TripapHoniC
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posted on October 9, 2000 02:05:07 AM new
Hey everyone...I thought I would stop by and introduce myself since I read just about everything in this forum! I gather that Amazon.com sucks right now and probably will for a while. I am going to steer clear of that site. I am new to this and have started with ebay and with selling leather, knives, lamps...etc...I was hoping I could get some pointers on how to sell at the auctions. Assuming most everyone here is somewhat experienced at this!  I appreciate ANY suggestions, past experiences, whatever will educate me in the ways of the auction. haha...thanks everyone.
djTripapHoniCs.
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spadevlj
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posted on October 14, 2000 04:26:07 PM new
Like TripapHonic, I am a newbie and would appreciate advice from anyone who has sold something. I have been at it for about 6 weeks without success.
I just checked my closed listings at Amazon. There are 62. I have a total 0 bids. I have listed at different days and times and also tried paying extra for featured placement and still zero bids. I have listed items from binoculars to knife, dolls, and tools. Opening prices from $4.50 to $49.00. Surely Amazon can not be this dead. I must be doing something wrong. Anyone feel generous enough to give me a clue?
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valeriet
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posted on October 14, 2000 05:08:21 PM new
spadevlj: Try books, videos, music. Offer Amazon 1-Click -- there are no closing fees for those auctions and that makes up for the 1-Click fee.
TripapHoniC: Andale.com has a really nice book for free about how to sell on auctions. I think I might have seen that AW has one too (not sure).
Don't give up on Amazon yet.
Valerie
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Valerie's Doggie Closet
http://www.amazon.com/shops/valeriet
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Pandoras_Trinkets
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posted on October 15, 2000 07:37:54 AM new
I've been at Amazon for a little over a year and It's had it roller coaster moments. Some months I think why bother! Others It's a grin from ear to ear. I don't do books music video etc but I noticed that when I added a few relative to my items (beads...) I really started to get more sales and I am building quite a nice customer base. This last week I've had 6 *new* to amazon bidders.
I'd really like to know where they came from
Val are we still playing "Today I see.... not auctions"
Hey I have been watching though and z-shops have been on way more than auctions. I might start shifting the weight a bit ?
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valeriet
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posted on October 15, 2000 09:16:40 AM new
If Amazon had any sense, those tabs would be truly random for everyone, thus spreading the customers around to all the stores every day. Perhaps that is coming.
Yes, I have had more zShop sales lately, though not enough to write home about (or shake a stick at )...
Today: Health, Kitchen, New Cars, DVD, Books
Yesterday, no auctions. Friday, no auctions.
Thursday had auctions (after a long dry spell).
I get 10x the bids on days when auction tab appears. Currently 90% of my customers are new. This is how it was at the beginning, and is also partly why I think things may be looking up despite Amazon.
Valerie
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Valerie's Doggie Closet
http://www.amazon.com/shops/valeriet
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 15, 2000 01:28:02 PM new
well...I haven't posted anything to Amazon.com as of yet. Still trying yo figure out ebay & Yahoo!
I have a serious question about feedback. I had an ebay account back in the day and I guess I bid on something and didn't end up paying or calling the guy or anything. My bad. Anyway, I had a -2 next to my handle this whole time. I have had 50 - 60 hits on each of the two test auctions I have on ebay without any bids. I am assuming this -2 is influencing how the other members see me as a sellsman. How reliable and the such. I have since then made another account on ebay and am going to try that. Just wanted some feedback on if you fine people think that -2 would have influence on bidders? I'm thinking it does. Thanks.
djTripapHonics.
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valeriet
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posted on October 15, 2000 03:42:43 PM new
YEP! Dump that account and list under the new account. I'd rather see a "0" any day over a "-2".
Valerie
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Valerie's Doggie Closet
http://www.amazon.com/shops/valeriet
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spadevlj
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posted on October 15, 2000 05:51:24 PM new
Thanks Val, Pandoras, Trip, and all. I appreciate the advice. I have a few childrens books I will list when AW gets fixed. Seems like the fix is taking forever!
Oh, Val, after reading your posting I followed your link to Valarie's Doggie Closet. Very nice looking zshop and interesting product for the pet.
[ edited by spadevlj on Oct 15, 2000 05:59 PM ]
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valeriet
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posted on October 16, 2000 09:23:29 AM new
Cars - Lawn & Patio - Video - Toys - Books
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valeriet
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posted on October 17, 2000 11:57:52 AM new
Video - Cars - Computer - Tools - Books
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whynot
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posted on October 18, 2000 11:22:07 AM new
Our Amazon sales stay steady. It's averaging about $500-$600 a week. Amazon customers are very different from eBay customers. eBay'rs are ALWAYS looking for bargains and MUCH quicker to SNAP than Amazon users.
Amazon users are not as price concerned but do want communication and NEW goods. Selling used articles at Amazon wont attract lots of buyers.
Traffic in the auctions is down about 50% since the TAB changes at least from what we see on our goods. Sales however are still the same.... so....
Still at $40 for 5000 listings thats hard to beat.
Signed: WhyNot!
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 18, 2000 11:48:12 AM new
<B>whynot</B>
what do you mean 40$ for 5000 listings? It only cost you 40$ and you posted 5000 items on Amazon, Yahoo or ebay??
We should get together some people and make our own site! I own a graphic & web design firm. It seems like the only way to go because we obviously know what people want and how everything sells...the navigation and all. Just a thought.
djTripapHoniCs.
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 18, 2000 11:49:17 AM new
I don't guess HTML tags work. Oh well.
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valeriet
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posted on October 18, 2000 12:57:49 PM new
AW message boards use UBB code:
http://www.auctiondiner.com/ubb/ubbcode.html
DVD - Health - Tools - Computer - Books
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jake
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posted on October 18, 2000 03:36:36 PM new
TripapHoniC: You can have up to 5,000 items listed on Amazon for a flat $40 listing fee. Now that is 5,000 items listed at any given time, not per month. It's the best deal around!
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viaastra
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posted on October 18, 2000 05:22:16 PM new
and you can chose to relist until sold or carry over your merchandising features. When items sell, they automatically adjust you quantity. they give you a nice store front with a built in search that you can set up, places to put your banners or whatever.
Check out the cost of a commercial web hosting site and a erchant account and a shopping cart-just in set up fees alone, you would be talking $1000 the first month.
$40, yup, good deal.
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 18, 2000 09:28:34 PM new
Well...so you guys know, I own a Web & Graphic Design firm located in Daytona Beach, FL & Knoxville, TN (where I am now.) I can definitely vouch for the costs of merchant accounts and hosting fees, security, shopping-cart programs & design fees...I charge people for them all the time...the main reason I am working these auctions is to find out what people like buying. We are currently working on an online shopping mall of enormous proportions! Hundreds of brand name items & unique independent distributor items at below wholesale & factory outlet costs, but available to the individual consumer in any quantity! The auctions, we thought, were the best way to find out what the buying traits of online consumers were. We are currently working with over 200 vendors & distributors.
Anyway...what Amazon.com is doing sounds like a good idea. It just doesn't sound like it's working out for the would-be employees (us). From what I have gathered in these forums (and others) in the last few weeks is:
-stay away from Amazon.com for the time being because it's not selling consitantly.
-make sure you don't get negative feedback because not a soul will bid on anything you sell.
-ebay is good for selling just about anything...if you don't have negative feedback of course.
-the more items you auction...the more feedback you get...the more repeat business you get...the more business you get in general. right.
-Auction Manager is a damn good program to have around for mass auctions...if anyone know of one better...let me know!
-reserve prices are a toss-up...haven't learned much about those. little help?
sorry for typing so much....got away from me a little. it's all good though.
djTripapHoniCs.
[ edited by TripapHoniC on Oct 18, 2000 09:31 PM ]
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valeriet
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posted on October 19, 2000 10:57:39 AM new
Lawn - Music - Software - Toys - Books
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 19, 2000 11:24:45 AM new
valeriet----
Why do you post to the thread only with catagories?
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valeriet
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posted on October 19, 2000 01:09:00 PM new
Not categories -- these are the available tabs on Amazon today. Basically checking how often the Auction (or zShop) tabs show up. Seems like once or twice a week and falling. The new tab system is killing us. At first auction tabs showed about every other day, but now less and less.
Just keeping track.
Valerie
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Valerie's Doggie Closet
http://www.amazon.com/shops/valeriet
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 19, 2000 01:13:55 PM new
OH....man I feel stupid now. I understand what you guys are talking about when you say "tabs" now. That is bad! I didn't realize you couldn't get to the auctions any other way but through that tab. I am going to write Amazon.com a letter about that. As if that would help.
dhTripapHoniCs.
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Pandoras_Trinkets
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posted on October 19, 2000 01:22:59 PM new
......As if that would help. ....
At least your optimistic
You can get to auctions though if you go through the directory. It remains to be seen how many people will actually *try to find* the auctions.
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 19, 2000 01:30:01 PM new
well....I am trying to be optimistic. Let's just get down to it...is it worth it to put auctions up on Amazon.com? I don't want to waste my time if it's not.
djTripapHoniCs.
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valeriet
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posted on October 19, 2000 01:37:53 PM new
I make a living at it. It is worth it to me.
I could double my money if there was an auction tab every day. I could double that if auctions sorted by closing soon.
I love my customers and still the majority of them are new bidders -- so they are finding us somehow. Probably through the crosslinks.
Did y'all notice that Amazon took down the "improvement" on book pages where they showed pictures of alternate books? It pushed the auction crosslinks way down on the page. Thank goodness they changed back! That may be why my bids are showing a slight improvement. Now if they will only change some other "improvements" back!
BTW - I only use bid for featured on my zShop (which needs all the help it can get). But I have an auction right now with 14 bids and 4 days to go (not a rare or uncommon item). A breath of fresh air considering how many items go for first bid.
Valerie
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Valerie's Doggie Closet
http://www.amazon.com/shops/valeriet
[ edited by valeriet on Oct 19, 2000 01:39 PM ]
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 19, 2000 11:41:20 PM new
I was wondering if you guys use any 3rd party eCommerce services? Services like PayPal, ProPay, Tradesafe, i-Escrow...etc. Reason I ask is because it seems like just having a merchant account would be cheaper. Would you say having all those different options for our potential buyers would improve the chance of a sale or would it make it seem like we're reachin' for the sale too much by offering so many payment options? Is there such a thing as too many payment options? Thanks for the feedback.
djTripapHoniCs.
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valeriet
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posted on October 20, 2000 01:29:34 AM new
1-Click is all you need. Amazon customers trust it and appreciate it. Low fees and no FVF makes it practically free. For the very rare occasions when I need another way to accept credit cards, I use the very reputable and reliable CCNow.com and eat the 9%.
I have used PayPal as a buyer on eBay, but use another email address for it. I do not accept PayPal. I have seen it hacked twice and change "forever" policies with no warning. IMHO it is a mickey mouse operation.
It is not so easy for a person with no storefront to get a merchant account. They are fairly expensive, and you pay whether you use it or not.
Valerie
[ edited by valeriet on Oct 20, 2000 01:33 AM ]
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TripapHoniC
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posted on October 20, 2000 01:53:08 AM new
Ok...so 1-Click is located where? Can I use it for ebay & Yahoo as well? 9%!! Good GOD! That is outrageous! Anyway, I just don't want to short my customers on ways to pay. Do any of you guys think it is wrong of the seller to limit the choices of the buyer for ways to pay? I guess it doesn't matter if you have all those different payment methods as long as you can say you accept all major credit cards, wire transfers & online checks...etc...I'm having a really hard time with deciding what payment service to use. I have accounts at PayPal, ProPay, i-Escrow, Tradesafe, BillPoint & Escrow...I have others but I don't want to have 5 or 6 graphics under payment options if I can help it. It might end up confusing buyers instead of helping them. Little help?
djTripapHoniCs.
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keziak
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posted on October 26, 2000 11:32:50 AM new
One thing I noticed today compared to a few weeks ago. I listed a new book and linked it to the Amazon entry for the book itself and two others. A few weeks ago when I did this, the links either never showed up on Amazon itself, or on only some of the ISBN's I entered. Today, within a few hours, I had links to my auction on all three of the Amazon book records.
This, I like.
I also see the Auctions tab more often lately.
If only Amazon (or Yahoo) would show the consistently in bids and sales that I get on ebay, I would switch over big time.
Keziak
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spadevlj
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posted on October 26, 2000 03:32:15 PM new
Finally made my first Amazon sale! Not enough to cover the expense of all my prior unsuccessful listings. But, it's a start. I now have a little hope.
As a matter of fact, I have a bid on another item. It's by the winning bidder of my successful Amazon auction. Is it common to get repeat business on Amazon (I do not have a zShop)?
Many thanks to those who have provided advice and encouragement. 
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