Question about Ebay "Buy It Now or Best Offer" etiquette

[Exhibitman]

Patience and rarity are key words. I waited a long time for a T206 Cobb red portrait to come up for sale at a price I liked. There are enough of them out there that I can wait. I've also BINed some cards at record prices because I know how rare they are and don't want to miss them.

I also like to test the waters on a card. I sometimes will offer a rare card at a substantial BIN. I don't need or want to sell it so I can set my price and sit back if it doesn't sell. The whole "market price" thing is just silly for cards like that, and more often than not I get offers that get the card sold. Given that, I do understand the model of certain "overpriced" sellers who have a large Ebay inventory of high demand cards--if you want it now you will pay for it now at their price. If not, go find it elsewhere. It must work for them since they remain in business.

One thing that I don't like with Ebay Best Offer is that it caps the number of best offers you can make. I've been capped out a couple of times on an item and I know I'd prefer unlimited offers on my cards. As long as I have the automatic rejection mode set, let the buyers "bid" against my reserve. I think Ebay should abolish any limits on the frequency of Best Offers if the seller has an automatic rejection or an automatic acceptance level. It would make for more sales, hence more revenue for everyone, if bidders could bid against themselves.

[GoSoxBoSox]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

One thing that I don't like with Ebay Best Offer is that it caps the number of best offers you can make. I've been capped out a couple of times on an item and I know I'd prefer unlimited offers on my cards. As long as I have the automatic rejection mode set, let the buyers "bid" against my reserve. I think Ebay should abolish any limits on the frequency of Best Offers if the seller has an automatic rejection or an automatic acceptance level. It would make for more sales, hence more revenue for everyone, if bidders could bid against themselves.

I don't think this stops sales. You just need to contact the seller if you are capped. That said, I agree the cap is useless.

[HRBAKER]

All that being said is true. But it's a given on anything that you may not be able to recoup your investment. Part of the issue is that ebay is a buyer's enviroment. I guess whether your regard a "price" as being high is related to the prism you view it through. If a card I am looking at/for is priced at 2 or 3 times what the so-called average is currently I don't ask myself if it ever sold for that price and if so then consider the price reasonable.


The issue cuts both ways, if a previous "buyer" overpaid then should succeeeding buyers be willing to bc he did? On the other hand is the "average" a true average? VCP is very good for issues with many transactions but to me it is irrelevant for issues with very few, it can provide a recent snapshot (maybe) but the information is too thin to draw a hard conclusion. Plus even for the "common" issues it still does not capture but a portion of the data.

The fact that many BINs have not adjusted down with the market (for common isues) is just a reflection of the fact that the inventory for the most part does not have to be moved IMO.

I think it is a very interesting dynamic.

[BlueDevil89]

People can ask whatever prices they want for the cards they own. People with money can make any offer for cards they want. This makes the market. If the seller rejects an offer, it's the seller's option to keep the card and pass on the cash. And if the buyer refuses to step up and prefers to wait in hopes of picking the card up at a bargain price down the road, that's the buyer's option.

As Michael Corleone said in the original GF - "It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business."