Sedo Offers -- To Auction or Not?

[namegame]

I thought it would be interesting to discuss strategies when receiving offers through Sedo as to placing the names in their auction or not as I think it is a difficult decision. Some scenarios:

1. If a low-ball offer is received is it better to immediately put the name in the auction or try to negotiate a higher price and take the chance that the negotiations are canceled by the buyer which, I think, would terminate the possibility of auction.
2. If negotiations do take place, and you want to eventually have the name in the auction how far do you take them before going the auction route and not take the chance of the buyer canceling negotiations?
3. If negotiations take place, and the price is close to or at what you would like to sell the name for is it better to accept the offer or continue negotiating...again taking the chance the buyer might cancel before having a chance to put the name in the auction?

Since it's not possible to set a reserve price except for the last offer from the buyer, I think it's taking a significant risk to put the name in the auction when there is a big difference between the last offer and what the name might be worth. I have seen names in the auction, however, start in the xx's and xxx's and end up in the xxxx's and xxxxx's so it is possible that the name goes for fair market value, but I also know that persons with a high desire for a particular name may not be aware of the auction so the price goes for the low last offer from the original person.

Feel free to add other scenarios and tell how you would proceed in deciding to put a name with an offer in the auction or not and your reasoning.

 

[hmcintyre]

My personal strategy is simply this: if the offer is one that I would accept if I had no choice to put it up for auction, I auction it. As the offer is one that I would accept, I have no qualms putting it up for auction and potentially only having the one bidder.

However, if the offer is lower, I do negotiate until I hit that offer that I would sell the domain at, after which, if the buyer is still interested, I auction the domain.

 

[HcDomains]

If the offer doesn't reach your reserve, don't send it to Auction...

My currently experience on the Auction is very bad

 

[DomainBuyerBroker]

I let one go to auction and should not have since it didn't get any bids but I wanted to test the system.

 

[namegame]

I let one go to auction and should not have since it didn't get any bids but I wanted to test the system.

That's one of the reasons I started this thread. I've sent a couple of names to auction, and nobody else bid so I sold to the original buyers at prices I thought weren't as good as I could have received. Thanks everybody for your input. Keep the thoughts coming if you have them.