Ebay reserve v starting bid price.

[tommytaylor]

I've got something listed on ebay, even though I know I may get scammed and I don't get the reserve price v starting bid price. It costs money to set a reserve price (4% of reserve apparently) but you can set the starting bids at what you want. If you set a starting bit of say £100 can someone win it by potentially bidding 1p if there are no other bids or do they have to bid at least the starting amount?

[limpsfield]

They have to bid the starting price.

Whenever I list stuff with a reserve I always put 1p as the start price as what difference does it make - it still has to hit reserve to sell.

[Mr-B]

The starting amount is the minimum bid.

When I last sold a car on there via auction I put the start price as £1000 (it was a shed) and had no reserve as the start price was effectively my reserve, I wanted to get at least 1k for it, went for just over £1100 IIRC.

[tommytaylor]

limpsfield said:

They have to bid the starting price.

Whenever I list stuff with a reserve I always put 1p as the start price as what difference does it make - it still has to hit reserve to sell.

That makes sense but why pay a reserve fee when you can just start the auction with the lowest amount you are willing to take. Is it so people get whipped up into a frenzy of bidding when they startwith a penny.

[Hondashark]

More people will put it on their watch list and therefore be notified when the auction is finishing if you start it at a very low price.

[limpsfield]

tommytaylor said:

That makes sense but why pay a reserve fee when you can just start the auction with the lowest amount you are willing to take. Is it so people get whipped up into a frenzy of bidding when they startwith a penny.

Exactly! I think it opens it up to a wider market who think perhaps there’s a bargain to be had. Either way, more eyeballs is my unscientific theory by starting at 1p

[Spare tyre]

No reserve then get a mate to bid what you reserve would have been

Technically naughty, but ultimately no different to using a reserve

[T6 vanman]

Will they still be your mate when you send them a congratulations you've won e-mail


Still you can always reduce the postage costs

[Spare tyre]

T6 vanman said:

Will they still be your mate when you send them a congratulations you've won e-mail


Still you can always reduce the postage costs

They can just email you saying the cat was drink and bid by mistake

[GliderRider]

Whenever I see an auction with a reserve price I just scroll past it. If I go to the trouble of placing a bid I want the able to win the item. Set the starting price at the minimum you would be happy to pay. Most people can't be bothered to waste time playing games.