Any idea what back copies of Backpacker Magazine would be worth? I have all issues from Issue 1 to present. Where is the best place to sell them? EBAy probably but I do not know what price to put on them.
Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3283
Loc: Portland, OR
I have no idea what such a collection would be worth, but the next best thing would be to figure out the least amount you'd accept for them and set that as a reserve price. If you sell them on eBay the theory is that the market will arrive at the correct price for you, because the second most eager buyer in the market will force the first most eager to beat his bid.
From time to time, reality does what the theory says it should do. Theoretically, at least.
I have been very disappointing in eBay lately. With the automated bidding it no longer is an auction but a race between the fastest computers. Items I have sold and bid on have all been sold in the last three minutes. The price stays low until just before closing and then a couple of high speed computers compete to see who can get the bid in the last few seconds.
OregonMouse
member
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6798
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
I suspect this may be a similar case as with National Geographic Magazine, which most people save for years and years. Because there are so many back issues around, you can't sell them and nobody will take them as donations.
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3283
Loc: Portland, OR
You put your finger right on eBay's big weakness.
A real auction has bidders present and attentive and it only ends when a final price is arrived at among them. By contrast, eBay auctions end at a specific time, without reference to whether a higher bid might be available among the bidders. That makes the "race to win" strategy possible and creates a huge distortion in the process of arriving at a final bid.
It's kind of the difference between an old time prize fight that only ended when one boxer was unable or unwilling to continue, and a basketball game that ends when the buzzer sounds, even if a potential game winner left the hands of a shooter 0.1 second later.
packlite Admin
Registered: 12/22/01
Posts: 2679
Loc: Pullman, WA, USA
The 13% eBay/Paypal fee also complicates the transaction. Irks me that eBay/Paypal has same ownership but charges eBay fee on total sales amount and then also charges paypal fee on total sales amount. Seems like Paypal should deduct eBay fee before computing their fee. My long-standing pet peeve.
Last couple years any sales I've made on eBay have been by fixed price.
Interesting how Godaddy.com runs their auctions. If someone bids within the last 5 minutes, another 5 minutes is added to the auction end time.
_________________________
" Not all those who wander are lost ! " J.R.R. Tolkien
The Godaddy model sounds much better. Almost all of the things I have bid on eBay in the last few years have been outbid in the last few minutes. Very discouraging to be high bidder for a week and then be outbid in the last few minutes. Makes me tend to only buy the "buy it now" items.
Hey friends. Just joined the forum (was doing a search for back issues of Backpacker magazine). I am trying to complete an early inventory of Backpacker Magazine plus a few other issues. I have many 1970s issues of Backpacker Magazine to trade.
I have always found it a better strategy to list items like this individually rather than as a bulk collection
The reasons are: 1) a bulk collection is much more valuable (= expensive) and you eliminate a large % of potential buyers who do not have deep pockets 2) most collectors already have a good start on their collection and may need only a few issues here or there but it would be waste of $$$ to pay top dollar for something you already have most issues. 3) the shipping costs get extraordinarily high when you have bulk items to ship 4) a "newbie" who wants to start collecting something will most likely just want to start gradually with a few issues here or there. Rarely does someone join a hobby and instantly want to purchase a complete collection.
My 16 year experience on ebay as both a buyer and seller is the best strategy is to have the most potential buyers for any particular item. Listing items individually rather than bulk will get you more buyers, and for the most part higher (combined) prices - the drawback is you have to ship individually as well.
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