posted on October 5, 2001 09:12:33 PM new
I have found that you will get more bidders if you just start your items at 1.00 NR whether or not they are worth 10.00 or 1,000. I know there are a lot of people that are just like me that wont even look at an item if it starts at more than 1.00. I will pay 10.00 more to the seller who started at 1.00 rather than buy from the guy who started it at 39.99 lets say. It gets the bids going starting at 1.00, and gets people putting in lots of Proxys. Sometimes you may get hosed, but more times than not your item will close where you want it. As for reserves, dont use them, wont look at them, and definitely wont bid on them. Take care all.....T.J.
posted on October 5, 2001 09:15:04 PM new
I don't understand why you think that an auction should start at less than you paid for the item. I've been around from the beginning, and when I started selling on ebay I would shop at places like Kmart and Wal-Mart and buy off their shelves mark it up and sell it on ebay. Back in those days everything would sell.
I don't know if your new to ebay but wait until you have a bunch of items that are listed at half your cost, they have problems and everything closes with a minimum bid. I know a few people that have had than happen to them time and time again and #*!@ about it for week. If ebay has a problem the way we list there is nothing to loose but listing fees.
If you read my post you will see that I do have some web sites, one is on yahoo shopping and I have only had that one for a month and it is doing better that the other two that are getting sales combined. I have been taking to a guy that has a business on yahoo and last year did 1.8 million. He started in April and by December 31 1.8 million netting after all costs aprox. 34%. All his product is dropped shipped and he was his only employee, he has cut a better deal with companies he deals with and thinks he can net another 5% on that end plus he is bringing in another line of products that will be piggy backed on his yahoo store. He past last years earnings the end of July and hired two employees to handle phone and email customer service, I have no clue how he did it before by himself. Orders come in, he transmits the orders to his suppliers, they send him back tracking numbers and ship verification he then sends that to his customers. Of course this is all handled with the computer doing most of the work.
So the real plan is to take a real job while I hack away at moving everything to yahoo working in the evenings, I really don't need to make that much money and would just like to make a comfortable living and be able to invest a little for the future. But who knows, when he started he just wanted a way to support his Video game habit. Believe me I've seen the light and it ain't eBay..........
eBay fees are like being slowly pecked to death by chickens!!!
posted on October 6, 2001 08:58:27 AM new
PeterTDavis, when you say set up shop to you mean an internet shop real store?
I agree with Wranglers. Real auction houses do not start their auctions at $1.00. They begin the auction at perhaps a little below fair market value. It does get more bids, but it is a scary thought right now. A competitor sold a 20's dining room set with table, chairs, buffet and china cabinet for $900. That price would be my wholesale price and I certainly can't compete with that. We are looking at other options right now. "E-Bay fees are like being pecked to death by chickens." I will second that statement.
The drop could be because many of our clients are in NY. Can't tell you how many times we have shipped furniture to NYC. I notice all my activity being local people from S. California. It is my NY bidders that were more generous in their bids.
Wranglers, I wish you the best with your new job. I hope that you don't quit E-Bay for good. I hope things will pick up.
posted on October 7, 2001 05:55:11 AM new
That's it folks, Ole Pete's got the right idea. List everything at half wholesale and make a fortune! (insert smile)
dendude
posted on October 7, 2001 06:18:54 AM new
Sales may get even worse. There is talk of 1 million lay offs coming in the travel/resort/vacation/hospitality industries. The local schools just cancelled the eighth graders Washington trip for April 2002. Retailing has put off inventory purchases and hiring for the holiday season.
If it does get that bad there will be a ripple effect felt through out the economy.
posted on October 7, 2001 06:52:06 AM new
My sales have been very good for the past 2 weeks [antiques & collectibles], I don't take PayPal or Billpoint, and I sure as hell didn't start any of them at $1 NR.
I've been using BIN on some items with very good results so far,[where I know the min-max range on eBay] and the non BIN items have been getting hit hard in the last few hours.
I've also been shifting a number of items into my local antique mall, where they are selling like hotcakes. One of these items was recently listed on eBay & fizzled at $50, and on the relist didn't get a single bid?
It sold this week for $245.00 in the mall.
eBay still works for me, but my eggs are starting to get spread around more these days. My local pile is now much larger than my eBay pile.
posted on October 7, 2001 08:07:31 AM new
Things have been a bit slower but, then again, they always seem to be a bit slower this time of year.
If I could get site search to work (and it's STILL NOT working, AW!!!), I bet I'd find dozens of threads from this time last year where people were fussing about the slowness of sales & wondering if it was going to be worth it for the holidays.
If petertdavis is talking about setting up internet stores (Yahoo, ebay, etc.), then that might work for some.
If he's talking about setting up your own website for sales, it's going to take some work & some $$$ to make it successful. I've had my own site for years & it's darn hard work to get your placement up in the search engines & drive enough traffic to you site to make a go of it.
Yes, it's slow right now. Yes, for some of you, it may be more worthwhile to look at off ebay places to sell. For some, the internet shops may be the way to go.
BUT, please remember last year when everyone was upset at how slow the summer and early fall sales were, then it picked up in October through the holidays season.
Fall is always a hard time..we are competing w/people buying clothes & items for back to school or college, they may need a bit of a rest from spending after summer vacations or their budgets are tight toward the end of the year.
This year we have added problems from the economy & the national security concerns. But people ARE buying & they will again as we come closer to the holiday season.
Hang in there, run enough to keep your name up before the buying public on ebay & see what later in the month holds.
posted on October 7, 2001 12:28:32 PM new
We are presently at war with Afganistan so I am concerned that people will be glued to their TV's again. My auctions end tonight, please keep your finger crossed for me! One item has met the reserve, how great it is to be in the green again even just for one item!
posted on October 7, 2001 08:09:44 PM new
ditto; i have 12 auctions closing tonight and 1 has a bid; the other has a bid with reserve not met; very distressing
posted on October 8, 2001 08:21:12 AM new
I think I'm going to post some of my auctions for 10 days instead of 7 days.I am also using BIN on all my auctions, which is helping.I also may fill my store on E-bay again,I don't think it would hurt to try.
posted on October 8, 2001 12:16:03 PM new
of the 11 listings i had closing last night, 2 hours before closing only 4 had bids and only one with more than 1 bid. i was getting pretty nervous. didn't go look again until after they'd all ended. people did snipe (thank heavens!) but more closed with just one bid than not. sure am glad i start with a price i can live with!
posted on October 8, 2001 02:06:18 PM new
As a seller who has been on ebaY since 997 and sold over 7000 items with sales of almost 3/4 mill.
This is the worst I have seen it,I spent most of last week,re-doing my descriptions and titles.I listed about 110 items last night.
Not one single bid as of yet,one of the items I sell is a single page from a book that was printed in 1479.I sell this for 25.00 to 30.00 a page.Its been a good seller for over 2 years with decent bids.
Since WTC I have not sold one of these at all.
I have other items the same way.
I hope it picks up soon or I may put the whole lot up for sale together and get out of doing ebaY.
posted on October 8, 2001 03:05:10 PM new
It's not just Ebay. It is real hit and miss in the B & M shop. This weekend was horrible for sales. The weekend before was great.
I was counting on Ebay for income this Fall. On the plus side, I went to a Flea Market and sold 1/2 of a pick up load of Ebay/Shop rejects or mistakes and made $400.00 from scrap in 5 hours!!. But not pleasant conditions. The temp was in the 30's and only 3 weekends left for this flea market before they shut down for winter.
Sellers also seem to be bent on making things worse. I have sold a collectible for 2 years, never under 9.99. They would sell for 9.99 on up. Sellers are now starting these at .01 or .99 and selling some for that or 2.99. Do people want to work for .02 for an hours worth of work? People were very willing to pay 9.99. Who needs terrorists to slow the economy, when there are sellers like this who like to create descriptions, answer mail, and pack and ship items for a hobby.
posted on October 8, 2001 06:35:06 PM new
get used to it...I predict that unemployed/ laid off people will be cleaning out their garages and listing whatever they find on ebay to try to make ends meet.
posted on October 8, 2001 08:42:45 PM new
I had 11 auctions go off, 6 had bids. If I could continue to sell that much,I could live with it. Hopefully it will pick up for everyone.
posted on October 8, 2001 10:04:43 PM new
With all these information, I think the best way to make money is short Ebay stock, it's at $54 right now, with PE way hight 140. Ebay came out couple days after the sept 11 attack assure the Wall Street that they are ok and will meet the estimates. I think they are making a big mistake, bids are down, means less listing fee and final fees.
