Reserve Prices & Buy Now: Advanced Auction Features

FlyerWall auctions aren't just "highest bid wins." Two powerful features — Reserve Price and Buy Now — give you more control over your sale.

Reserve Price: Your Safety Net

A reserve price is a hidden minimum that must be met for the sale to go through.

How It Works

1. You create an auction with a starting price of €10
2. You set a reserve price of €80
3. Bidding starts at €10 and climbs
4. If the highest bid reaches €80 or above, the reserve is met → sale happens
5. If bidding stops at €75, the reserve isn't met → no sale

Bidders can see that a reserve price exists ("Reserve price not yet met") but they can't see the actual amount. Once met, the listing shows "✓ Reserve price met."

When to Use It

• High-value items where you can't afford to sell too low
• Uncertain demand — you want competition but need a floor price
• Testing the market — set a low start to attract bids, with a reserve as protection

When Not to Use It

• Low-value items — a reserve on a €15 item is overkill
• Items you want gone fast — reserves can discourage bidders
• When you're fine with any price — just set a starting price you're happy with

Buy Now: Skip the Wait

Buy Now lets a buyer purchase immediately at a fixed price, ending the auction instantly.

How It Works

1. You create an auction starting at €10 with a Buy Now of €100
2. Bidders can bid or click Buy Now
3. If someone clicks Buy Now at any point, they pay €100 and win immediately
4. The auction closes and a deal is created

When to Use It

• You have a price you'd be very happy with. Bidding might go higher, but €100 would make your day.
• The item has a known retail value. If a new one costs €150, a Buy Now of €100 makes sense.
• You want to appeal to impatient buyers. Some people don't want to wait 7 days. Give them the option.

Pricing Strategy

Your Buy Now should be:

• Higher than your expected auction sale (otherwise, why auction?)
• Lower than retail (otherwise, why buy used?)
• A "no-brainer" price — when a buyer sees it, they should think "that's fair"

A good rule of thumb: set your Buy Now at 60–70% of the retail price for items in good condition.

Combining Both

You can use reserve price AND Buy Now together. This gives you:

• Downside protection — the reserve prevents selling too low
• Upside opportunity — bidding can push the price higher
• Instant sale option — serious buyers can commit immediately

Example Setup

| Setting | Value | |---------|-------| | Starting price | €1 | | Reserve price | €60 | | Buy Now price | €120 |

This creates maximum competition (everyone can bid from €1), protects your minimum (€60), and captures impulse buyers (€120).

Common Mistakes

1. Reserve too close to starting price. If you start at €10 and reserve at €12, just start at €12.
2. Buy Now too high. If nobody would pay that price, it's just noise.
3. Buy Now too low. If it's barely above the current bid, someone will take it before bidding drives the price higher.
4. Using reserves on everything. Save them for items where you genuinely can't afford to sell below a certain price.

Summary

| Feature | Purpose | Visible to Bidders? | |---------|---------|-------------------| | Starting Price | Minimum opening bid | Yes | | Reserve Price | Hidden floor — no sale below this | Existence visible, amount hidden | | Buy Now | Instant purchase option | Yes, with exact price |

Use these features strategically and you'll get better outcomes from your FlyerWall auctions. Good luck selling!