# What Is a Reserve Price in an Auction? > A reserve price is a minimum the seller sets in secret before the auction. If bidding ends below the reserve, the item does not sell, even to the highest bidder, and the listing shows "reserve not met". A starting bid is public; a reserve is usually hidden. URL: https://ghostnode.co/glossary/reserve-price Section: Glossary Published: 2026-10-11 ยท Updated: 2026-10-11 Publisher: GhostNode (https://ghostnode.co) A **reserve price** protects the seller: it is the lowest price they are willing to sell for. The auction runs normally, but if the final bid is below the reserve, the sale does not happen. ## How a reserve auction plays out - Bidding opens at the [starting bid](https://ghostnode.co/glossary/starting-bid), often low to attract interest. - While bids are under the reserve, the lot shows **reserve not met**. - When a bid reaches the reserve, it shows **reserve met**, and from then on it sells to the highest bidder at the close. - If it ends under the reserve, nobody wins. The seller may relist it or offer it to the top bidder separately. ## Bidding on a reserve lot 1. **Treat "reserve not met" as information.** The seller expects more than the current price. If your maximum is far below where the reserve is likely to be, your time is better spent elsewhere. 2. **Set your maximum as usual.** With [proxy bidding](https://ghostnode.co/glossary/proxy-bidding), a maximum above the reserve usually jumps the price up to the reserve at once, because the marketplace bids as much as needed to meet it. 3. **Do not chase the reserve past your limit.** A reserve says what the seller hopes for, not what the item is worth to you. ## Reserves on surplus and liquidation sites Surplus marketplaces such as AllSurplus show whether a lot's reserve has been met. Many liquidation and charity sales use no reserve at all, which is part of why lots there can close low. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does "reserve not met" mean? The current highest bid is below the seller's hidden minimum. If the auction ends that way, the lot is not sold. Once a bid reaches the reserve, the listing usually changes to "reserve met" and the lot sells to the highest bidder. ### What is the difference between a reserve and a starting bid? A [starting bid](https://ghostnode.co/glossary/starting-bid) is the public price where bidding opens. A reserve is a hidden minimum that can be higher. A lot can start at $1 and still have a $300 reserve. ## Related - https://ghostnode.co/glossary/starting-bid - https://ghostnode.co/glossary/hammer-price - https://ghostnode.co/glossary/proxy-bidding --- About the publisher: GhostNode is an online auction monitoring and auto-bidding service. It searches 8 auction marketplaces (eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid, BestBid, AllSurplus, K-BID, Proxibid and mac.bid) for your keywords around the clock, keeps every match in one list with its price and closing time, and can place real bids for you on eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid and BestBid up to a maximum you set. Plans: Scout (free), Hunter $9.95/month, Sniper $29.95/month, Ghost $49.95/month. https://ghostnode.co/pricing