Ebay - watchers converting to bidders?

StumpyPumpy

lulu650 wrote: »

With 10 watchers on a 99p item, with one bid already on it, you're assured of it selling for a higher price than 99p. What that price maybe would be anyone's guess.

I must, respectfully, disagree. With 10 watchers on a 99p item, with one bid already on it, they're assured of it selling for 99p. Nothing more.

I've had many situations where I've had lots of watchers and the early (low) bid is the only one I got.

SP

RainbowDrops

Vernier wrote: »

I've never really understood the point of putting items on a "watch list": I just bookmark them in my browser. The only time I can recall doing it was when an item I wanted badly was sitting at start-price with no bids, and I didn't want the seller to get discouraged and cancel the listing!

You get reminders from ebay, and if using the app, it alerts you when there's 15mins to go. Handy for those of us that don't use snipers.

allybee101

I suppose you never know what will happen so I'm happy to get anything for it. I've had good use out of the items and they're still in good condition so someone else will enjoy them, I hope.

porto_bello

StumpyPumpy wrote: »

I must, respectfully, disagree. With 10 watchers on a 99p item, with one bid already on it, they're assured of it selling for 99p. Nothing more.

I've had many situations where I've had lots of watchers and the early (low) bid is the only one I got.

SP

I've found with few exceptions, that once you have around 10 or more watchers, the item rarely fails to sell.

The beauty of free listing weekends is that you can start at the minimum price you are willing to sell at, so even one bid means you immediately get a good price.

sparklydog

Remember that eBay changed their search result algorithm back in late 2013 (aka Cassini).

Although anecdotal, I've noticed a relation to the number of watchers and the sales made. Also if you get a lot of watchers, you sometimes get traffic from third-party watcher sites.

I've managed to use (cheap) services that do this for you, but it's not guaranteed afaik.

This_Year

soolin wrote: »

Even now I do get a frisson of excitement when I get lots of watchers. I had over 25 on a recent item on my private account, and not a single bid.

I can only assume I had either made a mistake on the listing, or it got picked up somewhere as being overpriced or strange in some way. It made me quite nervous some took it to a car boot instead!

I listed a dress a few years ago which got over 300 watchers. Just an ordinary summer dress from Dorothy Perkins. Nothing special.

300 watchers and not one bid. I reckoned whatever I had done wrong had been picked up and mentioned on a forum somewhere!

In the end I sent it to the charity shop.

mrcol1000

If something is going to sell then it will sell. I have items start at 99p with no bids and no watches with an hour to go and at the end they went for £20+. I have also had items start at 99p with 30 watchers and only go for a couple of quid. Plus vice versa. The number of watchers seems irrelevant to how it will sell. In general though I have found if you get a lot of watches at the start of an auction it will sell well. Most of the time.

mrcol1000

This_Year wrote: »

I listed a dress a few years ago which got over 300 watchers. Just an ordinary summer dress from Dorothy Perkins. Nothing special.

300 watchers and not one bid. I reckoned whatever I had done wrong had been picked up and mentioned on a forum somewhere!

In the end I sent it to the charity shop.

You didn't pose behind it in just your bra? I can't find the listing now but this woman is selling a top. The photo she is wearing just underwear holding the top in front of her not hiding anything. It seems to have a lot of watches but I don't think they are necessarily all interested in buying.

Prothet_of_Doom

Sometimes I'll bid 99p on something I know is worth alot more, because when I'm outbid, it sends a message to my phone, and again reminds me that the auction is about to end. I do this because watching doesn't send that message.

The things I watch I have no intention of bidding on, but want to know what they go for. One of the items I have on watch, is a gold watch identical to the 1950's one I inherited from my Grandad, and in a year, it's been relisted so many times. Given the lack of a sale the BIN price must be a joke, although at the time I thought it was a bargain.

GabbaGabbaHey

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

One of the items I have on watch, is a gold watch identical to the 1950's one I inherited from my Grandad, and in a year, it's been relisted so many times. Given the lack of a sale the BIN price must be a joke, although at the time I thought it was a bargain.

Most gold watches from the 1950's are only worth the scrap value of the gold that's in the case, I'm afraid (unless it's a Patek or Rolex or similar).