What are your feelings on starting prices for pipes on ebay?
What is too high? AND is $.99 too low?
What is too high? AND is $.99 too low?
What are your feelings on starting prices for pipes on ebay?
- Thread starter jpcfreehand
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In one word: Too high.
Personally I run away from eBay estate pipes. When I first started pipe smoking I purchased a whole bunch of estate pipes. So many that I lost count. Of that bunch I still have the Savinelli Opera and a Dr Grabow WestBrook. Those turned out to be good smokers. The rest, Savinellis, petersons etc were resold on eBay.
Did I mention nearly all of them smelled horrible? I'd rather spend the extra money and have a pipe that I can stink up myself.
Besides, look at all the estate pipes. Unless the person is dead, it was gotten rid of because it wasn't a good smoker, or just quit, or the person smoking it Died. There are no shortage of dead people, nor is there a shortage of estate pipes on eBay, but if a pipe used pipe really worth $10.00 less than new? I don't think so.
However I do enjoy watching estate pipes thrown on eBay at a really low-ball price while the auctioneer lets the market work out the details, and more often than not, someone stands up to the plate and places an auto-bid that does most of the work anyway.
Btw I'm no eBay expert so don't even listen to me lol!
Personally I run away from eBay estate pipes. When I first started pipe smoking I purchased a whole bunch of estate pipes. So many that I lost count. Of that bunch I still have the Savinelli Opera and a Dr Grabow WestBrook. Those turned out to be good smokers. The rest, Savinellis, petersons etc were resold on eBay.
Did I mention nearly all of them smelled horrible? I'd rather spend the extra money and have a pipe that I can stink up myself.
Besides, look at all the estate pipes. Unless the person is dead, it was gotten rid of because it wasn't a good smoker, or just quit, or the person smoking it Died. There are no shortage of dead people, nor is there a shortage of estate pipes on eBay, but if a pipe used pipe really worth $10.00 less than new? I don't think so.
However I do enjoy watching estate pipes thrown on eBay at a really low-ball price while the auctioneer lets the market work out the details, and more often than not, someone stands up to the plate and places an auto-bid that does most of the work anyway.
Btw I'm no eBay expert so don't even listen to me lol!
How much would you take, as an absolute minimum, if you were selling the pipe at a flea market? I wouldn't start artificially low, like the 99 cents for something you hope to get $20 or $100 for. I don't think that prompts people to bid it up to your expectations. Unless there is something very special about the pipe, and people can see that, I would never start a pipe artificially high either. There are probably other good guidelines and strategies, but I don't use ebay, consider it a distracted way to buy a pipe. I feel I'd end up winning pipes I don't want and getting caught up in the game of the auction rather than my pipe objective. Also, too much time demanded to do it right.
I have seen, even recently, high end pipes sold on eBay that started at less than $10. A beautiful Mastro de Paya with lovely grain and sparkling silver work start at $0.99 and end up at more than $200. You never know but the usual caveat applies: buyer beware!!!
The reason that I buy on eBay is that I find things that I can't find anywhere else. As much of my collection consists of vintage British pipes from the first 2/3rds of the 20th century and I like cleaning them up myself, it's a natural place to look.
As for starting prices, it depends on the maker and the market. If you need to achieve a specific minimum, you're either going to have to set a reserve, or go the "buy it now" route. If achieving a specific price point isn't a concern you can set the starting bid at 99¢ and let the marketplace dictate the result.
More important than your starting price is how you present your pipe. The most critical element of a successful listing is quality photography that clearly shows the condition of the pipe in lighting that is the most flattering. Nothing else matters as much.
As for starting prices, it depends on the maker and the market. If you need to achieve a specific minimum, you're either going to have to set a reserve, or go the "buy it now" route. If achieving a specific price point isn't a concern you can set the starting bid at 99¢ and let the marketplace dictate the result.
More important than your starting price is how you present your pipe. The most critical element of a successful listing is quality photography that clearly shows the condition of the pipe in lighting that is the most flattering. Nothing else matters as much.
It's natural that one would want to acquire something for the least amount possible and the seller wants to receive the highest amount possible. However, I've seen lots of pipes relisted again and again because it's probably worth $11 tops and the starting amount is $20. Sometimes it irks me when a pipe has a starting price matches or surpasses what my top bid would've been; but, If the owner sells it at a bigger price, then good for him. He has a right to list a "Lightly Smoked MO Meerschaum Eaton in great condition!!" for $25 and we have the right to steer clear from it like it was the plague. The starting price should be fair. Low, but within reasonable distance of the amount the seller wants to get at the end.
Forget Ebay, make your own website and sell the bad boys at the price you want; but do a lot of research, we pipe smokers do our homework really good but would always support a new pipe maker. $75 to $100 is a good price range for a new pipe maker.
On the other hand $9.99 , its a great price on ebay
but if you are not well known you might not make good money. Try Buy It Now option as well on your ebay page, a few auctions and a few fixed priced pipes.
:puffpipe:
On the other hand $9.99 , its a great price on ebay
but if you are not well known you might not make good money. Try Buy It Now option as well on your ebay page, a few auctions and a few fixed priced pipes. :puffpipe:
Like pipe monk said try Buy it now but I would consider adding the or best offer option to it as well. This allows you to set the parameters of if the offer is below what you would take for the pipe it will automatically decline the offer for you but if it is at, or above the minimum you set it will end the auction as a purchased item, it can often be a tough road until you establish a reputation, best of luck.
banjo
banjo
I think estate pipes on ebay are starting to become almost to expensive from the start. But then I think ebay has really strayed from the original idea of the website! its just another tool for stores to sell goods at 5$ less than I can get locally. I thought it was supposed to be a place to score good deals and reasonable prices from standard folks, not stores..maybe I'm wrong..
I agree with sable. Starting bids don't really matter much. Ebay thinks low starting bids generate more traffic and say so in their instruction packets. In the end three things determine the final price, desirability, rarity and condition. No matter how you list it the pipe will only bring what someone is willing to pay and that's the real value of that pipe. As an example, there was a Comoy 999 (bent Rhodesian- Buy It Now) listed recently for $950. A lot of people on the forum (including myself) thought that was about twice what it was worth but it sold. It took a couple of weeks but there was a buyer for it. Several people smiled because the examples in their collection had suddenly increased in value. Anything is worth no more nor no less than you can get for it.
Well, that's the hook. But if auctions didn't generate good returns for sellers, nobody would use them. With eBay, there's no auctioneer exhorting rival bidders to top each other. What you have is the pitch, the presentation. The low starting bid might generate some action from the bottom feeders, but it won't generate a favorable price. That requires a well executed presentation.
As for selling one's own work, there are other sites, social media, where that action is happening.
And as for that $950 Comoy bent Rhodesian, don't start counting your dollars just yet. See if a similar auction yields a similar result. On eBay, outliers abound.
Let's face it some of us pipe guys can be on the cheap side. So saying you are listing a Dunhill, if you start it at .99 cents (side note: what ever happened to the cents symbol?)...Anyway, at .99 you are going to get nickled and dimed to death. If you start at 500.00 you may not get any bids. So 75-100 is a good place to start.
I recently sold an unsmoked brand new pipe that I just bought. When I got it was too long and heavy for my taste. Put it up on ebay for 15 bucks less than what I paid at "buy it now" or best offer. Ended up taking 20 bucks less than what I paid for it.
I recently sold an unsmoked brand new pipe that I just bought. When I got it was too long and heavy for my taste. Put it up on ebay for 15 bucks less than what I paid at "buy it now" or best offer. Ended up taking 20 bucks less than what I paid for it.
Tons of pipes start at .99 cents, usually really nice ones as it's guaranteed to bring in alot more than that. I've seen Pipestud auctions start at .99 cents on lots of things. If it's too high, don't bid on it. I don't understand all of the ebay threads. It's a site where you can bid on things. If you don't like the price, don't bid on it. What gets me is people who set reserves and don't put the starting bid at the reserve price. It seems kind of redundant.
More important than your starting price is how you present your pipe. The most critical element of a successful listing is quality photography that clearly shows the condition of the pipe in lighting that is the most flattering. Nothing else matters as much.
Exactly!
Furthermore such details as weight and dimensions are important to most of us. I am amazed when pipes are listed for significant money up to and including amounts exceeding thousands of dollars and the seller gives no details and 1 photograph 8O
Exactly!
Furthermore such details as weight and dimensions are important to most of us. I am amazed when pipes are listed for significant money up to and including amounts exceeding thousands of dollars and the seller gives no details and 1 photograph 8O
"With eBay, there's no auctioneer exhorting rival bidders to top each other."
Sablebrush, that is not strictly true. As soon as one is outbid, eBay will flood your inbox telling you so and how you must put another bid in to stay in the game. Also, you get reminders of your outbid status everytime you visit the site until either you offer another bid or the auction ends.
Regards,
Jay.
Sablebrush, that is not strictly true. As soon as one is outbid, eBay will flood your inbox telling you so and how you must put another bid in to stay in the game. Also, you get reminders of your outbid status everytime you visit the site until either you offer another bid or the auction ends.
Regards,
Jay.
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