Xplic1T
21-08-2008 23:08:46
unknown uchiha
22-08-2008 01:10:38
Lack of live pictures in the $61 sale could be a determining factor. Additionally, depending on the length of the auction (1 day, 3 days, 5 days, etc.) and starting price an auction can get more or less bids. It also helps to take into consideration how much these sellers advertised their auction.
dmorris68
22-08-2008 05:36:35
It's the nature of auctions combined with down-to-the-minute supply & demand. There are presumably some people who will pay a premium price for that one particular model, and whether you get lucky and find one of those during the days your auction is running determines how much you can get.
Years ago I bought up some inventory of an in-demand product that I knew was about to be hard to find, and sold it on eBay for a nice profit. I didn't sell it all at once, I spread it out over a few months. Winning bid amounts were all over the place, it just depended on who was looking for it at the time, and how my auction stacked up against others.
Most eBay auction listings are poorly designed, some are downright atrocious to look at. No sense of style or proper advertising techniques to engage the prospective buyer. Of course feedback history is your primary indicator of seller status, but when it's a toss-up on feedback, I tend to go with the more professional looking listing.
You also have to consider that some sellers pay extra for preferred listing status that gets their items at the top of the search results page, or even on eBay's front page. The more visibility an item has, the more viewers and interest it is likely to attract.
There's just so many variables involved that it should really come as no surprise that the same item will sell for sometimes vastly different prices.
doylnea
22-08-2008 06:42:33
there's also eBay's Best Match, which sorts items in the results list based on a number of factors, like shipping price, and feedback. The phone that sold for a higher price had a lower shipping charge, so it was shown higher up on the results page. However, I'm surprised that the phone that ended first thing in the morning sold for as much as it did, given that at least half of the country was still asleep when the auction closed...
ajasax
22-08-2008 07:59:52
Also, the $61 dollar phone was opened up, whereas the other one was new in its box.
dmorris68
22-08-2008 11:32:29
[quote404f777de7="ajasax"]Also, the $61 dollar phone was opened up, whereas the other one was new in its box.[/quote404f777de7]
Well, if that's the case then I'd say it's the primary reason. NIB gets a whole lot more money than used. Kinda goes without sayin'....