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A reserve price on the auction, VEFF? Yucko-wuckos! Just start the bidding at the minimum price you want the item to sell for, it'll make a lot of eBayers happy as they don't have to guess what the reserve is.

TheWizard wrote:A reserve price on the auction, VEFF? Yucko-wuckos! Just start the bidding at the minimum price you want the item to sell for, it'll make a lot of eBayers happy as they don't have to guess what the reserve is.

It seems that everyone has a reserve price these days, Wizard.
If I start bidding at the reserve I know I will lose bids, unfortunately that is the way it is
It doesn't help that this is my first item...
People don't want to immediately bid a high amount, it is auction psychology, especially on the higher priced items.
This way they will become interested, and may check back later.

I think my worst enemy will not be the reserve price, but rather my lack of feedback, since this is my first ebay auction


Question for all:
Once there are bids, can I add a comment to the listing:
When browsing ebay, I have noticed things like "on Oct xx, seller added...", but maybe that is before any bids were placed?

I may add that they buyer can pick it up in person and pay cash or certified check; this may inspire confidence.


In any case, at least there are now already 5 bids...

VEFF wrote:It seems that everyone has a reserve price these days, Wizard.

Not everyone

VEFF wrote:If I start bidding at the reserve I know I will lose bids, unfortunately that is the way it is

You may or may not get more bids with a reserve price as opposed to starting the bidding at the minimum price you want to sell the item for. If you do get more bids with a reserve price, most of the bids aren't exactly usable. Look at the auction now, you have 5 useless bids because they are below the reserve. I recently sold a pair of skates and started the bidding at $79.99. I received 5 bids, all useful ones, and I actually sold the skates for $20 more. Quite impressive, IMO.

VEFF wrote:It doesn't help that this is my first item...

Which is why I offer advice. Use it, don't use it, makes no difference to me.

VEFF wrote:I think my worst enemy will not be the reserve price, but rather my lack of feedback, since this is my first ebay auction

We all have to start somewhere. Hopefully you'll come back to eBay and buy/sell more stuff to build up your feedback.

VEFF wrote:Question for all:
Once there are bids, can I add a comment to the listing:
When browsing ebay, I have noticed things like "on Oct xx, seller added...", but maybe that is before any bids were placed?

I may add that they buyer can pick it up in person and pay cash or certified check; this may inspire confidence.

You can revise the listing even after bids have been places, but the revision will be added to the bottom of the description, sort of like a footnate, which you saw "On Oct xx, seller added..." Any revisions made before a bid is placed are not added as a footnote, but simply blended in. Did anyone notice that I smiled after each response in this post?

Thanks for all the tips Wizard!

I remember noticing that auctions (on ebay or ubid for example)
with low starting prices often went higher, because people lost track of their goal price and even started bidding wars, which didn't happen early as much with auctions that started higher.

In addition I needed a reserve for this particular item to protect me because:
1) This is my first time selling on ebay, and I know the bids will not be as high due to (0) feedback, as they would have been without it.
2) This is not something I can gamble on, since it is worth so much.
3) The dts decoder not working (right now) may cause it to sell lower, even though the only other IA-1z being offered (as of now) does not even have the dts (was an optional upgrade), and may still go for more (due to feedback etc)...

In any case, as you said, I will try to sell more stuff on ebay and build up some feedback, since my car might well be next...


EDIT
PS: I forgot to add that people often judge an item's value but how many other people are bidding on it and how much people are bidding on it.
In other words, if an item is out there with a minimum bid of $600,
and nobody is sure it is worth more than $550, it might well have 0 bids, and newcomers to the item will also think twice and possibly pass.
If it starts at $425, with a reserve (hidden) of $600, I think there is more
of chance it will get to $600, when people get drawn in by the lower starting price and then might well start bidding wars - people might then feel others think it is an attractive item too, making think hey this is popular and I want this too...

Just my humble opinion on bidding psychology


As long as the item sells for what you or I want, whihc is the ultimate goal, I'll take either your approach or mine
I am not picky
I think there are many factors that come into play, so there isn't one single answer for all items being auctioned IMO.

Hopefully my newbie status won't hurt too much.
At least people are bidding with plenty of time left.


EDIT:
Someone e-mailed me asking how much it would cost to ship to Europe.
Has anyone done this from the US?
It seems too much of a hassle, since there could be unknown custom duties etc, potentially leading to negative feedback and.or other problems.

Besides the voltage is for the US only.

My pleasure. A few more tips...

1. Probably 90%, if not more, of bids take place within the last 24 hours of an auction, usually within the last 12 hours. Case in point, the skates I sold had no bidders until the last auction day. Lesson to be learned: don't fret if you don't see any bidders on the 6th day of a 7 day auction, chances are you will see the bulk of your bids on the 7th day.

2. I never shy away from shipping worldwide, and I highly recommend shipping internationally via USPS. The Postal Service makes it a breeze to ship worldwide, all you have to do is fill out two forms, at the most: a Customs Note (Form 2976) for envelopes and packages less than 16 ounces and/or a Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note (Form 2976-A) for envelopes and packages 16 ounces or more. These are for the typical Airmail Parcel Post or Letter Mail Parcel Post, as well as Global Priority Mail. Airmail Parcel/Letter Post delivers in 4-10 days, whereas Global Priority Mail delivers in 4-6 days. For quicker delivery, 3-5 days, use Global Express Mail (EMS). EMS requires an additional form to be filled out; you will know it is the EMS form because it has "Express Mail EMS" listed as the title. Usually, international eBay buyers are only willing to pay for Airmail or Global Priority Mail. Note: Global Priority Mail offers no tracking or insurance. Airmail allows insurance coverage, but no tracking. EMS offers both tracking (free of charge) and insurance. Any insurance coverage is extra.

The biggest reasons why I don't shy away from shipping internationally are because (A) it's not a hassle for me to fill out the extra couple forms and (B) with USPS, the buyer is not surprised by any customs fees or tariffs; they would be if UPS or FedEx was used. I believe in giving the buyer plenty of options, and I know by offering the option of worldwide shipping, I will attract more potential buyers. As long as they are willing to pay for the postage, what difference should it make to you, the seller?

Thanks again Wizard!

1) Yes, I know how people bid, because I used to buy stuff from another auction site; I also monitored some ebay auctions over the years. That is why I am happy that with no feedback, I already have a bunch of bids with a ton of time left...

It seems in many case they wait till the last hour or so...
A friend of mine placed a bid on ebay in the last minute and was still outbid with 20 seconds to go!!!

2) I think I'll pass this time, since this is my first ebay experience, and I don't want to try shipping abroad this time, especially when there are plenty of bidders domestically.

Besides, the amp is 120V (not 110V) instead of 220V which is used in Europe, so it wouldn't have worked anyway.

VEFF wrote:Besides, the amp is 120V (not 110V) instead of 220V which is used in Europe, so it wouldn't have worked anyway.

220V is used not only in Europe, but in just about every place other than the US!

I agree with TheWiz. When selling, I always make my starting bid the amount I want to sell it for. When buying, I bid the max I'd like to spend. If it goes higher, so be it. There will always be another.

I try not to ship anywhere outside of the continental US. It's just a pain in the ass otherwise.. not to mention expensive.

Ian wrote:When buying, I bid the max I'd like to spend. If it goes higher, so be it. There will always be another.

Ah yes, proxy bidding, it's the only way to go. I feel sorry for the shleps who think they have to sit in front of their computer and bid until the closing bell of the auction. Just enter one bid, the maximum you want to pay for the item, and move on.

dodecahedron wrote:

VEFF wrote:Besides, the amp is 120V (not 110V) instead of 220V which is used in Europe, so it wouldn't have worked anyway.

220V is used not only in Europe, but in just about every place other than the US!

I know that 220V is used most everywhere else, but I mentioned Europe because that is where the buyer in question is...

dodecahedron wrote:

VEFF wrote:Besides, the amp is 120V (not 110V) instead of 220V which is used in Europe, so it wouldn't have worked anyway.

220V is used not only in Europe, but in just about every place other than the US!

The US is backward in every way, shape, and form. What's new?

However, backwards doesn't mean the wrong direction.

i wonder...
is it really "backward" ?
is 220V AC current better in any way than 110V ? is the 50Hz/60Hz difference significant?

We are always the opposite of what everyone else is, by choice many times. Example, we use the American measurement system, while everyone else uses the Metric system. (Or SI as it is called in Science class)

yeah, that is a stupid system, a inheritance from your Brittish heritage. the UK itself "upgraded" to the Metric system. well how about you?

also, PAL is superior to NTSC.

at least you're driving on the right side of the road.

but 220V better than 110V ? i don't know really.
the only thing i can think of:
since P=VI (Power = Voltage x Current), for the same Power consumption the current draw should be lower on a higher voltage.
i'm not sure about my reasoning though. maybe some elcetrical engineer can explain the differences? (hint hint cfitz you old electrical coot)

dodecahedron wrote:yeah, that is a stupid system, a inheritance from your Brittish heritage. the UK itself "upgraded" to the Metric system. well how about you?
...
since P=VI (Power = Voltage x Current), for the same Power consumption the current draw should be lower on a higher voltage.

Metric certainly is better. It's really too bad that is isn't the standard in the U.S.

You are right when you state that the current draw is less at a higher voltage. While I don't know a whole lot about that subject, it only takes a look at the label on a computer power supply unit to see that it draws about 1/2 of the current at 220 volts compared to the amount of current that it draws at 110 volts.

I was worried about my lack of feedback, but another seller is also doing his first ebay auction (i.e. feedback rating = 0), and the bid for his auction is up to US$11,000 already with 2 days to go:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3056017960&category=39783#ebayphotohosting

dodecahedron wrote:yeah, that is a stupid system, a inheritance from your Brittish heritage. the UK itself "upgraded" to the Metric system. well how about you?

also, PAL is superior to NTSC.

at least you're driving on the right side of the road.

but 220V better than 110V ? i don't know really.
the only thing i can think of:
since P=VI (Power = Voltage x Current), for the same Power consumption the current draw should be lower on a higher voltage.
i'm not sure about my reasoning though. maybe some elcetrical engineer can explain the differences? (hint hint cfitz you old electrical coot)

Yes, yes. NTSC is no good, we can't get videos from the rest of the world and such. I'm not a fan of "Never the same Color."

aviationwiz wrote:Yes, yes. NTSC is no good, we can't get videos from the rest of the world and such. I'm not a fan of "Never the same Color."

LOL this is the first time i hear this.
"NTSC = Never The Same Color" - that's rich!

I have noticed on e-bay that if you start the bidding too high people wont bid because they always want to feel like they are getting a smokin' deal. But if you start it low it almost always goes above what you expected and sometimes far more then it's really worth because of auction fever I guess. People will probe the bid at the very last second with robot bidders and such to try and take it from the last guy. Nothing like getting outbid by a penny on something you really wanted. My monitor, SCSI card, UPS, and a few other little trinkets came from e-bay and most of them were Smokin deals, it pays to be patient and keep trying. Also dutch auctions can be a very good deal for a buyer as the lowest high bid is what the whole group pays, that's how I got this monitor.

Dartman wrote:Also dutch auctions can be a very good deal for a buyer as the lowest high bid is what the whole group pays

I don't quite understand; how does that work?

A person has multiple quantities of a certain item up for auction so he can do a Dutch auction for however many widgets he has. The lowest high bid divided by how many is what the whole group pays for however many of the things they bid on. 200 people bid on 10 identicle items, the 10 bids pay the lowest of the top 10 bids. Tends to keep the rampant outbid you all thing down becuase everyone wants the item but wants to pay as little as possible to get it. They may have done away with this option, I haven't seen any for a while but I don't check e-bay like I used too either. I got my 21 inch 2 year old monitor this way for 345 shipped a couple of years ago, it was in perfect shape and still works like new today.

Dartman wrote:I have noticed on e-bay that if you start the bidding too high people wont bid because they always want to feel like they are getting a smokin' deal. But if you start it low it almost always goes above what you expected and sometimes far more then it's really worth because of auction fever I guess.

That is exactly what I noticed and why I had a low starting bid and a reserve to protect myself in case the bidders or usual buyers of high end audio gear are asleep.

dodecahedron wrote:but 220V better than 110V ? i don't know really.
the only thing i can think of:
since P=VI (Power = Voltage x Current), for the same Power consumption the current draw should be lower on a higher voltage.

Yes, as CDRecorder noted 220 will draw half the current. The total power is still the same, though, so why is this an advantage? Because with lower current there will be less parasitic losses in the supply lines. That means you can either save on the power generated or on the size of the supply lines.

This is the same principle that motivates power companies to transmit power over the big towers from their power plants using very high voltages of 10's and even 100's of thousands of volts. Without such high voltages, the cables would have to be prohibitively large to avoid burning up all the power in resistive heating effects.

The disadvantage to higher voltages, including 220 V, is that they present more of an electrocution danger to humans.

I don't believe there is any significant difference between 50 and 60 Hz transmission, although there may be some small differences in transformer efficiency and 60 Hz shows less flicker to sensitive eyes.

I've always heard NTSC jokingly referred to as "Never Twice Same Color", but the idea is the same as aviationwiz' version. Joking aside, the NTSC did a pretty good job creating a system that standardized color transmission while maintaining backward compatibility for existing black and white sets. There are a lot of compromises that must be made in the real world, and some of them don't reflect strictly technical considerations.

As for PAL, it had the advantage of being defined 10 years after the NTSC system, and could learn from the NTSC experience and take the best features from it while improving on the shortcomings. Even so, PAL's 25 Hz frame rate is more susceptible to flicker effects than NTSC's 30 Hz rate. And PAL has a lower vertical color resolution even though it has a higher total horizontal resolution.

cfitz