I am selling a guitar and I have set a reserve price. Now someone has just messaged me to ask what the reserve is: Do you find it is better to tell, or tell them politely to find out by bidding?

Tell him a higher one, he’ll be back to offer you a peanut soon enough

That thought had crossed my mind, but I fear it may put him off. If I politely refuse, then hopefully a bidding war may ensue….well, maybe.

I never understood this, put the reserve on. If there’s no reserve on it I won’t bother bidding!!

Are you saying you think E-Bay should make the reserve price visible from the start?

I cannot see the point in not setting your reserve price as your starting price. All it does is pee off the bidders. I stop bidding (on the odd occasion I am not sniping) when I put in a sensible starting bid and it is below the reserve.

When I am sniping – what it means is if I do put in the highest bid – but might have stretched a little bit higher if I knew your reserve – you have lost a sale.

Perhaps I will next time. I rarely ever use Ebay so not really that familiar with the finer points.

Perhaps I will tell him what the reserve is.

I would tell him what the reserve is, if someone didn’t tell me I’d walk away. Not faffing about trying to bid to get it over the reserve.

I cannot see the point in not setting your reserve price as your starting price. All it does is pee off the bidders. I stop bidding (on the odd occasion I am not sniping) when I put in a sensible starting bid and it is below the reserve.

The ebay charge is based on your starting price isn’t it?

Ask him to make an offer out of ebay to save you the fee’s and he gets a good price.

CharlieMungus only the insertion fee – most of the sellers charge comes from the final value – I believe. At most you’d make about £1.30 more according to my reading of the rules.

Yeah, loads of people think they save money by listing at a pound and using a reserve but it doesn’t work- it’s often more expensive as the minimum insertion fee with a reserve is £1 +2% of the reserve