getting the most for your item on the auction site

[Pablito]

The big auction site has recommendations on how to get the best price for your items, such as, start the bidding low and use a reserve. We all know good descriptions and good photos count for a lot.

However, I'm wondering beyond that what folks who have done a lot of selling would say about other variable factors. For instance:

1. What time of year is likely to yield a higher price? Just before Christmas? Spring? etc. Do simple film slr's with 50mm lenses (ideal for photo students) sell for more at the beginning of each academic semester?

2. What is the best end time or end day? Weekday evenings, not too early or to late on the east or west coast (USA)? Or have you found you get a better price when your item ends on a weekend?

May be impossible to say, just wondering what your impressions are.

 

[Gradskater]

I wonder the same thing. I recently sold a couple cameras on ebay, and the winners were in other countries (the netherlands and hong kong). I set the time to end in the late afternoon for California, but I have no idea what time it was in the buyers country.

 

[BillP]

Sunday evenings. Apparently it's the peak time for surfing. Your buyers are mostly at home, and most likely to be looking for something to give them a quick buzz before work on Monday. Allow for time zones.

Regards,

Bill

 

[ferider]

Just make sure they end on Sun. I pick late morning so it's Sun evening in Europe.

Make the best photos you can, it pays, IMO.

Answer questions ASAP, and post the response.

Also, a bit nerve racking maybe, but I got the highest prices with items starting with 1$ and no reserve.

Roland.

 

[bob338]

i don't know when the best time to end auctions is, but i think the worst time is the week following christmas.

bob

 

[Keith]

I think the photos are paramount to getting a good price for cameras in particular.

I bought a CL Leica/Minolta with 40mm Rokkor in it's original packaging for well below value because the pics made the camera and lens look like it was spattered in small spots of white paint ... it was a fault with the seller's digicam and I realised this when I looked closely at the pics. Everyone obviously dismissed the camera as looking shoddy and avoided it ... it looked like it had been stored in the open in a panel shop! When I received it, as I suspected, it was immaculate and virtually as new.

I contacted her to let her know that there was a fault with her camera and she thanked me for pointing it out but was quite happy with the price she got for her deceased partner's CL kit in spite of the fact that it should have gone for twice the sale price!

 

[Pablito]

SUNDAYS: very useful to know, thanks. I do take good pickchers & answer questions real fast. And I also have benefited from the bad photos of others, like Keith.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I may or may not be unique, but......

I am always concerned, regardless of rating, of anyone who want to hide behind some shield of anonymity. The "camerasellingdude" who lists their location as "USA" always makes me nervous. I am more comfortable and willing to buy from a seller with a real name and a real location. JamesBSmith who is located in Atlanta GA is good. If the seller is a business, I want to be able to google that name and see something.

Maybe I've just been on line too long and become skeptical of web anonymity.

 

[Pablito]

I agree, Bob, but I was asking more about selling technique rather than what to watch out for when buying.

 

[benlees]

If you have more than one item, especially bodies and lenses, it makes sense to spread out the end times for each item. Countless times on eBay I have seen people sell their multiple cameras and lenses all having the same end time. It stands to reason if a person is interested in your camera body they might also want a lens. It is hard to bid on more than one item at the last second, if you really want it.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

I'll end my auctions in the weekend.
I'll make sure both sides of the USA and Europe are awake. unfortunate Japan is sleeping at that time.

cheers,

Michiel Fokkema