8mm Forum: Ebay, how do they do it???

This is topic Ebay, how do they do it??? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on February 21, 2006, 07:25 AM:

Just been looking on ebay watching people bidding up 400 footers with no description at all to silly prices considering while my watched and properly described ones with low fade stock etc can sit for ages.
The other day I had a copy of UFO in great shape and nice colour and there was a copy up at the same time were the chap at least mentioned it was red that set away from 9,99 while mine was up at the buy it now for that in top order.
I`m not sour graping I just wonder how the ebay thing works in peoples minds???? ODD
Best Mark.

Posted by Scott G. Bruce (Member # 384) on February 21, 2006, 08:49 AM:

Dear Mark,

As someone who sells regularly on ebay, I can understand your frustration. Here's something I've learned: bidders are much more interested in bidding on items that they feel emotionally invested in, so you will almost always get the best results by starting an auction with a very low bid ($0.01 or 0.99) and having no reserve. This gives everyone the idea that they have a chance of winning. For example, I had a pile of old Dragon Magazines (200 or so) from the Dungeons and Dragons game. I wanted to get about $200 for them. I started the bidding at $0.99 and put a reserve bid of $100 on them. Hardly anyone touched them. The bidding stopped at $40. Just wanting to be rid of them, I relisted at $0.99, but with no reserve. A bidding war ensured and they went for $235! There are risks to this approach, of course. Sometimes you'll only get one bidder and there goes your item for $0.99. But most times I've found that low, low starting bids with no reserves capture the competitive imagination of ebayers and drive up bids.

Hope that this helps.

SGB

Posted by Dave Cragg (Member # 401) on February 21, 2006, 10:38 AM:

Hi Mark,
a lot has to do with the key words you use in the title. If potential buyers search using these words and they are not in your title, then it will not be picked up in thier results.
I recently bought a full length feature, after following the link listed here by a forum member.
However, when I did my regular search of Ebay using the key words "super 8 + film" this didn't come up, as "film" was not in the description". As a result less people would have seen it and I got it quite cheap.
Dave

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on February 21, 2006, 01:46 PM:

Another advice for you Mark,

Having seen your list recently (magicmountains) I found that yours did not come with photos. This is quite essential for buyes since some newbies prefer to see the artworks first rather than bothering with the red or scratch prints.

This is what I felt when I was searching.

Regarding titling yes, it was so funny when someone in Australia only recived AU$ 1.25 (less than GBP 0.53) for elvisfun in acpulco The shipping he was using is normal cost, so he didn't make money from the shipping.

first mistake: he wrote elvisfun. There is no any keywords that elvis' fans will get it unles writting it "elvis*"
second mistake: he wrote acpulco, i don't know where is this place
third msitake: he listed it on wrong categopry, i.e other format than other format again. Where in Ebay Australia there is specific category for 8mm.

But see what this gentleman has gotten:
AU $ 100 for a 200 feet boxing reel!

Yeah no one knows that finally he received big bucks for a very common and hard to sell movie like that.

Cheers,

Posted by Craig Hamilton (Member # 258) on February 21, 2006, 07:29 PM:

Mark, in the UK, try & have your listings finishing around the 9pm mark on a Sunday evening. Ebay UK has the highest hits on a Sunday. I bought a cracking Sankyo projector for next to nothing on an auction finishing at 2.55pm on a Tuesday when most bidders were at work. As mentioned earlier if possible add a photo. One last tip, if you have an expensive item to sell, end listing again on a Sunday, but at the end of the month. Most people who get paid monthly usually get paid at the end, rather than the beginning of the month.

P.S. Star Wars! 6 screenings already, Kids love it. [Wink]

Craig

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on February 21, 2006, 10:26 PM:

Craig, I agree with you

But regarding bidding on Sunday or Tuesday, night time or work time, will not be really a matter if the bidders are using snipper websites. Despite some limitation, now, some of them are free service. Click on www.justsnipe.com or http://www.hammertap.com/hammersnipe/

cheers,

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on February 22, 2006, 08:30 AM:

Personally, I think sniping is becoming something of a 'joke'. I recently watched an auction for what sounded like a very desirable 16mm print. No bids for virtually the whole auction, then 4 'snipers' in the last 20 seconds or so! I thought it was quite funny because no one can snipe if all the bidders are snipers!

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on February 23, 2006, 12:26 PM:

that seems to be the way to do things lately it is to bad we the bidders can't see how many watchers are watching only the seller can see that.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on February 23, 2006, 02:55 PM:

Jim.
The number of the watchers is not really a matter if the watchers are using snipper website, since they do not need to watch it, but instead place the item# and wait until 5 second to the end. Bang!

Mark, regarding adding photos on your list, my additional advise is don't take long shoot of your box but instead take a close up (or scan is better).

While we are still dicussing how to list our items. Guys, I need your opinion, which one is the best way: to put the film one by one in seperate list or to put the films in one lot one list? This is especially if our films mixed between good and so so.

thanks,

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on February 24, 2006, 05:11 AM:

Hi I appreciate the advice everyone, I`ll see if I can get a camera to add shots.
What amazes me about that though is that people will bid on the box and not the undescribed film and end up with goodness knows what crap.
I usually use buy it now as I don`t want the films to go any higher than what I think they are worth which is usually a tad below what I paid for them after fees.
Funny that see it and want it thing!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Mark.

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