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[hannahg]

going to freak the heck OUT!!!!!!!
anyone? first bid? i promise not to hold you to it, but if i dont get the bidding started on this i wont be able to pay for my incoming toys!!!!!!
second listing, im freaking out!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230633482136&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

[RedwoodsMama]

Hi Hannah, I have looked at your guy and about ten others that are listed, and this is a good example of why yours isn't getting any bids right now. Take a look.http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Fur-Real-Friends-Squawkers-McCaw-Factory-Sealed-/260799928360?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb8e31828   This guy is also new in box, factory sealed but the starting bid was a lot less. I know from experience in almost all cases, ( Except around Christmas when people are willing to pay a lot more without question.) a lower starting bid is going to get the bidding started. If you start lower like this guy, but you can still put a reserve price, ( lowest price you will accept) you will get more results. I have been selling and buying on ebay since 2004 and have learned over and over again, it does not matter in most instances, whether an item is expensive and worth more than what you want to start the bidding at, if there are multiple items, the lowest starting bids almost allways get the bid going and that is what you want. A good example is the person who lists a Brand New factory sealed Ugobe Pleo for $275.00 buy it now and free Shipping in US, and the other person with the same item but starts the bidding at 99 cents, the people start the bidding quickly with 99 cents and it builds up fast and the Pleo still sells for the range of $125.00-$200.00+, while the buy it now person for the $270.00 price just sits and waits and has to relist it over and over. 
              I would much rather get rid of my item for a fair low starting price and get something then have it never sell, Also your Squawkers is higher Buy it now than anyone else. I think despite what it cost originally and what it may be worth, you are going to have a long wait. Also I don't remember the amount of time, 3-7 days, but I will give you a little secret I learned being a seller on ebay over the past few years. The longer the sale, such as 10 days gets more notice and more time for bids. Also the best ultimate time for an auction to run and end is between Friday night and Sunday evening with Sunday being the best time with more people watching and bidding. ( this is from a survey of sellers over a 12 month period that they got this information and also the worst time of day to list and day to have the item end.) I am telling this to you as a friend, a fellow Pleo enthusiast and a ebay seller and buyer, I almost allways list my items to end on a Sunday and if not a Friday or Saturday third choice.
                You can still give it a reserve price and the only one who will know what that price is is you. You can go back and change your item anytime you want but once it has a bid, the buy it now disappears. If you want anymore tips, give me a PM. Good luck and I hope it sells, I know what it is like when you are buying and are waiting for stuff to sell, jUst be patient.
                                                 RWM

[aibo7m3]

Also if it doesn't sell this time you might want to put the words "robot parrot" somewhere in the title of the auction next time you relist it since that may be what someone who could not remember the name of that robot would call it.

[bhobbes]

One of the best ways to post (I've found, and it's been documented but things may have changed) is Thursday and set it for 10 days. This way it ends on Sunday AND you get TWO weekends worth of views. All of my items have sold for much higher since doing this. So RWM is on the money with this advice. 

And I always start with the lowest amount (I'd set a reserve if I was concerned, but rarely do).

eBay is an art. Haha.

[RedwoodsMama]

Thank you bhobbes, the starting on Thursday and having it still end on Sunday gives you twice as much value for your "buck" as he said, you get two weekends worth of people looking and sometimes people wont start bidding till the end of the auction, so if it starts at 99 cents and has two days left and is only at $40.00, don't panic, . Those last twelve hours are magic and watch the other squawkers out there and see what happens the last hour, it is often unbelievable the "war" between bidders, esp newbies who don't know when to stop bidding, ( which is fine with sellers  ) and I remember seeing early in Decemeber when Pleos are REALLY hot and sell like Pancakes.... a Pleo new condition that started out at 99 cents but the lady that was selling him , ( I think her ad had a LOT to do with it. saying she lived in Beverly HIlls didn't hurt either..LOL. ( that was her address) people got sucked into thinking this Pleo being from Beverly Hills must be somthing pretty special , and the darn thing sold for about $310. 00, A UGOBE MODEL! GEESH..........shows what advertising among other things can do for you, or break you if you are not savvy to the tricks of the trade. I never paid more than $207.00 plus shipping for a factory sealed Pleo, Ugobe Model that is, but they do sell for higher prices sometimes, just depends on the time of the year, the amouont of pleos listed at the time, thte add for sure, what part of the country they are located in, and of course, the time of day or when the listing starts and ends, and most importantly luck and those strange unreliable creatures called, Pleo bidders! I know because I have gotten them dirt cheap, in between and higher priced as well. Good luck and don't be afraid to end it now if you have to or revise the starting bid, but it is your call, your Bird, and Robot is a good point to add in the title, makes it sound more "special".             RWM

[hannahg]

hi there! i can now see what an art this is, and frankly, im not up for it! im an artist of a different sort, i am a buyer and not a seller! i dont even really want to do this so i ended the  auction!

[Crewella]

Oh dear - poor Hannah got scared off!  There IS an art to doing it, but on the other hand many, many people sell things very successfully on auction sites without treating it as a science.  All the good advice given here, and it was good advice, was really just to get the very best out of it, if you're that way inclined.  It's not mandatory!  The most important thing to know is that many potential buyers won't bid until the last few seconds as they like to play their cards close to their chest, so to speak (myself included).  As long as you're description is as accurate as you can make it and you have a decent pic you stand a fair chance of selling, and just start the price at the point you feel you'd rather keep it than sell it for that - let it find its own level beyond that.

I hate to see somebody's 'bot buying fund suffering! 

[hannahg]

lol, i just am a serious lebowski-ist/dude/abide-ist, meaning i am VERY VERY lazy.
gots to pick my battles! AND i thought it was worth a LOT more! now i will go with my original plan and keep him so when my sqwuakers dies( its been 5 years running strong) i will have my back up. he really is the most awesome toy! mine asks, 'who farted?' ( usually it's me) and says 'oy vey, someone give me a g-darn cracker already, will ya?' and screams out lines from my favorite movie.

[Crewella]

I think I'd keep him too!   

[latrine]

I'm sorry you couldn't sell your bird, it reminds me of my real Blue & gold Macaw, Madison, who I had to re home to a family member due to illness, I had her for 16 years, since she was 5-6 weeks old and I was 15 

Maybe I'll have to get one of those someday... can you post some of what your robot parrot does, so we can see it? I've seen them in stores but not in action

This is my Madison:

More details...

- Sarah