eBay Virgin – how to sell for first time?!

Hi

It might sound like a stupid question.. but I need to sell a frame (not having much joy on the forums) but have never actually used my eBay account.

As such I have no buyer's feedback or a rating or anything.

If I try to sell my frame without one will people just assume I'm dodgy and that it's nicked?!

Many thanks

as long as you put a decent description etc on it you should be fine.

ebay need quite a lot of detail off you to set the account up to sell I found recently.

Oh righty, I might give it a go then.

Have you any tips on whether to put a reserve price on there, what starting bid to er..start at etc?

Presumably there must be a preferred "strategy" with all that!?

I would ask Kaesae or Hora on this one

Yep, just be truthful with plenty of pictures. If you can give a bit of information about the frame, seat post diameter etc. then at least it gives buyers who are serious/clued up a little bit of reassurance you know what you are talking about (don't just cut and paste the description from the makers website).

Just don't use txt speak and the word "dude"!

If you have other things to sell it might be worth putting them in (separate) auctions at the same time – sometimes I see what other items people are selling.

Even so, you might still get a lower price than usual because of feedback score.

Just remember whatever you sell the frame for about 15% will be taken in ebay/paypal fees.

Try and time it so the auction ends at about 7ish on a saturday or sunday. Start bidding at 99p. If there's still no action on the day it's due to end, get a friend to bid about 50% of what you want for it.

Standard strategy is to start bidding at 99p and get bidders interested so they start trying to outbid one another – you normally get the most that way when the red mist descents in the final few minutes, but it does take nuts of steel to put expensive stuff on for a quid.

Personally I think reserves are a waste of time because people will see they aren't going to blag a bargain and will not bother (even though they will normally end up paying more than the reserve!) .

Always worth maybe putting a buy-it-now on but this will disappear as soon as someone puts an auction bid in (annoylingly).

Hmmmm, I guess I'm terrified of it going for 99p or indeed half what it's worth and to my mate the only bidder!!

Try it for a week on just a buy-it-now price. See if you get any nibbles that way

Hmmmm, I guess I'm terrified of it going for 99p or indeed half what it's worth and to my mate the only bidder!!

…and that is when you get a friend with a eBay account to put in a high bid so that does not happen. If someone comes in the final seconds of the auction, which happens alot, then you can still sell to the 2nd highest bidder.

then you can still sell to the 2nd highest bidder.

Every "second chance offer" I get is always rejected because I assume it to be shill bidding.

Well, it is not a perfect system but stops your pride and joy going for 99p.

dont just copy and paste specs either – I'm always susp. of that – always add your own description, being quite specific to your frame rather than them generically.

cheers guys, I might stick it up at a buy it now price and see if there's interest..

(out of interest what sort of price would you value a 2007 frame in good nick, serviced shock etc…rrp new about £2.2k – £2.5k … foes fxr)

Half the price you paid for it?

Be warned, if you get your mate to 'bid' for your frame and he/she wins then you'll have to stump up the eBay fees for selling it unless you file an 'unpaid' claim against your mate who may not be happy about that.

ah right, good point!