Ebay watchers

[Eck]

I have a few good items on my ebay at the moment, a lot of watchers no bids.
They have only been on one day but after 4 days if there are no bids I'll take them down.
People have complained about this before but if they make a bid then there is no problem.
I do it myself, but I have no complaints if a listing without bids is removed.

[Dorking]

I watch items for different reasons.

Sometimes I have no intention of buying but I just want to be able to quickly see how much it sold for

Sometimes it is so I can bid at the last minute

sometimes I am undecided and just want to be able to find it easily if I decide I do want it

all sorts of reasons really!

[TheSorter!]

I think the number of watchers of an item can be misleading. I bid on approximately 50% of the items I watch. I had a programme listed recently that had 11 watchers but it didn't sell! That says everything!

[littlewiggy]

Dorking wrote:

I watch items for different reasons. Sometimes I have no intention of buying but I just want to be able to quickly see how much it sold for Sometimes it is so I can bid at the last minute sometimes I am undecided and just want to be able to find it easily if I decide I do want it all sorts of reasons really!

This is me too ^^^

I'm an avid "watcher" - usually have three pages full - but probably only bid on about 20% of what I watch.

I'm just really nosy.

As a seller, I've learned to take no notice of the amount of watchers, I realised a long time ago it means nothing.
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[Eck]

I know the numbers can be misleading for a few reasons but I know these are valuable items so i'm undecided how I am going to go.2 of the 4 should run into 3 figures but definitely one, the starting price is £100.
Wolves and Rangers fans will be able to tell you how hard Gothenburg tournament 1971 is. I won't risk a last minute steal.

[PompeyPhil]

I watch loads of items for many of the same reasons already listed.....current achieved price, because I’m going to bid, curiosity etc Don’t take offence Eck but I don’t understand why a seller “pulls” an item just because there’s no bids or low bids registered as the auction nears its end......surely if you know what you want for the item then put that as a starting bid or post a reserve......surely that makes it better for both the seller and buyer? On the rare occasions I sell “spares or doubles” I put a minimum figure as a starting point.......it usually works! Each to their own though....

[slightfold]

Eck,
Surely with higher value items you set at the minimum price you want for something? Then if it doesn't sell then you won't get peanuts! My bidding for more expensive items is always by snipe, keeps my powder dry and sets my maximum. I am never a watcher. Watching figures mean zilch as others have also said.

[littlewiggy]

I'm the same Phil, I start things at the lowest price I'm willing to accept.

I can understand where Eck is coming from if he has something rare & valuable, but I personally would start it at £100 if that's the bare minimum I'm happy with.

Then if it doesn't sell, there's always another day.
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[PompeyPhil]

[whosbrianwilson]

Eck
Sorry mate, please don't take offence, but whats the point of putting something up for 7 or 10 days and then pulling it after 4 because there are no bids?
If you don't want someone to get a "steal" then start it at the minimum you would be prepared to accept. If it sells then fine, if it doesn't, nothing lost.

[Rocky]

I’m sure people also watch to gauge the market. A recent sale on eBay for the rare 62/3 Boro v Norwich raised the princely sum of £466 after starting at £9.99. Another one has now appeared with a starting price of £375.
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[Tynie Topics]

I watch plenty of items and if I decide to bid, it will generally be at the last moment, that's the sensible way to do it.

If you don't want an item to sell below your absolute minimum, then list it at that as a starting price, or set a reserve.
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[Eck]

PompeyPhil wrote:

I watch loads of items for many of the same reasons already listed.....current achieved price, because I’m going to bid, curiosity etc Don’t take offence Eck but I don’t understand why a seller “pulls” an item just because there’s no bids or low bids registered as the auction nears its end......surely if you know what you want for the item then put that as a starting bid or post a reserve......surely that makes it better for both the seller and buyer? On the rare occasions I sell “spares or doubles” I put a minimum figure as a starting point.......it usually works! Each to their own though....

I would never pull an item that has a bid.

[Eck]

Tynie Topics wrote:

I watch plenty of items and if I decide to bid, it will generally be at the last moment, that's the sensible way to do it. If you don't want an item to sell below your absolute minimum, then list it at that as a starting price, or set a reserve.

You know that rarely works out, on ebay or at auction.

[Eck]

The Gothenburg Alliance one is worth a minimum of £200, if I start at £200 it's going to make things difficult, surely you know enough about auction to see this.

[Tynie Topics]

[quote="Eck"]

Tynie Topics wrote:

You know that rarely works out, on ebay or at auction.

Well no, I start any ebay auctions at the lowest price I'm prepared to sell it at. Always have done. Maybe your items are better placed in an auction house, or start them lower with a reserve on ebay.

Listing them then pulling them seems a waste of time and effort for all concerned. Many people leave bidding on ebay for high value items to the very last second. I know, I've won and lost a few due to this.
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[Five and In]

It's quite often tricky "gauging the temperature" of an Ebay auction until the last few minutes in my opinion.

Personally, as a buyer, I would never bid until the last few seconds as I wouldn't want to show my hand too early.

As a seller, I have seen both sides of watchers as I'm sure we all have.
I have had items watched by a couple of dozen people not sell and equally some not being watched go for good money at the death.

I believe there is an app that can enter your bid with four seconds remaining.I have no idea what it is called, but this would never show as a watcher.

I currently have 55 items (non football) ending on auction tonight, 38 are being watched, some by as many as 8 people, but none have bids on yet.
Hopefully it will be a good night, but equally it could be a complete flop.

The only thing I know for sure is that my starting price is the lowest I will be happy with and if they don't sell, I will relist as buy it nows.

[littlewiggy]

I understand what Eck is saying I think, in that if he lists his item starting at the lowest amount he will accept (be it £100/£200), then it's likely to deter buyers from getting interested. We've all been involved in auctions that start ridiculously low, and the thought of getting a bargain snares your interest - so much so that we then get carried away and end up bidding far in excess of what we originally intended.

Unfortunately, that selling method also carries the huge risk of you being unlucky and selling for a song. Hence you can't have it both ways - you either gamble and hope you're lucky, or safeguard your item by starting it much higher at an amount you'll be happy to take if push comes to shove.

Given the sheer unpredictability of auctions, I know which method I favour. We've all had items go unsold one week, only to relist them and have buyers fighting over them the next. No two auctions are alike, and unlike us hard-core anoraks, the majority of collectors don't watch eBay like hawks. It's more a passing fancy and if you pick the wrong week to list, you'll suffer a hit.

Hence the gamble is too much for me I'm afraid, I prefer to have an item go unsold ready to list another day than get stung.
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[PompeyPhil]

Eck wrote:

PompeyPhil wrote: I watch loads of items for many of the same reasons already listed.....current achieved price, because I’m going to bid, curiosity etc Don’t take offence Eck but I don’t understand why a seller “pulls” an item just because there’s no bids or low bids registered as the auction nears its end......surely if you know what you want for the item then put that as a starting bid or post a reserve......surely that makes it better for both the seller and buyer? On the rare occasions I sell “spares or doubles” I put a minimum figure as a starting point.......it usually works! Each to their own though.... I would never pull an item that has a bid.

Apologies Eck that wasn’t aimed at you..... more at Ebay sellers that do “pull” items at the last minute, which has happened to me on a number of occasions due to “cold feet” and the fear the item was going cheap!

Regards Phil

Ps if you or anyone on here’s got a spare Boro v Pompey league programme for the 48-49 season get it on EBay .......let’s say 99p starting fee! :

[holtie96]

Again this is only my opinion but I agree with Tyne, the problem with pulling the auction is that you never know who is waiting to bid and also if you are not careful people may become wary of you as a seller and not bother to bid for fear that you are not going to see the auction through. People who pull auctions early are often under suspicion of selling privately outside if the auction having been contacted and made an offer.
I would be inclined to list one thing at a decent price you would be prepared to let it go for and see what happens.
Just a thought........