Reserve pricing...
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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:10 am 
 

Its probably something thats been brought up here before, and I appologize for any double post...



But lately I have seen a bunch of reserve listings like this one...



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=006



I can understand a seller having a certain minimum they are looking for.  But other than price guaging, is there a reason to use the hidden reserve number?  It just kinda turns me off, and makes me think that the seller is trying to bump up the bid just to get someone to reach the reserve.   Maybe Im being a bit picky but I was curious as to others thoughts on the issue.



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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:21 am 
 

MadMaligor wrote:Its probably something thats been brought up here before, and I appologize for any double post...

But lately I have seen a bunch of reserve listings like this one...


** expired/removed eBay auction **


I can understand a seller having a certain minimum they are looking for.  But other than price guaging, is there a reason to use the hidden reserve number?  It just kinda turns me off, and makes me think that the seller is trying to bump up the bid just to get someone to reach the reserve.   Maybe Im being a bit picky but I was curious as to others thoughts on the issue.

Mal




Yes, there is a reason I put a reserve on this item (yes, I was the seller on this one)! I put a reserve (which I normally don't do) due to the relative scarcity of the module (limited print run, signed by author - Mr. Arneson). In this case I had a certain price I was willing to let it go for - it wasn't reached - plain and simple. No price gouging, no price fixing or schilling (I guess that's what they call it)!!  



I agree, I'm normally put off by auctions that have reserves. But, if one isn't willing to let it go for under a certain price, that's the brakes. Sorry.


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:33 am 
 

Deo, I hope you didnt take offense personally.  It wasnt meant that way ( I just grabbed one of the reserves I happened to be watching and it was yours).

But I have been rather disturbed by what I see as a trend lately for alot of what might be considered "rares" out there.  Its just my opinion, but if you have a number, put that sucker up and let it fly! =)

Hidden bidding and hidden prices get my hackles up....again nothing personal, just one old guys grumpy opinions....hehehe.


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:56 am 
 

MadMaligor wrote:Deo, I hope you didnt take offense personally.  It wasnt meant that way ( I just grabbed one of the reserves I happened to be watching and it was yours).

But I have been rather disturbed by what I see as a trend lately for alot of what might be considered "rares" out there.  Its just my opinion, but if you have a number, put that sucker up and let it fly! =)

Hidden bidding and hidden prices get my hackles up....again nothing personal, just one old guys grumpy opinions....hehehe.


No harm, no foul!!  :D

The print run on this was 250 or 300, I believe - a Gen Con exclusive from a few years ago. Looking back, I did forget to put a couple of tidbits in the write up! But, then again, most of the people looking out for the module already know that.  I know the term "rare" is way overused, but in this case it fits!  

Personally, I hate reserves too!


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:22 am 
 

Man, that was a nice looking copy.  I can understand why you wouldn't want to let it go for just any price.  There are just so few of these floating around.


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:31 am 
 

I've never used reserve for any of the few sales I've done, but is it cheaper to list the item at a low price with a $500 reserve than listing the item starting at $500?

I don't like reserves either. It would be nice if the actual reserve price was in the description, if that's not against some policy...

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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:23 am 
 

Actually, I thought it was unusual to post an item as having a reserve, then mentioning the reserve price in the description.  I ran into this for another module (an early SW 1e D&D), where the bid was listed as having a reserve, then the reserve price--in this case US$85.00--was mentioned in the description!

  


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:51 pm 
 

Deogolf, Just curious, but what was your reserve on that?


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:33 pm 
 

brute wrote:I've never used reserve for any of the few sales I've done, but is it cheaper to list the item at a low price with a $500 reserve than listing the item starting at $500?



There is a school of though that with an online auction as opposed to a sale, a lower starting price gets things going, allows people to settle in to bidding, gives people confidence etc... and so builds up to a good price.  whereas a bald $500 take-it-or-leave-it can be offputting.  I haven't seen any research on that, but intuitively (for me anyway  :D ) I quite like auctions that start low.

By the way Deogolf, I guessed that the reserve was $200 - I suppose bidder # 7 guessed that too.  Are you going to re-list or ask the high bidder to come up to reserve? (feel free to ignore cheeky question)  :D

(edited to add, maybe it was bidder 6...)


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:32 pm 
 

red_bus wrote:
There is a school of though that with an online auction as opposed to a sale, a lower starting price gets things going, allows people to settle in to bidding, gives people confidence etc... and so builds up to a good price.  whereas a bald $500 take-it-or-leave-it can be offputting.  I haven't seen any research on that, but intuitively (for me anyway  :D ) I quite like auctions that start low.

By the way Deogolf, I guessed that the reserve was $200 - I suppose bidder # 7 guessed that too.  Are you going to re-list or ask the high bidder to come up to reserve? (feel free to ignore cheeky question)  :D

(edited to add, maybe it was bidder 6...)


Haven't thought about relisting it yet. The reserve was somewhere between $200 and $500. The reserve was a bit high, but considering its relative scarcity (less than 300), I don't have any problems with keeping it a while longer!


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:37 pm 
 

sleepyCO wrote:Actually, I thought it was unusual to post an item as having a reserve, then mentioning the reserve price in the description.  I ran into this for another module (an early SW 1e D&D), where the bid was listed as having a reserve, then the reserve price--in this case US$85.00--was mentioned in the description!


Assuming you were willing to pay the $85, would you (or did you) bid on the auction?

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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:31 pm 
 

That copy of Tower of Blood looks sweet-can't wait until mine arrives in the mail!


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:51 pm 
 

I noticed the Tower of Blood up there too and was thinking wow they are already on Ebay and I haven't even recieved my copy in the mail yet.

The one point about using a reserve over a high starting price is that with a reserve you can test the market to see what the selling price would be.   All you get with a high starting price is that it was too high but don't know how much too high.

I think your auction might have also been helped if you posted a link to it in the classifieds here or on Dragonsfoot (unless you did and I missed it).

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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:16 pm 
 

Deogolf wrote:
Haven't thought about relisting it yet. The reserve was somewhere between $200 and $500. The reserve was a bit high, but considering its relative scarcity (less than 300), I don't have any problems with keeping it a while longer!


Somewhere betwen $200 and $500? My, we are secretive!
Haven't these typically gone for $80-150 or so? 300 printed (almost all of which are surely still in circulation), and unless I am mistaken a reprint came out. If so, I can't see how this would possibly be worth over $100. Most of the people here who collect 3Eeech probably already have one.


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:25 pm 
 

Deadlord39 wrote:
Somewhere betwen $200 and $500? My, we are secretive!
Haven't these typically gone for $80-150 or so? 300 printed (almost all of which are surely still in circulation), and unless I am mistaken a reprint came out. If so, I can't see how this would possibly be worth over $100. Most of the people here who collect 3Eeech probably already have one.


I remember that these sold a few years ago for around $150.  I don't think they were reprinted and I haven't seen one on Ebay for a couple of years now expect for one in which the seller pulled all of their DCC auctions to sell privately in one lot.  I would have expected this one to sell for $200+ but I don' t think it was well advertised.

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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:27 pm 
 

I got mine for $76 or thereabout.  Inscribed to "Steve", too.   :D


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:58 pm 
 

I stand corrected, though I still don't see it as a super collectible. Unless you are very into 3E.


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Post Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:59 pm 
 

brute wrote:
Assuming you were willing to pay the $85, would you (or did you) bid on the auction?


No either way--once it passed about $25.00-30.00 I would've been out.
The only way I could even conceive going past that would've been if the module had been signed by EGG, Arneson, the author of the module (if not EGG or Arneson) and the person who did the artwork for the cover.

  
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