Reservepreises

Reservepreises, plural of Reservepreis, denote the minimum price that a seller sets for an item in an auction. The concept is used to protect the seller’s expected value and establish a threshold below which the item will not be sold.

In auctions that employ a reserve price, bidding proceeds as normal, but a sale only completes if the highest bid meets or exceeds the reserve. If bids stay below the reserve, the item may remain unsold, and the seller can choose to withdraw the item or reoffer it at a different price. The reserve price may be disclosed to bidders, kept confidential, or described as a soft or hard reserve depending on platform rules and practice.

The use of Reservepreise influences bidding dynamics and final outcomes. A higher reserve can deter some bidders or shorten competition, reducing the likelihood of a sale at a low price but protecting the seller against underselling. Conversely, a lower reserve can increase sale probability but may invite bids closer to the reserve’s lower bound. Auction houses and platforms vary in how they implement and disclose reserves, and some jurisdictions regulate disclosure or sale procedures to ensure fair bidding practices.

The term is common in German-language auction contexts and is closely related to the broader concept of reserve price found in English-language auction theory. See also auction theory, reserve price, and soft versus hard reserve practices.