What happened to people making offers and asking questions on ebay?

[Snapolit1]

Reminder to bidders:

If something is posted at $4950, and you really like it, $250 or $300 is probably not a constructive open offer.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Reminder to bidders:

If something is posted at $4950, and you really like it, $250 or $300 is probably not a constructive open offer.

Reminder to sellers:

Don't forget to set your minimum dollar thresholds for offers so you don't have to deal with annoying lowballers.

I refuse to use the OBO option. Buyers can either pay my price or pass my listings by. Even with verbiage in the description that specifically asks people not to send lower offers via messages, I still get them. It's a combination of people not reading the descriptions, eBay blocking most of the descriptions on the mobile version (unless the viewer goes out of their way to click on it), and customers who just don't care and still try to get something for less. That's understandable, but not what I'm looking to deal with. I try to provide very personable customer service, but have tired of replying to "Will you take less?" queries when I've sepcifically said I won't in each listing. So, unfortunately, I have stopped even answering such messages, as I already answered before they even asked.

Also, many years ago, I tried that experiment that the one poster wanted to utilize. I set everything to auction with opening bids close to my BIN price. It was a complete waste of time, and really, rightly so. Auctions are a game. To succeed, you have to play by auction rules: ridiculously low opening bids are key. From there, you have two choices: stay honest and let the cards fall where they may, or shill away. I don't like either option, so auctions aren't for me. The bigger the seller, the better odds of success with the first option (and second option, lol). You may as well consign your material to one of the big guys if you want the best results via auction-style listings.

[ricktmd]

There are buyers on ebay that only look at auctions and some that only look at BIN's. That is fact. I take OBO because it works sometimes. Of course the ridiculous offers are something you just delete. I usually try both options if something isn't selling. I do agree that big sellers auction and either allow or wink at consignor shill bidding or just sell for whatever. Not a great option for me as a seller. Better as a buyer

I salute the poster or anyone who can buy from an auction house, pay 20%, plus freight and tax then flip it on ebay and make a profit. If you are clever enough to buy desirable items at auction that are popular on eBay, are able to pay 30% to the AH then overcome ebays 15% that's great. There is also the time it takes to list and ship the items. Even if I buy an auction lot and get a good deal say 100.00 per card and pay 130.00 delivered and sell on ebay for 50.00 additional 180.00 ebay takes 25.00 of the 180.00 and you are left with 155.00 for your 130.00 purchase. And that's if you guess/buy right. If you are selling your own items purchased years ago that's a different story.

Fortunately, most Sportscard deals go smoothly. If you sell other stuff and have to risk returns and pay shipping both ways ebay becomes a questionable business decision. A 75.00 item that cost 20.00 to ship can cost you 40.00 out of pocket. With ebays 30 day no risk policy (plus 3 weeks to ship it back) someone can test or take your item out on consignment, send it back poorly packaged/damaged and take nearly 2 months with it. Ebay is all about the buyers and when that happens to sellers ebay takes no hit

[Vintagedeputy]

I just started selling on eBay again after a many year gap. So far, I’m not impressed.

[Vintagedeputy]

I have a bunch of auctions up now. Random stuff. One item was priced at BIN $49.99 or best offer. Guy offered me $40 and I took it. He’s happy and I’m happy. My value may not be your value. We may be way off or within inches of each other. Some of my prices are simply guesses. If I didn’t take offers, I’d never know what buyers may be thinking.

[Mark17]

There's a GU bat on ebay that's been there a few years, priced at $489. I have mild interest in it. I have offered $350 a couple times, and been countered in the $450 range. Which might be a fair number, but more than I want to pay. So, about every year I again offer $350, to see if he wants to make a sale or keep holding it. I figure eventually he might block me but that would be okay. He also might realize, if mine are the best, or only, offers he's getting, that moving the bat might be the thing to do.

I don't feel like I'm being a jerk, because my interest is not strong and my offer is reasonable, and he's had it listed for years. There's opportunity cost being lost the longer he holds it. But he might think I'm a jerk...

[BioCRN]

Originally Posted by Mark17

There's a GU bat on ebay that's been there a few years, priced at $489. I have mild interest in it. I have offered $350 a couple times, and been countered in the $450 range. Which might be a fair number, but more than I want to pay. So, about every year I again offer $350, to see if he wants to make a sale or keep holding it. I figure eventually he might block me but that would be okay. He also might realize, if mine are the best, or only, offers he's getting, that moving the bat might be the thing to do.

I don't feel like I'm being a jerk, because my interest is not strong and my offer is reasonable, and he's had it listed for years. There's opportunity cost being lost the longer he holds it. But he might think I'm a jerk...

Same thing over here with multiple items. Sellers still not budging. I hit them up every 6-12 months so I don't bug the hell out of them. I imagine a lot don't remember it's "that guy that offered 8 months ago" and no one's blocked me yet.

[KJA]

I usually only pay attention to BIN if it has Best Offer listed or I will just watch BIN items and wait to see if I get an offer, gotten some decent deals just waiting. I would rather do that than auctions since I'm not that great at those last second bids.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Reminder to sellers:

Don't forget to set your minimum dollar thresholds for offers so you don't have to deal with annoying lowballers.

I refuse to use the OBO option. Buyers can either pay my price or pass my listings by. Even with verbiage in the description that specifically asks people not to send lower offers via messages, I still get them. It's a combination of people not reading the descriptions, eBay blocking most of the descriptions on the mobile version (unless the viewer goes out of their way to click on it), and customers who just don't care and still try to get something for less. That's understandable, but not what I'm looking to deal with. I try to provide very personable customer service, but have tired of replying to "Will you take less?" queries when I've sepcifically said I won't in each listing. So, unfortunately, I have stopped even answering such messages, as I already answered before they even asked.

Also, many years ago, I tried that experiment that the one poster wanted to utilize. I set everything to auction with opening bids close to my BIN price. It was a complete waste of time, and really, rightly so. Auctions are a game. To succeed, you have to play by auction rules: ridiculously low opening bids are key. From there, you have two choices: stay honest and let the cards fall where they may, or shill away. I don't like either option, so auctions aren't for me. The bigger the seller, the better odds of success with the first option (and second option, lol). You may as well consign your material to one of the big guys if you want the best results via auction-style listings.

I did this recently. Ridiculously low openers (99 cents). Ended up giving the cards away. Granted, these were non sports cards, but still.....