What's wrong with Ebay?

[58panheadfan]

Hello

I am concerned with the question of what is going on with Ebay or better Feebay (view as a seller)?

Recently I added a nice Aero Leather Leather Jacket on eBay (see section classifieds). Jacket starts with a modest starting price of £ 200 compared to the rrp of £ 630th

Auction has been viewed a total of 994 person, 65 as watchers.

Note: Nothing about my recently auction, I was willing to sell and I sold my item… but what I would like to know:

I do not really understand: Finally, the jacket sold for 57% of rrp... with only 11 bids.

Why is it that so many people are looking/watching at the auction and then, finally no one is willing to do a bid?

Is it an ebay appearance or a market situation in general (glut on the market)?

Any ideas?

 

[Edward]

Quite normal ime. It would not be the first time if I had that many watchers and not a single bid. A lot of folks like to watch auctions to see how final value comes up, or in the hope that item doesn't sell and is relisted with lower reserve / start price.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Unfortunately time is on the buyer's side. Quite a few are willing to wait until whatever they're looking for turns up at the right price -- however long it takes -- because they know that it eventually will.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I watch just to see what something would go for. So If I find an item I really want I know what funds I need to come up with. It also lets me catch something at a good price sometimes. As a buyer you want to get an item as cheap as possible. Also you might not have the funds at the current time to purchase said item.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

As a buyer you want to get an item as cheap as possible. Also you might not have the funds at the current time to purchase said item.

What he said.

Buyers and sellers have different goals. I sure watch a lot of items and don't bid on them. 11 bids ain't bad. I have seen things go for 1 bid.

 

[Edward]

Yes. I once sold a pair of New Rock shoes that by all logic should have had three or four bids and gone for GBP50 for GBP10, opening bid. Gutted..... but I never wore them any more and needed the space.... [huh]

 

[Feraud]

It's window shopping. Just because someone looks at an auction doesn't mean they want to buy.

 

[Chrome]

I am buyer and I sometimes follow items that are wrong size for me to see how those end up. Sighing if they go cheaply and cursing my size but mostly I gather nice things on my watch list and later priorise what to bid and what not. I don't delete items from my watchlist even I priorise against those items.. means I'm broke.

 

[Nick D]

The first thing I sold on eBay was a '40s Dunn bowler in perfect condition that sadly didn't fit. It had over 30 watchers and ended up going for...£12. Not even half what I paid for it, but that's just the way it goes. Some things go for more than I expected, so I see it as working out even in the end.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The part I've never been able to understand are non-paying bidders -- why bid on something if you're not planning to buy it??? And it's usually something that I've had a hard time selling that gets the nonpayers.

 

[SteveAS]

I do not really understand: Finally, the jacket sold for 57% of rrp... with only 11 bids.

This seems like a fair price for a used jacket to me.

 

[bunnyb.gal]

(Sorry fellas, girl poking her head in here...)

I think what you describe is pretty normal. Speaking for myself, my watch list is much much longer than my "to buy" list. I either watch stuff as an informal education, to see how much things will go for in whatever condition they happen to be in, or simply to drool over if I can't afford it (sometimes with hope that it gets relisted for less), or for comparison shopping, or I'm just in a mood that day for whatever so I'm browsing...

On the other hand, sometimes I just bloody well just forget to bid!

 

[ButteMT61]

Nothing wrong (in this context) with eBay. How many times does a car get test-driven before someone buys it?
How many people hold the cute little kitty in the pet shop?
I look at items to see what my similar items might go for. I watch to see if I can get a low-priced bargain. I watch to hold an item I might want to buy as a gift, only to find my wife/son/daughter doesn't like/want it.
All normal and par for the course.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

(Sorry fellas, girl poking her head in here...)

I think what you describe is pretty normal. Speaking for myself, my watch list is much much longer than my "to buy" list. I either watch stuff as an informal education, to see how much things will go for in whatever condition they happen to be in, or simply to drool over if I can't afford it (sometimes with hope that it gets relisted for less), or for comparison shopping, or I'm just in a mood that day for whatever so I'm browsing...

On the other hand, sometimes I just bloody well just forget to bid!

So far, you've come up with the best explanation for the mucho hits & watchers/no action phenomenon. There's at least one seller that I know of who raises the price every time he relists something.

 

[tonyb]

Unfortunately time is on the buyer's side. Quite a few are willing to wait until whatever they're looking for turns up at the right price -- however long it takes -- because they know that it eventually will.

On eBay and elsewhere I've paid prices that were a good deal more than minimally satisfactory from the seller's perspective. But that was for stuff that I figured wasn't likely to turn up at a better price anytime soon. Large stashes of antique/vintage hatter's equipment and materials, for instance, aren't to be had every day. But much of my personal property, home furnishings and clothing and such (the largest percentage of which was acquired used, as I prefer vintage stuff in general) was bought on the cheap because it's the sort of swag that's still sufficiently plentiful that I'm confident it will turn up at the right price soon enough. And it does.

This is not in any way a slam on people who pay more than I will. Me, I enjoy snooping around thrift shops and websites in search of good deals on old stuff, even when I come away empty-handed. I can see how other people might find that a waste of their precious time.

 

[ButteMT61]

Oh, another thing - auctions with reserves. I will watch those, but almost never bid on them. I hate someone that lists a $600 jacket and their reserve is $595. I've seen that waste of time too often. Usually it's someone who has an inflated idea of what something's worth - or they don't really want to sell it.
Reserve auctions annoy the **** outta me. Something is only worth what someone will pay - nothing more.
Oh, and sometimes the "OBO" crowd pulls the same stunt. $600 jacket, offer $550, and turned down? No thanks.

 

[tonyb]

And sometimes sellers, on eBay and elsewhere, put a price on something that might seem insanely inflated to you or me, just to see if a fish will bite. I find it kinda annoying, too, but I try, usually successfully, not to let it get under my skin. Sometimes I think those listings ought to read: "Just the thing for deep-pocketed fools."

I've seen this on craigslist many, many times: A seller will list an item for an outrageous price. A couple of days later the asking price is halved, but it's still way more than a smart shopper would ever pay. Couple of more days go by and the price is halved again.

 

[jeep44]

I've already gotten quite an eBay education as a new seller. I was a buyer for many years,and just now started selling much of what I've accumulated over the years. It's been interesting seeing what is sought-after,and what is not. Some of the things I put up that I thought would go high did not, but oddball things went very high. Other times I notice buyers take something they got from me,and turn right around and list it themselves at double the price. I guess everyone wants to snipe in at the last second of bidding, but I have a practice of pulling listings if they don't attract any bids by the third or fourth days,even if there are a number of watchers. (I watch stuff too, mainly to see if it's worth putting up a similar item I may have). Slow payers really irritate me, as I like to get items out as soon as possible after the end of the auction.

 

[ButteMT61]

I do a lot of buying late at night. If a good BIN shows up, bam! Got one the other night. Sometimes it's just to flip - not to be greedy, but to put $$ towards the next thing. Just casual use of the technology and situation to score a little extra

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I've already gotten quite an eBay education as a new seller. I was a buyer for many years,and just now started selling much of what I've accumulated over the years. It's been interesting seeing what is sought-after,and what is not. Some of the things I put up that I thought would go high did not, but oddball things went very high. Other times I notice buyers take something they got from me,and turn right around and list it themselves at double the price. I guess everyone wants to snipe in at the last second of bidding, but I have a practice of pulling listings if they don't attract any bids by the third or fourth days,even if there are a number of watchers. (I watch stuff too, mainly to see if it's worth putting up a similar item I may have). Slow payers really irritate me, as I like to get items out as soon as possible after the end of the auction.

I can relate to that. I more or less inheirited a garage-full of Snoopy pins that were originally part of a failed business venture of my mom's some years before. So I started putting them on eBay and they've been selling pretty good. While most of the ones that sold went for the $7.99 starting price but at least two of them sold for $100 each. One of which was the result of a bidding war between a bidder in London and one in Japan -- London won! lol

When I was still selling at local shows I would look for books at really low prices on ebay that I could turn around at the shows. I won an auction for a book on Luftwaffe aces for only $5 (it was worth at least $20). I took it around to all the shows and it just didn't sell so after a while I put it back on ebay, and sure enough, it sold for $20! Go figure!