Online marketplace eBay is testing an extended bidding feature for the trading card category, according to a notice on the company’s website.
Listed under a guide to buying on the platform, the test involves “extending auction durations by 2 minutes when a bid is placed in the last 2 minutes of an auction.”
Testing is currently limited to select items in the trading card category, the notice reads.
It’s currently unclear when the testing period began and for how long it will last. It’s also unclear whether extended bidding will be used for cards at all price points or if the period will trigger more than once if a bid is made during the final minutes.
“We’re constantly exploring new ways to make the buying and selling experience even better for our community.," Ron Jaiven, eBay's general manager for U.S. Collectibles told cllct. "We’re excited to be testing extended bidding on select trading cards — a feature we know many of our collectors have been asking for. This is a limited test for now, and we’ll share more details as we learn and expand."
The adoption of an extended bidding period would be a major change for eBay, with the concept currently most associated with high-end auction houses. Extending bidding policies vary by marketplace, though differences often include who may bid during extensions and how long bidding extensions last.
Under eBay’s current bidding rules, auctions end at predetermined times regardless of when bids are made. This format is prone to “bid sniping,” where buyers place maximum bids in the final moments of an auction to avoid any reaction from competitors.
Though eBay is also heavily associated with categories such as auto parts, electronics, jewelry and apparel, the marketplace remains by far the most popular for trading cards.
Data tool Card Ladder tracked a record $305 million in online card sales for the month of June, with eBay accounting for $245 million of that total.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.