posted on September 18, 2000 05:13:34 PM new
We've been selling on ebay for over a year now and are now PowerSellers. But there seems to be a glut in certain categories lately, so we're going to try a zshop in Amazon. I've spent hours researching, and the particular items we plan to put up are unique, and the categories these items fall into seem to do well on Amazon.
My question is:
On ebay, you can make your own html table, and so forth, and I have part of my inventory stored with pix in these tables.
On Amazon, it looks like you can't have a table. I'd like to get our zshop introduced with a nice product line. And we all know how long it takes to take those photos, edit, write descriptions, etc.
Is your $40/mo. fee based on when you sign up or when you actually submit items for sale in your zShop? They don't tell you what limits they place on description, etc., but it looks to me like they have limits.
posted on September 18, 2000 06:13:31 PM new
The $40 starts as soon as you sign up, so don't sign up until you're ready.
There are certain HTML tags that cannot be used (one is BODY), but TABLE is OK. There is 4000 character limit for each item and a 1000 character limit for shipping terms.
Another thing, the 5000 item limit is at a time not per month as some people think. So if you sell 1000 items during the month, you can list 1000 more right away.
Sales are way down at Amazon auctions and zShops. You should definitely submit the URL to search engines so that buyers will find it.
posted on September 18, 2000 08:02:18 PM new
Thank you, Valariet! So kind of you. I'll start researching how to submit url to search engines right away.
I'm especially grateful for your including the character limit (what I really needed to know). That will go far to help me. I will let you know if all my hours of research paid off(on % of similar items sold at profit on ebay vs. zshops). My main items are high-end one-of-a-kind artist historical and literary portrait dolls, etc., which would link up nicely with Amazon books.
Are you the nice person I've been reading on the boards lately thinking of a zShop of your own for cats? (Please forgive me if I'm wrong.) While I've been struggling for a name for my own shop... I've thought of several dandies for yours! (I'll watch this thread and invite you to contact me by email if you're interested.) I'll buy at your shop if you open it, because I have two beloved (though elderly and somewhat tattered) kitties of my own.
Thank you again, josie
[ edited by josie2306 on Sep 18, 2000 08:05 PM ]
posted on September 18, 2000 08:11:25 PM new
Oh, Valeriet, forgot to say I love your dog shop. If only my aunt's little dog hadn't passed away this summer, you can bet I'd be ordering from you.
I also have a Best Friend Dog, but he's a rather large (and hairy!) size and doesn't fit your offerings. Anyway, he thinks he's Mr. Macho, even at his advanced age... and I think should buy stock in Hoover Vaccum bags in this Southern climate, besides. Really!). (He's also a bit stinky at the moment, as the vet says not to give him a bath until he's been over his ear infection for a month.) He's a Newfie... what can I say... drool and all?
Anyway, I do so appreciate your kindness, and share your love of dogs. Mine is 14 years old now, and I can't imagine life without him.
[ edited by josie2306 on Sep 18, 2000 08:39 PM ]
posted on September 20, 2000 06:28:20 AM new
You may also wish to try listing your items as auctions. I have much better luck using 2 day auto relist auctions then I do with z-shops. Both ways are part of the $40.00 package
posted on September 20, 2000 01:22:13 PM new
I have over 500 auctions on 5 day relist. My mailbox gets so full of the auto-relist e-mails from Amazon, that it adversely affects my computer. I am down to holding only 3 months back in my personal file cabinet.
We have talked & e-mailed Amazon about this problem, but there does not seem to be any way to turn off these e-mails. Some folks in Amazon say it can be done, some say it can't, but no one can tell us how to stop them.
If my auctions were on 2 day relists, My computer would be overwhelmed.
I would kill these relist e-mails without looking at them, except occasionally I tell an auction to stop. I can only find these auctions by looking at each relist e-mail.
posted on September 20, 2000 02:53:07 PM new
watafind: I kill the auto-relist emails by looking for the words "at your request" in the text. These words do not appear in the auctions that end without relisting.
Amazon turned off the auction starting emails manually and that has been a relief for me.
posted on September 20, 2000 03:51:59 PM new
If you run alot of auctions you get tons of email. In a addition to Amazon we receive eBay listing and closing email and Yahoo closing email. Our method is to use web email, which automatically sorts the mail into folders, based on "key" words.
