OT: Stupid ebay question

[Archibald]

OK, I'm a dork. If an item on ebay has a reserve, and you put in a max bid of X amount but there are no other bids, so puts the lowest bid in. If you then get a message saying the "reserve has not been met" has it not been met by virtue of the opening bid or by what your max bid is? :confused:

[Blastinbob]

It will start at the lowest possible bid even though your max is higher. If you met the reserve with your max is would have gone right to the reserve amount, but since you did not it won't go up until someone else bids higher then you or meets the reserve.

[DRZRM]

It means your max bid did not make the reserve. Ebay can be confusing in this way, but as soon as someone gets to the reserve that bid goes up.

Seems like it would be simpler if they just posted your max bid directly if it were still under the reserve.

[PBWrench]

How high could the reserve be on "Best of the Eagles?"

[Louis]

How high could the reserve be on "Best of the Eagles?"

Not as high as what Archie bid for the "Best of Barry Manilow" album...

[cmg]

when i first spot the ad of the item i wanted it had a bid of $32 and "reserve not met" in red i put in a bid of $52.89 and it was the highest bid it read $50 in green and the "reserve not met" was not there. so unless you hit the reserve the seller doesn't have to sell.

[BumbleBeeDave]

when i first spot the ad of the item i wanted it had a bid of $32 and "reserve not met" in red i put in a bid of $52.89 and it was the highest bid it read $50 in green and the "reserve not met" was not there. so unless you hit the reserve the seller doesn't have to sell.

. . . but if it doesn't sell you could always contact the seller and see if he will . . .

A) tell you what his reserve was, and . . .

B) sell it to you for that price.

Not exactly kosher by eBay rules, but I know it's done all the time.

BBD

[Archibald]

Thanks folks, I am officially clued in. It's a high dollar item and has been relisted a few times. I don't want to go bumping the bid to find the reserve. I'll just be patient. I don't get the whole reserve thing. If they want X amount, why not just make the opening bid minimum their "reserve"? Seems like a pointless little game.

I gotta' say though, last week I bought an item with no reserve that costs $6.8K new for $242 with shipping!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[barry1021]

Thanks folks, I am officially clued in. It's a high dollar item and has been relisted a few times. I don't want to go bumping the bid to find the reserve. I'll just be patient. I don't get the whole reserve thing. If they want X amount, why not just make the opening bid minimum their "reserve"? Seems like a pointless little game.

I gotta' say though, last week I bought an item with no reserve that costs $6.8K new for $242 with shipping!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

The only difference between using a reserve and starting an auction at the minimum acceptable bid is that a reserve hides the minimum from bidders; It is simply a different method of starting the auction at a lower price in the hope of enticing bidders to start bidding. Maybe it works, maybe it doesnt

b21

[cmg]

"they want X amount, why not just make the opening bid minimum their "reserve"? Seems like a pointless little game."

The game is sell for the lowest total eBay fee. The listing is the only fee thats controlled by the seller, it's not based on the final sale price. the lowest LISTING fee is for an item is under $10. if the idea is to sell at the lowest cost to the seller. they would list the item for $9.99 set a reserve price slightly lower than what would be acceptable. only put 1-2 well lit photos, don't put a gallery photo in the title, use a broad general description in the title for those buyers searching by type than for specific, use all of the alloted letter spots the title line and try to place ad in at least 2 similar categories to reach the most possible buyers. then either state what the reserve is in the ad or encourage the question be sent to them and tell anyone that asks what it is.
if the item doesn't hit the reserve you pay a fee based on it, so you send the highest bidder a second chance offer to avoid the fee if it's close to the reserve. yep it's a game.

or you could sell on RBR classifieds or the serotta forum and avoid the fee altogether.

[rwsaunders]

+1 on the reserve game. It turns me off when I see an item with a reserve listed. Typically they're never met when the auctions end, because the seller has high expectations.

[SoCalSteve]

I always start my auctions at the lowest amount I am willing to take for any given item. If it sells for more, bonus!

ebay "proxy" bids for you (unless you hit the reserve). What that means is that if someone is bidding against you, it will move your bid up in increments against the other bidder. If no one is bidding against you, then the price wont move.

I dont care for reserve auctions myself. But, its a carry over from the "live" auction days to get people excited about an item and ultimatly bid up on it.

Steve