sailorbenjamin

Which days are best for selling? Or buying for that matter?
I noticed that I was buying more on Saturday nights. I'd have a beer and do a little surfing and on Thursday there would be a box on my porch. So I started endng my auctions on Saturday evenings. I figure Friday is go to the movies or club night and Sunday, everyone's getting ready for Monday.
Has anyone noticed things selling better on some days? What are going to bethe hot selling days just before or after christmass? I know I'm going to have a little christmass money to spend.
Does Ebay post statistics like this?
What do you all think?

iab

Sunday, 9-10 pm eastern time. People are at home getting ready for the work week. I would also delay any listing until after the new year at this point.

Bam42685

I don't know if there's any hard science on this, but I think the best time to sell is Sunday around 9:00 PM EST. My reasoning is that everybody is home and awake because it's only 6:00 Pacific Time. Of course, this is based on my own habits. For me Friday and Saturday are go out nights, but Sunday I'm home relaxing on the computer. I'm actually about to leave now. Luckily I am not in the habit of browsing eBay when I return from the bar.

sailorbenjamin

+1 on the 9:00-10:00.
I actually quit selling on Labor day and just pack it up for the winter. I'm gonna run a few between Christmas and new year. Just parts. No bikes.
Now that I think about it, part of what I like about a Saturday evening auction is that it's when I like to kick back and watch my auctions count down.

bikemore 

I don't sell at the moment, but I pay attention. I've tried to figure out a pattern I can't see a really solid one.
Selling in December seems like a bad idea. Auctions that end on Sunday night seems like a really popular idea. I
suppose the reasons given above are good ones, but I think it also means that some things get lost in the crowd and
sell for $.99. I used to think buyers for parts really stepped things up in March trying to get the last pieces for their
winter build. But I just see prices of certain things going strong all the time.

CL in Boston really sucks now. I have had bidding wars (well not really, but people who seem really desperate to buy) in
the past. Now nothing. Perhaps because it is 30 degrees out has something to do with (and rain in 40 degrees tomorrow).

Rabid Koala

I have a few things to list, but won't until after the new year. I don't want to fight the crowd at the Post Office or FedEx. I usually start/end my auctions on Sunday. I will list earlier in the week, but delay the start time of the auction.

prettyshady

I do thursday to sunday night 10 day listings, winter only. I like that each weeks auctions over lap each other so people intrested in week ones items can see week twos items

randyjawa 

Often have I tried to determine a best time to sell and believe that there is none. As long as two people want what you have, you will get a decent price. That said, October, November and December are very difficult months to sell complete bikes or frame sets. Components are a slightly different story but still difficult to auction off. Once January passes, I will become busier that two flies on a pig's butt and that will keep up until October.

mparker326

I agree. As a buyer, I've found items that ended at some strange time, like 6:30 AM on Tuesday, but these items still sold for what they were worth (aka more than I wanted to pay for them).

As a seller I've ended items Sunday evening and watched an exact item described worse than mine sell for more at a worse ending date and time.

With sniping services being used, folks just load up what they want to bid on and don't pay attention to end dates & times.

miamijim

Sundays from 10-12p EST followed by Saturday and then Friday are the best times to end an auction.

strop

+1 for Sunday afternoon. I've noticed the trend is that bargains are to be had early in the week and they gradually dry up as the week goes on. For example Monday I saw a set of NIB Ultegra SL shifters with a BIN price of $220 which means after Bing just over $200. Later in the week people were bidding on auctions $220+ for unboxed shifters without cables ($40) or adjusters ($25).

20grit

buy on holidays. people are typically not sitting at home on ebay.

dannyg1 

Ebay research tools are out there and they almost agree with the above. Sundays 1st, followed by Sat and then Tuesday (for some reason), then Friday. 7 day listings recommended with 'picture tools' (The Picture Pack), ending 5:30-8:30pm PST. Top search terms 'bike', 'road' and 'Campagnolo'.

sailorbenjamin

Good info. I wonder if the holidays will follow normal weekday trends.

dannyg1 

One thing to know though: The stats only tell you what others have done, not what works. Take for instance the Sunday selling rule. Is it really the best day to glean the best price for a bike on Ebay or is it just the day that enough people follow the herd and load the day up with sales? If yearly trends could be found somewhere, that could be broken down and mixed with economic data and matched against an event calender (Say Super Bowl Sunday this year, as compared to the same for each of the three years before), then you might have a forecasting tool of some real value.

As it is, you're looking at 90 days of data and following a collection of converted followers. The data that's around is interesting, but I'm not convinced of how useful it is.

Chombi

I noticed that the volume of available C&V NOS stuff is getting bigger as the holidays approaches.
Maybe some people are trying to find ways to finance this year's non-bicycle related holiday purchases by selling their hoard of NOS parts?? There is enough stuff out there too that the prices for these hve been generally OK. Maybe also because most C&V parts hunters are distracted with their non-C&V bike related holiday shopping too. Some big volume bidders do not seem to follow through with many of their bids, bidding only once early and leaving the items to the "smaller fish" eBayers.

Chombi
84 Peugeot PSV
85(?) Vitus Plus Carbone 7

sailorbenjamin

Hmm. I was thinking of dragging a couple of boxes out of the basement to see how they did. Maybe I should wait till spring. Then again it would be nice to get a couple of boxes out of the way. Maybe I'll time them for entertainment value rather than higher bids.
Hmm.

miamijim

I've noticed that as well. I tend to use Peugeot auctions as a barometer and I'm consistently seeing 70+ auctions daily which is more than I've ever seen. The economy is still in the toilet and its going to be there through the end of 2010. I'm not sure I agree with you high/low volume bidder theory but I only bid once. In my opinion, if someone outbids me on something I really want it means they over paid.



If you dont need the money wait until spring. If you really want to make space but dont need the money try the 'fixed price' auction format, if your items dont sell it doesnt cost anything.

Chombi

Let me help you by sending those boxes to me asap! I'll figure out what's good and usable for you, but I might have to take a few items when I send the boxes back to you. Postage is really expensive these days!
P.S. BTW, you might as well forget about all the French stuff you might have in those boxes and let me dispose of them..........they're just wierd anyway!

Chombi