Best Time to End Ebay Auction – Best Ebay Auction End Time and Day
Best Time to End Ebay Auction – Best Ebay Auction End Time and Day
Now I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that, “timing is everything”. This couldn’t be more true than when selling using an online auction such as eBay or ebid.
In this article, I will be answering the question, what is best time to end ebay auction and showing you how to use my secret tool, SaleHoo, to find the best ebid and eBay auction end time for your listings. I will also explain why it is so important to list your auction at the best time and give you a few great tips for creating a successful auction listing.
Best Time to End Ebay Auction
So which day and at what time should you what is best time to end ebay auction. We are talking about two critical factors in the strategic timing of your auction item sale. The first factor is the length of the auction, the second factor is timing when the auction will end.
How Long Should Your Auction Run?
The key thing to remember when selling on eBay is that your starting day determines your ending day. You must time the end of your auction to coincide with the key selling days on eBay. Always remember this when posting your auction items.
- To figure out the best eBay auction start time and end time, I use SaleHoo’s Market Research Lab. It tells you the best time to list different items. The Market Research Lab is a free tool they have included with their directory which features 8,000+ suppliers of cheap products. You can also use it to find items with high demand, but low supply.
Most experts agree that a seven day auction is best. The primary reason for the longer auction is to attract more viewers to the items you are selling. Typically, a seven day auction will gain more watchers and ultimately a higher selling price.
- Some would argue that a shorter auction is more appropriate for today’s short attention span buyers but you can always use the, “buy it now” button (with a good mark-up) for those people.
The great advantage of a 7 day auction is that it spans the entire week including the prime viewing weekend zone where traffic can increase dramatically.
Best Ebay Auction End Day
Determining which day your auction should end can be tricky. It really does depend upon your market niche. If selling B2B, then a weekday would probably be better as they will do their buying during office hours.
For the general public, Sunday is considered the best day to end an auction followed closed by Saturday and then Friday.
Note: It’s a bad idea to end an auction on a public holiday.
Best Ebay Auction End Time
I’m sure it’s obvious to you that if your auction ends at a time when a lot of interested people are online, then you will get more bids. So obviously, listing at the wrong time loses you potential profit.
So at what time should your auction end? Well, for general UK and EEC auctions you should aim to end your auction between 18:00 hrs and midnight. If your niche audience is in the US you should aim for the same time slot Eastern US time.
- The Eastern sea board represents the greatest concentration of buyers and the period between 18;00 hrs and midnight is the best solution to optimize their viewing (and bidding) while still being effective in the other US time zones.
- Should you end auctions during the eBay happy hour? Though it might seem counterintuitive, a University of Pennsylvania researcher found that auctions ending during the peak hours (25% of bids placed between 17:00 to 21:00) on eBay are actually 9.6% less likely to result in a sale due to more competition.
It’s also worth noting that different niches have different groups of people interested in them with different online habits. For example, College/University students tend to stay up at night and bid late, but stay-at-home-mothers tend to go to bed early and get up early.
Best Time to Grab an Auction Deal
If you want a real auction deal try going online with your favourite auction house between midnight and 06:00 hrs. This is a great time to get bargains because most people are in bed – but a terrible time to end your auction for the same reason.
Tips for Increasing Auction Success Rate
There are several simple, but key factors which increase auction success rates. These include:
- Always include a picture. Use a picture taken by yourself, don’t use a stock image unless you have to.
- Use a picture of the highest quality you can produce. Make sure it is clear and not washed out. Show item defects clearly.
- Include an in-depth description. Don’t just write a quick sentences.
- Including details on refunds, returns and shipping information. This helps to make your listing more professional, so people will trust you.
Best Time to End Ebay Auction Summary
To summarise. You should use a seven day auction targeted to end on a weekend, preferably Sunday evening, but not during a holiday. This way the auction will go through the entire week cycle and end at the same time you started it.
- Try to determine the time when your niche viewer will be online. If you require more help and information on this, try the SaleHoo Market Research Lab.





