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
.

[bubbrubb25]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

Keep it!

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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

[AWA85]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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.

[34swtns]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

We've all found ourselves in this situation before. You put something up for bid and it looks like it's tanking for several days. Sometimes they do and sometimes they'll surprise you in the end.
As far as what's "fair" to potential bidders..........you own it, you determine what gets done with the item. If you want to yank it, then yank it. If somebody is so crushed because a mere card they were bidding on disappears from the market then they need to seek some mental help. That's not your problem. Most ebay users accept that sometimes items just go POOF! and they're gone. It happens. It's your card, you make the dicisions concerning it.
That being said, I think that with 11 watchers you will probably be very surprised at the last minute scramble of bidding. You could do very well on the card, and I think it's entirely worth the gamble.
My 2 centabos.

[3arod13]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

I also hate when sellers pull things before auction ends. Why don't sellers just use:

* "Buy it Now" with a "Make and Offer" option; or

* Just a reserve price

Personally, I like the "buy it now" with make an offer option myself.\

I hate when I'm watching an auction for 10 days and then it's end 1 days short, because the price isn't where the seller wants it.

[otismalibu]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

I also hate when sellers pull things before auction ends. Why don't sellers just use:

* "Buy it Now" with a "Make and Offer" option;

When I need to get a certain price, this is what I like to use. Too iffy just letting it ride. I've had items sell with only a couple of Watchers and I've had no bids with double digit Watchers. Ya never know.

[sammy]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

Hey, here's some advice.

Don't be so cheap and try to steal it at the end.

If interested in the item, then place at least one bid.

That might encourage the seller to leave it on auction.

[aeneas01]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

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.

[WadeInBmore]

Re: Semi OT: Need Some eBay Advice

hmmm...its up to $200 buckeroos with over 11 hours left. I think that you are gonna make out just fine. Wait til you see what those final 2 minutes do to the sale price of that card.

wade