Ebay - reserve prices.

[mx250]

Call me dumb, but whats the purpose of reserve price auctions - do ya wanta sell or not?

Do the sellers approach the highest bidder in cases where the reserve is not meet?

[Nathan S]

If you've got something that you'd only sell if you can get at least (say) $500, then a reserve auction is the obvious choice. I sold my BMW 2002 for about half what I thought it'd be worth because I was too dumb/over confident to bother setting a reserve.

Of course, human greed means that the reserve is usually set too high... Think of all the times where you go to look at something (away from Ebay), and you haggle the seller down to well below what they reckon is their "absolute bottom line" because it's been advertised for weeks and weeks and you're the first person to come and look at their over-priced wares...
Of course, an auction doesn't work that way, so potential buyers are frustrated and potential sellers have wasted their money.

[mx250]

Think of all the times where you go to look at something of Ebay, and you haggle the seller down to well below what they reckon is their "absolute bottom line"

Have you approached a seller after closing and got the item at a reduced price? This can be done?

[Freakshow]

Hello ..... mx.......hello.   

better yet just email them to sell it now, do it all the time :O) if you dont some other bastards going to tug it from under you 

and nat stolen 02 BM's dont count.

[Nathan S]

Used to be able to do it - it's how I got my YZ250D - but I haven't figured out how to do it nowdays, unless:
1. They've listed their phone number/email in the ad;
2. They're selling something else (and you contact them through that ad);
3. You've contacted them before the auction ends, and have their email address...

But remember, I'm no Ebay guru.

With the number of scammers out there, many sellers seem automatically wary of anything off Ebay. It used to be that adding your phone number helped heaps (makes you a real person/accountable), but that seems less effective in recent times.

Freaky, it was a 71 model.

[Freakshow]

OK stolen 71's dont count either, and just because it was left down the back of your yard 2 years earlier by some kids its not finders keepers.  

[Quicksilver]

This is sort of auction I think MX250 is talking about.
Check the answers to the questions. Cockie SOB.  I for one hope he gets stuck with it. I was talking lastnight with a Indian collector ive known for years, he wont be bothering with this one based solely on the seller attitude. That straight from the horse's mouth.. Seller just lost a serious bidder with the funds to back him.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290197886848&ssPageName=STRK:MEBI:IT&ih=019

[Gerard De Ruyter (Twistandshout)]

Oh I do like that ad - 'removed from storage six months ago and started second kick'.  gee, that's lucky.

[lyle2212]

If you see an item on Ebay that you want to buy, but does,nt reach the reserve price ,then contact the seller after the auction has ended and see what price they will agree to.

[crash n bern]

You can't really blame the guy for being cocky with some of the stupid comments he gets. I had a bunch of stuff for sale on Ebay awhile back. I had a buy it now price to save on the stuffing around. Everything was priced fair. No matter how well you explain things you always have people asking obvious and stupid questions and then you get all the stupid offers. I don't mind a sensible offer, but if it's worth $500 and I'm asking $250 I'm not going to take $100.  By the end of the week I was pulling my hair out answering all the dumb questions. No the cams for the  04 Yamaha WR250 will not fit your 81 DT175.

As for the reserve price, lets say your selling your bike. It's worth $5000, what if you only get one bid and have to sell it for 99 cents?  Or the ebay scam. Bloke A bets 99 cents, his mate bloke B bets $10,000. No one else bids because the current bid is way over the value. Then in the last few seconds of the auction ending bloke B withdraws his bid and bloke A wins with his bid of 99 cents.  Nothing ebay can do about it, or cares to do about it.  So reserve price is a good idea.

[Tex]

I normally just start the auction at whatever my reserve price is.

Tex

[LWC82PE]

imagine that, getting a bike for 99cents!!!. by the time sellers fees for photos etc are taken out he would get no money at all!!!!!

[YSS]

Yes that is so easy with the internet , just type in a few words and somebody has to take you serious and can stuff you around for hours sending lists ,answering silly questions , for no return . I have become very wary with this type cyber people over a period of time with that sort of thing . I will send them my phone number or give them business address and if they are for real , they ring or come to see you . If you then don't hear from them ,i don't feel bad , they probably never had real intentions to do business anyway.

[BETRIC]

I just sold a NOS Suzuki 73/74 TS125 pipe on Ebay and some dope during the auction asked if the pipe would fit a 94 TS185 Suzuki

[evo550]

I have been watching a TM250 (the italian type) recently that bidding started at $100 with no reserve, the auction was won at about $1700.00.
Two days later it's relisted with a 99c reserve not met price.
The seller then goes on to say in his description that the reserve is $3000.00
Why not just list as starting bid $3000 if that's the lowest you will take???

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2002-tm-250mx_W0QQitemZ330206125864QQihZ014QQcategoryZ32074QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem