Reserve language can feel opaque until you translate it into landed cost. On JMPA, sellers may publish a floor that must clear before the lot can award-think of it as the minimum viable margin after handling and cold storage.

Where the number hides

Check the lot card for "reserve" or "minimum award" notes alongside pack dates. If only a starting bid appears, assume the seller set a private reserve and watch whether bids stall just below a round number-that is often the signal.

A reserve is not a mystery-it is a margin line. Price your ceiling against spoilage and haul, not ego.

Metro Manila nuance

NCR pickup costs swing with traffic windows; bake those minutes into your max bid before the timer ends so the reserve and your true break-even stay aligned.