This was a pretty strange auction I thought (the one for this card). I listed the card last week with a reserve price of $89.98. That was met almost immediately, and then two bidders squared off and bumped the card up to just over $220 within the first 24 hours of the auction.
That’s when it got a little weird. What happened next was nothing, not unusual in itself, as I’m very happy with what the card went for, but what was strange is that more and more people decided to Watch the card, a couple more each day until the total had reached 17 by closing night. I don’t know about you, but for me that’s a lot of Watchers. On most of my items once I hit about 6 or 7 Watchers I know there’s going to be late action. I only hit double figures about once per month, and I have to admit that’s when I get excited because the final price blows the doors off of my wildest expectations!
So, at 17, I have to admit that I expected a little more of a run in the end–again, not at all disappointed here, just a little surprised. I was up to a dozen or so Watchers by Friday night, so I spent the weekend expecting a little bump in the bidding, only because that’s the usual pattern. When that didn’t happen I figured there’s be a little action the morning the auction closed. Nothing. The final bid came with just under two minutes to go — the card was bumped up to $251.51.
Okay, I rubbed my hands together, here came the moment I was waiting for, the clock ticked down to 30 seconds, I’m figuring at least 2 or 3 of my Watchers have snipes programmed to go off or they’re sitting at their computers waiting to do it manually–what sort of riches am I to expect within the next few seconds? Oh boy, here we go…5,4,3,2,1 .. Final price — $251.51.
That was a weird one, didn’t follow the usual pattern at all.
Again though, I wasn’t disappointed, just initially surprised for a moment–you have to remember, a week ago I would have been pretty happy to get just the $89.98 that I had originally asked for!
I just wanted to share the progress of the auction because I have to admit there have been a few recent auctions which have let me down. My watchers don’t seem to bid the way they used too. Remember earlier I wrote that 6 or 7 watchers usually meant action, well by the same token usually only 2 or 3 mean I’ve got a sale. Not lately though. I’ve had items pass with up to 5 watchers. Now I can see one or even two people marking an auction to watch only to either forget about it or blow it off, but five? That’s surprising to me.
I have to admit by my own habits I probably only bid on about 25% of the items that I watch, but by the same token I pretty much never let an item that I’m watching pass without a bid. Only if I’m over the weekly budget. But even if I don’t bid the item usually sells. That’s how it had been for me. Half the time just one watcher meant a sale (estimated).
Oh well, just something to wonder about. At the end of the night I had a very nice sale, I can only hope that there are more to come!
