For 1-cent (or 99 cent) auctions to work consistently for a seller, they have to have a kind of critical mass of bidders actively bidding. Some are able to achieve that through their own promotional efforts, large base of repeat customers, etc. It used to be that there were enough collectors scouring ebay auctions on a weekly basis that the only advertising effort you had to put forth was to write an accurate/catchy title. With ebay's push for fixed price listings and virtual elimination of up-front listing fees, much of the sense of urgency on the part of both buyers and sellers was removed, and that necessary mass of buyers that was once a given became more of an exception. A few diligent sellers are still able to pull off the 99-cent auctions, but for most, the "good ol' days" of running 99-cent auctions are a thing of the past.
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