Auctions: Size and Length Matters

This article covers auction size and length, and what differences it makes to potential revenue.

Rule of Thumb for Auction Length

It’s recommended to run your auctions for 7 days and having it end on a Sunday evening. This covers an entire week and most buyers will be at home Sunday night and have more free time to participate during the final bidding hours. This also gives the chance for buyers to shop the auction on Saturday if they were to busy throughout the week to browse listings. 

If an auction ends on a day other than Sunday, having it end in the evening is still best. This considers the folks working 9-5, giving them time to return home and bid at the tail end of the auction. 

Long Auctions Increase Visibility

Auctions that are on the platform longer have a chance of getting more customer views, resulting in more bids. If you launch an auction for 2 days length, it may not receive many bids depending on how active buyers are at that time. 

High Demand Could Call for Shorter Auctions

If items you list are constantly hitting the price threshold, it shows your auctions are getting a bunch of attention and you may want to consider shortening your auctions. This is a rare case where shortening your auctions could increase your rate of selling without sacrificing your revenue.