This Guy Is "So Very Disappointed"

I thought that you could put a "reserve price" on items? Couldn't he simply put a starting price or a reserve price that his is willing to sell the item for? Otherwise, if he was continually losing money, then he should have stopped selling a long time ago. Seriously, if you keep getting the same results, then you have to change what you are doing! You can't keep listing the exact same thing the exact same way and yet expect a different outcome.

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Originally posted by grouse12

I agree with you Snooba (oh great knightess of the coin table)

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Don't worry, I am a benevolent & kind knightess! I use my knightessness for good & not evil!

It is the best "sales gimmick" I have heard/seen for a long time.

Is he smart or just plain dumb!

Maybe his low sales have to do with the fact that his positive feedback is only 99.3% (23 negatives and a bunch of neutrals). It could also be related to the fact that he doesn't provide pictures in his auctions. As we all know, pictures in a coin auction are a must to get true value. He hasn't done any research, wants to take the easy way out, and now he can't full value for his coins. I have to say that this guy is just a whiner - sorry.

ebay is not an easy market. We have had coins sell for a fraction of what we projected and WAY under value. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. It's the nature of the ebay market. Unless you have at least two people who see a coin and are willing to pay fair value for it, the coin will probably sell for considerably less than its value.

On the other hand, we've had many coins sell for significantly over what we projected.

I think this seller needs to wake up and smell the coffee. We haven't started a coin above $9.95 for about a year. Some we start at 99 cents. The lower starting prices have always helped our coins get more bids and thus sell for more money. It also saves on listing fees.

Sometimes a coin does well because a second party is bidding
I just made somebody pay 70 euro more for a coin because my snipe was 70 euro above last minute and still fell short
But since I was the lone second bidder it was only me that made the vendor got a fair price for is coin
He understood and stopped selling any further coins in the series

If you cannot put in a reserve you still can put in a high starting price no ?

I think the author of "The Whine" isn't particularly astute about how ebay or any other auction site or floor auction works, despite his large number of transactions.

An auction is just that: a place to buy things through competitive bidding. An auction with a high starting bid just isn't gonna get off the ground in most instances, particularly with coins. People want to bid against others as part of the game; they don't want to buy an items which already has a set price. I can't speak for Australia ebay, but elsewhere, if an item needs to receive a certain minimum amount, that's what the Reserve is for.

I have long since ceased adding coins to my Watch List which have high near-market starting prices since I can predict with 90% accuracy that they will not sell. The exceptions are those coins which start at considerably less than market value (e.g., $400 instead of the price guides' value at $1200) which MAY attract attentive and knowledgeable bidders. To the contrary, I have seen coins start out at very low start prices go for a lot more than a similar coin which has a much higher, but still competitive start price. People like the action of a true auction and will pay premium prices to participate.

I start out almost all my auctions (coins and otherwise) at 99 cents and let them work their way up to their natural market value. Very seldom am I disappointed. As I mentioned, if I need to receive a minimum price, I'll tack on a hidden Reserve, but I still will start at 99 cents. As often as not, bidders will keep bidding trying to figure out what the Reserve might be.

Fred