Introduction

Back in 2021, I had a pair of Lululemon Pace Breaker shorts listed for $29. A buyer sent me a $20 offer, which I countered at $25. Then… silence. For two days. I kept wondering: “Did they send that same offer to five other sellers?” Because I had the exact same item listed alongside eight other sellers, all within a few dollars of each other.

That single moment kicked off my obsession with understanding offer competition on eBay—especially for clothing and shoes, where multiple sellers often list the exact same piece. After selling several hundred Nike, Zara, and Aritzia items, I learned how buyers behave, how eBay hides offer data, and—most importantly—how to predict when an offer is genuinely competitive or just a “spray-and-pray” buyer sending 10 offers at once.

Here’s where it gets interesting… even though eBay never shows competing offers directly, there are reliable ways to read the signals, track category competition, and adjust your pricing so you stop losing offers without undercutting your entire store.

Let’s break it down.

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Does eBay Show Competing Offers? (Real Answer)

The honest truth:

eBay does NOT show sellers the number of competing offers a buyer has sent to other listings.
There’s no dashboard, no hidden menu, no tool access—nothing.

However… after four years of semi-pro clothing selling, I can confidently say you can figure out exactly what’s happening based on indirect clues.

Parenthetical aside

(It’s not as mysterious as eBay makes it look.)

Why eBay hides offer competition:

• Prevents price manipulation

• Protects buyer privacy

• Keeps negotiation flexible

• Avoids sellers swarming buyers

Opinion

Not seeing competing offers forces you to understand your category, not just the buyer.

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How I Estimate Competing Buyer Offers on eBay (Practical Method)

Even though eBay hides direct numbers, here’s how semi-pro sellers figure it out in clothing:

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1. The Watcher-to-Offer Ratio (My Most Reliable Signal)

Watchers don’t mean buyers—but they show listing heat.

My rule of thumb:

• 0–2 watchers: buyer likely sent offers to multiple sellers

• 3–7 watchers: this listing is warm; buyer is more serious

• 8+ watchers: buyer probably sent fewer offers; price is compelling

Personal Anecdote #1

In 2022, I had a Lululemon Define Jacket with 13 watchers. When I got a $52 offer, I countered at $58 and it sold instantly. High watcher count = fewer competing offers.

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2. Sold Comps in the Last 30 Days (The Reality Check)

For clothing, sold comps matter more than any metric.

How I read it:

• If comps vary narrowly → buyers shop aggressively

• If comps are wide → buyers experiment with higher bids

• If comps have huge volume → buyer probably sent 3–5 offers at once

Personal Anecdote #2

I once listed a Nike Tech Fleece hoodie for $69. Sold comps were $60–$75.
I got three offers in the $55–$60 range within 24 hours. Every single offer felt “mass sent.” I held firm at $67 and sold.

Opinion

Comps tell you more about offer competition than eBay ever will.

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3. Terrapeak (Free Inside eBay Seller Hub)

Tool #1: Terrapeak Product Research

Terrapeak lets you see:

• total sold volume

• average sold price

• seasonal price spikes

• how many listings existed

• demand vs supply curves

Parenthetical aside

(For clothing, Terrapeak is criminally underused.)

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4. The “Instant Counter Decline” Signal

If a buyer declines immediately after your counter, 95% chance they had competing offers they liked more.

Limitations

This one hurts. And it's not always accurate.

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5. Buyer Behavior Patterns in Clothing

Semi-pro sellers learn this fast:

When buyers send multiple offers:

• Mid-tier brands

• Easily sourced items

• Basics (Nike, Adidas, Zara, Gap)

• Items with 10+ active listings

• Sizes with lots of supply

When buyers send fewer offers:

• Rare sizes

• Unique pieces

• Condition-sensitive items (Aritzia, Lululemon)

• Vintage denim

• Jackets

Personal Anecdote #3

In 2023, I listed an Aritzia Wilfred blazer (size 00). Only two other listings existed. My first offer was $95, which I accepted instantly. Low supply = minimal offer competition.

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Hottest Sellers on eBay (Clothing Edition)

As a semi-pro clothing seller, these categories always move:

• Lululemon

• Aritzia Wilfred

• Carhartt

• Patagonia

• Levi’s 501 & 550

• Free People

• Nike Tech Fleece

• Vintage jackets

• Arc’teryx (insane demand)

• Salomon athletic shoes

Honest limitation

Hot sellers fluctuate seasonally. What sells in January doesn’t sell in July.

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How Much Does It Cost to List Items on eBay?

eBay offers 250 free listings/month for most private sellers.

Costs you may run into:

• Final value fees (10–15% depending on category)

• $0.30 order fee

• Promoted Listings fee (optional but common)

• Store subscription (optional)

Example

I listed 412 clothing items in 2023 without paying a single listing fee—but spent about $380 that year on promoted listings.

Failure Admission #1

I once promoted a Zara sweater at 15% for no reason. Overkill.

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How Do You Get Top Rated Seller on eBay?

Top Rated Seller helps with:

• better positioning

• more buyer trust

• potential fee discounts

Requirements:

• 90 days active selling

• At least 100 transactions

• Low return rate

• Upload tracking on time

• Ship fast

• Few cancellations

Clothing-specific advice:

• Use USPS Ground Advantage

• Ship next-day to avoid late markups

• Pack neatly (creases matter)

Parenthetical aside

(I became TRS after 4 months simply by tightening my shipping routines.)

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How Can I Find a Specific Seller on eBay?

Buyers search for you when:

• they like your style

• they want your sizing consistency

• they buy vintage denim

• they follow athleisure stores

How to find a seller:

1. Go to “Advanced Search”

2. Select “Search by seller”

3. Enter the username

4. Filter by “Items for sale”

5. Save the seller

Common question I see

“Can buyers find all your items by clicking your name on any listing?”
Yes, as long as your store is visible.

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Comparison Table — Offer Competition Tools & Signals

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People Always Ask Me: “Should I accept the first offer?”

Short answer: No.
Long answer: It depends on competition.

Accept fast when:

• watchers > 6

• rare sizes

• blazer season spike

• buyer messages first

Counter first when:

• lots of active listings

• comps vary widely

• it’s mid-tier fast fashion

Uncertainty admission

I’ve regretted both accepting too fast and countering too long. There’s no perfect rule.

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How Much Does Offer Competition Matter on eBay?

Here’s the surprising part:

Offer competition matters far less than:

• your pricing

• your photos

• your shipping speed

• your return policy

• your title keywords

As a semi-pro clothing seller, my largest gains came from better sourcing—not chasing micro-signals about offers.

This is exactly the type of insight that aligns with something inside the Closo Seller Hub, where the pricing optimization guide breaks down how buyer intent varies across platforms and how cross-list strategy impacts offer behavior.

And honestly, when I started cross-listing my clothing to Mercari and Poshmark too, I used Closo to automate the repetitive stuff—it consistently saves me about 3 hours weekly, especially during high-inventory months.

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Conclusion

Trying to figure out if eBay shows competing offers is normal—especially when you’re selling clothing where buyers frequently bargain across multiple listings. The truth is eBay hides offer competition entirely, but you can estimate it using watchers, comps, Terrapeak, and buyer behavior. After selling 1,400+ items, I learned that reading signals matters—but consistent pricing, good photos, and reliable shipping matter more.

My honest recommendation: treat offer competition as one data point, not a decision-maker. Focus on comps and supply first. And if you’re juggling multiple platforms, use a tool like Closo to automate listing—it saves me about 3 hours weekly, which matters when you’re running a semi-pro reselling operation.