Sunday, a bad day for ebay auctions??

[Modellpularn]

I have heard from an English friend who lives here in Stockholm, that Sunday is not a very good day to end auctions on ebay. Is this true, or a well known fact, and if so, why? Do modelers or collectors take this day off, and watch a ball game, drink beer instead? Religious reasons? For me, it's as good as any ol' day, since I have the day off, and can do as I please. So what do you guys say about this, is Sunday bad for business?

[Modelmartin]

It depends on what is being sold. a really choice kit will always get good action no matter when it ends. If it is something more common, it definitely helps to have the auction end in the evening hours. The only times I try to avoid is Friday and Saturday evening.

[lordairgtar]

Usually I can snipe the best stuff on weekends at two in the morning. I think some people may be out on the town or on holiday or "sleeping it off".

[bobss396]

When I was selling on evilBay, I used to try to get my auctions to end on Friday or Saturday early evenings, 10pm on the east coast, 7pm on the west. This has always worked for me.

Agreed that if you have something good up for bid, the time is inconsequential. Best time to get a good deal have always been on weekdays anywhere from late morning to late afternoons.

Bob

[Jairus]

Since this is a global community.... and if you sell worldwide then ending any time at all is not a problem because you will always have a market. However, one must look at the market you are appealing to! Selling Model Kits vs. selling an Ipod means you have completely different markets to appeal to.

A model kit will generally have the biggest market in the US and so you must have the item up for at least 5 days and end when the largest amount of those buyers are available and in front of their computers. This would be anytime in the early afternoon on the West coast and mid to late afternoon on the East coast on a Saturday. This bears my theory out because that is when most of the good stuff I buy ends...! Although I get the best buys on Sunday afternoon when less informed sellers end their stuff…

Gregg has a theory that it should end at Noon during the week... This is because he feels the average working guy has access to the business computer and will be on his lunchtime. Neat idea actually, but I have to wonder which time zone is he marketing to?

Sundays are ok for frilly girly items I have found. But for model kits, slot cars, baseball cards and other hobby items.... Saturday from 11 to 6 in the evening (east coast to west coast) is the best ending time period dot! That covers all time zones and most guys are washing the car, mowing the lawn or repairing the roof at that time. Thus, they are HOME, where they can take a break and hit the computer to make that final bid!

[Modellpularn]

Thanks for the heads-up Jairus! I'll keep that in mind when I put some more stuff up on ebay. Which means I have to do it now! Or tomorrow at about the same time.

[Aaronw]

Usually I can snipe the best stuff on weekends at two in the morning. I think some people may be out on the town or on holiday or "sleeping it off".

I hate you :twisted:

Actually I don't mind snipers ever since I started following the policy of bidding what I'm willing to bid then ignoring the auction until its over. Helps prevent my getting into bidding wars and spending more than I really want to.

As far as the original post, I don't have any scientific facts to support or disprove the idea but I do seem to get the best deals on stuff that ends on weekends or early morning (before 8am pacific). I've just figured that people leave the house and get busy on the weekends where they don't have good computer access.

Just because I've largely disciplined myself to make one bid at the price I will pay, doesn't mean that most have. I still see lots of people that make those $1 at a time increases and those are the ones you probably lose late at night and on weekends.

[flatheadgary]

hey what's wrong with you guys? you ever hear about emodelcars.com?

[jbwelda]

>But I would go so far to not sell to anyone who wouldn't sell to me

>simply because they don't want to fill out a simple form that takes less

>time to fill out than actually addressing the package.

theres actually a bit more to it than that:

1) you have to stand in line to mail a foreign package; domestic you can just drop in the corner mailbox (if its less than a pound i think it is) or drop in the box at the post office if youve figured the postage already

2) you cannot use the USPS free priority shipping packaging...i used to still use them but turn them inside out (a federal gulp offense by the way) but now they print "priority mail" or something on the inside too so that dont work...so now you have to scrounge for or go buy a shipping box

3) there are a lot of scammers in some other countries though you cant tell anything specific from that

4) you need to assemble your package with more care because you dont know what its going to be subjected to (but of course you dont really know that for US delivery either but one would assume...)

5) you really dont know whats going to happen to your package in customs. i know from sending items to jamaica they often get "rerouted" or in some cases they stick a big steel spike through the package to see if white powder comes out (im serious). thats kind of hard on model bodies not to mention records or cds.

but if the buyer is willing to accept all risk and cost, including maybe for the time required above what it takes for domestic shipping, i guess it would be ok but if someone wants to exclude 3/4 of the world (by weight) from his potential market, i guess thats his choice.

[Schumacher330]

Steve, as of right now I only sell in the US when I Ebay "stuff" because honestly I'm just learning how to do it. As I get more comfortable I'll expand to sell worldwide because I figure anybody else's money is as green as mine. Now when I've sold models or diecasts straight up to others on other boards I've sold outside of the US because you do know for the most part who you are dealing with.

[crispy]

I love to sell to my neighbors of the north! They are and have been the fastest payers and the most courteous.

I sell worldwide and enjoy doing so if only to see where the next item goes. Like Latvia. Ever heard of that place? Well, they like to buy Aoshima wheel kits! LOL

Steve, I'd be happy to sell to you if you sell to me!

I fill out the short form for foreign bidders, takes about as much time to fill out as my printer takes printing out the address, although the printer always beats me....

Chris

[lordairgtar]

Frilly girly things, Jairus? Hmmmmm.

[jbwelda]

>BTW,, I did stand in line,, fill out 3 seprate forms and pay extra for 3

>seprate shippings to people on this board this week. It didn't kill me and

>I'm not getting anything in return ,, except maybe a bit of good karma.

i help run an international music festival

http://www.snwmf.com

consequently i have more than a little experience at the post office sending international packages so youre not really telling me anything i dont already know.

read what i wrote carefully and you will see that nowhere did i say it would "kill you" , i was just stating that theres a bit more to it than just one form to fill out, which was your original contention.

i too sell stuff to whoever wants to pay for it so we both are in line for the karma points i guess...but its definately more work to send to someone outside the usa. still i would like them to sell to me so its not something i complain about. a sale is a sale afterall. and ive spent a good amount of my life living outside the USA so i know how nice it is to get something that is otherwise unobtainable locally (this was before the proliferation of the internet though...these days it really is a "global village" and those who refuse to take part in that concept are the real losers, a bit more time at the PO or not, as im sure you realize).

[jbwelda]

agreed on that steve!

wheres the "cheers" emoticon?

[SpreadAxle]

I personally have noticed that when buying, the USA only guys help me as far as less possible competition on the bid, but I noticed those late night endings are better for me. As far as weekends vs weekdays, well, it depends on how you look at it. For some, after a long day at work, they come home, have dinner, and are occupied with family. And the kids tend to tie up the computer anyway. On weekends, not everyone goes out, so I feel like I have more competition when bidding, as these people will be at the computer longer. then again, the other points made were very valid. I've only ever sold items once, and mine ended on a Wednesday between 7 and 10 pm central time. I'm sure if I had not included Buy It Now options on everything, I would've gotten more, but I guess we live and learn. More than 1/2 my stuff went by next morning. Other items went here and there before the end, and 2 or 3 held out until the last minute. Only 2 items didn't have buy it now. i would've shipped anywhere, but I didn't know I had to take an xtra step when listing. Again, live and learn, right.

[Chromecop]

I use an extra "nickname" that I've registred using my wife's relatives' address in the US when doing business with "US Only-sellers". My wife's Uncle re-pack and ship the models surface mail to keep the cost low.

This way, the seller doesn't even know he sells to a person outside the US and I only have to pay the domestic shipping extra which usually is $5-6 or so!!!

[Modellpularn]

Olle, you sneaky devil..... :wink: But many times the seller will indeed ship to Sweden, if you ask politely. On the other hand, there's a lot of uptight people who will not at no exceptions ship outside the US..... :roll:

[SpreadAxle]

That is so sneaky :shock: ! LOL. That is a neat idea though. Well worth it. Ebay is a place where survival skills are a must, so that is a good solution. :wink: 8)

[jbwelda]

its not sneaky at all.

im sure the point for those not wanting to sell out of the usa isnt to discriminate against "foreigners" just because they arent americans, im sure its to eliminate the extra red tape and uncertainty necessary to send something out of the country. having a usa forwarding address is perfectly fine im sure...it just costs the buyer more in the long run because they have to pay the shipping to the usa address and then to the country they live in. but its not a problem for the seller at all im sure and gets around all the problems very well.

i use the same technique to buy records in england...believe me postage from there to here for a stack of LPs or 12" singles is way more than the value of the records. so i have them delivered to a uk address and then work out them getting here either when the recipient comes to visit, or i go there or something.

[SpreadAxle]

I hope you don't think I was attacking you. Just having a little fun. I don't blame you for using this method. I actually think it's strange not to sell to a paying customer based on where they live. I've shipped overseas before and it's no big deal. Last year, when I bought two lots of resin truck cabs, I had several offers to buy one or two out of the lot. The cabs I didn't want, were sold. Some went overseas. A paying customer is a paying customer in my opinion. I don't care where someone is from if they are interested in what I'm selling.

As to my buying, well, I'm a truck driver so I'm gone a lot. I have several friends that let my packages come to their home for me. However, they have lives and jobs. I noticed that the mailman, and sometimes UPS/FEDEX won't leave the packages if no one is there if it comes from outside the US. This is why I try to buy more from US sellers. My friends are doing me a favor, so I don't want them having to make extra trips to the post office for me. Again, I know they have lives, and although they don't mind, I would rather the package be there when they come home from work at night. 8)

[jbwelda]

>I hope you don't think I was attacking you

if youre referring to me, no, the idea never crossed my mind. i enjoy discussions so i take opposition viewpoints as a good thing. dont worry about me!

[SpreadAxle]

Oh ok. I just wanted you to know I meant that in fun. If I lived overseas, I would too. As I say, I don't blame you. I understand there may be a little extra cost involved with overseas shipping, but it usually is the buyer paying so I never saw the issue with overseas shipping. that's just me, though.