Is Selling On Ebay Dead Or What?

Summer seems to slow ebay prices down a tad. I won't wait 3 months to list, it's just not worth getting a little more.

From the buying standpoint, I think there is more "noise" than ever on ebay. So many Buy It Now coins that are overpriced...have to weed through all that to find the deals.

Hmmm. Two weeks ago I listed about 15 coins. After it was over I commented to a few friends that there must have been a full moon or else they turned the Crazies loose. I received FAR BETTER BIDS than I imagined were possible. I hate to say this (and I hope none of my buyers are reading this!) but people seemed to be bidding "stupid money" on my coins.

Now, as you ponder that first paragraph, bear in mind that the vast majority of collectors would consider me to be something of a "bottom feeder". (Thankfully, no one on this Forum has ever called me that - just goes to show what nice folks we have here!) About the only coins I ever sell on ebay are dateless Buffalo nickels that have been chemically restored. Still...because this is ALL I do, and have been doing it for a long time I know from history what to expect for the various date/mint combinations that I put out there...and I'm telling you right now...I hit homerun after homerun two weeks ago.

And if you look at my feedback, those buyers were practically giddy in their praise and happiness at what they received from me.

So from this bottom feeder's perspective...the buying market is hot!

when I Placed my (KEY-DATED)coin(s) on ebay I used a reserved price, and I'm glad I did because the final bids were just 40% of what I paid for them. I'm talking about coins with retail values of $1200 and more. I guess I will just take a "wait-an-see-approach, for now.

Exactly, the majority of bidders hit the back button the second they see "Reserve not met," they're there to buy coins not play guessing games.

Also....

What day and time did it end?
How was your title?
What's your feedback like?
How long you been selling?
How were the pictures?
Do you have a return policy?

All dramatically effect bid quality and quantity.

Just saying "I got 50% of what they're worth" and expecting a legitimate explanation is like asking someone "What does a car cost?" and expecting an accurate answer.

I have to agree. From my experiences, Summer has always been slow for selling. I tend to hold off on selling until the end of August when things start to pick up.

From a buying standpoint, you can get some really good deals during the summer months.

I think that the amount of new items on ebay has declined over the past several months. It hasn't really bothered me though. Since the Euro has tanked, I find myself shopping more at international shops like MA-Shops.

I think Scubu made some great points. The timing of the end of the auction is all-important. Some years ago I saw something from ebay that basically broke down the best times to end an auction and I THINK it showed that ending between 9 and 10 PM (EST) on Sunday was best and 9 to 10 PM on Saturday was 2nd best. The idea is to have it end before easterners go to bed but at a time when westerners might still be in front of their computers.

As to Scubu's other points - I totally agree. A great feedback record, a long history of selling on ebay, high resolution photos, a liberal retun policy...all these things inspire a buyer's confidence.

And I hate to say this...I truly, truly hate to say this...but at least in my case I think offering free shipping has really helped. I resisted converting to free shipping for so long because I viewed it (and STILL view it) as a way for ebay to collect a greater amount of fees through PayPal (shipping charges are exempt from PayPal fees) BUT, right after I started offering free shipping it seemed like I started realizing better prices for my listings.

Ptui! It tasted AWFUL to admit to that....