Date   : Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:05:47 +0100
From   : jumbos.bazzar@... (Mark Haysman)
Subject: eBay Pricing Psychology Discussion - was Re: reading

>> Some people seem to put stuff up with ridiculous starting bids or BIN
>> prices, but eventually someone bites, so the practice continues.
>>
>> I've got an Apple Powerbook 180c that I bought off eBay for a fiver,
>> including the charger. I've been looking for spares because I got it
>> to boot, then soon after broke the ribbon cable that connects the LCD
>> screen. Someone on eBay is currently selling an 'untested' monochrome
>> one with no power supply - for ?65 buy-it-now.

> This is the market economy though, right? Something is only worth what
> someone else is prepared to pay for it. That is, by definition, the
> value of an object.

> There's some psychological factors in play as well - as higher
> starting price can often encourage higher bids.

Ths other problem with starting things at a pound is that it can backfire, 
and you end up getting just that - a pound. It's happened to people I've 
baught stuff off, and they're not too pleased, but at the end of the day 
it's their fault for starting it so low.

I'd always start items at what I would accept as an absolute minimum. If it 
doesn't fetch that, then it goes back on the shelf and relisted another day.

Mark.