Making offers below starting bids.

[TheFrenzy]

Seller creates a 7-day auction listing + OBO and sets the starting bid at a higher price than what the card has previously sold for.

Final day of the auction there are no bids—do you consider it a breach of hobby etiquette to send a reasonable offer that is below the starting bid price?

[zolt1313]

No. In fact, I've seen sellers where that appears to be the strategy. They run auctions with high starting bids and relist the item every week when it doesn't sell, and often the card gets sold for an offer below the bid value.

[Ichi]

It matters what the starting bid is. If it's clearly above comps and they're just fishing, then it's fine to offer below starting bid price. I've had success with this and they most likely know what comps are, or they wouldn't have put that starting bid at that specific spot; therefore, they may be likely to take a respectable offer.

If it's near current comps, maybe slightly below, it doesn't hurt to send maybe right below that and see if they bite. Or even right at that same starting price. Most likely it will sit there, depending on demand, and only get hit with one bid anyway.

Some people are just scared to auction cards, so be quick to act on these. You can find good opportunity at times.

[asujbl]

F that seller

Take my offer and like it. No one wants your card at your stupid price

[meandsharon11]

Either people know what they are doing and are hoping for someone to offer close to it, or they dont care.

I don’t bid on those anyway.

[meandsharon11]

Originally Posted by asujbl

F that seller

Take my offer and like it. No one wants your card at your stupid price

You would be fun to watch in board meetings

[49erRCCollector]

Originally Posted by zolt1313

No. In fact, I've seen sellers where that appears to be the strategy. They run auctions with high starting bids and relist the item every week when it doesn't sell, and often the card gets sold for an offer below the bid value.

Right here is your answer.

Either seller is content to wait for someone to pull the trigger OR they'll engage.

Perfectly fine, what's the worst they can say? No.

[kluke84]

Depends on the offer and the card. If there are no bids by the last day and I am interested I'll immediately spec recent sales. Almost always the start is higher than the last sale.

What is annoying is getting a low bid offer on an auction that just started where the starting bid is also lower than comps.

I've also seen a card I'm interested in get 1 bid, end auction, and re-list the next week. It has happened at least 4 times on the same card. And the bidder always has 0 feedback. It's not even an expensive one, under 100. Though the last 'bid- sale' was over $100. If no one is going to buy it at 89 they aren't going to buy it at a higher amount after 4 relistings.

[Dereth]

Auctions that have a minimum bid way above comps? That describes 99% of auctions for SGC slabs.

[Bosoxfan5990]

17-1 one way. Pole fale.

[asujbl]

Originally Posted by meandsharon11

You would be fun to watch in board meetings

I appreciate that

[foleylion08]

Why not just list it as BIN with Best Offer at your high price? Why bother with it as an auction? Unless they're praying a couple idiots get in a bidding war.

[49erRCCollector]

Originally Posted by foleylion08

Why not just list it as BIN with Best Offer at your high price? Why bother with it as an auction? Unless they're praying a couple idiots get in a bidding war.

I think they believe the psychology of the buyer is that if the auction expires they may get outbid and FOMO drives them to bid or the auction will end and the seller will not re-list.

It's not a terrible strategy (though not one I use).

[JeffG1954]

Originally Posted by foleylion08

Why not just list it as BIN with Best Offer at your high price? Why bother with it as an auction? Unless they're praying a couple idiots get in a bidding war.

Because I get 250 free auction style listings monthly with my store subscription.....if it gets bids and sells, great....if not I have 10,000 BIN style listings to put it back up with.

[avalanchefan21]

If I see a card starting at $14.99 and the offer option is there i;ll sometimes shoot an offer below. Not a low ball but slightly under, starting prices could be kinda of wishful too

Sometimes ppl would rather just have the $$ asap and card gone esp if its an older card or something not as sought after.

[zolt1313]

Originally Posted by foleylion08

Why not just list it as BIN with Best Offer at your high price? Why bother with it as an auction? Unless they're praying a couple idiots get in a bidding war.

Originally Posted by 49erRCCollector

I think they believe the psychology of the buyer is that if the auction expires they may get outbid and FOMO drives them to bid or the auction will end and the seller will not re-list.

It's not a terrible strategy (though not one I use).

Two other possible reasons:
1) If you're not sure about the price and think you may undervalue the card, with an auction + OBO you're not capping the price as you would with a BIN.
2) Restarting the auction every week gets a fresh listing regularly in front of more eyes.

[49erRCCollector]

Originally Posted by zolt1313

Two other possible reasons:
1) If you're not sure about the price and think you may undervalue the card, with an auction + OBO you're not capping the price as you would with a BIN.
2) Restarting the auction every week gets a fresh listing regularly in front of more eyes.

Point 2 I could definitely see.

Point 1? Eh... You undervalue it, just put a high BIN. To go to the trouble of an auction with a high (over comps) starting bid AND a BIN is too clever an approach to give them a pass by saying they might undervalue the card. It's a manipulation, which is OK, but let's call it what it is.

[ninjabum87]

The ones that are real head scratchers to me are the ones who have an auto rejection set up for their starting bid price when their starting price is obviously far above recent comps. Just put it BIN if thats the minimum you'll accept. You're basically fishing for a fool noob who doesn't know how research comps and doesn't know what approximate value it should sell for. Its especially dumb when it's a new card and a lot of identical cards have been selling all around it for lower and lower with every auction.

This and the whole "I'm just gonna throw up my collection for BIN-no BO at insane prices to show it off or something" thing are goofy af.

[JustRachel]

Originally Posted by 49erRCCollector

I think they believe the psychology of the buyer is that if the auction expires they may get outbid and FOMO drives them to bid or the auction will end and the seller will not re-list.

It's not a terrible strategy (though not one I use).

I disagree. It's a terrible strategy.

[meltedvanilluxe]

I’m tired of starting bids in general. A lot of sellers have no idea what their cards are actually worth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[byronscott4ever]

I’d wait until the last day, no bids, throw an offer out there

[Blazed]

Originally Posted by meltedvanilluxe

I’m tired of starting bids in general. A lot of sellers have no idea what their cards are actually worth


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This.

Ebay should have 4 options.

Start @ .99

Start @ .99 + reserve

BIN w/ BO

BIN w/o a BO

All the people trying to be cute and start auctions @ 80.80 or 999.99 just clog up the searches.

[BRADYSDOGHAVEN]

Etiquette??
I get low ball offers every few minutes. I don't even have offers enabled.

Learn to accept a large percentage of our population is lazy, entitled and very stupid.

[majestik101]

Most everything I list I place a high BIN with an OBO that is the least I will accept for the card. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For one thing, it weeds out the pathetic low ballers who have nothing better to do than to offer $100 on a card that is worth $500+.

I don't mess with listing my items at 0.99 auctions because it more than often never works out in my favor.

To answer the OP question, I will often make offers below the starting bid.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by majestik101

Most everything I list I place a high BIN with an OBO that is the least I will accept for the card. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For one thing, it weeds out the pathetic low ballers who have nothing better to do than to offer $100 on a card that is worth $500+.

I don't mess with listing my items at 0.99 auctions because it more than often never works out in my favor.

To answer the OP question, I will often make offers below the starting bid.

Congrats on your impending 40k post!