Ebay question for you veterans

[goodferry]

I started my first ever auction yesterday for a Gymboree Holiday dress. I had a question from a potential buyer asking if I would consider adding a buy it now price and what it would be. Is that something I should do? Thanks for any advice you might be able to give.

 

[DMRick]

In my experience, that usually means the item is going to go for more. But, if you are comfortable with the price she is offering and have no bids yet on the item, you can go back in and add the BIN price. You will be charged the cost for that. Has she given a reason, such as wants the dress for a party next week?
I wouldn't do it, bu I don't want to be responsible for you losing a sale by giving that advice.

 

[C.Ann]

I guess it depends on what your goal is.. If you want to wait and get the best possible price, then I would say no to her request.. If you're just clearing things out and want to be done with it, then I would say yes..

 

[ohiominnie]

I'd be sure to do some research on ebay on the same, or very similar dresses. Check completed auctions and see how much they've been going for. For example, let's say she's asking for a BIN price of $20, but completed auctions show it's been going for $40....you don't want to BIN and lose potential money.

HTH

 

[summerrluvv]

I prefer buy it now on auctions when I'm purchasing because I usually want the item faster. If you are brand new to ebay though, you probably can't create a buy it now, as you need to have 10 feedbacks for that option.

 

[disneymom3]

I prefer buy it now on auctions when I'm purchasing because I usually want the item faster. If you are brand new to ebay though, you probably can't create a buy it now, as you need to have 10 feedbacks for that option.

You do??? I could swear I have done BIN early on in selling on my new account in my own username. (Been selling for years on DHs) Huh. Is that new?

OP, I would not do the BIN. I personally just prefer to let the auction run its course. Did this buyer even ask about a specific price? I guess if it is just because she wants it sooner than I would think about it, but research carefullly.

 

[goodferry]

She did not ask for a specific price, she asked what price I would ask. I do have feedback because I have bought on ebay.

 

[chrissyk]

I would search for that specific dress in closed auctions. It may be one of the holiday dresses that goes for a lot. Then, if you feel comfortable, add a BIN for the going rate for the dress. I hope that that makes sense.

 

[goodferry]

It is a holiday dress with beret, I did a search, sometimes they go for $10, sometimes $50

 

[disneychrista]

BIN now can be tricky. I had one person tell me they would give me $40 for something, so taking advice that it means it will go fo for more, I declined. The item ended at $10...

If the item goes for up to $50 and you are happy with that then tell the potential buyer that that is what you want.

 

[karabeunso]

I have been selling on eBay since 1999. I have ocassionally had someone ask me to put a BIN on an item. It can sometimes be a tricky situation, but in the case of a Gymboree dress, you can generally go on and search the completed items and see what they are going for and have a pretty good idea of where to set your BIN.

If it was a one-of-a-kind item or something that was rare, I would suggest sticking with your original plan of running it as a regular auction.

If someone is asking for a BIN, they could be trying to get the item at a lower price that what they are going for, or it could be something that they just want right away for pictures, or something like that.

I LOVE eBay!

 

[Jessd]

Hi. I have been selling on seriously for a couple of months now. I have had people ask me to put a buy it now. On every item that they asked, it went much higher than the buy it now price that they wanted set. One wanted an item for 40.00 with shipping included. My item sold for 51.00 plus 15.00 shipping. It has been my expierience that they usually want a buy it now when they know that the item will sell for more than they are willing to pay.

Jess

 

[Disneyrsh]

Yeah, I'm going to chime in with the people who don't do BIN's.

I'm a big fan of 'letting it ride' because you never know if you're going to get two nutty moms out there who get into a bidding war on something and shoot the price way up.

Or, in one case, a bidding war between two guys who both just had to have our Starship Troopers pinball machine.

It's a bit of a gamble, becuase if you list it at a time when nobody's looking, you could end up with less, but I think generally letting the market set the final price brings you out ahead.

 

[karabeunso]

because you never know if you're going to get two nutty moms out there who get into a bidding war on something and shoot the price way up

Umm...I may have been one of those nutty moms a time or two...sometimes you just want to WIN!

 

[Amyn1274]

Just another thought and of course I could be way off base but maybe she has a code she wants to use. This thread was around not long ago and maybe that is why she wants you to change it to Buy it Now.
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=954790

I would definetly ask what her intentions are though. Most bids are only 5 days so unless she needs it right away it's not like she has to wait for long for the auction to end. I don't know much about the codes and how they work or affect the selling price for you so you might want to consider that too if that is her intention. Just a thought.

 

[rjthkids]

I'm a big fan of 'letting it ride' because you never know if you're going to get two nutty moms out there who get into a bidding war on something and shoot the price way up.

You know, as a bidder, I can't begin to count how many times I have encountered this phenomenon, especially when bidding for cloth diapers. I have seen some auctions for fuzzi-bunz and wonderoos end where the winning bidder is paying 5.00 dollars MORE per diaper than they would have paid if they bought them brand new. As someone who shops ebay looking for *bargains* this always drives me crazy!!!

 

[michvin]

You know, as a bidder, I can't begin to count how many times I have encountered this phenomenon, especially when bidding for cloth diapers. I have seen some auctions for fuzzi-bunz and wonderoos end where the winning bidder is paying 5.00 dollars MORE per diaper than they would have paid if they bought them brand new. As someone who shops ebay looking for *bargains* this always drives me crazy!!!

I have cloth diapers, wool, the really good ones with the nice plastic snaps that are just sitting in my basement. I used them on my 1st child for 9 months and loved them...but them baby number 2 came 18 months after he did and it all fell apart!

They are in great shape...I can put these on ebay! Awesome..

 

[rjthkids]

I have cloth diapers, wool, the really good ones with the nice plastic snaps that are just sitting in my basement. I used them on my 1st child for 9 months and loved them...but them baby number 2 came 18 months after he did and it all fell apart!

They are in great shape...I can put these on ebay! Awesome..

Depending on the brand, I bet you will find ebay as a *great* place to recoup your money's worth. We CD my 18 month old *and* my four year old, so I am always looking for diapers I can use on the both of them.

Ebay has a thriving market for cloth diapers, so does diaperpin.com and diaperswap.com

 

[pjupton]

Just another thought and of course I could be way off base but maybe she has a code she wants to use. This thread was around not long ago and maybe that is why she wants you to change it to Buy it Now.

Ha! I hadn't even thought of that. I don't often use BIN, since my profit margin on most items is so small I'm too stingy to pay the extra listing fees. Maybe I'd better investigate what codes are out and even advertise them in my listings before I list again.

Auctions ending tonight and tomorrow - eBay ID "jen" if anyone is interested.