Buy it Now, Auction or Both?

When you list an item on Ebay, you have the choice of listing it as Buy it Now, Auction, or both. There can be advantages and disadvantages to all of these choices so lets look at what they are.

Buy it Now:

When you list an item as Buy it Now, you are ensuring to the buyer that once he clicks Buy it Now, that item is his. This is an advantage for the buyer over an auction format, because in an auction format the buyer can always be outbid. When an item is listed as Buy it Now, it is more like shopping at any other online store. Many buyers like this better.

Auction:

In the auction format, you as the seller can be at an advantage because of the potential price an item could end up selling for. If your item gets a lot of bids, you could make much more profit than you may have expected. Plus some buyers prefer the uncertainty and thrill of the chase when it comes to bidding on an item.

Both:

This is the format I use when I sell items. Here is why. I usually put the Buy it Now price higher than I think the item should sell for. I then put the auction price right around the price I expect it to sell it. These two prices are usually 10 to 20 dollars apart. I have found that I sell items through Buy it Now in about the same quantity as through auction formats. When I sell an item Buy it Now, I am happy for the extra profit, but if it sells through the auction bidding, I am just glad the item sold and I was able to make a profit.

In my opinion, doing both is the best way, but it is up to you how you will decide what format to sell on Ebay with.