[meteorite-list] Selling on eBay [AD? Not really.]

[Martin Altmann]

Hi Gary,

my thoughts/experiences are (although I haven't used ebay for quite a while
anymore):

Fine and interesting material sells at all times,
because there the collectors, who don't want to miss out, bid their maximum
not in the last second, but a while, often days, before.

Better and worse sales days aren't predictable. If you sell continuously,
good and bad days and seasons will balance, important is only the big
average.

Avoid only to let auctions end, when people are sleeping in their beds
- not all are using sniper-programs.
To include the European bidders it's suitable to let your auctions end on
early afternoons.
Some collectors have the feeling, that it is highly inept to run auctions on
high religious holidays.

For average and under-average material I would follow your psychology, but
would draw contrary conclusions. Why to let end a stone or an iron just at
those days and hours, when hundreds of identical items will end?
The bidders can spend their penny only once. Therefore I guess working days
can cause better results than weekend.

Advertising: Place "AD"s on lists/fora, which primarily aren't thought for
sale, for really remarkable auctions only: i.e. either rare locales or
superior specimens or auctions with buy-it-nows below average.
Nothing more annoying for a collector, to read an excited AD like the Star
of India would be offered for sale, to click on the link, for finding small
unclassified W4-chondrites in the auctions at the end.
They never will pay attention again to your ads in future.

And more important than the right point of time:
Avoid incorrect and exaggerated descriptions in your auctions. To praise a
chondrite with an appearance like having been torn out from a road bed as to
be super-crusted and of museum quality, will cost you reputation and
customers.
And additionally for the very most bidders meteorites are something very
special, highly fascinating objects, not from this World - so that they
don't appreciate, if they are appraised like used cars.

Only my thoughts...
Martin



-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Gary K.
Foote
Gesendet: Samstag, 9. Februar 2008 15:54
An: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: [meteorite-list] Selling on eBay [AD? Not really.]

Hello Listers,

I have a question that many dealers will probably find brash and not one
they wish to answer 
as it involves spreading information about how to sell meteorites more
successfully.  
Nonetheless, I'm asking, with a smile and a hope for some offers of
real-life marketing info, 
"What is your best day/time of the week to sell your wares on eBay?"

In exchange I'll offer my own beliefs right now. 

I believe that Sunday evening  [just around 4-9PM eastern time] is the best
time to have an 
auction end on eBay because people are done with weekend play and get in a
session of 
puter-fun before bedtime.

I believe that on both Friday nights and all of Saturday people are not at
home to bid in great 
numbers, so they are not good times to aim for.  

I also believe that Monday thru Friday-day are not as productive as Sunday
evening, but 
more effective than Fridaynight or all of Saturday.

Friday [just around 4-7PM eastern time] is my second choice, as people are
at the end of 
their work week and many will check their auction items just before going
home for the 
weekend.

In all cases afternoon/evening is the best time to time eBay auctions to
end.

There, you now have my opinions.  They are based on my thoughts of human
psychology, 
not real-time analysis, so take them or leave them accordingly.

Anyone want to share some known numbers?

Gary K. Foote

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