A couple more on the bay, Ficus this time
- Thread starter nathanbs
- Start date
Redwood Ryan
Masterpiece
So that's you huh. LOVE that second one.
rbtek1
Seedling
I really like the first one. Very nice!
QuintinBonsai
Chumono
I'm leaning more towards the first one.
bonsai barry
Omono
I have a question about selling/buying on E-bay. Why a reserve price? Why not just start the bidding at the lowest acceptable bid?
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
Some buyers sort by price (lowest first). It is a tactic to let you be seen more. Others (like me) is turned off by it because I do not know if I am wasting my time or not.
nathanbs
Omono
The psychology of auctions is very intriguing. By starting at .99 you insure that you will have many bidders that will puff out their chest and slap their wallet on the table and try to outbid eachother. I only put a reserve in case it's a total flop for one reason or another. Perfect example was a silver berry I listed last week and it went up to $35. I guarantee that the tree will sell for close to $300 if I perhaps pot it and/or take better pics. My reserve was $150 as that's the lowest I'm willing to take. When you start at $150 you're lucky to get someone to have the guts to bid. They are nervous that no one else is bidding for some reason unknown to you. Every time I want something at auction I ask myself what is the highest possible amount I'm willing to pay and I bid that amount in the last 5 seconds. Sometimes when I lose I realize I was willing to bid more, it's just plain weird.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
Care to tell us what your reserve is on these two?
nathanbs
Omono
Emrys
Mame
The latter is the former??
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
When I sell on eBay I start with zero starting bid, and no reserve - and make sure I list NO RESERVE in caps
I find that the no reserve gets a ton of watchers and much more interest in the auction - versus a hidden reserve will often cause people to just pass it by. Also it helps to have an auction that has action - like 10 or 15 bids - because people will look at it and see that others are interested and bidding. (my personal experience)
nathanbs
Omono
When I sell on eBay I start with zero starting bid, and no reserve - and make sure I list NO RESERVE in caps
I agree but you do run the risk of selling a $300 tree for $35
Don Blackmond
Omono
and ebay is bizarro world
Don Blackmond
Omono
I'll be your guinea pig:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181299821759?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
edprocoat
Masterpiece
They are both nice little trees. Since you already answered one question about Ebay, whats the deal with paypal ? I would be far more comfortable sending a check or money order first and allowing it to clear before somebody sent a tree to me than to give my info online at a site like Ebay that may be hacked and get my identity stolen again.
ed
ed
nathanbs
Omono
I don't know if eBay still allows check or money order. I assume that push everybody the way of paypal because it represent fees for them. I personally will accept those forms of payment. I don't think you have anything to worry about with eBay or paypal at this point besides the fees for the seller
Don Blackmond
Omono
its an ebay rule. You cannot represent that you accept personal check or money order. Its supposedly for the buyer's protection, and allows ebay power to handle claims/refund money to buyer.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
$100 and $200 you figure out which is which
Wow! My retirement is going to be quite lucrative. Good luck Diamond Jim.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
I see both aspects of reserve and a low starting bid...I guess it all falls into what the seller is more comfortable with. I agree...I will pass on a reserve unless I have to have it. But I've also sold something that went for less than I had in it before...if it wasn't for the bidders excitement it would have been hard to swallow. But they were so pleasant and excited that it made shipping it off much easier.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. It has to have value and it has to be worth the price the seller feels comfortable with letting it go for. Obviously Nathen does not have enough confidence in what he is selling to let it go without a reserve, meaning the price "he" feels it should bring, rather then letting the market set the price.
I have the pleasure of being able to go to George Muranaka's nursery and buy what I want and look at it in 3-D before purchase. George is a very competant seller and his internet prices have gone up in the last few years, I would too. A person can buy things at the nursery for nearly half the price he sells them for on the net. In fact there is a big sale going on now. Buy three at the same price and get a fourth for free. George has met the buying crowd and knows where the moving point is. He can't afford to sit on thousands of dollars of material. He has to turn and burn it or he doesn't put food on the table. A person on ebay selling the odd two or ten trees a year can relist them till thier hearts content.
Right now I am spending about 500.00 a month on antique bottles. Many I have purchased are "buy it now" auctions. If there is something I am interested in and it is relisted two or three times, I will shoot the seller an email and make an offer and about 80 percent of the time they will take it. Most of these guys are in antique malls and pay a premium for a booth, (selling space) plus they have to give as much as 20 percent to the house. Again, they have to turn and burn things, and relist versus cash in the hand is tempting to many.
I suspect the pine will top out around 300.00.
I have the pleasure of being able to go to George Muranaka's nursery and buy what I want and look at it in 3-D before purchase. George is a very competant seller and his internet prices have gone up in the last few years, I would too. A person can buy things at the nursery for nearly half the price he sells them for on the net. In fact there is a big sale going on now. Buy three at the same price and get a fourth for free. George has met the buying crowd and knows where the moving point is. He can't afford to sit on thousands of dollars of material. He has to turn and burn it or he doesn't put food on the table. A person on ebay selling the odd two or ten trees a year can relist them till thier hearts content.
Right now I am spending about 500.00 a month on antique bottles. Many I have purchased are "buy it now" auctions. If there is something I am interested in and it is relisted two or three times, I will shoot the seller an email and make an offer and about 80 percent of the time they will take it. Most of these guys are in antique malls and pay a premium for a booth, (selling space) plus they have to give as much as 20 percent to the house. Again, they have to turn and burn things, and relist versus cash in the hand is tempting to many.
I suspect the pine will top out around 300.00.
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