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Low auction starting price or Best Offer?

ClemazClemaz Posts: 1,422
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Have you guys had more success selling auction style or "Buy it now" with the best offer option? Thinking about selling some cards and I am curious about how I want to go with them>
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Comments

  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    At this point, I would NEVER price anything below the
    minimum that I would be happy to accept.

    Bidding-wars are few and far between, on all but the
    most scarce and in-demand items.
    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • envoy98envoy98 Posts: 4,000 ✭✭
    Have to agree with storm on this one. Look no further than Lee (CDsNuts) post on page 1 about "Good time to buy, bad time to sell". Raw cards in particular are susceptible(sp?) to very low sales. Graded cards will usually find there way close to other sales. I have very few experiences where my graded card of x player in x grade didn't get within 5% or go for more than the same card earlier in the month. I usually set my BIN a few bucks over what the last one sold at and put a Best Offer option on it. Works for me, some other guys will have other ideas.
    image
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    BigCrumbs! I made over $250 last year!
  • cravetoppscravetopps Posts: 1,134
    auction format with no reserve is going to result in more sales but heed storms advice about what could happen - no bidding war = potentially unsatisfactory results. I think an auction with whatever reserve you'd be happy with is going to get more attention since typically the BINs I have seen are above SMR. But, sometimes, a seller will have a reasonable BIN and if a buyer is motivated or impatient, they may pull the trigger.
    Mark B.

    Seeking primarily PSA graded pre-war "type" cards

    My PSA Registry Sets

    34 Goudey, 75 Topps Mini, Hall of Fame Complete Set, 1985 Topps Tiffany, Hall of Fame Players Complete Set
  • dontippetdontippet Posts: 2,609 ✭✭✭✭
    with best offers, I tend to lowball to see if I can get it. In an auction style, I would have a tendancy to possibly go higher if I see an auction going for higher that I was hoping to bid.
    > [Click on this link to see my ebay listings.](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&_udlo=&_udhi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=61611&_sargn=-1&saslc=1&_salic=1&_fss=1&_fsradio=&LH_SpecificSeller=1&_saslop=1&_sasl=mygirlsthree3&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_fosrp=1)
    >

    Successful transactions on the BST boards with rtimmer, coincoins, gerard, tincup, tjm965, MMR, mission16, dirtygoldman, AUandAG, deadmunny, thedutymon, leadoff4, Kid4HOF03, BRI2327, colebear, mcholke, rpcolettrane, rockdjrw, publius, quik, kalinefan, Allen, JackWESQ, CON40, Griffeyfan2430, blue227, Tiggs2012, ndleo, CDsNuts, ve3rules, doh, MurphDawg, tennessebanker, and gene1978.
  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    With best offer, you will have trouble selling at the price you list it for, so be sure to list it high if that's the way to go. I've noticed after opening a store that fixed price BIN's are infitely more successful than they were 5 years ago. I would say list anything that doesn't regularly show up on ebay at a high BIN and lower it if it doesn't sell. I just sold a box of 1977-78 Topps basketball at a $700 BIN and one just sold today in an auction for $550. No way I would've gotten $700 if I let it go to auction. Same goes for low pop PSA 10s- you either press your luck and hope the right people see it, or put it up at a high BIN and eventually the right guy will come along and pay your price.

    Anything that's fairly common, I usually just let it go to auction with a .01 starting bid. Usually these cards will bring close to the market average.

    Lee
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    At this point, I would NEVER price anything below the
    minimum that I would be happy to accept.

    Unless you have a major following I would and do heed this advice.


    Steve
    Good for you.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,761 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Despite the depressed market for certain items, the best way to maximize your return is to start off an auction at 99 cents and let it ride. Unless, of course, you're absolutely unwilling to take that risk. However, starting the auction at a higher price will fail to attract a bidder in most cases. The "best offer" function may work better, esp. if you establish a higher than expected BIN price (for some collectors, perceived value is just as important as actual value), but be prepared to get your share of lowball offers, too. Anything worth $100 or less, I'd always start off at a buck with no reserve.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • colebearcolebear Posts: 886 ✭✭
    Best offers in a store listing are so much more successful today than they have been in the past. eBay's store system has come a long way from a few years ago and it pays off. Auctions are tough, last week I had a bunch of BGS 9.5 2006 bowman chrome listings starting at .99 and you guessed it, that is what I received. I know I am going to hear, BGS this and BGS that, but .99 for some of those prospects? I did the honorable thing and coughed up the loss. I have always started my auctions at .99 and ended up ok. I kept on thinking snipers will hit it but in the end I was left getting a fraction of my investment. That is the last time I will ever start at auction at anything lower than my investment. During weather like this, if auction start higher or do best offer that is set high enough to potentially off set off losses.
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