posted on September 20, 2000 01:03:32 PM new
Is there a special forum for people who have decided to do eBay full time, from a space other than home. I'm especially interested in how people have worked with selling on behalf of clients.
What kind of business entity did you set up? What kid of comissions are charged? What kind of business names work well? I know there is a power seller designation, but I think that applies to number of sales - or does it apply to anyone who makes ebay their primary business? Any and all information is welcome - from where to have an office space to how to elicit estate sales, individual pieces, to howe to streamline packaging, postage, etc. Thanks! Alphafe one eBay
posted on September 20, 2000 03:07:02 PM new
All eBay is interested in is the Dollar amount of sales. $2,000 is the floor to get in. Don't expect too much from them for a power seller. When I was invited to be a power seller they said they were going to be
sending me a sign to display at trade shows and so forth and it never showed up even after I reminded them. You are limited to using the logo on your auctions at the given size which is really about 3 times too big.
Some auctions I display it some I don't. I can't see a real pattern of response to it.
I rent temp. controlled space for wharehousing but do all my computer work from home. I don't want a walk in trade so why not be comfortable and secure? I will not even talk about anything under $100 to list for a third party, and consider that a favor to get someone started. If you sell unique items that each one has to be described and pic done of it there are not enough hours in the day to sell items for less than several hundred dollars each and make a living. If you have items that you can buy wholesale and relist using the same description and pics over and over then you can sell cheaper items OK. I buy with an eye to how I am going to package and ship. I send almost everything Priority Mail up to about 15 pounds. between 10 and 20 pounds it is a question of how many pieces I have to decide if it is worth driving 11 miles to UPS or 1/4 mile to the post office. I use the flat rate envelopes aggresively. I have fit 12-1/2 pounds in one. They don't like it at the counter but tough.
I don't use pick-up. Try to get someplace wher you can get cable or DSL. I have DSL and it saves a LOT of time. I would print up several sets of business cards -. each emphasizing a different aspect of your business an give that style to the person you are trying to sell. Don't buy space where you can't load your truck up right at the door or have to go up or down stairs. Don't have an unsafe hidden in a back ally loading area.
Get a Sony Macica and set up a table for photos with 2 floodlights aluminum foil reflector boards and a variety of cloths and backgrounds. Use a tripod and learn to put the spindle in upside down so you can work hanging down. Buy the best biggest monitor you can and a GOOD chair because you will be in it staring at that screen a lot.
posted on September 20, 2000 04:05:43 PM new
Actually, you do have to have at least 100 positive feeback to become a Powerseller. But that is irrelevant.
Being a Powerseller gets you very, very little beyond the logo to put in your auction, and many Powersellers here will tell you that they do not display the logo and do not advertise the fact that they are power sellers.
A more practical consideration for someone starting out is that in order to run Dutch or Featured auctions, or to use Mr Lister (eBay's program for bulk listings) you have to have been a member for 60 days and have a feedback rating of above 10.
Get a good auction managament software package. I use Invenna's Auction Amigo. Auctionwatch has some great tools, and they are free at the moment. Ebud is also very popular.
Also, you can answer a lot of questions by doing a search here at Auctionwatch. Use site search down in the bottom right corner and click the "include message center" box.
posted on September 20, 2000 06:48:19 PM new
Thanks for responses so far! Please keep them coming. What is a good comission structure for selling as an online consignor? I'm trying to decide bewteen a flat % and graduated %. Selling someone's Beanies is different from selling a car for someone!
I have rented great space in an area with antique dealers and other shops - I need to approach them in a cooperative spirite - that is I'd like to be able to offer them a couple of free auctions so that they can see if they'd like to use me as an online broker for them - everyone has those stubborn pieces that don't move in a quiet little antiques "village!" I also buy low and sell higher a lot myself and just cannot do it from home without it consuming my personal life and square footage!
I think the Priority Mail system is the best thing going - I just found out that the PO will deliver all materials to your door for nothing - one just places an order for what they need!
posted on September 20, 2000 07:40:02 PM new
a - 2000 brought up some good points. I sort of assumed you were not brand new if you were interested in going pro. Don't be afraid to ask for a good fee. I have 3rd party wants to sell cars and I asked 15% + my costs. He said I will give you 15% of the base I am looking for + whatever you can get over that is yours. Sweet. First car I sold was $650 over.
Gave me a case of wine as a bonus. I would sure not go for less under $1k. I have had one auction for $25k and the owner volunteered 20%.
If you sell very different types of merchendise you may want several ID's. I try to train my customers to bookmark my auctions and check them weekly. You don't want to mix too long a list of say antiques with computer parts if you sell both for your customers to wade through. For one of a kind small items I feel you really need about 40% of the sale to make out OK and people really balk at that. That's why I would rather not sell under $100.00 I like eBud software, but it is only for eBay if you need something for say Yahoo it won't do. An enhanced clipboard program to let you store a bunch of "components" for auctions and e-nails to paste together is a big help. I use Clipmate 5 but there are several. I rented storeage space and was hesitant to add an expense. but I was astonished what people throw out at the storeage space dumpster. I am so far ahead my wife suggested I rent a room in another facility just to gain access to the dumpster.
My second week I picked an item up from beside the dumpster and sold it for $610.00
on eBay. Another week someone threw away a desktop CNC with tooling and software that I am sure I could sell for $2k but am keeping it to start another business doing deep relief carving of box tops and plaques.
It is important to have neat secure storeage.
It is easy to damage something slightly and not be able to sell it. If something does not sell you have to decide how to dispose of it quickly or you will be overrun with rejects. Donating them to Goodwill etc works for me.
posted on September 20, 2000 08:56:38 PM new
I forgot what I consider the most important tip, at this point:
DO NOT PUT ALL OF YOUR EGGS IM EBAY'S BASKET.
Try other auction sites. In my opinion, Yahoo is a viable alternative for most everything, but it is very different from eBay. Read the Yahoo boards here at AW.
If you are selling specialized items, other auctions sites might be worthwhile, but it really depends on what you are selling.
And that's another good point. EVERYTHING depends on what you are selling. For some items, you will receive just as much money on sites other than eBay, and you will not have to pay eBay's very high fees.
Now, keep in mind, that most other sites will be a waste of your time. This is very hard to explain because it is so dependant on what you are selling.
But, the bottom line is that if you are doing auctions as your sole source of revenue and eBay is your only venue, then eBay controls your fate. And, believe me, that is not a good position to be in.
