Author Topic: Art Deco Cigarette Cases  (Read 2121 times)

Marc-Barr

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Art Deco Cigarette Cases
« on: May 14, 2010, 01:29:07 pm »
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can sell some old Art Deco Cigarette Cases? Ebay is useless. I am sick of paying Ebay monthly listing fee's for items that do not sell. I thought perhaps I was overcharging,but looking at other sellers selling similar or the same items as I,I found I was starting my bids at fair prices. What confuses me is I see people bidding on cases in worse condition than mine and paying more or the same.

The most I have charged (with Buy It Now) is about &75. Can anyone suggest another online auction to sell antiques? Many thanks!

syl

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Re: Art Deco Cigarette Cases
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2010, 02:00:04 pm »
I think the underlying problem with selling on ebay or anywhere else is lack of demand right now due to the economy. :P

waywardangler

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Re: Art Deco Cigarette Cases
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2010, 06:13:16 pm »
It is possible that you are starting them too high...I am guessing &75 is $75?  I would start them at cost plus listing fee and actual shipping without a handling fee included.  Everyone loves a bargain but you need two people to compete with one another to drive the price up.  Ironlord could step in here and offer some suggestions as to timing ang starting price.  He seems to have a system down that is pretty good.  And as syl said, the economy is holding some bidding back because after all, collectibles are not really necessary.  To people on this forum they are but maybe not to the general population.

regularjoe2

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Re: Art Deco Cigarette Cases
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2010, 06:58:50 pm »
Marc-Barr , if you go to "Antiques!" on this webpage , you'll find an 'Ebay' section (and others too) where folks discuss similar issues ... perhaps some info/insight could be gained from all of the posts there .

As others said , paraphrased here , just because we've got something cool for sale does not mean anybody wants to buy it (even when priced reasonably) .

The 'collectables & vintage' market can go from hard to soft (esp. in the last two years) in a blink of the eye , IMO .

The 'antiques' market does the same with some items .

Getting overly eager &/or hot-under-the-collar does not change those situations , oddly enough .

The issues you mention in your post are what I think of as 'risks' & 'expenses' , when it comes to using outside services to market & sell items .

I can't blame any buyers who seek out bargains , though .

It can be a tough little business & sometimes we just gotta take a shot or two to the snout , regardless of our best-laid plans .

Hope you find a way that suits you , to resolve this .
« Last Edit: May 14, 2010, 09:51:49 pm by regularjoe2 »

ironlord1963

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Re: Art Deco Cigarette Cases
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2010, 11:45:39 pm »
     Ebay can sure be tricky to work that is for sure.  I could write a book or two on this.  The thing with online sales is there is Ebay and then there are all the others.  Ebay has the traffic the others well not so much.  If you are willing to wait, and get the best value then there are a couple dozen other sites to use. Ruby lane, MSMO, Ioffer, just to name a few.  All these sites has less fee, but the chance of someone seeing your product is pretty slim.  When someone is looking for something the first place they go is Ebay.  With that being said, now you have to ask yourself what is your goal here.  Is it just to get rid of some items you have, or are you seeking a way to buy and sell for the purpose of making a living.  Many do make lots on Ebay, and even more pay Ebay more then they make.  Ebay works best with lots of items, or a few really cool items.  Most who make money at Ebay list 200 plus items a month, the one that sells will cover the cost for the ones that sells.  If you can sell 20% of your items you are doing well.  If you only post 20 items only 1 will sell that is usually not enough to make your posting cost back.  But Post 200 and sell 20 and you make a little money.  Without writing my book here the only other point I have to make is the Title.  This is the most important to bring people to your post.  If you say something like " Dinner Plate, Vintage, Flowers, Rare, Must see" you will not get many hits.  But if you Say " Dinner Plate, Homer Laughlin, Victorian Rose, 1946, you will get many more hits.  One has to know the name, pattern, maker and etc, if you want to get the hits.  Then like mentioned earlier it takes at least two people to really wanting it to drive the price up, and of course everything on ebay is at least 1/2 of the book value of the item, if not less.   

Marc-Barr

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Re: Art Deco Cigarette Cases
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2010, 07:50:38 am »
Thanks for the replies and suggestions. Yeah,the economy was a thought I had had. However, I have been selling for a while with no problems. I list about 7-10 items a week and even though I sometimes have to relist an item a time or two, they usually do sell. I stopped around Christmas. Never made enough where it was my main source of income but at the same time, I made a steady little income from my ebay listings. I started up again this past March taking some time off. Seems like I have only sold a very few items. One item I marked down so low,I practically gave it away.

The item I listed for $75 was a buy it now and my most expensive item. Most the cases I start around $30. I'll give you one example. I had a case that was in very good condition. Very light surface scratches but otherwise in good shape. Came with the original box and was a very elegant looking case with built in lighter. I had about 13 people watching the item,but no one bidded. My starting bid on that item was $35. Now, I noticed another case identical but not in as good of shape listed. It had about 3 bids and was up to $42 with another 2 days left. I could not figure it out. I often will include free shipping just to make it a little more tempting.

Did not even know about the ebay section. Thanks for letting me know. I am also a buyer and I like everyone else love a good bargain. I just feel Ebay is better for buyers than seller. I always accept fair offers but way too many times I get the same crowd. Always, right after an item ends I get a email or two with people making offers. Fair offers I welcome but most are just insults. Was offering a case with free shipping for $40 and someone wanted me to take $15 with free shipping. I eventually did sell the piece for $40 but some of these bargain hunters can really get under your skin.

Many thanks again for the helpful advice. I really do appreciate the input!