'watchers' on ebay - huh!

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e-rider

crappy member
Location
South West
So what's it all about?

I've had over 100 watchers (not pages views; that was 1000+) on a single item (bike frame) and only 3 people placed bids.

I've had 10+ watchers on some cheap (£5) pedals and no bids were placed and item didn't sell.

I've had 20+ watchers on a very cheap set (£7) of brakes 'buy-it-now' and item didn't sell in 30 days..

Can anyone explain why people 'watch' items - is it like TV for some people?
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
I have done this when I have had something similar to sell to see what price they go
for and judge what to use as a starting price

Also decided to watch something and then changed my mind
 
If you watch it, it puts it in my ebay so it's easy to see it. I often stick several things on my watch list and buy the one going at the right price. Sometimes curiousity is the reason it's on my watchlist, so 90% of the things I'm watching won't recieve a bid.
 

MajorMantra

Well-Known Member
Location
Edinburgh
Crackle said:
If you watch it, it puts it in my ebay so it's easy to see it. I often stick several things on my watch list and buy the one going at the right price. Sometimes curiousity is the reason it's on my watchlist, so 90% of the things I'm watching won't recieve a bid.

+1. Maybe more like 99% for me.
 
OP
OP
e-rider

e-rider

crappy member
Location
South West
OK, curiousity seems to be the reason. I didn't know that it was so common - I'm not a very curious person it would seem!
 
4F said:
I have done this when I have had something similar to sell to see what price they go
for and judge what to use as a starting price

Also decided to watch something and then changed my mind

+1

Crackle said:
If you watch it, it puts it in my ebay so it's easy to see it. I often stick several things on my watch list and buy the one going at the right price. Sometimes curiousity is the reason it's on my watchlist, so 90% of the things I'm watching won't recieve a bid.

+1 also.

I've been watching about thirty game boy advanced SPs over a week or so. Every time onegoes for aroung six quid I have been busy with the kids. When I'm there they can go for three times that so I'm biding my time. THismay be the case with you also.
 

RedBike

New Member
Location
Beside the road
I've got 20/30 bikes in my watch list at the moment. I'm only going to bid if they stay at the right price.

Two weeks ago I bought a bike for £180 new off ebay. I didn't like the bike and I have damaged the front forks, so rather than paying to get the forks repaired I put the bike back on ebay in the hope that I would get some of my money back from it. The bike has just sold for £275!! and had over 200 watchers. (The same bike is still on ebay new for £190!! )
 
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OP
e-rider

e-rider

crappy member
Location
South West
RedBike said:
I've got 20/30 bikes in my watch list at the moment. I'm only going to bid if they stay at the right price.

Two weeks ago I bought a bike for £180 new off ebay. I didn't like the bike and I have damaged the front forks, so rather than paying to get the forks repaired I put the bike back on ebay in the hope that I would get some of my money back from it. The bike has just sold for £275!! and had over 200 watchers. (The same bike is still on ebay new for £190!! )

Yeah, but that one doesn't have damaged forks ;)
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
listed a nice old racer a few weeks ago had 40+ watchers right up to end expecting rush and to take it over the reserve which with less than 24 hrs away was only short by £15 ended up only going up another £10 , so still didnt do reserve .
but i watch a lot more than i bid on
 

Debian

New Member
Location
West Midlands
I never, ever bid on an item until the last few seconds. There's no reason for anyone to bid days, or even hours in advance.

So my watch list is merely my way of putting all the items I'm interested in in one place so I can find them again quickly.

Watched items also get emailed to me when they're approaching closing time so it alerts me to get ready to bid. If the price goes too high then I won't bid at all but the item will stay on my list so that I can see how much it eventually went for.
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
Of the things I watch, I probably end up bidding on one on twenty, if that.

I've been after a spares or repair laptop like the one I'm typing on, because it has a faulty screen which I'd like to replace. I've probably watched 20 over the last 3 months. Every single one has gone past what I'm prepared to pay. No probs. I'll just keep watching...
 

longers

Legendary Member
Debian said:
I never, ever bid on an item until the last few seconds.

I don't buy much on Ebay and did this for a bike I liked recently without realising you had to then confirm your bid and left it too late. It went for £25 and my boss would have been able to pick it up for me. Lesson learnt.
 

Noodley

Guest
I have an item for sale on ebay for the first time...how do I know if people are watching?

I had a Buy It Now price, and the first bid is for the Buy It Now price - what's going on there? :smile: Surely the bidder should have hit Buy It Now rather than Bid?
 
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