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RE: but you've gotta admit - he has nice photos of lenses and gear! (nt)

Sure does, now he also shows us how to buy & sell on eBay. Here is a taste:

Closing Times

End your items early Monday morning (Pacific), or late morning (Eastern).

eBay says they are busiest on Sunday night, but that's simply because so many pro sellers choose to end their auctions then. These sellers lack the web statistics I have, which show me that the busiest time online for people buying photo gear is Monday, during their work day.

Old people (born before 1980) confuse the Internet with television. Back in the 1950s, whole families sat around and watched Lawrence Welk. "Prime Time" was Sunday night at 8PM. The Internet has nothing to do with TV. Prime selling time on the Internet is Monday during office hours.

The slowest time on the internet, as far as researching and buying cameras goes, is Sunday. Women know that anytime their man in on the computer he's probably looking at porn, so he's always guilty, and avoids doing it when the woman is around. That's why men do most Internet viewing at work, when the boss doesn't take it as personally as does the woman.

eBay probably tries to trick people into closing on Sunday night because the rest of Internet is quietest, so people are less likely to have traffic issues.

If you close Sunday night, guess what: I'm probably busy trying to sneak away from my family trying to bid on someone else's auction, not yours. Why close your auction in competition with a zillion others, when you can have my undivided attention during my work day?

eBay is busiest Sunday night because that's when most auctions close, not because that's the smartest time to close auctions for photo gear.

Why is Monday busiest? Because people haven't been on it all weekend.

People, at least those with jobs who are most likely to be the winning bidder on your item, spend the least amount of time on the Internet on their weekends when they can be doing something fun, and the most amount of time on the Internet doing personal business when they get into work on Monday morning.

Other online organizations concur: their busiest online sales days are Mondays.

Pick a time when your buyers in every US time zone can be at their computers to place their wining highest bids.

People have meetings which start on the hour, so have your listing close a few minutes before the hour.

Pick about 0:54, and choose an hour where people in Pacific and Eastern times are around.

I'd choose 9:54 AM Pacific, which is 12:54 PM Eastern. This lets everyone in California get into work, and bid on your listing before their first 10 AM meeting. Likewise, people in the Eastern and Central Time zones can do it over lunch.

Any earlier, and Californians aren't at work yet.

Any later, and Californians are in their 10 AM meetings, while New Yorkers are in their afternoon meetings.

Never, ever have an item close at some time that is convenient for you, but not for your bidders. The best way to get the worst price is to close a listing at 8AM Eastern, when your bidders are still walking into their offices, and no one in California has gotten up yet.

Never end listings on weekends. Sure, people could get to their computers, but they are more likely to be busy with family. Remember, the guys with the bucks and who will bid highest probably have families, fun and other obligations on their weekends. eBay sellers enjoy spending time with their computers, but not buyers. Guys living with their parents may be free at all hours, but for photo gear, they probably aren't your highest bidders.

Do what you want, but years of statistics show me that office hours on Mondays is when most people are researching and making their photo purchases from their offices.

Don't worry too much. As one full-time pro seller pointed out to me, you can't analyze too much, because a lot of this is just chance for any given listing. Just make sure the auction closes at a time people can be at their computers, not 3AM.




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  • RE: but you've gotta admit - he has nice photos of lenses and gear! (nt) - The Dill 06:27:44 08/31/14 (0)

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