Reserve price

If you create a listing and don't specify an optional hidden reserve for 25c, the start price becomes the reserve price.

A start price of $1 without adding a hidden reserve is therefore $1 start & reserve so the item effectively sells when someone places the first bid.

A start price of $1 and a reserve price of $25 costs 25c and the item does not sell unless the hidden reserve price is met.

Why on earth would you want to add a reserve price that is the same as the start price? What would be the point?

Simon, the majority of auctions listed on here have the reserve price the same as the start price. The point is so that it sells. Hidden reserves often work for collectable rare items or for testing the market if you are unsure of expected sell price.

For sure Gary, I put reserves on myself on occasion if I want to try and protect a niche item, but also want to create a fun listing.

But maybe I miss understand the OP, It reads to me that they want to make the reserve price, and the start price the same thing, which to my mind seems a bit pointless, because if you have set the start price as your reserve, then its value is already protected.

Like Ravi, I have my Start Price and Reserve locked. Why can't I pay 25 cents and carry on? Trademe has become user unfriendly sadly. 

Like Peter and Ravi, I can't add a Start OR Reserve Price.  What is going on??

Kia Ora Grant and Natalie,

Are you attempting to add numeric values here on the Desktop site or the App site?

Is there an error message coming up and if so what does it say?

Ensure you have the latest version of Browser or App - these can change frequently.

Try clearing your Cookies & Cache then reconnecting to TradeMe with a fresh start.

Confirming I am using a Laptop on the Desktop site - Windows 10 - MS Edge Browser and I have no issue in adding values and progressing to the next step - as per the pic Below...

Can anyone tell me why I have been putting a $2500 into Start Price and into Reserve Price, but when I start the auction it keeps showing as No Reserve.  I have been going back to my auction and editing, I am putting the Reserve in at $2500, but when I re-start the auction it just keeps coming up as No Reserve.  What am I doing wrong ?

David, the start price is always called the reserve price unless you put in a higher than start price reserve. If you had a start price as 2500 and a reserve as 3000 then the auction would show reserve not met. If both are the same, then the first bid will meet the reserve/start price so the listing says no reserve. What it actually means is the start price is the reserve price and there is no hidden reserve price, rather than there is no reserve price. So, if you want to list as 2500 as your start/reserve price, simply put it in as the start price, you don't need to put it in the reserve price field which usually costs more for general items.