Wow... My dented '69 Fender just netted me $20.00 on eBay

[Charger Aficionado]

Even though it's dented, I kinda feel robbed.     I have started items with low starting bids before and NEVER had a problem getting fair market value. 

Has this ever happened to anyone here?

[whitehatspecial]

It is worth putting a reserve price on auctions. Usually the bidding will be more aggressive when the price is unknown.

[Charger Aficionado]

It is worth putting a reserve price on auctions. Usually the bidding will be more aggressive when the price is unknown.

Yeah I guess for smaller items it's a good idea to put a reserve...  I paid a 100 bucks for it...  It wasn't great because of the bend, but it was solid...  Oh well...  Fun fun... 

[bull]

I got $50 for a '68 fender on Ebay a while back but it had quite a bit of rust and I would only allow local pickup, so I thought it was an ok deal. I got it, two front valances and a grill for $350 so I'm not complaining.

[Big Lebowski]

  If I don't use a reserve price, I always have an opening bid of at least my minimum price. That always works out. Where I always get F%$&*@ is in the shipping, screw UPS Ground, if your box is an inch bigger than you said, or if it's 2 lbs. more than you figured, then the friggen shipping price DOUBLES!!! Ouch, I've heard good things about DHL, I'll try them next time.

[chargerboy69]

I have been a member of E Bay since April 99, and I have learned I do not get near the money for items in the summer. During the summer months people are outside enjoying the weather. The fall and winter seasons a lot more people are in on thier computers. I usually buy in the summer and sell in the winter.

[Ghoste]

Or... maybe that was the fair market value??  Just playing devils advocate here because I know I'd want more than 20 bucks for it too.  But, whenever a record price is set for a car or part and someone complains about stupid prices, somebody else will always pipe up about free market economy and if it's worth that much to whoever bid it, then that is it's fair price.
Long winded and insulting to you CF but I did want to point it out.  Sorry man, as I said, I'd want more too, but... 

[kab69440]

I saw the fender too. I am a fair hand with a set of dollies, spoons and hammers. I also have the capacity  to drill out the spot welds of the braces to work behind them, and to weld them back in place. For what it would have cost to ship the thing alone, it simply wasn't worth the number of hours I would have had to spend beating on it. Solid or not, it would have taken a minimum of 20 hours to pound that one back into proper shape. A lot of people know when something can be repaired, but precious few know what it takes to get something like that accomplished and have the skill to actually carry it out.