The Whole Concept Of a Reserve Piss Me Off!

JackWESQ

To a certain extent, I understand the concept of "protecting your investment." But still, the whole concept of a reserve really pisses me off. I almost want to email the seller, "look buddy, do you want to sell the card or not?!" Don't give me the, "I want to sell the card, but only if the bidding reaches a certain price." I wholeheartedly believe that the market will dictate the price, MORE SO, in the graded card industry. If I had things my way (which will never happen), every auction would start at $0.01 with no reserve. And I wouldn't be surprised if the card reached whatever pre-conceived notion of what the card should sell for. As a buyer, I love it when I see a seller say, "I'm going to sell this card and it's going to go for whatever it is worth." ("Say" it as in listing it with a low starting price and having no reserve.")

And I'm off my rant. Have a great day.

/s/ JackWESQ

TomGshotput

The concept of a reserve makes perfect sense, at least with a product that offers utility. The way the reserve function is used is dumb, especially with cards. Either you want to sell them for what they are worth or you don't

Elemenopeo

Yeah, I hate it when I go the grocery store and they won't sell a half-gallon of milk unless someone's willing to pay $2.59 for it. They should just let the market dictate the price.

rube26105

reserves cost way too much on good cards too
the lower ya stat something,the more bidders you're going to get,instead of starting something at 500.00 bucks , start it at 9.99,if its good,itll get there and you havnt paid ebay all that money to buy an island beside of bill gates' one

TomGshotput

The grocery store runs auctions on dairy products?

rube26105

just on cottage cheese here im waiting for the eggnog myself

Allen

<< <i>Yeah, I hate it when I go the grocery store and they won't sell a half-gallon of milk unless someone's willing to pay $2.59 for it. They should just let the market dictate the price.

>>


Funny that you used milk as an example, if you do not know how the dairy industry is controled and regulated you may want to check it out. Here is a brief article to get you started.
Article


PS- I do use the reserve from time to time, but it also pisses me off when it is on something I want. I always assume it is very high.

chb

<< <i>The grocery store runs auctions on dairy products? >>


The better ones do.

mandeld

I generally agree with letting the market set the price, but I can totally understand why a seller would set a reserve for an item that is valuable, relatively scarce, and generally desired by a limited market of collectors. It's difficult to take the chance that the target market may not see the item and it slips through for a song... when I see a reserve on an item I want, I just ask the seller what it is, and they usually answer.

hankcaddy

<< <i>I generally agree with letting the market set the price, but I can totally understand why a seller would set a reserve for an item that is valuable, relatively scarce, and generally desired by a limited market of collectors. It's difficult to take the chance that the target market may not see the item and it slips through for a song... when I see a reserve on an item I want, I just ask the seller what it is, and they usually answer. >>




i agree the few times i have set reserves it is for the same reason, just not to let it slip through.
set a reasonable reserve and your ok imo
a lot of the reserve auctions are to test the waters i think

vintagetoppsguy

I wouldn't expect anybody with ZERO feedback as a seller to understand the concept of a reserve. However, to fully understand it, go sell your car on eBay Motors without a reserve and let the market determine the value. When you have to come out of pocket a few thousand dollars to make up the difference between what the car sold for and what you actually owe against it, you'll understand it.

Elemenopeo

<< <i>Funny that you used milk as an example, if you do not know how the dairy industry is controled and regulated you may want to check it out. Here is a brief article to get you started.
Article >>



Well, that's an interesting and kind of sad read. Thanks. I love the last quote: "I still think this is a great country... In Mexico, they would have just shot me."

I guess my point, though, is that I think that a reserve-price is not all that much different than a starting price or fixed-price listing or store-item listing. Of those three options, I can see why the reserve-price auction may more appealing for a seller.... at least that way you're less likely to leave money on the table if there are a number of buyers out there who are willing to pay a bunch more than what you'd be willing to sell it for. I guess I just don't see what the problem is or how it's wrong for a seller to set a price on an item he's selling. Like any other auction for an item I want, when I run into those, I set the snipe for the most I'm willing to pay. If I get outbid or it's not the price the seller's looking for, that's fair enough. I move on.

digicat

Though I don't use it, I can understand how a "reserve" could be a good idea if someone's trying to sell a rare item and wants to gague what the market will pay for it. If the market is gonna go berserk on it, it might be a good idea to sell. If the market only will pay $1 for it, why bother?


I guess it does bother me though, when I email a seller with a reserve on his auction, asking what the reserve is set to, and his reply is something along the lines of "Bid and find out."

JackWESQ

Now, this is my kind of seller!

Toriatech w/ Lots of Great Cards!

/s/ JackWESQ

P.S. To vintagetoppsguy, I assume you looked at my ebay user id and saw that I have not sold a single item under that id, which is true. However, under my selling account, I have sold hundreds of cards and every auction has started at $0.01 with no reserve and every auction in the future will continue to do so.

P.S.S. To Allen, very interesting read on the milk industry. I never knew. Nor should I have.

stevek

I can't remember the last time I bothered even considering bidding on an auction with a reserve - just a complete waste of time for the most part. There were many times I would watch an item on reserve and it didn't meet the reserve, and then wait for the seller to relist it, and basically everything I remember worth considering never was relisted. Which led me to believe that the sellers either didn't want to sell the lot, but just had some super high reserve up there for insurance or tax purposes or something like that, or possibly a friend of theirs wanted to buy the lot privately but they couldn't agree on a price, and they agreed to sell it to them for whatever the high price was on the auction, knowing it wouldn't meet the reserve. Probably other reasons as well for placing a reserve and not really wanting to sell the item on ebay.

A few times after an auction didn't meet the reserve, I even contacted them with a very fair offer well above the last bid, and with a note to give me a counteroffer if my offer wasn't good enough...and none of them, not one, even got back to me!! ...Tells me clearly they weren't really interested in selling.


-

sonoranmonsoon

I can not get worked up over it. I do not care if there is a reserve or not, in fact I ignore it. I bid what I am willing to pay. If I win the item fine, if not I move on. No biggie.

nam812

<< <i>I can not get worked up over it. I do not care if there is a reserve or not, in fact I ignore it. I bid what I am willing to pay. If I win the item fine, if not I move on. No biggie. >>




It really is that simple.

perkdog

I ALWAYS list a reserve for any cards I have for sale, Im not looking to dump things on ebay just for the heck of it!

Leiascards

What gets me is you see something with a reserve and when you ask the seller what the reserve is they try to tell you they are not allowed to tell you due to Ebay rules. I always ask them to show me that rule and point out many sellers put their reserve right in the listing. I also tell them I am not going to waste my time bidding if my maximum bid is not going even be close to the reserve.

DrJ

The reserve makes sense for selling high dollar cards. Ebay is far from the perfect marketplace, and for a seller to obtain true market value they need to have the correct buyers sitting at their computer at or near the time their auction ends. When using an auction house to sell high dollar goods, the seller has the advantage of prior advertisement as well as a controlled audience for bidding. The buyers have the advantage of seeing the goods in person and receiving the goods after winning the auction without having to go through the uncertainty of Ebay.

J

Buccaneer

In my opnion, it is far better to start at a minimum price than to have a reserve. I do not ignore auctions with a high starting price but I always ignore the ones with an un-stated reserve.

perkdog

<< <i>In my opnion, it is far better to start at a minimum price than to have a reserve. >>



Actually this might be a better option, I may give this a try.

TNTonPMS

I wouldn't be willing to risk not putting a reserve on a high dollar item , Hoping that the right people see it and having it go for 5 bucks, when it cost you 20 grand because those" Right " people did not notice it .

It is just saying , you're not willing to let it go for less than X no matter what .
Naturally offers can be made close to the reserve and they are sometimes taken

Having said that , when the reserve is set way above fair market value , it is ridiculous .

I see nothing wrong with protecting your investments with setting a reserve at FMV or even slightly below and then let the chips fall where they may .

Just my 2.5 cents

grote15

By and large, if an item is in demand, starting the auction off with no reserve will garner you a bigger return than using a reserve. The idea of buying an item at "the seller's price" is just not very appealing for most buyers.

mtcards

A reserve is essentially a minimum bid and should be looked at that way. If I see an auction with a reserve and I bid and it doesnt meet the reserve, I DONT BUY IT. Its no different when I go shopping somewhere and I see an item that I want but is priced too high...I DONT BUY IT! The mentality of wanting something for nothing is spreading like a disease amongst everyone everywhere. What happened to paying a fair price for an item? If someone wants too much, he will either lower his price or keep the item...the market does dictate the price.

WinPitcher

I have no argument with those that prefer to start an auction with a reserve, If I want the item I'll bid on it. If I do not reach the reserve and i feel my bid is strong I just move on.

Steve

Blackborder

I hate reserves, just price it at the minimum you want. When I see an auction with a reserve, I don't bid, it's just a waste of time.

BobaFett72

"The mentality of wanting something for nothing is spreading like a disease amongst everyone everywhere."

it why so many people shop at wal-mart, or want cheap prices on everything and anything, but cry and moan when all our manufacturing jobs go overseas.

Look at the toy market, some 80% made overseas, but they are toxic, lead paint, date-rape drug et.al. You get what you pay for.

Same with foodstuffs, juice, produce, more and more is imported with lower standards and contaminated contents.

grote15

A reserve is essentially a minimum bid

Exactly, which is why I think sellers would be better off just starting it off at a minimum bid, instead of using a reserve. From a seller's standpoint, too, if an item does not meet your reserve, you will pay double the listing fee on that higher reserve amount. Why the mystery? Just start the auction off at a price you feel is fair then.

Estil

Indeed, I always thought that a reserve was pointless; just make the minimum bid whatever your reserve would have been and be done with it. Or is it cheaper to start it at a dollar with a reserve?

RipublicaninMass

I bet you guys (against a reserve) have never got caught up in an auction, and just bid a little more than you should have to win whatvever item. This is the concept of the reserve. WHo is gonna bid 1000$ NOBODY, when it starts at one cent people might bid, keep coming back to the item, and go higher than they normally would have if there was just a 999 opneing bid. I ran a grouping of 55 bowmans. SMR of over 1500, reserve not met at 300 bucks. that's right 300 bucks, is that what the fair market is? Mostly stars, umpires, etc? I relisted it at 399 and has more bidders, but I will hold onto it until it hits my reserve. Are you guys the same ones complaiing about Levi's high starting prices? you cant have it both ways folks. I honestly cant understand the rationale of someone NOT BIDDING cause there is a reserve? Is it because you already know your super low ball/basically insulting bid would never win it in a million years? BTW if you bid high enough, the reserve drops off and you have the highest bid. SO pull up those bootstraps and put in some serious bids!

mikeschmidt

What if you don't know what a card is worth? What if it is a unique, high grade Hall of Famer, that you would be willing to sell for what you feel is a stupid prices, but what the market may feel is a modest price? It was only a few months ago that a 1975 Topps Nolan Ryan PSA 10 sold for over $25,000. I have a 1973 Topps Ryan/Carlton PSA 10 that I would sell for a fraction of that...but I would not sell it for $1,500. This is precisely why a reserve is nice -- it lets you test the market for something that is not easy to put a price upon. It's not as if you are obligated to bid.

Marc

grote15

Well, if the intention of the seller is to "test the waters" with regard to the actual value of an item, I can see why a reserve may be useful since the seller is not so much interested in selling the item as finding out what the market will bear for said item. Which I'd imagine is also why many bidders find the mysterious reserve amount auction a bit irritating in the first place (just tell us what you want for the item). From my experiences as a seller, I can say without question that you will get the most action and the highest possible return on an auction when you set it up so the bidders will determine the item's true value (i.e. a no reserve auction with a minimum bid). However, if the item is obscure or the market is limited for a certain item, then I can also see why a reserve may be useful. What is irritating to me, is when a seller lists a card with a SMR of $150 with a reserve. Just let it ride already, LOL!!

Blackborder

<< <i> I honestly cant understand the rationale of someone NOT BIDDING cause there is a reserve? Is it because you already know your super low ball/basically insulting bid would never win it in a million years? BTW if you bid high enough, the reserve drops off and you have the highest bid. SO pull up those bootstraps and put in some serious bids! >>



I rarely lowball. If I want a card, I'll bid appropriatly to get it. However, what I've seen over the years (I used to collect coins, same with cards though), is that people who have auctions with reserves have higher than market on the reserve and are counting on a bidding war since it's "unknown". A market value bid is a waste of time in most cases. If anyone has a different experience, feel free to share it but that's been my experience so I don't even waste my time with reserve auctions anymore. I might make an exception but it would be rare.

On the other hand, if people who use reserves have reasonable market value reserves, then why not just list a minimum bid? The ebay fees are cheaper and I expect there's more people who avoid reserve auctions than there are who engage in a bidding war.

Buccaneer

<< <i>I bet you guys (against a reserve) have never got caught up in an auction, and just bid a little more than you should have to win whatvever item. This is the concept of the reserve. WHo is gonna bid 1000$ NOBODY, when it starts at one cent people might bid, keep coming back to the item, and go higher than they normally would have if there was just a 999 opneing bid. I ran a grouping of 55 bowmans. SMR of over 1500, reserve not met at 300 bucks. that's right 300 bucks, is that what the fair market is? Mostly stars, umpires, etc? I relisted it at 399 and has more bidders, but I will hold onto it until it hits my reserve. Are you guys the same ones complaiing about Levi's high starting prices? you cant have it both ways folks. I honestly cant understand the rationale of someone NOT BIDDING cause there is a reserve? Is it because you already know your super low ball/basically insulting bid would never win it in a million years? BTW if you bid high enough, the reserve drops off and you have the highest bid. SO pull up those bootstraps and put in some serious bids! >>



I only bid via a snipe so I never, ever "get caught up in an auction".

rube26105

me too-reserves cost way too much money,meg needs more about like psa does
the lower ya start it,the more bidders you'll have,and have a war lol

Ahmanfan

sellers need to realize that even if most people dont' mind reserves, there are SOME, no matter how few, who will not even consider auctions with reserves. On ebay you need all the bidders you can get, so I'd suggest using no reserve and starting everything at 0.01, or if that seems a little risky, just start the auction at the price you would put the reserve at.
John

Teknobailey

I agree that, for 99.9% of things, start at one red cent with no reserve and let her rip.

For some of my smaller, cheaper, items that I'm just looking to get rid of, I do a BIN of about 75% of its value. You'll get a taker almost immediately.

Guru

I've only done reserves a couple of times. I'm glad I did. I set it at a fair price and I got well above what I wanted. But, if it would have gone cheaper than the reserve I would have been dissappointed. That's why I set it. Although, I typically will not have a reserve.

Teknobailey

<< <i>I've only done reserves a couple of times. I'm glad I did. I set it at a fair price and I got well above what I wanted. But, if it would have gone cheaper than the reserve I would have been dissappointed. That's why I set it. Although, I typically will not have a reserve. >>



Dude, you should run for President, you talk like one....

Summary of Guru's response: "Sometimes, Maybe not, but not really"

LOL

Sorry Guru, I couldnt resist..... Just having fun, not making fun!

Morgoth

I have used them for my dad but not for my stuff. I think you get more bids and action on auctions with no reserve. If I was truly worried about selling a card that has gotten soft or it's an unknown market I would set a higher minimum bid. I also glance past most auctions with reserves and usually see if there is some none reserve auctions unless it is something hard to find.

mercurynut

<< <i>Yeah, I hate it when I go the grocery store and they won't sell a half-gallon of milk unless someone's willing to pay $2.59 for it. They should just let the market dictate the price. >>

diamondman

If it is an oddball item or a hardly ever seen item on ebay , then put a reserve on it, with snipe bidding being more and more prevalent, you will see more and more sellers setting higher starting bids and more with reserves, like one person said put up a car or a rare obscure item that if the right collectors/dealers don't see it and lose a couple grand or even a couple hundred and you will believe in having a reserve. there will always be that 3 to 5% of Buyers / Lowballers /Flea market mentality, that if they can't steal it they are not going to buy or bid on it. just my 2 cents.

RipublicaninMass

well I listed a 54 red heart partial set with a reserve of 570, the bidder contacted me after hi sbid looked like 350, but he said it was 550, sold off ebay for 550. Also, they make second chance offers if it is even close to the reserve!

WeekendHacker

I really don't see what the big deal is all about. If you don't want to bid on an item that has a reserve, move along. Maybe the seller is interested in selling the card and if it didn't meet his bid in a non-reserve auction that he started at $2,000, now he has somewhat of an idea for what the market would be for the item he listed with the reserve.