posted on November 2, 2000 07:04:19 PM
Anybody read the announcements board in the last couple of hours? The inevitable is coming in the next couple of days. eBay will be providing a link to half.com whenever your search results come up with primarily books, music, videos, etc. They will have the information already filled in, so all you have to do is click and be taken to half.com. Now you can find the book for a quarter instead of the $1.99 (or whatever) I'm listing it for. I guess eBay would rather make no listing fee and 15% of 25 cents than a 25-cent listing fee plus 5% of $1.99. Are they trying to kill book, music and video dealers? I'm thinking I have to stop selling books with ISBNs and only go to pre-ISBN books. But it's nearly impossible for me to get enough of those sorts of books to make a living, so I'm stuck checking half.com's prices before I list an ISBN book, I guess. Thanks, eBay. Happy holidays!!
posted on November 2, 2000 07:55:19 PM
There is a lot that I don't understand about Half.com. Why give your
books away? The junk that is for sale on half.com will probably not
affect sales on ebay.
If I had to imagine the most horrible place
to sell a book, it would be Half.com.
posted on November 2, 2000 08:03:06 PM
My reaction to that news is pretty much the same as yours, birdwatcher.
I bust a$$ to scan pretty pics out of all the books I sell, write killer descriptions, and really SELL the books. Why should I do all that and then lose my bidder because (s)he sees my ad, decides to buy the book, and then checks half.com & buys it from someone there who has it listed for a buck less? No thanks. Better to list books on Yahoo when that happens.
I usually do check half.com's prices before listing anything myself, though... it seems like a good habit to get into generally speaking because I hate wasting quarters when things don't sell.
posted on November 2, 2000 08:09:15 PM
Helen- I understand where you're coming from. I personally don't & wouldn't sell on half.com because it's not too buyer-friendly (buyers have to know what they want when they shop there, it's too difficult to just browse), but lots of people do list there & claim to have success with it. It would be even easier to sell there successfully if the site were linked to Ebay. Customers could find what they want based on descriptions & pics provided by Ebay sellers, and then they could just bop on over to half.com knowing exactly what book they want to buy, and chances are good that they would find it listed for less.
posted on November 2, 2000 08:20:36 PM
Unless I know that something is "meant" for eBay, I check it out on Half.com first; if it looks like it would sell there for about what I'd expect to get on eBay, I list it there because it is a heck of a lot easier and less time-consuming.
Half.com has given me an outlet for selling stuff I would not have even bought before, because it would not be worth the trouble to list it on eBay (mostly paperbacks).
I have searched on Half.com for several books for myself, and in those cases where they don't have it, there is a link to search eBay for it.
I already have a link to half.com in all my auction listings. I am not THRILLED at this announcement by eBay, but I am just going to try to figure out how to sell as much as I can on both sites.
posted on November 2, 2000 09:43:01 PM
IMHO, if someone's selling the book on Half.Com for 25 cents (or, more accurately NOT selling the book since it's still sitting out there) then it's not very likely to sell on eBay either.
I've done well selling books on both Half.Com and eBay. Some things actually sell for higher on Half.Com than they would (probably) sell for on eBay. I really don't see this hurting eBay booksellers.
posted on November 2, 2000 10:50:24 PM
ohiobooks, maybe it's just collecting dust on half.com because nobody could see what was so great about the book. On half.com you often don't even get to see a pic of the cover, let alone any of the photos inside the book.
For example, I love books on crochet, but wouldn't touch any of the ones listed on half.com because if I can't see the pics then I assume they're full of 70's tacky orange and green patterns. Put those same books on Ebay with 3 or 4 clean scans and a solid description, and once I've seen how nice the patterns are, I'll buy the book.
Now in some cases you may have a point- I'm sure there are tons of dollar store books that are parked permanently on half.com as well.
posted on November 2, 2000 10:53:30 PM
I bet I would LOVE half.com if there were only a way to see what exactly you'd be getting! (I have the same gripe about amazon.com, but at least on amazon.com you can read other peoples' reviews of the books, and that is a help.)
posted on November 3, 2000 03:48:46 AM
I shopped on Half.com once, but I was really put off when I realized I couldn't contact the seller to ask questions, which the brief description did not provide.
I think if the book's common and readily available with an ISBN, Half.com is probably the place to sell it, because the listing fees are lower, but 15% of the sales price!? That's kind of high.
I'd rather pay more, list on eBay and provide an accurate complete description when I'm selling. I also prefer to buy on eBay, where I can contact the seller and ask questions if the description is not adequate.
Tessa
http://bookdealers.home.mindspring.com
posted on November 3, 2000 04:02:53 AM
This doesn't bother me. Why? Because before I list I search both sites and if there are too many copies available and for no money, I don't list. I give the books away or whatever.
I work both sides of the street, so to speak, because it gives me better exposure. I'll find that a book doesn't sell on ebay, but sells on half.com, and vice-versa. For example, I listed a brand new (this month) hardcover non-fiction title on ebay, no bids. I put it on half.com for $12.99 and sold it within 2 days.
As a buyer, I frequently see books on half.com for more than I want to pay, in which case I would be looking to bid on one on ebay if there was a copy listed, to see if I could get a bargain.
posted on November 3, 2000 04:48:02 AM
I'm with Keziak. I am both a buyer and a seller on Half.com. I really like it, and I think this cross-listing will be good for both.
Regarding the 25 cent books (WARNING, I'm going to give you a lecture because none of you seem to be buyers on Half.com) virtually NONE of those books are even worth looking at. YES, I know it's different strokes for different folks, and YES I know other people have different tastes, and someone will probably feel COMPELLED to contradict me and post next saying that they buy oodles of 25 cent books on Half.com, but TAKE IT FROM ME, I have been buying and selling books for a LONG time and from what I saw, they are crappy...they are MOSTLY books you couldn't give away on eBay. Like books you see 10,000 copies of at yard sales, thrift stores, etc. That is exactly why they are there for 25 cents.....I don't sell for 25 cents (why bother? I'd rather donate) but all my 2.00 books that didn't sell on eBay are on Half.com at that price now. However, they rarely sell. Why? Cause they're not in demand----and thats not my judgement, it's the market's judgement! On Half.com, I sell far more of my more expensive books than y cheapies, because they tend to be more desirable. Over 10 dollars is very common. And 95% of what I buy is over 10 dollars too. (Getting a 60 dollar book for 15 is GREAT!) Amyway, unless you are selling stuff like the ubiquitous copies of Bridges of Madison County or super mass market paper backs that are already a glut on the market, you have NOTHING to fear from the 25 cent books. And in my experience you can often get more for specialized books than you can on eBay anyway. Not as quick, but that doesn't bother me.
Here's how it helps ebay sellers: if Buyer A looks at Half.com first and sees the book listed for 14 dollars, let's say, and sees an eBay ad for a copy starting at 3 dollars on eBay, then very likely he will bop on over to eBay and put in a bid. We don't know percentages right now, since this cross advertising has just started, but judging from the way some people will drive 10 miles to save 1 dollar I am betting that at least some buyers will migrate. The flip side if this is that if he's on eBay and sees the book going for less on Half.com, he will migrate there. My point (and I do have one!) is that that circumstance isn't going to be as common as you think. Most of the good stuff doesn't go for peanuts. Try scanning the list of 25 centers on Half.com and see if YOU would seriously buy any of them at a higher price.
posted on November 3, 2000 06:17:52 AM
I just surveyed the categories at half.com. and now I understand
why you can't browse very easily. You have to know exactly what you want.
The category, "classics", contained no classics. Wuthering Heights was
found in "Poetry". Childrens books are under "Literary Criticism".
Wow! This site needs a major overhaul!
It appears to be a great place to buy paperbacks so I can understand
why sellers of paperbacks on ebay must be concerned.
My question is how can sellers make any money on half.com?
"My question is how can sellers make any money on half.com? "
It's hard to answer without knowing what "making money" means to you. I just got a check for $121 and my next will be $200+. Both are for a 2-week interval. Is that money or a waste of time, it's up to the seller to decide.
I get my books from thrifts, library sales, etc, and do not spend more than $1 on each unless they seem really special. I do get nice books from used book stores, but I do that by taking the inexpensive books there to trade. What I invest is time, effort, and expertise.
The best thing to do is list nice books that someone would really want. If they are brand new or really special, you can charge more and probably get it. Or charge a modest amount but be sure there aren't a bunch of other copies listed.
posted on November 3, 2000 09:12:57 AM
I won't bother with Half. I prefer to sell directly; I can ship faster and personalize my dealings. I am putting more and more on Yahoo as eBay seems intent on siphoning off its sales to Half. My patience results in lower overhead and less frequent relisting. What does sell on eBay still does alright.
posted on November 3, 2000 10:29:49 AM
CAgrrl, you and I are on the same wavelength. Why on earth should I write a nice ad, take a nice photo and SELL the item, only to have eBay actively promoting a link that so easily lets people look for a cheapie copy on Half.com that took 10 seconds for someone to list? Yes, I know, people can always go to Half on their own, but eBay makes it as easy as possible, thus making their message to small eBay sellers clear. And when I went to a few pages on eBay this morning, there was that Save $5 on a $10 Order banner flashing away, further enticing people to buy on Half.
The thing that really bugs me is that Half offers you the opportunity to search eBay when your search on Half turns up no matches. OK, fine. But eBay wants to link to Half even when there are items that match your search criteria on eBay! And they're going to put a link to Half right on the listings pages, too.
As for the argument that the cheapie copies are only of books that don't sell anyway, that's nonsense. I've lost track of the number of times I've wanted to list a nice non-fiction title on a popular, but not overcrowded subject, and I see "Buy it now from xyz for 49 Cents!". I'm not sure why people are doing that, but they are.
No, this is not going to be the end of the Earth. But it is yet another step in eBay's obvious plan to get away from the auction format for non-high-end items. I guess they figure they can make their profit on the difference between the shipping allowance they pay you and the shipping allowance they charge the buyer.
BTW, if anyone remembers the howls of protest from booksellers about a year-and-a-half ago when eBay had plans to put banner ads for Barnes & Noble on the book pages, it's interesting what their response was then. I actually got a personal email response from someone at eBay saying they had rethought the policy in light of seller complaints, and realized that it was unfair. What a difference it makes when they actually own the company they're linking to!
posted on November 3, 2000 05:24:08 PM
I've bought stuff at Half, and been very pleased.
I've also, bid 5 bucks higher on a book at auction on eBay, than the one at Half, as the seller was an obvious mini-microbusiness and I decided I wanted HER BOOK, not the one in the same pristine condition for a lower price at Half.
There are elements about the AUCTION FORMAT that simply are fun.
Simultaneously, there are elements about Half that serve me when I simply want to purchase a copy of a specific title.
Listing books at Half is GREAT, as there is NO time element. I do wish that they get decent, and I do mean decent photographs of the merchandise in those listings, and I really wish they'd hire several more dozen people to input ISBNs.
I think there is a place for both, and by having them linked, you have access to an AVID BOOK COLLECTOR'S MARKET.
And a lot of them won't even bother with the book search engines and shopping bots, because it'll simply be easier to surf on over to eBay.
AND FACT, too, I'm real glad they ain't simply buying it at amazon.
You guys DO realize, I hope, that this prolly occured today because ol' Mr. Bezos, he thinks he gonna *crush* Half.com.
but TAKE IT FROM ME, I have been buying and selling books for a LONG time and from what I saw, they are crappy...they are MOSTLY books you couldn't give away on eBay. Like books you see 10,000 copies of at yard sales, thrift stores, etc. That is exactly why they are there for 25 cents.....I don't sell for 25 cents (why bother? I'd rather donate) but all my 2.00 books that didn't sell on eBay are on Half.com at that price now. However, they rarely sell. Why? Cause they're not in demand----and thats not my judgement, it's the market's judgement! On Half.com, I sell far more of my more expensive books than y cheapies, because they tend to be more desirable. Over 10 dollars is very common. And 95% of what I buy is over 10 dollars too. (Getting a 60 dollar book for 15 is GREAT!) Amyway, unless you are selling stuff like the ubiquitous copies of Bridges of Madison County or super mass market paper backs that are already a glut on the market, you have NOTHING to fear from the 25 cent books. And in my experience you can often get more for specialized books than you can on eBay anyway. Not as quick, but that doesn't bother me.
I'm not sure why people are doing that, but they are.