Auction Listing Strategies

JusttheFacts

I have always thought that it is beneficial to list 10-20 cards for auction from the same set at the same time so that potential buyers may save on shipping. I know as a buyer that I sometimes skip low dollar auctions for one card even if I need it because the shipping cost (even if reasonable) is too high of a percentage of the total purchase. At the same time, it seems like it is a bad strategy for sellers to list too many cards from the same set at the same time because potential buyers will be overwhelmed (translated as, "boy do I want all of these cards, but there is no way I can afford all of them at the same time"). DSL, for example, seems to do a pretty good job of listing at least 10 cards from a particular set at one time without listing too many. Any opinions?

mariner

I agree, it is beneficial to list 10-20 cards from the same set at the same time. Also, it is good to group cards like all Yankee cards together in a group of listings at the same time. I have had good luck with this approach.

Vargha

It depends upon the value. I listed over 100 raw vintage cards at one time that were duplicates from upgrading (same set). Certainly the chance to buy multiple cards at one time generates more interest as well as fostering more competition. I have seen this as both a buyer and a seller.

aro13

Based on what I have observed it is much better to list 10-20 cards from a set for various reasons. Recently denver on ebay listed some 63-63 Parkhurst Hockey cards in PSA 8. All of the cards (with the exception of the Gordie Howe) sold for huge premiums over what they had been selling for recently. I was caught in that mode of what do I do if I win them all, but I had nothing to worry about. I put in snipes higher than all of the cards had recently sold for and I was only close on one card. I also think this method works particularly well (as was mentioned) on cards in the $10-$20 range when saving on shipping is a bonus.

Remobolan

I agree with you. I have better luck with lower priced cards if I list 10 or more from the same set. Right now I have 15 1972 Topps Football listed. I also do a big multiple card shipping discount, from $3.50 to .50 per additional auction won. That makes it worth buying a $5 or $6 card. I also agree because I have looked on ebay and had 30 cards at once that I wanted and I didn't know which ones to bid on and ended up not getting half of the ones that I wanted. I also think it's smart to offfer people on this forum cards before you list them on ebay. I did that last week and sold two cards and didn't have to hassle with ebay or pay them anything. Thats my story and I am sticking with it.


I am looking for 1972 Topps Football graded at 8 or above. Help!!!!

Basilone

I have done very well on ebay selling 20-30 lots at a time of the same set. The best results I've had was with 1963 Fleer baseball...where if someone wants to jump into the set...they might bid their a$$ off to get 35-50% of the set all in one night.

OhioTaz

I think it is important not to have them all go at the same exact time though. Even with 10 cards when a buyer is looking at an auction and comes back to the listing page, it randomly lists the cards rather than keeping them in order. That can be aggravating if you are comparing the listed cards to what you own and skipping those auctions that you are not interested in.

Taz

1967topps

Related to "at the same time" is it considered better to have each auction end a few
minutes after the previous one, or to have six or 20 that all end within the same minute?

34GoudeyCollector

I think it's better to have them spaced 1-2 minutes apart. There have been several times when I have wanted to bid on several cards from the same dealer, only to find out they all end at the same time. This is very dscouraging to say the least!

Ken