selling PSA graded cards on ebay, should reserve be set?

asphaltman76

Hi,
I've started putting up some graded T206's, T205's and such on ebay. Is it better to set a reserve price? If so, for the full value of what the cards are listed at with SMR online? Thanks.

gonzoa

Don't bother w/the reserve.

First because T206s are selling VERY well right now....you can expect to sell them for above book value anyways.

Second because, from what I've seen, cards w/reserve get less action and don't go as high as those w/o.

T205s are not going as high, so maybe it wouldn't hurt too bad, but due to #2 above, it might. I would, at the very least, list the T206s straight up and not worry about it much. They are doing very well right now. I'll be unloading my T206 Southern Leaguers soon and will definitely NOT list w/a reserve.

asphaltman76

have you found the optimum amount of time to list the cards for? i just sold a PSA 4 miller huggins and a PSA 1 mordecai brown, both card about what i though, $166 and $70, that was with a 3 day auction, not sure if 5 day would make much difference.

jackstraw

On what you are selling I would do it for 10 days because my thinking is the more exposure the better. You never know somebody might only hit Ebay on Saturday night because that really the only time he has or is on vacation , even worse may have missed it in his search only to catch it a second time? Longer is better in my book on those and shorter is better on anything newer then say 75 .

craig19

i personally don't sell with RESERVES, or bid auctions with RESREVES. when I sell I usually put a minimum $ starting bid that i could accept if i only get one bid. As far as timing, i always to the standard 7 days and start around 7pm PST. Try not to end the auctions on the weekend. I have gotten some of my best buys on auctions ending on the weekend...probably less people watching/bidding them...

gonzoa

I have actually ALWAYS listed for 7 days. No, i take that back....I did once list for 5 and didn't notice any real difference between 5 and 7....I've never tried 3.

However, I tried something new this past time. I decided to list my cards for 10 days. It costs 40 cents more, but I figured that way I could get exposure over 2 weekends instead of 1. Unfortunately I'm not sure if i did any better w/the 10 than I usually do w/the 7. These were the first t205s I'd listed, so I have no basis for comparison.

...and to piggyback off the weekends thing above.....i too would try not to end on friday or saturday, but I've always found sunday to be ok. but maybe I'm wrong on that and am costing myself money each time. I TOO WOULD LIKE SOMEFEEDBACK ON THAT.

asphaltman76

I'll probably try a 5 day listing. I've always found it seems like the cards get the most looks when first listed and then the last 24 hours anyway, seems like inbetween they kinda get lost in the mud.

craig19

the only thing you need to be careful is that a lot of people, i think, do the same few searches every day...and I for one usually only look at the listings which have 6-7 days and the listings that are expiring through 24 hours. Thus the chunk in the middle, as you said just gets lost. But it does give a couple extra days for the stuff in the middle that usually gets lost, to get seen. Hopefully i'm making sense...

dontippet

I agree, cards kinda get lost in the middle days of the auction, but it only takes one more bidder to increase your final price. That bidder may not bid until the last second, but they may be watching for several days before that. I have a tendency to watch a bid for several days before it closes, but not bid until the last second. I would go for 7 days. That is what I usually set my auctions for. The only exception for me is if the particular item is hot only for the immediate future (next few days), such as maybe Tiger Woods cards after having a great weekend or Kobe cards after scoring 80 points or Bruce Sutter cards after getting the nod for the hall.

storm888

Longer durations are better.

There is only anecdotal "evidence" that the day of the
week the sales end has a sure impact on final values.
PM endings are best.

Auctions across all categories are statistically much
lamer today than they were 12 and 24 months ago.
Regardless of how sought after one believes their
items will be on eBay, the ONLY "safe" way to market
in their auction format is to price your items at the
lowest price you are willing to accept as a final bid.
(There are certainly cards that will play well at low
starting bids, but it is risky in light of much reduced
traffic patterns.)

eBay is crowded with snipers and bargain-hunters.
A seller's only defense is higher starting prices.

High-FP listings on choice items is also working
fairly well, currently. You have to be prepared to
slowly reduce the price until you snag your fish.

storm

asphaltman76

good info thanks

goose3

personally I have found that 10 day listings are not worth the extra money. I myself do not like bidding on items that are being dragged out for 10 days.

I generally start and end ALL of my listings on Tues or Weds. I start all of my stuff at .01c with zero reserve.

asphaltman76

thats with PSA graded vintage cards goose? you haven't been on the shorthand yet?

Kurtman9

For whatever reason, people don't like to bid on stuff when there is a reserve. You'll get more interest and bids in your auctions if no reserve is set. I also have not found the 10 day listings to bring in more $ than the 7 day, however I've never done an indepth study on it.

JackWESQ

I tend to end my auctions on Sunday, Monday or Thursday nights around 7:00 p.m. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Basically just when I can get to listing the auction. I always set it for 7 days, set the starting price at $0.01 with no reserves and without a Buy-It-Now. I avoid auctions with reserves like the plague unless it is purely for tracking purposes, e.g. bidding $5.00 on a 1950s Topps HOFer in mid to high grade. The moment I see a reserve, I think to myself, "Ah! The seller wants to sell this card, but only under the right conditions and if all nine planets are aligned."

Ten (10) days and I think to myself, "even if I win this auction and pay the second it ends, I won't see the cards for TWO WEEKS." That is an eternity, especially if it is something you have scroured the net for, e.g. T205 and T206. I agree with gonzoa. No need to worry about reserves on T205 and T206. It seems like the older the card (and presumably the rarer it is), the more likely it will meet and/or exceed SMR.

But I think it comes down to this. If you want to sell you card, then sell the card. Set the auction at $0.01 and let it fly. I understand protecting an investment. But at what point does protecting an investment become outweighed by holding onto cards and finding yourself with an excessive inventory. Just my $0.02 cents.

/s/ JackWESQ

jfkheat

I start auctions at .99 and never put a reserve. If you have it listed correctly (no mistakes in the title like T602 or Toops), a desirably item will sell itself.
James