system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 When selling an item in an auction, why set a minimum reserve amount if the bidders can’t see it. Why not just set the minimum bid at the lowest price you’d be willing to sell at?
gpt
Because you want to engage people. You want people to see your listing, and since people often search by lowest price available, more people will see your listing if you start the bidding low.

Similarly, if the bidding starts low, but several people bid on it, it seems like demand for that item is higher and people become more willing to bid higher on that item.