Dear Uncle Griff and Dear Aunt Flossie

The following information is provided to educate and inform. eBay™ and its employees are not liable or responsible for any type of damage or loss caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information below.

eBay's kindly old Uncle Griff has agreed to answer questions for some of our members. If you have a question you would like to ask him, email him at unclgrff@ebay.com. NOTE: Not one to be left out of anything, Uncle Griff's mother, Aunt Flossie, loves to meddle in her son's business. Aunt Flossie offers "helpful" replies to questions also (email her at unclgrff@ebay.com).

Dear Uncle Griff,

Is there an article or information piece somewhere that explains the rationale behind Reserve Price auctions? I don't understand the purpose they serve when a minimum bid price is set, yet there is a higher unknown reserve price.

Thanks, Joanne

Hello Joanne,

As a matter of fact, there is an information piece on why Reserve Price Auctions play an important part of seller success at eBay. It's all psychology, Joanne. Here it is (straight from the canyons of Uncle's mind):

Say you have an item that is worth $500 and you want to get at least $400. If you start the item at $400, studies show that you will most likely not receive an opening bid. Why? Because eBay is set up in an auction format and bidders want to play "auction" as opposed to "direct sale." By placing a high opening bid amount, you preempt a bidder's desire to maybe, just maybe, get a bargain.

Now, if you were to instead list the same item with an opening bid of $1 and a reserve of $400, you are guaranteed at least some bidding interest. True, the item may still not sell but, remember those studies in the previous paragraph to which Uncle alluded? Well, those very same exact studies show that once a few bidders start bidding, they tend to create a momentum which can lead to folks bidding closer and closer to your reserve amount.

This is not to say that bidders are stupid—au contraire. Bidders know very well how the Reserve Price format works, but this way, they get to submit bids and maybe get the item for a bargain, or at least a fair price since only you, the seller, knows the actual reserve amount.

Although great deals often occur, never, ever underestimate the power and drive of the human mind to fool itself into thinking what it wants to believe. Las Vegas, Powerball and many reserve auctions are proof enough of this.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Hey U. G.,

Help! In October's showcased About Me list there was a page that had some links I wanted to check out. I was in a rush...forgot to bookmark it...figured I'd look at it the next day...the next day was November...and I can't remember the name of the eBayer! Can I get October's About Me list?

Thank you, Laura

Hello Laura,

Lucky for you, all past issues of eBay Life are archived for your viewing pleasure! Go to the bottom of:

http://pages.ebay.com/community/life/9912-pA1.html

and you can find each past issue listed there by month.

Regards, Uncle Griff

Hi Uncle,

I've seen the eBay PowerSeller logo on auctions. How do you become a PowerSeller?

Thanks, Pat

Hello Pat,

A seller must meet certain requirements in order to be considered as a participant in the PowerSeller's program. To learn more about the PowerSeller's program, go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/powersellers.html

and read through the information there.

Regards, Uncle Griff