eBay... Clearly I don't get it....

[Mayk]

So I have a small account because I have purchased and sold a few things... Feedback of 33 transactions. So a novice.

I listed a used Pandora bracelet for $24. I don't wear or like them. We bought this for my husbands ex wife for Mother's Day and with her charms it was too small (making two kinks in the bracelet). I ordered her a larger one....

So I decide to list it. They go for $65 new. I know it has those kinks but I put up pictures... I have 540 views in 4-5 days and 24 people watching... Why are they watching a $24 bracelet? I watch expensive stuff I can't afford to see what it sells for... I look each day and laugh... Not sure what is so interesting about this bracelet.... I just didn't want to toss it and don't have a use for it.

**edited by moderator, please do not link to your own auctions per our policies**

On the flip side I've had my road bike listed for a couple months. I always have 8-10 watchers usually around 150-200 views in 10 days ... Lots or technical questions and a couple offers... But it's an odd size because my legs are long and my body is short... So I get this... And the low ball offers are probably watching to see if it sells..or the bikers are waiting for spring to get serious about bikes and it's over $2,000....

Do you list stuff... How many people watch it?

Just curious....

 

[SB621]

So I have a small account because I have purchased and sold a few things... Feedback of 33 transactions. So a novice.

I listed a used Pandora bracelet for $24. I don't wear or like them. We bought this for my husbands ex wife for Mother's Day and with her charms it was too small (making two kinks in the bracelet). I ordered her a larger one....

So I decide to list it. They go for $65 new. I know it has those kinks but I put up pictures... I have 540 views in 4-5 days and 24 people watching... Why are they watching a $24 bracelet? I watch expensive stuff I can't afford to see what it sells for... I look each day and laugh... Not sure what is so interesting about this bracelet.... I just didn't want to toss it and don't have a use for it.

**edited by moderator, please do not link to your own auctions per our policies**

On the flip side I've had my road bike listed for a couple months. I always have 8-10 watchers usually around 150-200 views in 10 days ... Lots or technical questions and a couple offers... But it's an odd size because my legs are long and my body is short... So I get this... And the low ball offers are probably watching to see if it sells..or the bikers are waiting for spring to get serious about bikes and it's over $2,000....

Do you list stuff... How many people watch it?

Just curious....

I don't think we have sold anything on ebay in years....probably 6 or 7?!?! We just donate things now as I just find the secondary market frustrating. I have obviously resold some of my jewelry recently but other house holds goods/ kids stuff we just donate.

I think the last thing we sold was my wedding dress. I didn't have any real attachment to it and I wanted someone else to enjoy the dress. It was on ebay for 10 days and got about 500 hits, and about a dozen watches but no one ever bid. I think we were only asking about $199. The dress retailed for over 1k so I don't think the pricing was astronomical. I think after we relisted it several time someone finally purchased it- probably took 4 months. For $50 less I could have donated it to Brides for Breastcancer and got a tax right off for $150 and saved myself a ton of hassle!

 

[Mayk]

Funny enough the only reason I listed it was to leave the proceeds in my Paypal to pay the repeated listings of my road bike... Thinking I wouldn't get those $1.50 bills, I know the bike is going to take awhile to sell... I have listed jewelry items and purses and Chanel sunglasses...those kind of things... This was just so odd to me.. Used the bracelets go for around $45...

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I don't sell on eBay but I sure do buy stuff there.

I watch a lot of things. Usually, I am not yet sure of what I want to buy, so I add, for example, different bracelets I might want to my watch list. Then, I start narrowing down the styles, until I decide. I may also add something while I am still researching price options or deciding exactly what to buy for a gift, etc. Basically, whenever I am interested but still unsure.

 

[amc80]

I watch things, regardless of the price. I think most people think the bidding won't go as high if they wait until the last minute to bid. Watching is just a reminder to them to bid at a later time.

 

[Mayk]

I watch things, regardless of the price. I think most people think the bidding won't go as high if they wait until the last minute to bid. Watching is just a reminder to them to bid at a later time.

Good point. I've just always placed a bid if I wanted it and then set up a Max bid. I just didn't think the bracelet was that interesting to watch...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I've sold a lot on eBay. My feedback is over 430 (I would have to look on the site to see what it actually is...I forget) and that is both buying and selling.

I've had people watch items that are under $10. I think that sometimes people watch what items go for because they also have something similar to sell and want to see what the going rate is.

 

[diamondringlover]

I have not sold on Ebay but I have bought stuff...I watch alot of stuff...I am a last minute type bidder...and sometimes I just want to see what they sell for in case I ever get up enough gumption to figure out how to sell on Ebay

 

[Maisie]

I watch things on ebay to remind me to bid or to remember where they are if i'm waiting to get paid so I can buy

 

[minousbijoux]

I have not sold on Ebay but I have bought stuff...I watch alot of stuff...I am a last minute type bidder...and sometimes I just want to see what they sell for in case I ever get up enough gumption to figure out how to sell on Ebay

This

I watch things on ebay to remind me to bid or to remember where they are if i'm waiting to get paid so I can buy

and this.

I watch so much more than I buy. If I think I'll eventually buy something, I might watch a few similar items to figure out the per carat going rate, then modify it based on the strength of the seller, and any other factors. But you know, I don't sell on ebay, so I had no idea that you sellers can see what us buyers are doing! Eeeps!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I have not sold on Ebay but I have bought stuff...I watch alot of stuff...I am a last minute type bidder...and sometimes I just want to see what they sell for in case I ever get up enough gumption to figure out how to sell on Ebay

This

I watch things on ebay to remind me to bid or to remember where they are if i'm waiting to get paid so I can buy

and this.

I watch so much more than I buy. If I think I'll eventually buy something, I might watch a few similar items to figure out the per carat going rate, then modify it based on the strength of the seller, and any other factors. But you know, I don't sell on ebay, so I had no idea that you sellers can see what us buyers are doing! Eeeps!

Yeah, sellers can see what you've bid on and purchased and also what kind of feedback the bidder leaves. One gal who bought an item from me turned out to be a buyer who leaves negative feedback for everyone who doesn't charge her exact shipping, so I was prepared.

 

[Missy]

We mainly buy on eBay though my dh sold his motorcycle on eBay in 2002 and we sold our Miata in 2008. And a couple of odds and ends like motorcycle accessories and road bicycle parts. For the most part we are buyers. And I watch anything I am considering buying to keep track of it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I never bid until the last seconds, so I have to have items in my watch list until the end when I may bid. I do have items in my watch list because I love a setting or something that I want to remember for future use! I think those bracelets are very popular with some people, so it does not surprise me that you have a lot of watchers.

 

[minousbijoux]

I've gotten pretty lax about leaving feedback, meaning I often forget to - could this work against me with sellers?

 

[Loves Vintage]

I've gotten pretty lax about leaving feedback, meaning I often forget to - could this work against me with sellers?

I don't think so. Say I have an item for sale, and you make a bid. I could click on your username and go to your feedback, and THEN see what your purchases and sales were (for the past 90 days, I think). If you do not leave feedback, and the seller also didn't leave feedback, then there would be no way to see what those sales were. If only seller left feedback, then I would also be able to see the items by clicking on "feedback left by others," I think. This is all the same information you see yourself when you view your own feedback. So, I guess my point is -- there are no additional views available to sellers that would give insight as to whether or not you are leaving feedback.

In addition, it is totally a buyer's market on ebay, so whether you are leaving feedback would be the least of my concerns. There are lots of incentives to list. Right now, there's a promotion to list buy-it-now for 30 days. Free. So, I don't have to pay a fee to list. (There's also an on-going 50 free auction-style listings per month.) If my listing expires and does not sell, then I pay nothing. No loss to me to list, except my time of course! If the item does sell, then there's a fee to pay to ebay and a separate fee to paypal, but again, no fee just to list. So, my point -- there are tons of incentives to list, which results in lots and lots of listings, and a lot more for buyers to choose from. As a result, it can be hard to move stuff! And, these days, there are lots of people who just don't pay! That's the big problem for sellers. I have no idea why they don't pay, I mean why bother bidding, but it is soooo annoying! So all of this is to say -- a seller is not really going to care if you leave feedback. If you actually pay, that's all sellers really care about!!

I've been selling a lot lately, lol!! I buy a lot too!

To the OP - I think people just like different things. For whatever reason, those bracelets are really popular. I totally watch items down to the last minute too. And, I notice certain items always have watchers. I assume people want to see what the item ultimately sells for, because they have a similar item listed, or plan to purchase one themselves.

 

[purplesparklies]

I'm sure they are waiting to bid last minute.

 

[CharmedOne]

I buy and sell on ebay but only jewelry. I don't have the patience for anything else. I watch a lot of jewelry pieces because even if the price starts off low you just never know where it's going to end. If I want to just get rid of stuff I will do a "buy it now" listing.

 

[ForteKitty]

I have about 400 items in my watch and various other lists right now. If I'm looking for something in particular I'll search and put everything in a list, then sort later and pick one based on the seller. Or I might watch a piece of jewelry and see how much it ends up, and if it's still a good price close to the end then I might bid.

 

[manderz]

I do a lot of watching items on ebay. It's partially how I get my bling fix, and I also am able to get some really amazing deals that way. I never bid until the last minute, unless the BIN price is low enough to justify not waiting. I'll admit it, I'm cheap!

 

[Mayk]

Very Interesting.. to hear how everyone approaches it.. I just thought something that was listed pretty cheap.. $24.00 to start and $35.00 buy it now for items selling around $45.00 used wouldn't be that interesting.

If I'm buying.. I bid when it's low and then decide the max I will pay and go ahead and put in a bid.. I just won the diamond bangle bidding that way.. and I watched the end but knew what I was willing to pay.. the interesting things was the bidder that came in late (61,000 purchases) only bid a few dollars over the existing bid.. my high was still about $100.00 away... so I ended up getting it for a lot less than I was willing to pay..

The rest of the stuff I watch.. is stuff (jewelry mostly) I can't afford and I do watch out of being curious but I haven't watched anything for less than $100.00. I know these things are popular but I think I was really suprised by how popular. It's all very strategic I guess...

I pray I don't get bad feedback.. I would much rather buy than sell... I don't want someone to mess up my status and then when I want to buy something the seller is afraid to let me bid. I have bid on things where the seller says if you don't have a certain amount of feedback contact us before bidding. Which I have done and been approved to bid and then didn't win but I'm learning..

The other thing I noticed... recently. I was watching a couple Cartier Love bracelets... and the just disappeared after having a bunch of bids... they never finished just poof gone... I bid on something once too and got a note from ebay it had been removed for my protection.. the scary stuff!!!! Thank goodness I wasn't bidding very much but still...

Thanks for all the responses!!!! Forte Kitty you master ebayer!!!!

 

[ForteKitty]

Haha, it's not all fun stuff. Since I've been selling off my stuff, I needed padded envelopes. Well, they are expensive at the stores! Did you know you can get 250+ on ebay for a fraction of the cost? And packaging tape too!! (Because anyone who has purchased from me knows that I use a whole roll of tape for each item, so I need to buy them cheap. ) You just reminded me that I need to delete about 20 auctions with tape and envelopes because I no longer need to compare prices.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Very Interesting.. to hear how everyone approaches it.. I just thought something that was listed pretty cheap.. $24.00 to start and $35.00 buy it now for items selling around $45.00 used wouldn't be that interesting.

If I'm buying.. I bid when it's low and then decide the max I will pay and go ahead and put in a bid.. I just won the diamond bangle bidding that way.. and I watched the end but knew what I was willing to pay.. the interesting things was the bidder that came in late (61,000 purchases) only bid a few dollars over the existing bid.. my high was still about $100.00 away... so I ended up getting it for a lot less than I was willing to pay..

The rest of the stuff I watch.. is stuff (jewelry mostly) I can't afford and I do watch out of being curious but I haven't watched anything for less than $100.00. I know these things are popular but I think I was really suprised by how popular. It's all very strategic I guess...

I pray I don't get bad feedback.. I would much rather buy than sell... I don't want someone to mess up my status and then when I want to buy something the seller is afraid to let me bid. I have bid on things where the seller says if you don't have a certain amount of feedback contact us before bidding. Which I have done and been approved to bid and then didn't win but I'm learning..

The other thing I noticed... recently. I was watching a couple Cartier Love bracelets... and the just disappeared after having a bunch of bids... they never finished just poof gone... I bid on something once too and got a note from ebay it had been removed for my protection.. the scary stuff!!!! Thank goodness I wasn't bidding very much but still...

Thanks for all the responses!!!! Forte Kitty you master ebayer!!!!

~

The reason I do not recommend bidding that way is because people sometimes will keep bidding up the item because they see you have put in a maximum bid. Let's say there are no bids on an item or very low bids. I keep my max bid to myself and only post in the last few seconds. It is possible I may get the item at the minimum price if no one else has bid or if the bids remain low. But if I let people basically know my maximum, because they can bid until the exceed it, then the item is going to cost a lot more if I decide I want to bid again. It is okay to bid a low amount early on if that helps you watch the item, but it does inform everyone that you are interested. I find bidding at the end the most effective way to win the item at the lowest price. I sometimes lose because someone else does the same thing and outbids me, but that is okay because I always bid the max I would pay with the hope that the item will go for much less.

 

[Mayk]

DS I need lessons clearly... I find if I'm watching the end I can't bid fast enough. It's like they have an automatic I can't see they come out of nowhere... I find most end after my bedtime west coasters have an advantage. But I think you are in NC... Will you stay up and watch if its something you want to bid until the end?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

DS I need lessons clearly... I find if I'm watching the end I can't bid fast enough. It's like they have an automatic I can't see they come out of nowhere... I find most end after my bedtime west coasters have an advantage. But I think you are in NC... Will you stay up and watch if its something you want to bid until the end?

No, I can't think of a time I bid on something much after midnight here. I think many on the west coast think about the time zones and have their items end by 11 or 12 here. But I have just let some go before when I knew they were ending when I wouldn't be home or too late because if it is a good item, I would likely be outbid. I have never used sniping to bid but my husband has. It is a way to have a last second bid put in for you automatically. I just prefer doing it myself but I would use that method if there was something I just HAD to win and couldn't be there to do it myself. The last thing I really wanted was a pendant and I bid at the last second and was outbid. Someone else was using my same strategy because the bids had stopped several hundred dollars less until those last few seconds. It was okay, though, because I didn't want to pay more than I bid. But I have won that way more than I have lost. Now just don't bid against me since I have told you my secret strategy!

 

[Mayk]

DS...I'm done for a good long time...it's been a very bling year for me!