A reserve price is a minimum amount a seller is willing to sell an item for. If the reserve price is not met, the seller is not required to sell the item, even to the highest bidder. In the US where there is usually a prebid period, if there is a reserve on a lot, the current bid is automatically raised to one bid below the seller's reserve price a few days before the end time, thus disclosing the reserve price. (Heritage and ComicLink follow this practice.) In Europe the reserve amount is rarely disclosed but if there is just one bidder, the auctioneer will bid against him up to one step below the reserve. On marketplaces like eBay or Catawiki, this reserve amount is hidden. Bidding platforms usually display a "reserve not met" message when relevant: if you see this message, it means that you will not win the item at this price, even if you are the highest bidder at the end of the auction.