PWCC - need collector feedback on auction format

[Brent Huigens]

Fellow Collectors,

We need some feedback from folks regarding our auction format and the future structure of our auctions on eBay.

Historically, for each monthly auction we have listed items 1min apart over the course of 10-14 days. Our growing company has bumped up against some interesting limitations and we may need to structure things slightly different in the months to come...

If given a choice, what would folks prefer from the following two options:

1) Items continue to run as is, 1min apart, over the course of 5+ hours each evening
2) List items 2 per minute and have those items close over a shorter period of time

Option 1) will keep things as they are but will force items to close over time periods which are 'less desirable' in the eyes of some collectors (i.e. early afternoon on Sundays or early or very late evenings during week days).

Option 2) would force 2 items to sell for every 1min interval but would allow us to focus the closings over a shorter period of time that folks may consider more 'prime time'.

Feedback would be appreciated.

Brent Huigens
PWCC Auctions, LLC

[scooter729]

My vote would be for 2 per minute. As an East Coast guy, I hate auctions which end at 12 AM - 1 AM+ ET. The more things which could end around 10 PM ET the happier it would make me!

[Exhibitman]

Doesn't really matter to me; I snipe anyway...

[Bocabirdman]

When auctions for which I am the top bidder end one on top of the other, I generally accept defeat when I am outbid and move on. If there is some time between the auctions, I am more likely to re-allocate the money, bumping my max bid on auctions coming up. With no time to decide or think, I resist making a rash bid and scroll the next day's listings. A couple minutes apart would be just enough time to think and act on an impulse after losing out.

[autograf]

snipe...snipe....snipe....

[esquiresports]

I would go with option 2. The odds of two items wanted by a single bidder (who is not auto-sniping) closing within 30 seconds of each other are probably relatively slim. Regardless, that gives enough time for a non-auto-sniping bidder to get in on both.

[conor912]

As a sniper, I'm actually pretty shocked you're considering 2/minute. Even at 1 per minute I miss out on many items simply because I don't have time to verify my previous win (or loss), refresh, go to the next item, verify my ceiling in my notes, and bid. It already seems like a borderline free-for-all/clusterf*** as it is. That's my two cents anyways.

If you're growing that much, why limit yourself to auctions ending only one week out of the month? Why not just go to a continuous strategy? I realize it wouldn't give you the "event" to market, but how much can you really cram into a small window?

[calvindog]

Ummm Brent, maybe you could respond to Peter's thread about your auctions? It's just an inch or two away on the front page.

[deucetwins]

A computer, a Kindle, and an iPhone. All on different items ready to manually snipe. Auto-sniping takes the fun out of it. Creates joy and frustration all at the same time. I like the card value tier system idea previously mentioned.

[slipk1068]

The way it is now, 1 minute apart works well for me. Seems like often, the cards I like are ending 1 minute apart. If I lose a card, it gives me time to attempt to snipe the next 1.

Any ending time works for me. If I can't make it for an auction close, I just put in a max bid of the amount I am willing to pay. If someone snipes it for more than that, I am fine because I wasn't willing to pay that much, and they obviously wanted the card more than I did.