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eBay auction length/day/time/strategies
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28 posts in this topic

Hi all,

I am hesitating on auction length for listing CGC slabs on eBay.

Option 1 : 7 days starts at 9pm EST (bad idea to end a thursday evening?)

Option 2: 10 days starts at 9pm EST (too long?)

Has anyone on the forum tested both options ?

Also I want to start the auction at 70% of FMV with a possibility to Buy now at 100% of FMV. Is that a good strategy?

Thanks

 

 

 

Edited by migmtl76
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11 hours ago, migmtl76 said:

Hi all,

I am hesitating on auction length for listing CGC slabs on eBay.

Option 1 : 7 days starts at 9pm EST (bad idea to end a thursday evening?)

Option 2: 10 days starts at 9pm EST (too long?)

Has anyone on the forum tested both options ?

Also I want to start the auction at 70% of FMV with a possibility to Buy now at 100% of FMV. Is that a good strategy?

Thanks

 

 

 

I've only sold a few slabs on Ebay. I didn't use auctions.  I listed them as Buy It Now with offers accepted.  I put the list price as a small amount over what I think is FMV with  the automatic reject bid set at what I'd be willing to accept.

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2 hours ago, Action252Kid said:

I'd do 10-day auctions starting on Thursday (ending Sunday night).  You get two weekends that way, and Sunday end time is always the most active for bidding.

yeah I now hate sunday auctions to much competition and over bidding lol so I look for the ending weekday ones so I can get a deal usually.

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1 hour ago, Krismusic said:

yeah I now hate sunday auctions to much competition and over bidding lol so I look for the ending weekday ones so I can get a deal usually.

Sunday auctions ending in the evening are great for sellers. You are right you can get deal when auctioners end auctions sometimes at silly hours like 7 am.

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1 hour ago, migmtl76 said:

Sunday auctions ending in the evening are great for sellers. You are right you can get deal when auctioners end auctions sometimes at silly hours like 7 am.

yeah its good to note though if your selling a hot book do sunday ending. if your not selling a hot book it might get lost in all the other auctions people are watching... no science or formula to selling its just a guess and go with a hope and prayer. 

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1 hour ago, captain_em said:

You are right, Arak. In fact, migmtl should wait till Christmas is over and gone. Early sales for Black Friday have already started, and people will be spending most of their money through on-line and store front retail venues. After Black Friday, everyone is focused on gifts for Christmas (again retail)- clothing, electronics, etc (very rarely slabbed comics!). Then, in January, everyone will be experiencing "credit card shock" when they receive their bills, and they won't be spending because they will be reevaluating their financial situation!                                                                  Best bet- wait till February or March to start selling your slabbed comics. Now is the time to BUY slabbed comics!  

Of course, if you really need money, then by all means sell. I would definitely use the minimum 70% FMV starting bid, and end Sunday late evening. You may want to consider 10pm EST. Most people on the east coast are still awake at that time, and you'll give the Central and Pacific timers an extra hour to wrap up their Sunday activities.   

Great advice. Thanks man !

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I've been on eBay since the beginning--  what I've found is the only really bad times to end an auction (besides first thing in the morning or the middle of the night) is Friday or Saturday nights.   Sunday is still the best return between 9-11pm EST-- make sure you're not ending on a Holiday.  

Over the years I've tried putting things up at a low but reasonable starting bid (say 70% of FMV) with absolutely crickets for response-- that same item if I start it at $9.99 with NO reserve will often sell for many times over FMV -- I've seen this over and over again.   As long as you're not ending it on Superbowl Sunday or when another auction site has a big comics related auction you'll get what you're looking for easily.   It's the nature of an auction.  

A few years ago I was at a live auction where a Batman #11 came up-- I sized up the room and thought there were few if any comic collectors there (this was a mostly antique auction) and the opening bid comes on at $500-- nothing-- $400 -- nothing-- down and down it goes, now I was hoping to pay $500 for this book, it was about a 4.0 (and a few years ago) but I got greedy and thought maybe I get a steal-- opening bid goes all the way down to $50 and then it starts-- and before long I'm locked in a bidding war with another guy in the room-- final bid $775--  and I often wonder if I'd just jumped in at that $500 would I have gotten it because the emotion is out of it.   I would have bid up to about $1200 for it during the heat of it because I was determined this guy wasn't going to beat me.

Same thing with eBay-- you often pass on something worth $200 with an opening bid of $150 because you just don't feel the deal, but then you start dreaming of getting that same item for $50 or so once the bidding has started and pretty soon you're stubbornly bidding above $150 because now you're invested emotionally.

My advice is the market is determined by what buyers are willing to pay.   Start it low and watch it go.

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1 hour ago, AndyFish said:

I've been on eBay since the beginning--  what I've found is the only really bad times to end an auction (besides first thing in the morning or the middle of the night) is Friday or Saturday nights.   Sunday is still the best return between 9-11pm EST-- make sure you're not ending on a Holiday.  

Over the years I've tried putting things up at a low but reasonable starting bid (say 70% of FMV) with absolutely crickets for response-- that same item if I start it at $9.99 with NO reserve will often sell for many times over FMV -- I've seen this over and over again.   As long as you're not ending it on Superbowl Sunday or when another auction site has a big comics related auction you'll get what you're looking for easily.   It's the nature of an auction.  

A few years ago I was at a live auction where a Batman #11 came up-- I sized up the room and thought there were few if any comic collectors there (this was a mostly antique auction) and the opening bid comes on at $500-- nothing-- $400 -- nothing-- down and down it goes, now I was hoping to pay $500 for this book, it was about a 4.0 (and a few years ago) but I got greedy and thought maybe I get a steal-- opening bid goes all the way down to $50 and then it starts-- and before long I'm locked in a bidding war with another guy in the room-- final bid $775--  and I often wonder if I'd just jumped in at that $500 would I have gotten it because the emotion is out of it.   I would have bid up to about $1200 for it during the heat of it because I was determined this guy wasn't going to beat me.

Same thing with eBay-- you often pass on something worth $200 with an opening bid of $150 because you just don't feel the deal, but then you start dreaming of getting that same item for $50 or so once the bidding has started and pretty soon you're stubbornly bidding above $150 because now you're invested emotionally.

My advice is the market is determined by what buyers are willing to pay.   Start it low and watch it go.

Great response thanks Andy !

I listed Ms Marvel 1 raw (probably 9.0 wp) on eBay 7 day auction at 10$ last year (when still popular). The winning bidder got it at 34$. I got burnt so that's why I start at 70% FMV now with an option to buy now at 100% FMV.

I get it that very well known seller will have more interest than me (whom no one knows on eBay). The popular seller can start at 0.99$ and will wind up getting rarely bellow 70% FMV.

It also doesn't help me that I live in Canada. Unless I sell bellow FMV or if I have a super hot or rare book, most US buyers don't want to bother buying from me. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

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7 hours ago, migmtl76 said:

Great response thanks Andy !

I listed Ms Marvel 1 raw (probably 9.0 wp) on eBay 7 day auction at 10$ last year (when still popular). The winning bidder got it at 34$. I got burnt so that's why I start at 70% FMV now with an option to buy now at 100% FMV.

I get it that very well known seller will have more interest than me (whom no one knows on eBay). The popular seller can start at 0.99$ and will wind up getting rarely bellow 70% FMV.

It also doesn't help me that I live in Canada. Unless I sell bellow FMV or if I have a super hot or rare book, most US buyers don't want to bother buying from me. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

All I can say...Good luck and say in your prayer.

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Canada is a factor-- unfortunately.   It's universally known that people don't like to pay for shipping.   Sites like Amazon ruin it for everyone else.   Personally I'd rather pay a little bit more for safe and fast shipping than saving $4 and getting something in a month.

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3 hours ago, AndyFish said:

Canada is a factor-- unfortunately.   It's universally known that people don't like to pay for shipping.   Sites like Amazon ruin it for everyone else.   Personally I'd rather pay a little bit more for safe and fast shipping than saving $4 and getting something in a month.

Way off topic....what ever happened to your Batman serial?  It was so good.  Did DC hit you with a C&D?   That was some of the best stuff I've seen in years.  Great art, storytelling.  Same vein as Timm.  It was wonderful.

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14 hours ago, AndyFish said:

Canada is a factor-- unfortunately.   It's universally known that people don't like to pay for shipping.   Sites like Amazon ruin it for everyone else.   Personally I'd rather pay a little bit more for safe and fast shipping than saving $4 and getting something in a month.

Capt , You and Andyfish are both right!!  I would caution young brother to approach an auction like you would a Texas Holdem card game. Don't play with money you can't afford to lose. Case in point. I place a bid 3 days ago on an unread copy of Alpha Flight 1 . I went ahead an set my maximum knowing a book this nice looking would go. Hell I even PM'd for more then the 2 pictures stating I was preparing in case for a late minute bidding war. Not and hour ago I get a notice I won the book for $3      ???:tonofbricks:  I felt so bad I PM'd the people that I would send an additional check since it is Christmas time and everyone counts on extra at least close to FMV and I was apologizing for rushing thru and hitting pay pay pay and not even catching it at first.  I went on and on as we Texans are prone to do.     after everything their response was "We will ship your comic tomorrow. Thank you for your purchase."

The point is that with good items following all these very knowledgeable peoples advice, you should do fine, Hell! might even hit a home run...then again you could lose your shirt. 

And "My" experience selling just about anything for the most profit is the second half of April until may 28  after taxes and before school lets out - houses , collectibles, autos, horses, MC etc.   2c

 

Edited by Arak Zantara
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