P3D Re: CONTURA

[Gerald Belton <gbelton@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob Wier <wier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>(does anybody know if ebay charges a commission if something
>doesnt sell due to too high a reserve?). 

eBay charges the seller twice.  The initial listing fee is based on the
minimum bid, 
and must be paid even if the object doesn't sell.  The commission is based on 
the selling price, and if the item doesn't sell for any reason (even
failure to meet 
a reserve) then there is no commission.

I suspect this is the reason some people use a low initial bid and a high
reserve. 
If you list a camera with a minimum bid of $400, you immediately owe eBay
$2.00, 
even if it doesn't sell.  If you start with a $1 bid and a $400 reserve,
then you only 
owe them .25 if it doesn't sell.  

Another possibility is "auction fever."  If you start out at $400, a bidder
might pass it up.
That same bidder might have bid $300, then started to mentally "own" the
camera, 
and raised his bid when someone else outbid him.  

Gerald Belton
gbelton@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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