posted on July 8, 2001 09:13:15 PM
Best category: dolls. I hate dolls, but doll collectors are among the sweetest folks on the face of this earth!
Worst category: coins. Maybe it has something to do with the concept of collecting money? Coin collectors are among the most arrogant, miserable, wheedling, complaining people I've ever had the misfortune to deal with! No description, no photos of any size and clarify, are adequate. It wouldn't matter if you described a circulated coin as something you found under a gravel pit, threw under a train, dredged through a sewer, and charged 9 cents for a dime, some coin buyer would surface and complain that it wasn't absolute unblemished mint!
And about the previous posts here...I'd have to agree that those who need to proclaim their religion to every one at every opportunity - especially inappropriately and unnecessarily - are miserable to deal with as customers or as sellers! Or even as human beings, for that matter.
The best: Antique mechanical items e.g. Balance scales, Phonograph, mech. banks, typewriter, primitive tools and utensils.
{Have been known to send extra money to ensure lush and extravagant packaging, recorded delivery, re-imbursement for my time. etc. Love 'em !! )
Good Fine/antique: porcelain/glassware/linens Retro: 60's-70's Clothing & accessories, books.
Usually send personal "thank you" e-mails of appreciation/safe delivery, as well as glowing feedback. Love 'em too!
posted on July 9, 2001 03:12:21 AM
Cameras fall into several discrete areas. I sell 60s-70-80s cameras and associated equipment. Mostly $35-165. Apx 900 auctions, exactly 1 deadbeat. I'm actually surprised it hasn't been much worse. Digital cameras may attract a younger audience who find a marketplace of ever decreasing prices and thus a higher deadbeat rate. Just one man's opinion. :>
posted on July 9, 2001 03:44:50 AM
The categories do not seem to make much diference for me. The slow payers for me have been women. I only sell about 1 in 10 items to women and the payment is allmost always slow. Sorry ladies this is just a fact.
posted on July 9, 2001 04:54:13 AMAnd about the previous posts here...I'd have to agree that those who need to proclaim their religion to every one at every opportunity - especially inappropriately and unnecessarily - are miserable to deal with as customers or as sellers! Or even as human beings, for that matter.
oldbiddies
The comments above are insulting to other Users within this thread and have earned you a warning. Please refrain from making personal remarks about other Users and stick to addressing the topic.
posted on July 9, 2001 06:53:45 AM
Normally I sell old, personally refurbished video game equipement from the 70's and 80's, plus related cartridges/accessories, plus an occassional parts from personal computer upgrades.
However, last Oct/Nov/Dec/Jan, I was reselling "hot deals" (e.g. new in box product I got from various web sites due to the .COM couponing/discounting blitz that precipitated their downfall at the end of last year.) This let me get an average $25 to $100 per item pure profit.
Prior to that time period, I experienced about a 1/2% to 1% deadbeat ratio.
During that period, my numbers SKYROCKETED! On my videogame side, it went to 9%. On the "Hot Deal" side, it went to 25%!!!!!!
The types of stuff getting the 25% deadbeat ratio was:
- DVD Players (Apex, Toshiba, Oritron, Panasonic)
- CDRW Burners for computers
- Digital Camera
- Tivo/ReplayTV's
- Scanners
- Inkjet Printers
- Network cards/Hubs/Switches
- Misc other home consumer electronics/computer upgrades.
My worst "horror story" was that I had 4 Apex DVD units for sale.. I sold 3 within 10 days (thanks to BIN) right after thanksgiving. I listed the last one.
I had to relist it FIVE TIMES between the first week of December and the middle of February...thanks to deadbeats who lead me on and on and on..... I can't believe I got 4 deadbeats on the EXACT SAME PHYSICAL ITEM over a 2 month period!
Sometimes I knew they were a deadbeat rather quickly (-3 feedback, NARU, etc..) othertimes I held it for weeks when they lied and lied.
Luckily I'm back to my "core" selling and just continuing to clean out the closets. I hope to BE THROUGH WITH ACTIVE EBAY SELLING by the first week of December this year... then go back to the real world and only list 1-2 items a month instead of 10-30 like I do now.
posted on July 9, 2001 07:02:08 AM
I sell a lot of character related stuff - Disney, TV, movies, cartoons, etc. My highest percentage of deadbeats comes on Simpsons items - most make slow payments, many make no payment, and my only bounced check so far was on a Simpsons doll.
posted on July 9, 2001 07:35:10 AM
I sell many Christian books and classical music and have a very low rate of non-payers. Morals do count. Most of my deadbeats come from computer books and mainly small dollar amount items. People don't seem to keep track of things that don't cost much and I can't waste my time with them either.
posted on July 9, 2001 09:07:38 AM
Hey MichelleG,
I found psalms stuff offensive, too, and I am a catholic!
What the heck is it with your moderation?
Those kinds of comments are as bad as racist comments. Wake up and smell the coffee.
My biggest deadbeats: clothing, I am donating from now on!
For the time and energy that goes into pix, copy and followup, it's a lot cheaper to sell an item for min $50.
posted on July 9, 2001 03:25:47 PM
how about estate jewelry?
pictures look great,description packed with nostalgia,you have to have it as they dont go down in value,then you open the box and you are disappointed.
loose setting,aged patina and broken clasp may not mean as much in the description,but see them in person,no way!!
why have it lying around,so you want to return it??
posted on July 9, 2001 06:46:29 PM
Just for the record,alot of the religious T-Shirts I've sold on all sites I never got payed for. I've had a few excellent buyers,and they are usually repeat customers.But of all the items I've ever sold,Christian T-Shirts has the highest rate of non-payers for me.
posted on July 9, 2001 08:03:38 PM
I've never had problems with my books. Never had problems with my knick-nacks. I've had problems with prints and images, though.
As an aside; If Christian, buddest, atheist or whatever, anyone who does not follow through is just a deadbeat. Grouping Christians just shows the type of slant in this world today. People feel that we are hippocritical or something when we sin. bad news, people; no one ever has to be reminded on how to be bad, only on how to be good.
Rick
In the begining, God created the heavens and the earth.
posted on July 9, 2001 08:44:13 PM
Oh baby baby....
Meg makes a lot a of beer money of my rap CD Deadbeats..
I would guess only around 50% follow through and the other 50 %
are slow pay.....
As for the Christian stuff ..I do seem to have a lot of no shows...
but on the other hand ..The ones that do pay...normally pay
more than retail...THANK GOD
.
EBAY ID
JUMPIN*JACK
[ edited by jumpinjacko on Jul 9, 2001 08:48 PM ]
posted on July 10, 2001 12:09:36 AM
We sell primarily women's clothing and while we do get about 2 a month - deadbeats that is - we also have several multiple buyers that buy all the time.
A lot of other categories do not get the multiple buyers. Women love clothes - if you have good designers - they will be back - even during traditional slow times.
posted on July 10, 2001 02:21:12 AM
I find it hard to believe that this far into this thread the sports cards catagory hasn't even been mentioned. For a couple of years [I guess I was lucky] there were very few problems of any kind, but in the past year or so I spend an enormous amount of time each week sending out 2nd and 3rd notices not to mention all the NPB forms.
I can only imagine that other categories like cds can be just as bad but for sure I rank sports cards as the #1.
[ edited by jumpinjacko on Jul 9, 2001 08:48 PM ]