Long vs. Short

[StanJr]

Does a longer auction really make mo' money compared to a shorter one? Long auctions make me nuts. Seems to me MOST of the bidding is done on the last day of the auction anyway. So I was wondering if the length is a really big factor.

 

What is the shortest auction possible?

[Lemmi]

i know that when people put up auctions for 9 days i wont even watch them, 6 day 21 hour auctions i can handle but the 3 day auctions i love, just for the fact people might not look on ebay for a couple days and not notice it, so thats less bidders on the auction and hopefully a cheaper win for me

[CPUWIZ]

I agree with Lemmi but I would like to add something to it. I wouldn't say that they make more money but the chances of selling your items increase because they are generally viewed by more people.

 

My $0.02 ...

[CaliColts]

I have always listed my items for 10 days, I like to get as much exposure

as possible and I tend to think listing for longer gets more people viewing your auctions.

[Albert]

Unless I was desperate for cash and absolutely needed to run an auction for only three days, I would at minimum run auctions for seven days. Many people might only look at auctions on eBay once a week (if that), so the longer your auction runs the more likely someone is to look at it and put in a bid. Or use some service like eSnipe to put a bid in.

 

I think the nine day auctions are a bit excessive and I've never used them when selling items.

 

..Al

[sonnenhexer]

When I sell, I put up the auctions for 7 days, sometimes for 10. Soem people only watch ebay once a week.

I try also to start an end an auction on a weekend, when many people are on ebay and the bid is higher (my experience).

 

Michael

[StanJr]

Back to my original question, though, does a LONG auction (7 day) make mo' money than a short one (3 day)?

 

Seems to me all the auctions I look at, 90% of the bidding is done on the final day.

 

Has anyone ever tested this? Is anyone willing to?

[brett6400]

Almost all of the bidding is done in the final day or two, BUT some people may add a 7-day item to their watch list on the first day it is listed. (Although I personally hate having long auctions tie up my watch list slots for an entire week.)

 

Ten-day auctions COST EXTRA LISTING FEES, so they are definitely questionable for a seller. Unless, of course, you're one of the sellers that increases Ebay revenues with gift icons!