The 99 Cent Start

How many of you list auctions on ebay using a 99 cent start? I've used this strategy on some items with pretty good results, but have had a few busts a long the way. I also love to give free shipping in all my listings, and adjust the price accordingly to account for it.

Of course its important to research your item and the ways that it sold. Was there a lot of buy it now selling? High bid traffic?

I used to do the 99 cent start all the time, but in the last year or so, I do the great majority of my listings with a "buy it now", and on some items I'll add a "best offer".  It seems like more people want to just buy it and get it over with and not wait for the last minute of an auction. 

I just can not do the 99 cent thing. I'm convinced that people that list items that way with high value are ready to back it up with a shill bidder or delete it if it doesn't get bid up to it's value. If I run something auction style I start it at the least I am comfortable getting for it.

I used to do the 99 cent start all the time, but in the last year or so, I do the great majority of my listings with a "buy it now", and on some items I'll add a "best offer".  It seems like more people want to just buy it and get it over with and not wait for the last minute of an auction. 

I like doing buy it nows, and the best offer feature is awesome. But the buy it now is non-committal. You can just add it to the watch list, and they'll think they can buy it any ol' time. An auction has a deadline and pressure to commit, plus the competition with other people. It really is item dependent though. Is it an electronic and something popular that will receive a lot of bids and interest or a collectable/specific piece just marketed to a few?

I've done it a few times on items that were gotten free.  But if its a picked item i mostly I start at my break even point.  Tho, gotta admit, I start some high if I kinda don't want to sell it.   Like, if someone is willing to pay over $150 for my 100+ yr old copper sauté pan, cool.   If not, I'd rather use it.....even tho I totally don't need it, have others that are better....I just like the history of it.

The issue that I have with the .99 start is that .99 is not worth my time to prepare the item for mailing and dropping it at the post office. I find it much more effective to start with a fair price and offer free shipping.