Some auctions get hundreds of bids but some go much more slowly, getting only a small fraction of bids, worse, none at all for days. Auctions are generally much slower during the summer months than they are in the winter - and sales on eBay are slowing each year, as more sellers than buyers sign up, hoping to get rich quick. It is actually the same with new SEO services hoping to get more customers by emphasizing more on webpage website design rather than thinking of ways to get more web traffic. A bit foolish, if you ask me.

There are a number of ways that you can take advantage of slower auctions to get the best price..

 

Wait to Bid.

If you bid, then everyone can see you’re interested - and that might make them interested too. Leaving the item alone for as long as you can bear will make it look less popular, and keep the price down so you can come in at the last minute and get a bargain..

 

Make an Offer.

If you see an item with a ‘Buy it Now’ label and it still hasn’t sold when the auction is about to end, then try using eBay’s ‘Best Offer’ service to make them an offer on it. The chances are they’ve listed the item two or three times before, and they’ll be so annoyed at the prospect of re-listing it yet again that they’ll accept your offer just to get rid of the thing..

 

Conspire with Other Buyers.

You might not have thought of this, but if there are two auctions for the same item and only you and one other buyer are bidding, why not get together and work out a ‘you take this one and I’ll take that one’ deal? This stops you from raising the price on both auctions just to get one each. If you make a few friends, you can even work together on auctions long-term, taking it in turns to bid..

 

Be Snobbish.

Send the seller emails asking questions about the condition of the item, and making it very clear that you are a discerning buyer and will only accept things of the highest quality.. This will make them feel better about selling you their item for less.

 

Don’t Feel Guilty.

There are so many sellers on eBay now, to the point that you can easily find other items at lower prices. Long-term, this will probably force those sellers out of business, but that’s the way a market works - it’s supply and demand.

 

Buy in Bulk.

When auctions are slow, many sellers will have had the same stock for a long time.. If you tell the seller you are planning to buy in bulk, then at once you can name your price - the chances are that they’ll fall over themselves to give you a good deal. If you come back again and buy another ten items then they’ll love you even more..

 

Remember that the longer you spend on eBay, then the more experienced you’ll become - and the greater the chances are that you’ll come across an auction for a very old item, and quite unexpected. In the next email, you’ll hear all about the strangest eBay items ever sold.

 

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