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Correction — 19 September 2026: The original article said this snapshot ruled out late bidding. It does not. We compared different auctions at one point in time, not the same auctions through to completion. We have removed that conclusion and corrected the explanation of bid counts. The original snapshot figures below are retained; this is not a new capture or a completed-sales study. A consignor asks whether to auction an item rather than list it at a fixed price. It is a reasonable question. An auction has a deadline, and a deadline creates urgency that a Buy It Now listing does not. ...

Correction — 12 September 2026: We have corrected the retained-sale count from four to three and the comparison denominator from 132 to 103. The earlier “6× lift” claim is withdrawn. These groups were neither randomised nor fully matched, so the comparison does not establish a causal effect. The original URL and publication date are retained. We repriced eight listings in our own store and wanted to know whether it had helped. ...

Correction — 12 September 2026: This article now uses the saved 11 September inventory snapshot. We have withdrawn the earlier claim that buyers pay the original asking price: the calculation used current recorded asks, which cannot establish historical negotiation discounts. The original URL and publication date are retained. The oldest listings in a store are easy to notice. They are the ones you recognise every time you scroll past them, and the ones you keep meaning to clear. ...