, and describe an item expertly, and they guys who really want it will come and get it, price (almost) be damned.

- Christian

[Wayne77]

Carlos, it sounds like you have some good ideas going forward. A few comments:

The value of including several quality pics of your bike cannot be overstated. One slightly blurry pic may work for low dollar items, but if someone is going to take the risk of bidding on a larger item such as this, they will want to see several pics of the frame & closeup shots of some key areas (BB, seat cluster, etc) to get an idea of the condition. I personally would never bid on a bike sight unseen with one low resolution shot. If you don't have one, borrow a decent digital camera from someone and put your bike in some natural lighting and take some shots that present your bike in a favorable manner.

Buy It Now option: I think you need at least 10 "feedbacks" to use this, but if your friend is going to list it for you and meets that requirement you should be OK. One potential downside to having your friend list it: Some of your potential buyers who observed your first auction will now see this item listed by another seller and may view that as a possible indicator of a scam. -Something to keep in mind.

Hidden Reserve: The point is to generate early bids and interest in your item. Many people DO place a bid not knowing what the reserve is. Some sellers even say what their reserve is in the text of the listing, although that is the same as just specifying a starting bid amt. Ignore the lady who complained about not knowing what your reserve was -she's a blathering idiot who has no idea what the purpose of a hidden reserve is or the nature of ebay bidding as a whole. I'd tell her to take a hike. She needs to determine what the max amt she is willing to pay for the bike and place a bid. If that doesn't meet your reserve she is SOL.

The other benefit of a hidden reserve is to find out what the ebay market value of your item is (given the nature of the item and the listing) if it doesn't sell the first time. This is valuable information to you. Now you know that you probably can't ask for more than $466 with the same listing. What you can do is improve your listing with better wording and better pictures to increase the potential value and final bid amount.

[CarlosContreros]

You mean if I.....
take new..better..multiple pics
word ad better
offer pay-pal
offer "buy-it-now"
and have 3rd party established ebay lister post ad.....

it will be considered a "scam"?? :crap:

***?? :crap:

and...I'm irritated with ebay!
they charged me for "reserve listing"...I thought I would only be charged for
this if the bike sold??

CC<<<frustrated with ebay! :crap:

[Wayne77]

No, you are grouping all of the things that I said MAY help your item sell with ONE thing that I mentioned that might cause others to consider the listing a scam. Please re-read the post. I never said all of those things might cause potential buyers to consider it a scam.

Think about it, imagine that you are looking at a particular bike on ebay to purchase. The auction ends and then you see the exact same bike relisted by another seller. While that does not necessarily mean its a scam, many buyers will steer clear at the slightest hint of a scam. One thing you should know is that there are scams all the time on ebay where the scammer copies another auction and relists the imaginary item.

Why are you complaining about ebay reserve listing fees. Those potential fees are explained clearly when listing an item. Ebay is a great service but it's not free - gotta pay the price and know the rules if you expect to get anything out of it....

It's your auction, do what you want. We're just giving some advice, take it or leave it. That's all I have to say on this thread. Peace out - Cheers bro IMO bro :beer: :crap:

[CarlosContreros]

Wayne....forgive my bit of frustration....maybe frustrated over
failing and then maybe a bit of frustration that if I were to
do "all the right things" I would again fail left me "uptight"!

But.....my feelings were if it indeed were a scam the scammer would
have tried listing once....no bites...then he wouldnt be heard from
again 'cause in reality he can't deliver the goods...so he would go to another item to try and "get-over" on people.

My 3rd party ebay poster has 100's of sales...all positive feedback... she
would be taking the pics.. and she also has a very "vested interest" in
the description...condition...and also the timely delivery of the bike so
as to maintain her ebay "rep"(if I jeopardized it?...she would brain me!).

This is all probably moot now anyway..as I've been offered in the $925 range
for the frameset..and I've just learned the dealer selling me the Merckx
Motorola 63cm will let me use the frameset as a "trade-in".

Thanks again or feedback..crtitique..and opinions.
I'm not very smart(ouch!)..but I do learn quick.

Have a Great Christmas...it's very cold here..55-60 degress..but we will
just bundle-up to endure :)

[Wayne77]

Glad to hear you have a good arrangement for the new bike exchange. Enjoy your new Christmas present!

Regards,

Wayne

[Keith A]

Carlos -- It was 53º when I left my house this morning a little after 6am, but had dropped to 51º by the time I was home at 8:30am :confused:

[shaq-d]

Next time though....new pics...buy-it-now option..no reserve...and will
probably start the bidding at around $700.(even though I've been offered
more than that by a few people).

Also...a friend is going to list for me...and she has had many succesfull
sales so she has a very high reputation factor on ebay.


to be frank, u're still not learning the main thing. you got to start the bid at $1, and have a more sensible description that is detailed, no frills, and doesn't use any "!!!". thankfully your friend is gonna list it; you'll see how it works firsthand.

sd

edit: just read the update about the trade-in offer.. t's all moot :) but no moots :banana: