| A multiple-item (‘Dutch’) auction is an auction | | | | pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the |
| where more than one of the same item is being sold | | | | winning bidders. Let’s say there are 10 of an item |
| at once. There are two kinds of Dutch auctions. | | | | for sale. Anne bids $5 each for 4, while Bob bids $4 |
| Without Bidding. | | | | for 6. Anne will get her 4 and Bob will get his 6, but |
| The most common Dutch auctions are actually a | | | | they will both only pay $4. |
| combination of two auction types: they’re | | | | Here’s another example. If there are 5 items for |
| multiple-item fixed price auctions (Dutch Buy it Now | | | | sale and Anne, Bob, Carol and Dean want to buy 2 |
| auctions to you and me). This just means that you can | | | | each, then obviously someone is going to lose out. |
| offer more than one of an item at a time for a fixed | | | | Whoever bid the lowest will only get one of the items. |
| price. | | | | If Anne bid $5 each, Bob bid $4 each, Carol bid $3 |
| This is very powerful if you’re selling something | | | | each, and Dean bid $2 each, then Anne will get 2, Bob |
| small in large quantities. You can just say how many of | | | | will get 2, Carol will get 1 and poor Dean gets nothing. |
| the item you have, and the Buy it Now auction will stay | | | | So then: how much they pay for the items? |
| there until its duration is up or all the items have been | | | | Starting to sound like a particularly evil math problem, |
| sold. | | | | isn’t it? The answer is that everyone will pay $3, as |
| Buyers aren’t limited to only buying one item at a | | | | Carol’s bid was the lowest one that won anything. |
| time, either: they can enter how many they want and | | | | If you have trouble getting your head around that then |
| then just click Buy it Now to get them. for more details | | | | doesn’t worry – everyone else does too! Foe |
| visit to If you’re selling small things loose, then this | | | | more details visit to That’s why Dutch auctions with |
| can be really great – instead of selling them in | | | | bidding are so rare. |
| packs of 50, you can sell 24 to one person and 95 to | | | | In fact, even eBay's normal one-item auction format |
| the next. It lets buyers save money by buying exactly | | | | has all sorts of problems, not least of which is auction |
| what they need, and it lets you offer them the flexibility | | | | sniping. Snipers are buyers who come along at the last |
| to have as many or few of an item as they want. | | | | minute to bid a few cents more than the highest bidder |
| With Bidding. | | | | and win the item. Your buyers will find this infuriating |
| Dutch auctions can also be done by bidding, but the | | | | – and you’re the only one with any power to |
| process is rather complicated. Buyers bid a price and | | | | help them out by stopping it. The next email will show |
| say how many items they want, and then everyone | | | | you what you can do. |