Should we avoid auctions as seller?

[rocketscollectibles]

I tried auctions with some duplicated cards i have, to sell them faster to list the others after at fixed prices. I started the auctions at my lowest price and listed 13 similar items at 1 min interval to get maximum visibility. I listed on a thursday 10 days and i'm offering free shipping if 2 or more are won

I feel like i did set up pretty well and it's pokemon 1st edition cards i thought demand would be high. But actually half road after 5 days, i got around 1-5 views on each with no watcher

I'm not experimented with it but every auction i tried in past months i had no visibility at all, and now even with a good set up with items that should interest buyers a minimum, it's totally dead

So i wonder, does auctions should just be avoided? Any thought

[ypdc_dennis]

Auction action will be when it is newly listed and in the last day or so, the middle period will be pretty dead.

Auctions will work for somethings, but not for others. Auctions work best when it is a sellers market (low supply, high demand). If the item is common, fixed price is best. If the item tends to be an impulse buy, then fixed price is better.

Do a search on some of the cards to see how many are on offer, then select Sold items to see how many actually sold in the last 2 months.

-;-

[ricarmic]

Auctions will attract a different crowd than BINs.

What I do is start items at auction at the price they will be if they go into the store as a BIN.

This way one cannot lose, if the item does not sell, it simply moves to a BIN in the store.

It also means that if one has mistakenly listed something too low, it will go higher, or if folks can't wait for it to become a BIN they'll bid on it (the regulars soon figure out the system and will tend to wait till last minute or till it becomes a BIN).

This also almost doubles the number of "new items" ebay sees against your ID, once when they start as auction, once when they are relisted in the store as a BIN.  The more "new" items one lists, the more ebay thinks you're good and puts one higher in search results (one can assume).

[msau4301]

We are in completely different categories but both sell to collectors - you sell trading cards I sell collectible/vintage dolls. I use 5 day auctions and this accounts for about 90% of my sales. As I've seen messaged for you as well check out what your competition is doing and start auction at lowest price you would want to sell for. When I first started selling (8 years ago) I was disappointed that I didn't get much response on my auctions when I felt I was selling the same items at a lower price but it takes a while to develop followers/regular customers which you should get in a collectible category. At least half of my sales are to people I sold to before. It takes a while to get there so do what you're comfortable with.

My reason for being addicted to the auctions myself is (fortunately) I have lucked out many times on a bidding war battle and sold items for 10 times what I thought they were worth....had I listed at the low price I thought I would have lost out. On the other side sometimes I was disappointed an item sold so low.  Often an item I thought wasn't worth much has the most action and something I thought would be battle worthy doesn't get a bite. It can't hurt to try as long as you don't list too low to start. If it doesn't work out, or it is more stressful go back to BIN.

You also have the option of having an auction along with a BIN or Make an Offer button so you're covering both! 

Good luck!

[reallynicestamps]

As  a side note, you will get many many more Unpaid Items than with Fixed Price.

It is possible that the customer did not realize he was in a Auction and moved on after his first bid did not result in a shipment.

It is possible he found it elsewhere while the auction was live.

It is possible that he just likes messing with people.

[rocketscollectibles]

Thanks for the answers

Do a search on some of the cards to see how many are on offer, then select Sold items to see how many actually sold in the last 2 months

There's a low number of all them listed on ebay. I checked a few and it's almost all under 50. So in sold items it's slow. But filtering lowest price + shipping, my auctions are all at the top. I started all the 13 at $2.99 + $1.00 shipping (with free combined shipping said) and fixed price all them are listed by others for $5.00+

I listed a bunch fixed price listings too of 1st edition common and uncommon cards since 2 weeks, i earned a 60 cards lot of them. I thought they would be popular it's rare cards but i did not sold a single one yet and auctions looks dead. I'm asking myself if it was a mistake to buy them actually

I'm trying to figuring out but sometimes i don't understand my market

I think the fact that the biggest part of the market is US may be a huge disavatage to me i guess

[rocketscollectibles]

What's the criterias to want to use auctions?

I thought items with low offers and high demand was the key. I may overrated the demand?

This category is insanally competitive too... I now list my items to be in the lowest prices often, i'm much better than a few weeks ago to price. But most of the time it does not take a few days to get someone to price the same item a better way than you. Same condition but 0.25$ lower, better condition but just $0.25 higher for exemples, i'm burned by others on a daily basis

[ricarmic]

Generally in auctions any of the serious bidders will not bid until the final seconds, it appears at least in my world that many don't officially "watch" the item either.

I don't generally worry too much about the views, I watch the number of watchers, in my world usually if there's more than a couple watchers the item will sell.

Things will/could be very different in different categories.

[msau4301]

Yes the US sellers are major competitors since many American's are nervous to buy from Canada - "oh I didn't realize you were in Canada" I used to hear often, now less. However if they want your item and you're offering low shipping many will still try...and once they have and realized it was a painless experience (hopefully) they could come back.

It is always hard to understand your market - if this (Pokemon cards) is something you like you tend to think of what you would do/think. I found since I've been selling here vintage Barbies, I had no idea previously how many men were collectors (probably 1/3 of my sales)...you always learn as you go, the market for everything is so diverse!

Also don't underestimate the market of the mother! Though I am not a trading card collector myself I spent tons of money on Pokemon cards for my son several years back and was always extremely frustrated with buying those big boxed sets that show two good cards, inside are the mystery packs, the bulk of which suck.  I would gladly spend more money to get what you know you want then the gamble of those darn mystery packs!

Twice a year I am on here buying Tim Horton's hockey cards for my son when after he's collected a nice set/collection on his own but really wants some of the hard to find ones, it's better to pay $35 for one card he is waiting for than try another 50 packs with my coffee and not get what he needs.  I say this because I think (I could be wrong) that a lot of kids are collectors of trading cards and "mom" might be the one buying them!! (Never underestimate what a mom will spend on her kids!)

[doc-holmes]

Auctions are great for brand new items hot off the presses. The newest set of sports cards, for example. There will be a lot of competition. If it's something older I'd go BIN, maybe with a best offer. It will take longer but you'll eventually find your buyer.

[5419robin]

No one bids in real time they snipe. I've used Gixen.com for well over ten years ( its basic service is free - try it) I pay the $6 per year.   You enter your bid and with 6 seconds left  (adjustable) it places your bid.  Auctions are a **bleep** shoot both at an aucton house or on line. There is an excitement both in bidding and in winning. My experience is that the rarer the item the better the candidate for auction. I still remember the most stunning KPM art deco tea cup and saucer - $1,800. A  classical CD I think Clevland Philharmonic mid- sixties for a similar price and a Mr. Peanut costume, probably pre-war, for about $800.  I only remember them because they were listed in auction mode. So, what I was trying to say was the listing should be something rare. If I don't buy it now I will have lost my chance... and then there was 'Hitler's mug' - given to him by Neville Chamberlain, a mug of King George's mug,  one of ten produced, or so the story went. 

You will notice above that a reference to a game of dice has been politically corrected.

[clemowbooks]

@msau4301 

Yes! The "mom" connection.

Serious Pokemon gamers and sportscard collectors are generally adults, but they started as kids. I know two boys who decided they should learn to read so they could read their hockey cards. (Both have since finished university.)

I know high end baby clothes are purchased by Grandma. She doesn't have time away from her law practice to knit, but she can buy the cutest clothes  and doesn't care about price.

But the "commons" are often older players who are unknown to those kids. So there's that.

My BIL had a card when he played for the NHL back in the 50s, but no one cares outside of the family. Pretty rare card though.

[cardconnoisseurs]

Auctions are only useful for items that are very limited, and not widely available, or on items you are willing to sell for below market value. Otherwise, why not just use Fixed Price? I feel the auction format overall is antiquated tech, and that Ebay is moving more in the direction of being a marketplace of marketplaces.

[rocketscollectibles]

Auctions are only useful for items that are very limited, and not widely available, or on items you are willing to sell for below market value. Otherwise, why not just use Fixed Price?

I have duplicates of the cards and i thought that setting all them up for auctions at the same time would bring some visibility and sell at least a few. And then after i would have listed fixed price the dupplicates of the ones i sold. I just wanted to accelerate a few sales because 1st edition dupplicates in a box is useless for me right now

There's not so many listed and i thought demand would be higher. I'll wait the 10 days to end before a real conclusion but for now i'm just surprised of the lack of interest. I did not started them very low but not high either. Totally worthless and scary to do auctions if it's to have 1-10 views per listing

[rocketscollectibles]

Auctions are only useful for items that are very limited, and not widely available, or on items you are willing to sell for below market value. Otherwise, why not just use Fixed Price?

I have duplicates of the cards and i thought that setting all them up for auctions at the same time would bring some visibility and sell at least a few. And then after i would have listed fixed price the dupplicates of the ones i sold. I just wanted to accelerate a few sales because 1st edition dupplicates in a box is useless for me right now

There's not so many listed and i thought demand would be higher. I'll wait the 10 days to end before a real conclusion but for now i'm just surprised of the lack of interest. I did not started them very low but not high either. Totally worthless and scary to do auctions if it's to have 1-10 views per listing