As a seller on EBay would you reveal your reserve

dlshaw

I emailed a seller for his reserve on a coin I had bid 4 times on, asking him for the reserve so I wouldn't just have to keep rebidding.
This is his reply.



<< <i>I can't give out the reserve....That would ruin it for everyone else. >>





I don't do reserves when I sell items because I don't like them, and as a buyer I don't usually mess with reserves auctions but this one coin I was interested in.

Placid

I wouldn't use one in the first place. I have asked sellers the reserve and they have told me. I don't understand what this person means by it will ruin it for everyone.

stujoe

I have never used a reserve as a seller but if I did, I would tell what it was in the auction.

As a bidder, I would ask a seller the reserve if I was really interested in the coin. If he didn't tell me, then I probably wouldn't bid unless the coin was so good that I wouldn't see another one in a long time.

FlyTooHigh

A reserve is placed on an item to ensure that it won't close for less than the seller wants to get for it. It's a toss up for the seller to let it be known. Another way to do the reserve thing is use it as the starting bid. I have a friend who usually has 100-200 items up for auction. He uses reserves as he determines what he needs to get for any one item. He lets the auctions run and rarely checks in to see what is going on as he is too busy. If an auction closes and doesn't hit his reserve, he will relist it, or, if a potential buyer e-mails him, he is open for an outside deal. Lots of different thoughts on this stuff.

Tony

psxchelly

what annoys me is when an obviously high priced item is started at 1.00 but has a mysterious reserve.... If I put a reserve on an item, its always within 20 dollars of the initial bid only to protect myself...

if a person bids on my item i would be happy to tell the reserve price... no big deal.

IrishMike

On three occasions I had buyers email about what my reserve was, twice they purchased the coins. The third time a buyer told me I was nuts. It was a 38 PF66 Walker with a reserve of 750 it sold for 876.

coindaughter

It seems that if you want to sell your item, it wouldn't be a problem to tell the reserve. It's just for protection, to me. If I put a reserve I would gladly share it. I want to sell the item! What is the benefit of not telling?

Dog97

So how does being a better informed bidder ruin it for everyone else? That's a bunch of BS!
I have used a reserve in my auctions a total of 3 times and I stated what the reserve was so if anybody wanted to pay the price at least they knew what to bid. One was a $1,000 Morgan with a decent reserve which sold. Another was another $1,000 Morgan that I had overpaid for and I would either make my money back or put it back in the safe deposit box and forget about it. Another was a very nice MS67 FS War Nickel that I had a kinda high reserve on because it was a good Registry Set coin and I knew it would sell sooner or later. It didn't sell but the next day after it ended somebody emailed me if it was still available and how much did I REALLY want. I said I wanted my reserve of $200 and they sent me a PayPal and I sold it outside of eBay.
Reserves cost me too much money and I'm not ever using one again. I'll just use a higher starting bid but to answer your ? yes I reveal my reserve. Bidders don't like playing blind guessing games.

RGL

I have seen sellers disclose their reserves many times ... they obviously might as well as listed a BIN, but they hope someone will bid the reserve early and the bids will spiral from there.

kryptonitecomics

I'd say that joker didn't really want to sell the coin. Maybe his wife wanted him to sell the coin and his way to get out of it was to put a really high reserve, that way no one would win and he could keep the coin??? He didn't want to tell you the reserve because that would jeopardize his master plan!!!! Sorry wrong auction, that was one of mine

Russ

The only time I've used a reserve is in an auction I'm running right now. I did so only to keep the BIN up long enough for serious bidders to see the listing. I also set it very low compared to the value; got met very quickly.

In answer to your question, if a bidder had eMailed me and asked what the reserve was I'd be glad to tell him.

Russ, NCNE

FC57Coins

I've only run into one dealer who wouldn't disclose his reserve. In my mind, when a coin has a reserve it tells me one of two things, either the dealer is trying to protect his/her investment, or the coin is overpriced. I usually stay away from reserved coins and prefer the true auctions - or at least the ones where you know what the going in price is.

Regards,

Frank

Pushkin

I use reserves on occasion, but I usually will say something like "reserve under $400" when it is $390. If sellers ask, I have no problem telling them.

dakra

I once sold a Barbie doll for my wife. She was attached to it so I set a really high Reserve to see how much it would fetch... when I told my wife how much the high bid was (reserve not met) she agreed to sell it and I set a lower reserve... and ended up getting more the second time around. She wasn't *that* attached to it :-)

I was asked by several people what the reserve was and unfortunately I did not give out that information as I wanted to see how many people would bid on it and at what price. Had I said it was too high, I might have turned away interested parties.

I generally do not use reserves but have used them in the past when the price on an item seemed to fluctuate. I also had a Zworski (sp) Crystal that I picked up at a Garage sale for $3, I set the reserve for $100 and ... made off with a $97 profit. I swore I would go to garage sales ever week at that point but never went to another :-)

-David

clackamas

Yes I would let it be known and have.

gmarguli

I'll usually tell someone the reserve if they ask or at the very least I'll give them an idea (it's under $300, it's more that Bluesheet bid, but less that Greysheet bid, etc). Only once did I refuse to give any idea of the reserve (it was set really high) and the guy ended up buying the coin for near the reserve after the auction ended.

While I hate using reserves I did use them for two auctions I am currently running. One is a nice coin with a high reserve. I don't care if it sells. I'll sell it sight-seen to a buyer for more than the reserve is set at. The other is a nice coin that I got cheap and I'm willing to pass along the savings. The reserve is well below Greysheet.

BigD5

I use reserves occasionally. A lot of times I'll set the reserve at what a dealer will give me for an item, and I think it will sell for more on Ebay. I'll always tell what the reserve amount is. I figure the potential bidder will be trying to snipe the auction at the end for the reserve amount, which is quite ok with me. The one item I have on Ebay right now with a reserve has gotten 4 different emails requesting the reserve amount. It seems simple, as the reserve sets the bottom line price that the seller is willing to accept for the item. It's too bad Ebay didn't set those auctions up like Heritage or Bowers, and just let the bidder know they were outbid, and not that they hadn't hit the reserve.

dorkkarl

i'd be curious who have you that answer. i've asked the same question of sellers ,and recall getting the exact answer you just quoted. personally, i despise reserves, since it wastes my time, but i realize the idea of starting low w/ a reserve is to get traffic and draw attention to the listing.

K S

cointagious

a reserve can also be used as a selling tool for an item the seller may have too much money in. letting the item go unsold, the seller contacts the highest bidder with the best prospect of completing a sale and offers the item, outside of ebay, in an attempt to recover costs sans ebay fees. this tool can be used in place of the 'early cancelled sale' gambit and can be much more successful as with a closed reserve auction you can get failed snipes.

BAJJERFAN

A lot of eBayers don't like reserves cuz they think they are somehow going to get a $1000 coin for $500. If they do it won't be from me. Not everyone who sells on eBay is "garage sale-ing" it meaning I just wanna get something for it and sell it.

medicain19

Reserve to me means nothing more than protecting your investment. I have used it in selling items myself and have no problems telling anyone what it is. So whoever said they couldn't tell because it would be unfair is just cheating themselves and their bidders.

BAJJERFAN

As a seller on eBay you literally have the world as your marketplace. In spite of this vast market there is no guarantee that your item will sell. So to CYA use a reserve if you feel it is warranted. I don't understand why so many seem to find the concept of a reserve so distasteful.

prooflike

I don't use reserves, I believe it is a silly game, either list the item for what you want to get for the item or start at a $1 and let it ride.

MICHAELDIXON

When I use a reserve, and I have one coin with a reserve now, I try to remember to put the reserve price in the auction. Occasionally, I'll forget. If anybody would send an e-mail when I forget to place the reserve in the auction, I'd be glad to tell them.

Morganluver

I mainly sell toned coins and as you may know there are no fixed price guides for this kind of material. I've run many auctions with no reserve and usually do ok. However, because there are no price guides I have occasionally been hurt(but I will never end a no reserve auction early because I didn't at least break even) I will put a reserve on a coin that I have a substantial investment in such as item #1370538065. My reserves are always reasonable and are almost always met. Most times they go well beyond my reserve. Also, I will always reveal my reserve if asked. I always strive to be candid, open and honest, in other words, treat people the way I would like to be treated. I've found this philosophy to be the best policy in the long run.

Sincerely, Richard
Morganluver on E-Bay

1956Quarter

Have some fun. Bid in $1 increments until you reach your limit, or you find the reserve.....

Colorfulcoins

What's the harm? If you reveal and the ebayer doesn't bid, good riddance. However, I 've had buyers ask for a reserve, I've provided, and they still sniped at the end at the reserve price......I'd guess if the reserve had been too high, they never would have come back 5 days later and bid! So, it can have merit....and I'll always give out the reserve if someone goes to the trouble to ask.

newbiecollector

An interesting post to an Ebay bider in his first stages.

I am fairly new to collecting but have made a few offer on auctions on ebay. I have only won two very low value, but nice to me things.

My observation is as follows, for what it is worth:

1. As a newbie browser on ebay I look for the type, date range of coin I want,
2. I find it and it is a coin that has an attractive scan and I am interested,
3. The situation then can be several problems for me.

It starts a $1....no reserve....I understand that...I better no what the market is!
It is an open for bid item ( zero bids offered), but with a reserve........ a problem for me (as a newbie but interested)
I normally research my limited references and give it a thought..... and
I offer a bid...my hopefully max within the range I think I could purchase the coin for.......that does NOT mean max in buying, at least for me.

Now...... I am not in the USA, can not regulate my hours to stay on and watch the bidding so 9 out of ten times I do not see a chance to "exceed" my maximum bid.

If I had seen a reserve that was the starting bid then I would not have cluttered up the bidding with something of no use and I would not have had my frustration.

I can totally understand that a seller wants a maximum price....who doesn't...... but to me a starting bid at or near the resevre makes sense.

I am pretty sure this has not contributed to the original question/topic and I doubght anyone will reply to my comments, but it was a chance and a place to state (not very wriiten) feelings. No if you can over look my bad spelling and worse typing......... There you have it.

Rob0126

As a person looking for a 'deal', I am fairly deterred by reserves, it's the disappointing factor. Because I view by price, since I have only so much buying power.

Telling people your reserve is great, but thing is, I have only seen 2 auction's that told the reserve.

When I sell, I post the minimum I want for the coin, as the asking price. Then I slap a 'buy it now' auction, in case someone really wants the coin. This is a matter of convenience to someone that doesn't want to go thru the days of waiting for the auction to end. I feel the same way.

I appreciate an auction, where theirs no reserve, and starting really low. But I can only watch those auctions, because most people realize the value in teh coins, and bid outradgeously(bidding can get out of hand).

Bid sniping using software kinda makes me angry, because I personally can't enter a bid at the last 1 sec. I think trying to get a bid in at the last possible second is fine, if your waiting for your browser to do it.

The real bad part about ebay auctions, is that their not really like an in person one. The highest bidder is the winner, but anyone can chime in at any time, to overbid. So no one at a show, can snipe at the last second, because then the bidding is out their again, for someone to outbid them. This is why ebay bidding isn't very fair, but, the convenience is the offsetter, and variety in coins, so that isn't that great of a problem.

Wow, that was a mouthfull!

Thats just my personal thoughts, and everyone has their own.

Robert