A Tale Of 2 Ebay Auction Listings

Looking at what closed yesterday on my watch list:

• Harris Senior Statesman Stamp Album A-R 2000 + Stamps Mint Used 12 Lbs Packed
  $8.97 shipping, $49.99 minimum opening bid, 25 bids, $355.00 selling price.



• Mammoth Worldwide Collection in 10 Pound Harris Album (Senior Statesman also) Serious Collectors Dream! $5000 minimum catalogue value
  $15.00 shipping, $325.00 minimum opening bid, 0 bids, no sale.
  It has been relisted with the same opening minimum bid.
  

I didn't bid on the first offering as I was guessing it would go past my budget, the second offering I didn't even consider but I was watching it out of curiosity. Both offerings had a reasonable shipping cost (I expect shipping to be the actual cost plus materials and ignore sellers trying to gouge here).

I have seen many album offerings with a 99 cent minimum opening bid sell in the triple digits, and also many with a "high" (a subjective value to be sure) fixed / BIN or minimum opening bid not sell and be relisted, and one may wonder how many of those offerings actually do eventually sell at the asking price.

I'm not making a point, I just thought it was an interesting observation, which I've seen replicated many times in the past.



*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

It happens all the time. I collect Canada WW2 with an interest in POE mail. Several sellers think ordinary examples are worth up to £150 when $25 is more realistic. The high priced ones appear month after month at the same price. I wonder how they make any sales.

AQ

Generally, a listing with a high opening bid relative to its worth will not sell. Bidders get involved in the listing because it starts at a low price, then they become invested in it as the bids rise. Few people will bid on an item which has a high opening if the value is fairly close to that price. Human nature. And, yes, some listings I've seen for literally months never selling but repeatedly being re-listed. I wonder what these people are thinking -- or if they think at all?

Even ebay "selling tips" tell us to start low.

Jack Kelley