SIGH! I've been through this explanation before. Reverve pricing is NOT a trick. The fact of the matter is, many/most folks won't initially place a bid if you set the starting price at the minimum you will accept. Let me give you a solid example:
Several years ago I was selling lots of digital cameras on eBay. I wanted at least $400 dollars for the Sony Mavicas. The time I set the bidding at $400, guess what? NO BIDS. But when I started the bidding out at $2 or $5 dollars and set the reserve at $399, I almost always got $400 or more. Why? Because the bidding is like a ladder. Most people feel better if they slowly move up the bidding ladder by small increments rather than toss in the whole wad at a large inititial price. Is this rational? Perhaps not but that IS the way it is. And when I use this strategy, it works most of the time.
No tricks. It just makes the bidders feel more comfortable when I allow them to bid in increments.