P3D Re: eBay reserve/minimum prices

["Alexa R.W. Smith" <arws@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I'm a little confused as to what happens if the price of the item never
> goes above the reserve price.  The wording on this is rather cryptic
> which is why I usually don't bid on anything that has a reserve set.
> 
> Bidders don't usually know what the reserve price is for an item, only
> if the bidding has exceeded the reserve price threshold.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> Ron

As someone who's listed items (and bid on some) both ways, this is why it's 
used.  It's basically for the same reason that auctions in person don't start 
with a higher bid - no one will bid on it.  It doesn't matter if they are 
willing to eventually pay the reserve amount, it's something psychological that 
deters bidding unless it starts low.  This to me is really the only reason to 
use a reserve auction.  

After a reserve auction ends, it's really up to the seller whether or not they 
will still sell the item for the bid price.  Responsible sellers will actually 
email the bidder to let them know one way or another....I've come across many on
ebay that just ignore you.  As a seller, I've even offered to split the 
difference but never heard from the buyer.  

So while it's always a chance with reserve auctions, I've picked up some nice 
items that were still below market if I'd tried to obtain them elsewhere.  

Good luck collecting,
Alexa


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