Ending Ebay listings early

[celoknob]

Sellers should not end auctions early and buyers should not ask.

I believe it is an ethical issue. I wouldn't take any pride in sweeping up some item I really wanted knowing that someone else was watching or bidding and also wanted it.

I guess this is a case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease but that does not make it right. I'm surprised how many are comfortable with themselves doing it.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by celoknob

Sellers should not end auctions early and buyers should not ask.

I believe it is an ethical issue. I wouldn't take any pride in sweeping up some item I really wanted knowing that someone else was watching or bidding and also wanted it.

I guess this is a case of the squeaky wheel gets the grease but that does not make it right. I'm surprised how many are comfortable with themselves doing it.

For some categories on ebay, the early offer is almost always how it is done - pool cues, for instance. Ebay rarely gets anything other than listing fees on pool cue auctions. If I ever saw a cue I wanted, I always put a marker bid in, then contacted the seller and asked him to contact me if he decided to sell early. Even then, most auctions ended without me getting a shot.

I'm sure there are other categories that work much like baseball cards used to - mostly straight auctions - but there will fewer of those as ebay moves toward the Amazon model that David described.

As this forum grows, and the bay straight auction deals disappear, we will eventually be ripe for creating our own vintage card/memorabilia ebay clone. We just need enough participants who would trust it as much as they do the auction houses, so that straight auctions could realize decent prices.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by celoknob

Sellers should not end auctions early and buyers should not ask. I believe it is an ethical issue.

I know what I'm about to say may shock some people, but there are items on eBay other than baseball cards.

For example, take a car dealership that lists their pre-owned inventory on eBay. If a customer on the lot with cash in hand willing to pay the dealership's asking price on a vehicle that also happens to be listed on eBay at the same time, do you really think the dealership should turn away the customer with the cash in hand and hope that auction will bring what they're asking (and then hope the buyer is qualified to complete the deal)? And if they did end the auction early it would be unethical? Come on!

I could give many examples such as this from various eBay categories. My point is that you can't have it one way for some categories and another way for other categories.

[celoknob]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I know what I'm about to say may shock some people, but there are items on eBay other than baseball cards.

For example, take a car dealership that lists their pre-owned inventory on eBay. If a customer on the lot with cash in hand willing to pay the dealership's asking price on a vehicle that also happens to be listed on eBay at the same time, do you really think the dealership should turn away the customer with the cash in hand and hope that auction will bring what they're asking (and then hope the buyer is qualified to complete the deal)? And if they did end the auction early it would be unethical? Come on!

I could give many examples such as this from various eBay categories. My point is that you can't have it one way for some categories and another way for other categories.

Obviously this situation is not what I was talking about since this is a baseball card forum. However, feel free to create some more strawmen.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by celoknob

Obviously this situation is not what I was talking about since this is a baseball card forum. However, feel free to create some more strawmen.

Yes, it is a baseball card forum. Thanks for reminding me. So, in other words, it's "unethical" to end a baseball card auction early, but not items from other eBay categories?

And do your morals only apply to pre-war cards since this is a pre-war forum?

Edited to add: Since you pointed out that this is a baseball card forum, let me revise my example to make it baseball card related. Let's say a baseball card dealer owns a brick and mortar store. Like other brick and mortar dealers, he probably relies on other ways to generate revenue other than only retail sales - i.e. mail order, card shows, eBay, etc. Do you think that if that dealer lists a card on eBay, he removes it from his display case during the auction? Or do you think that card remains in the case availbale for sale for walk-traffic? I'm guessing probably the latter. So, if the card is on eBay and a customer in his store with cash in hand wants to buy it at his asking price, should he decline the sale?

[steve B]

Short answer -yes.

Longer answer - when I ws actively selling I sold lots of stuff, some I knew a bit about, some I didn't. I also sold in other venues and once I listed something it was physically separated from the non-ebay inventory until the auction closed. The brick and mortar dealer I go to does the same thing, Ebay stuff isn't even in the case. Usually the Ebay stuff is stuff that won't sell well in the shop. A shop that's since closed that did general antiques with some sports stuff used to have a case set aside for Ebay items. All with the item number shown and a laptop setup and running on the counter.

Having been in the car business, I can say that it's often "different" than other businesses. Not necessarily the industry I'd hold out as a moral example, although that's possible when it's done right. I lost sales to shipping damage, factory test drive program, and finally a stock market downturn. (Bonus points if you know the brand and year -it's possible from the last two combined, but you have to really know some trivia)

Steve B

Steve B

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Yes, it is a baseball card forum. Thanks for reminding me. So, in other words, it's "unethical" to end a baseball card auction early, but not items from other eBay categories?

And do your morals only apply to pre-war cards since this is a pre-war forum?

Edited to add: Since you pointed out that this is a baseball card forum, let me revise my example to make it baseball card related. Let's say a baseball card dealer owns a brick and mortar store. Like other brick and mortar dealers, he probably relies on other ways to generate revenue other than only retail sales - i.e. mail order, card shows, eBay, etc. Do you think that if that dealer lists a card on eBay, he removes it from his display case during the auction? Or do you think that card remains in the case availbale for sale for walk-traffic? I'm guessing probably the latter. So, if the card is on eBay and a customer in his store with cash in hand wants to buy it at his asking price, should he decline the sale?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

My point is that you can't have it one way for some categories and another way for other categories.

Ebay agrees with you. Sellers realize that selling a car isn't the same as selling a baseball card. Heck, selling a pack of 1988 Donruss isn't the same as selling a 1909 Plank, and they both involve cards. But while ebay was once a free-for-all flea market, they are evolving toward a store. Many of their current categories will become irrelevant as sellers find they can make more profit by switching to other venues. Ebay doesn't care.