Reserve
 

Would love to hear people’s thoughts on placing a reserve with an AH for a card that is up for auction. I totally understand why people want to protect themselves in an auction format (especially with a high dollar item) but does placing a reserve impact the bidding process in your opinion? If so, for better or worse…

It kills most bid activity, as bidders don't want to waste their time and don't feel like the item is really for sale, just a seller looking for the one off bidder and testing the water.

Agreed....usually the reserve is not realistic. Just someone looking to set a record high.

Coincidentally, Ryan posted almost exactly the same question over on the main page, which is likely to get a lot more eyeballs and responses, so you might want to check over there as well.

There's another relatively minor (but at the same time major) aspect that scares potential bidders away from auction reserves, and that's every collector's goal of getting below-market-price steals on cards.

(I won't speak of the people in the hunt for 1952 Mantles and the like, as that's a whole different thing entirely.)

For 'regular' collectors like me (who aren't on the hunt to land the specific card), when you see an auction starting at, say, 99 cents - BOOM!!! - you add it to your watch list, because there's always a hope/chance you'll end up winning it at a great price. Having a reserve (whether or not, as everyone has said, it's crazily high) tells potential bidders right from the get-go that you ain't ever going to get that card at a bargain, so the listing just gets passed by.

Yeah. Saw that he posted a similar thread this morning. Looks like some drama over there. Hoping this one stays on coarse. Interesting topic.