Thoughts about eBay dilemma.

There is an auction I'm watching on eBay, it's for a coin that I really want but the starting bid is set high. While the starting bid is set high, I think it's a fair price for the coin and I wouldn't mind paying it. However, in my experiences with eBay I've noticed that coins with high starting bids almost never get bid on and the seller just re-lists them right away.
The dilemma I'm facing is do I just wait until the auction is almost over and just bid slightly above starting bid with a few seconds left to try to ensure I will win the coin, or should I take my chances and notify the seller that I'm interested in the coin and that if it doesn't sell I'll offer to buy at a slightly lower price?

I've thought about this a lot and haven't been able to make a definite decision, so I would appreciate some of your thoughts and what you might do in the same situation.

Thanks.

 

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It is obvious the seller does not want to sell the coin under a certain amount which is understandable. It avoids the risk of the coin selling much lower than what is considered a fair price. It is sometimes difficult to balance that, a price set low enough that attracts bidders but high enough that the seller doesn't feel cheated. One option is to ask them if they would considering adding a buy it now if you offered to buy it. If you wait someone may have set their highest bid high and you may not get it. If you bid now, you may draw attention to it. The buy it now option is the only way you will get the coin for sure. Higher starting coins do sell, they just don't get as many bidders.

 

It couldn't hurt to send the email shortly before the auction ends if there are no bidders with a lower offer. the worst that can happen is it gets relisted at same the same price as before. I've found most "buy it nows" can he had at least a little cheaper with and e-mail or obo. Most of the better dealers I have found will haggle a bit if you try

 

True, I think most coin sellers are open to offers if they really want to sell. I think some people list things that they are not really convinced they want to get rid of like those Super Bowl rings on Pawn Stars that are marked too high so they don't sell.

 

Never thought about this before but you should contact the seller and start talking to them.

 

xcvxcvxcv

 

Hmmm, I wonder what that seller has for sale? I would recommend not referencing your auctions on a message board. You may encourage competition. Here is a similar coin to the type of thing you are stating. Someone took a swipe but got it for a dollar over starting bid:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bust-Variet...2Wd6r2NIhINrWzOtl4pFXv4=&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

Yeah you're probably right buddy16cat. Maybe I've just seen the name before on eBay. After all the sellers only items for sale are all the one type of coin I prefer to collect.

 

In my experience, if it's something you really want, pay for it. I've agonized over trying to save a small percentage of the total price on items only to miss my chance. You can certainly try to contact the seller but keep in mind that it could get bought out from under you while you're negotiating.

 

If you really want it, buy it. If not, don't. This is all part of the game. You mentioned possibly offering "a slightly lower price", so what you need to ask yourself is if possibly losing a coin you really want is worth saving a few bucks over.

 

I recently bartered back and forth with a seller on eBay over coins that will never be worth anything. I faced this decision and decided that it's worth more to me to have these coins then to let someone else get them.

(They are challenge coins from units I've belonged to but was not into coins at the time.)

 

Well I just contacted the seller, who I noticed I've bought from before, and let them know I was pleased with the previous transaction we had and that I'm interested in the coin and was hoping we could make a deal behind the scenes. If they agree to make a deal then that's awesome, but if not that's fine with me because I've decided I want the coin more than the few dollars I may save, which was the decision I was leaning towards in the beginning anyways but just needed a little reassurance.

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

Hope it all works out well for you. Post your coin pic in the appropriate forum, so we can all see it, when you get it!

 

Will do. I'll probably post the seller's pics because they're pretty good and I can't image slabbed coins for the life of me.

 

Just practice - I can't take a decent photo to save my rear, but I'm going to keep trying, so at least when my coins are graded online, I'll know I did my best.

 

Hope you didn't contact them through the ebay message system. That is against ebay rules and grounds for getting kicked off of ebay.

 

I believe they are right, this is against Ebay's terms. I suggest you message back and say you stated this in error not realizing this against their terms. When I mentioned to contact them, I meant for you to ask if they could sell it to you by adding a BIN. I have done this before for something I put up for auction that someone made an offer to buy. I simply added a BIN with the amount they offered since the auction had to run its course.

 

I dont know about that, I mean it is against their rules to try and deal off site (they dont want to miss that 9% + 2.5% from paypal), but ive had some pretty good luck contacting sellers and telling them what I would like to do. I usually send them a message stating what I am interested in that they have and send them my email address so the rest can be done off site, but ive also had several deals made right through eBays messaging network, so I say go for it, it never hurts to ask. The worst they can tell you is no.........over the internet...no biggie really.

 

If the starting price is lower than what you're willing to pay, then why risk losing it to someone else that might bid on it in the last few seconds?

 

Not likely to happen though unless the seller reported him and I'm not sure why the seller would report him considering he has bought his coins in the past and is interested in one currently.