Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

[frikativ54]

Dear eBay Selling Pros,

I bought a Lance Berkman card for $317.17 last December. I've had it on eBay before a few times for BIN/BO and didn't want to part with it for under $300. I got offered as much as $275 for it but refused.

So I decided to put it on eBay and start it at $99 with no reserve. There are under two days left in the auction, and the card is at merely $116.50. There are 11 watchers, but I'd rather keep the card than sell it for anything less than $200.

If you were me, would you pull the auction? Would you wait it out? It's a nice card, but I need to pay another GUF member off for a big g/u purchase. Thanks for any help you can provide. Here is a link to the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/Triple-Threads-L...QQcmdZViewItem
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[bubbrubb25]

Keep it!

[earlywynnfan]

How would you feel if you had your eye on something, and just before the auction ended, it was pulled?? Personally, I hate when sellers do that. Broadway Rick if LEGENDARY for it, and I will not bid in his auctions because of it.

How do you know 2 snipers don't have $400 bids?

I say, if you don't want to sell it for the minimum bid, don't make that the minimum bid!

Ken

[hiramman]

I agree with Ken 100%. Broadway Rick has done the same to me. You should have accepted the $275 offer.

[AWA85]

I think you have to leave it and hope it gets shot up. It is just not the honest thing to do by taking it down. Plus with 11 watchers you never know what will happen in the end!

[frikativ54]

I agree with Ken 100%. Broadway Rick has done the same to me. You should have accepted the $275 offer.

You guys definitely make good points. I don't want to lose my credibility with Berkman collectors, because I have some of his other cards that I probably want to sell.

Just imagine my position. I am 23 and am a junior at a small liberal arts college in Portland. I owe a GUF forum a good chunk of change, and I need to get a good amount of money for the card.

What would you do if you were in my position?

-frik

[bigtruck260]

You guys definitely make good points. I don't want to lose my credibility with Berkman collectors, because I have some of his other cards that I probably want to sell.

Just imagine my position. I am 23 and am a junior at a small liberal arts college in Portland. I owe a GUF forum a good chunk of change, and I need to get a good amount of money for the card.

What would you do if you were in my position?

-frik

Sounds like you wanted to move it anyway, you will probably get a decent amount for it...many times I have been suprised at the last minute.

It is a lesson learned for a 23 year old at college. What if you were in a car dealership and the dealer told you a car was $1000 - you go home and have your heart set on it...you already have the crown air freshener picked out. You go back the next day and the dealer says "nope, boss says that the price is too low."

You would be ticked.

Dave

[helmets]

You need to let it ride. What if everyone that put a no reserve auction up, pulled it if they did not get what they expected? There is a reason that there is an option to set a reserve. If you are so cheap that you did not want to pay the small fee for the reserve when you listed the card, then you have to be prepared for the ramifications should the item not bring what you want for it.

[aeneas01]

Dear eBay Selling Pros,

I bought a Lance Berkman card for $317.17 last December. I've had it on eBay before a few times for BIN/BO and didn't want to part with it for under $300. I got offered as much as $275 for it but refused.

So I decided to put it on eBay and start it at $99 with no reserve. There are under two days left in the auction, and the card is at merely $116.50. There are 11 watchers, but I'd rather keep the card than sell it for anything less than $200.

If you were me, would you pull the auction? Would you wait it out? It's a nice card, but I need to pay another GUF member off for a big g/u purchase. Thanks for any help you can provide. Here is a link to the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/Triple-Threads-L...QQcmdZViewItem
.

why not just let the auction ride and, if it doesn't fetch what you want, simply lie to the winning bidder - tell him it's no longer available, that the dog ate it or the like. imo this is the same thing as yanking it right before the auction ends - the only difference is that by yanking it early you can avoid negative feedback. in short, both scenarios equate to the same thing - screwing the bidder by ignoring the rules and spirit of auction.

of course many ebayers simply list an item and note that they reserve the right to end it early for whatever reason. most understand that this means the seller will yank the item if the price looks like it will come in too low or the seller accepts an offer - apparently ebay is o.k. with this nonsense given the amount of sellers that do this. not the best approach as far as attracting bidders is concerned but at least you are being upfront.

[frikativ54]

why not just let the auction ride and, if it doesn't fetch what you want, simply lie to the winning bidder - tell him it's no longer available, that the dog ate it or the like. imo this is the same thing as yanking it right before the auction ends - the only difference is that by yanking it early you can avoid negative feedback. in short, both scenarios equate to the same thing - screwing the bidder by ignoring the rules and spirit of auction.

Thanks for your advice. As I was reading this, I was thinking "You can't be serious," and then when I read your comparison to yanking it at the end, I really agreed with you.

I won't be pulling the auction, and I am hoping to not get in-the-hole too badly. I am converting my collection to game-used items and simply want to move this card. It had so much significance when I first got it, but now it's just an MLB logo patch to me.