Bidding on GunBroker.com

[Edward Tinker]

Peter, disclosing the reserve price isn't a big deal, except some buyers can be odd about knowing the reserve.

As an example, I didn't sell something on e-bay several years ago (didn't meet my reserve), and somehow I mentioned in trading e-mails back and that the amount was so and so for the reserve, after she asked if I'd sell it to her. I said yes, this was my reserve, told her how much in shipping, and I get told by her, "Oh, I sell things all the time on e-bay, it won't cost that much to ship, plus you made your reserve!"

So, the point is, that the reserve is the minimum amount the seller wants to take, but sometimes the buyer knowing the reserve price is a negative. As an example, I want to sell a holster for $140.00 on e-bay and set a $140.00 reserve, (generally I don't think it is a big deal if someone knows the reserve...EXCEPT), except, then two guys get all excited about the holster and it goes for $190, so if I post my reserve it looks like, "Hey, he only thought it worth this amount and it went for a much higher amount!"

Of course, a reserve is to keep me from loosing money, if I never had a reserve to start with.. If the hoslter goes for $90 instead of what I'd like at $140, I essentially lost $50.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">why does the seller not disclose the reserve price as the minimum amount he tries to generate that means the minimum bid he starts with?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Like at real auctions, if you start the amount off lower, you get people interested. If you start the holster at $140, you MIGHT get one bid. Start it off at $45 with a $140 reserve, and you have a good chance it will go higher than the $140. The reserve prevents the seller from being screwed. {{Note, I have seen where many auctions on e-bay immediatly hit the reserve, that is worse than if it slowly creeps up in value, I think you can get more people that get interested in the item if it slowly rises in price}}

Ed