New to ebay - what is normal?!

[pirateparty]

Hi

Just started trying to sell a few things on ebay - Boden skirt, maternity stuff I didn't wear, etc and am wondering what is a normal amount of interest and do people bid only right at the end?

One item has 21 watchers, finishes in 2 days but only one bid of 99p! Do those type of items usually sell, or do lots of people just watch and never bid?

I suppose time will tell, but I'm becoming a bit obsessed!

What are your experiences? Lots of watchers = good price at the end, or is it totally unrelated? And what is a lot of watchers and what is about average?

Well you will sell it - I think a lot of people do the last minute bids on some stuff - I really hope so as I have a phil and teds cocoon that I am selling and currently it is going for 99p, I am wondering if on such a high value product (i.e one that I paid a great deal for) I should have put a reserve on. Have had a cheeky buy it now offer but frankly it wouldn't have made the blindest bit of difference as it was incredibly low!

True - if only for 99p! They'll get an amazing bargain if they do get it though - it is a dress that I've only worn once or twice and then got too fat for and it cost about £70 and is lovely! Suppose that's the chance you take though on ebay...

The reserve thing is hard isn't it? I would think you'll get a lot of interest at the end for a P&T cocoon though. I was looking to buy a P&T recently and they seem to go really well, although the prices were very varied. I wondered if it was because the buggies are pick-up only it was dependent on where you lived and how many there were around, IYSWIM.

If it helps I have some brand new designer jeans that my husband bought in a fit of "of course they'll fit" in the sale, he got them home and realised that he had the waist and leg measurements round the wrong way so there was no way they were going to fit, we didn't take them back because he swore to me he would slim into them and then I could shorten them. That was 5 months ago and they ain't ever going on!!!!!!!!!!! So too late to return them, they should have been £80, still have the labels on and in the original packaging, have a day left on them, they jumped from 99p to £22 in the last day. I also have a designer dress (ish) that I bought after my first dd, then I saw a picture of myself in it and thought I can not put that back on again, however that is now going for about £15 which tbh I am pleased with as it was another sale buy that I got for £20 so I am not going to be too far out of pocket (especially as I wore it a few times before I saw the photo!!!!!) But its obviously something that someone out there wants and is willing to pay for. That being said, my dm wants a buggy at her house and after looking in Mothercare etc for something she liked we thought we wouldn't bother, except one came up in the next village and I bought that for £40, more than another one that was on the listing (and that had a footmuff thrown in) but I don't have to make an hour and a half round trip to get it so the saving of £7 is worth it imho.

Lots of people like leaving it til the last five minutes of an auction so they can sneak and and outbid whoever has bid already, whilst hoping that no-one else is there to do the same thing. It is quite a satisfying feeling to win an auction right at the end, especially if you've only spent twenty pence more than the other person bid. Really annoying when someone else does it to you though.

IME, lots of watchers does mean it's fairly likely to go up in price at or near to the end. Good luck, hope you get a good price for your items.

Princess - Two of the maternity items I ordered on line and then never got round to returning - another great bargain for someone! And have had that dress for sometime convincing myself I will eventually slim back into it... Didn't put that as the reason I was selling them though because didn't want to look flaky!

Thanks Tidey - I hope it's a good sign too. I'm on maternity leave now and could really do with a bit of extra cash! I've bought quite a few things on ebay before (just not sold) and I've been caught out a few times by people pipping me to the post at the last minute - and I'm obviously not quick enough when I've tried it myself as I always end up messing it up!

Some people use "snipe" type applications which I think is cheating when I am buying but not when I am selling

I'm like you, obsessively watching my items .

I find it's better to list things with a starting price I would be happy to get as a minimum. But not so high that it puts people off bidding and thinking they might get a bargain. Have a looked at completed listings for similar items and see what the starting and final prices were.

Like you I'm new

I'm going to list all my stuff tomorrow afternoon using 'Turbo lister' if I can work it out

I've done the verifying my account with paypal

I was just wondering about putting a minimum of say £4.50 as a reserve & doing free postage, is that daft

I feel so out of control as I have never done this before

On ebay, a reserve is a specific named reserve price, which should only be used on higher value items.
What I am talking about is the starting price for your listing. So in your case KatyMac, your starting price would be £4.50.

Several categories - dvds etc - have to have free p&p. I wouldn't offer it unless it's compulsory. And check the likely cost first by weighing the item, adding a bit for the packaging, then look on the Royal Mail website.

Ooh, just to let you know I don't think the prices on the Royal Mail website are totally up to date, have weighed etc and haven't got it right and I have digital scales, although now they do have max postage costs too so be aware of those!

if you use turbo lister you won't get the free insertion fee that is taking place this weekend.
a reserve has to be £50 or more.
I use free P&P on everything (because some 'confused' buyers will still mark your stars down on p&p even if you only charge stamp price - free p&p means you get auto 5 stars)

Oh - so I have to do it a different way

Umm what is a different way?

you will get free listings with Turbo lister this weekend so you don't need to do it a different way

check the announcement if you are unsure.

Items listed using professional tools, such as (but not limited to), Turbo Lister and Sales Manager Pro, are excluded. Items will only be eligible for this promotion if they are listed with the eBay iPhone application, Quick sell or Advanced sell (Sell Your Item) forms.

Right eBay says this
"
06 May, 2011 | 05:32PM BST

Hello,

We?re pleased to announce that on the 7 and 8 May, private sellers who list item(s) at any starting price in an eligible category using the auction format on eBay.co.uk, will not pay an insertion fee*.

Items listed using professional tools, such as (but not limited to), Turbo Lister and Sales Manager Pro, are excluded. Items will only be eligible for this promotion if they are listed with the eBay iPhone application, Quick sell or Advanced sell (Sell Your Item) forms."

I understand about 1 word in 3

Sorry for the hijack PirateParty

So how do I do it if I don't use Turbolister (I only just worked that out)

use the Sell your Item Form. Start by clicking the Sell tab at the top of your ebay page.

Am so sorry, I gave wrong info. I had no idea you couldn't use turbolister on free listing day!

Sell your item form it is then, you can pay 6p I think (?) to schedule listings on that form, so they start during the evening. You want to try and get items ending 8pm ish I reckon for maximum bidders/interest.

Don't worry

I've had a go - if I PM someone a link would they check to see I haven't stuffed up at all?

I've just started I put a Barbour bag on and it ends tomorrow. Nobody bid for days but now it has 53 people watching and 6 bids. I'm hoping it will go up a bit more at the last minute.

Like you I have been checking constantly. I've got a huge pile of stuff to go on but not sure I can be bothered it seems so time consuming. Does it get easier?.