Need advice about Ebay.

[ironlord1963]

12.  Now that I have my files, pic decription and cue cards ready. Posting your items.  I have a online store that I post my item at first. This site has no charge other then a monthly fee, and can still sell somewhere else, just mark it sold.  Bascaially your are ready to dump.  Use your pics and descriptions from your product folder.  Copy and paste is your friend.

13.  Keep the cue card at your desk, write down post dates, price and etc.  Also note number of hits and watchers on this card, this has clues to how good your tag and how big the collector base is.

14.   If it didn't sell not a problem. you do get to relist your item and if it sells you won't be charged for insertion fees.  Also remember it stays in your unsold folder on Ebay for 60 days, So make sure you repost or re repost your item before that.  That will save you lots of steps.

15.   However most important is the information gathered, from this.  I know can walk into a thrift shop and spot a quality Anchor Hocking jar, sellling for .99 cents that someone will pay 5.00 + shipping to have, and after all the effort, it seems to pay for itself, but this is just my sophmore year of this  I will be able to tell you maybe in a couple of years about that reserve question on those items that are worth $$$.00     

[waywardangler]

Good tips ironlord.  I am going to try them and modify it to what works for me.  Thanks for sharing.

I think selling by auction (any auction, not just eBay) is a crapshoot.  Some sells as expected, some doesn't sell, some goes lower, and some sells higher.  One has to look at the whole end result and not dwell on one item that did not sell for what one expected.  An auction is a snapshot in time for what buyers are willing to pay at that time only.  An auction with the same item at a later or earlier date may have different bidders willing to pay more (or less).

I am just looking to break even and possibly earn enough to cover the items I want to keep for my own collection or use.  The problem is I am interested in a wide variety of collectibles/antiques and find it hard to specialize in one or two areas.

[ironlord1963]

   Yea Win some and Lose some, just try and win more then lose.  I have carefully log my stuff and have only made just over $400.00 in profit, not much but have learned alot.  In my last run I made 25% of that, so what I have come up with seems to be working, just have to raise the quality of the items and then the $$.00 should go up.  As for Specializing, That will come for me, but with this and the help of this site, I will hopefully develope a good rounded knowledge base, then something will really stick.  Thus far I have gone through the Silverplate, Glassware, Depression Ware areas, Seem that I really have gotten to love Glassware, esp. Depression pink, who knows next year.   
   The important thing is find a system that works, improve it, and share it.  Then maybe someone will improve it better and share it back.  In other words please share your own system, maybe it will work even better.   

[Dean Perdue]

Very organized and well done Ironlord.

I agree with no reserves and dislike them because I feel they waste a buyer's time with senseless guessing.
You bid and bid trying to break through that barrier and lose some focus on what you feel the item is actually worth.

I say put it on for the minimum price that your willing to take, especially since you get 5 listings a month for free (I save these for the priciest items listed).

As far as days to end a auction I thought Sunday nights would be ideal but am learning that Monday or Tuesday nights get the best results for me (surprisingly).

Ive also found that if my auction ends on a nice day weather wise many people go out and they won't be home to bid. On the other hand if it's a rainy day it seems there is way more activity.JMO

Someone even made a suggestion toward gearing high end auctions around the time people are getting income tax refunds.Made some sense to me.

Interesting and useful thread. Great to hear everyone's experiences with this topic.

[regularjoe2]

Good for you , Dean !

Tracking weather & day-of-the-week is a time-honored business practice & very worthwhile IMO .

Turning a profit & learning is great stuff too , ironlord1963 !

Always enjoy you fellers' posts .

[Chinese Antique Furniture]

OMG has this discussion been helpful for me.

Thanks to you all especially you, Ironlord.

[syl]

This discussion has been very helpful and interesting. I'm going to try a new strategy. I'm going to set a starting price that includes shipping, insurance and profit and see what happens. If it sells, great. If not, haven't lost anything. Thanks for the help. Keep up the good work Ironlord.

[Blonde1]

Hi, I never use a reserve, I just set the starting price for the least I will take (consider the shipping cost), if it doesn't sell I relist it abit lower, most of the time it ends up selling for more than I had orginally post it I never bid on reserve auctions either, takes the fun out it .  Alot of sellers use a reserve so their HIGH price doesn't scare buyer off and they can see what people were willing to pay for it.  Thats just an extra unneeded expense to me
  I never do Buy It Now either, I research on Ebay what the Item I'm selling is selling for NOT the BUY IT NOWS only actual bids.  Example: I sold my Moms Madam Alexander Sonja H doll from 1930s for her.  I checked Ebay and there were a few similiar to it priced high $495-$700 they never sold.  But Moms had several extra clothes and looked better.  Other M Alexander dolls sold for $50 - $200 so I started the price at $69.99 and even apologized for the high starting price .  There was a BIG bidding war on the last day and the doll sold for $866.00 when I asked the buyer if it was the other clothes she replyed "No I don't care about the clothes, I love/collect things from the 1930s and your doll is in such great condition with beautiful eyes, the best I've seen"
  An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it IMO, if you have a sentimental attachment to an item of course it s worth more to you but to someone else it's only an object they 're willing to pay $?? for!  If I had set a Buy It Now for $300.00 (what we were told it was worth) I wouldn't have the other $566.00 would I?!   Buyers have thanked me for staying Auction style, they/myself like the fun of winning an auction and getting it for less than i could have somewhere else .  I myself skip over Buy it nows unless it's for shipping supplies or it's a.."OMG WHAT A DEAL!" 
  Alot  of the buy it nows i see are extremely over priced and I don't why?!   I'm always wondering "Do they even research what its worth/selling for? or don't they realize other people are selling the same exact thing for 80% less of what they are asking? 

Oh cr@p rambled again sorry

[waywardangler]

Blonde1, you seem to be doing everything right because you are making money.  I agree with your starting points on items and letting everything ride to the end on an auction.  I see 'Buy it Now' only for selling items fast at an established price point.  In other words, if 20 items identical to yours have sold for $20-35, you could list yours at $15 or so and expect a quick sale without waiting for an auction to run its course.  That is the only reason I see to list as a 'Buy it Now'.  I also see way too many items listed at a too high starting point and gathering no interest.  Just like an 'in person' auction, there must be interest to get bidders involved and the only way to start is with a low enough price to get at least 2 bidders interested in competing against one another.

[syl]

This may be a dumb question but what is the difference in a reserve and setting the lowest price you will accept?

[ironlord1963]

Reserve Hides the price, so you do know what the lowest they will accept is, it also makes it so you can set the price real low attracting buyers.  Then you find yourself bidding in vain unless you cross the reserve price.  At least if you set your price with no reserve the buyer can evaluate if it is worth the price you have set.  All in All it is no difference then a reserve at a Auction house.  I personnally would not bid on something with a reserve, based on I like to know what the seller is expecting.

[Blonde1]

This may be a dumb question but what is the difference in a reserve and setting the lowest price you will accept?

I think Dean Perdue said it best  "I agree with no reserves and dislike them because I feel they waste a buyer's time with senseless guessing.
You bid and bid trying to break through that barrier and lose some focus on what you feel the item is actually worth." or Ironlords "Reserve Hides the price, so you do not know what the lowest they will accept is, it also makes it so you can set the price real low attracting buyers.  Then you find yourself bidding in vain unless you cross the reserve price."
  It IS a waste of time, however, Waywardangler made a good point on the speed of Buy it now "I see 'Buy it Now' only for selling items fast at an established price point.  In other words, if 20 items identical to yours have sold for $20-35, you could list yours at $15 or so and expect a quick sale without waiting for an auction to run its course."  If an item didn't sell and a buyer emails that he miss it could he buy it, I relist it for 1 day with buy it now, the buyer usually pays right away.

I start most of my auctions at .99 (like a mass produced item), it's free and usually it sells for alot more.  If it's an item I don't want to take the chance of selling for .99, I price it higher

Oh, and most people are not stupid, so don't try to get more money by charging more for postage .  I use calculated shipping only, I add .25 cents for the .19 delivery confirmation and the .07 is put for supplies.  It auto matically calculates from zip to zip . 
I'm a top rated & power seller, I price to sell, if something it worth more to ME I try it at higher start price, if no bids oh well, but I will NOT waste someones time guessing my price!!!!   I make more on Ebay than my full time job but there is no medical insurance with Ebay YET!

[waywardangler]

I agree Blonde1 on the outrageous postage some sellers charge.  I do not bid on items if it is a very light item and they want $8-10 for shipping.  eBay was supposed to correct the high postage fees but I do not think they are there yet.  Also some sellers bury their handling fees in the postage and $1-2 isn't bad but above that is questionable.  I have run into the same problems with retail online stores.  I wanted to order 3 cabinet knobs to match the ones we already have.  The shipping/hdlg was as much as the cost of the 3 knobs so I shopped around and found free shipping with Home Depot.

I have used a start price on eBay with shipping/del. conf. figured in and listed as free shipping.  I do not know if it made a difference in the final bids but I did real well.  I think free shipping puts the listing in the top of the listings or something.

I do not like reserves either.  I want to know the item is really for sale and not an owner just trying to get an easy appraisal and has no intention of selling it.

[sapphire]

I have to second that opinion on the shipping charges of some sellers. Right now I'm trying to grab a safety razor for hubby. Wants to go
back to the good ol' real shave.  I'm totally appalled by the sight of $20+ for shipping a friggin razor. There is no way they can justify that
amount especially with the prices those razors are commanding.  As far as I'm concerned once the shipping gets over $7-8 I just pass it by.

Now if everyone looking for a razor would just go to sleep for a couple of hours maybe I could actually get one. 

[syl]

Ok, I get it now. I didn't know the reserve price was unknown. I was thinking it was like a real auction where the reserve, or the lowest price that will be accepted, was known by everyone. Thanks for that info.