Likewise, if the reserve price is not met, the high bidder is not obligated to purchase the item either. The purpose of a reserve price auction is to allow the seller some safety, in case the market value is considerably below expectations. If the reserve price is not met, then the seller and bidders are free to negotiate after the auction, but are not obligated to transact. Bidders will always know if there is a reserve price, and whether the current bid has met the reserve. However, the actual amount of the reserve price is not revealed to bidders.
Some sellers are willing to reveal their reserve price either within the listing, or via email.
However, sellers are in no way obligated to reveal their reserve price, either during or after the auction. Sellers can list a reserve price auction with the same form as a straight auction, simply by specifying a reserve price in the appropriate field. This is a straight forward classified ad. The seller has a firm price in mind and probably will not sell for less than the asking price. Interested buyers should contact the seller only if they are willing to pay the asking price, or something very close to it.