posted on November 21, 2000 07:37:44 AM new
Hello everyone!
I was wondering how others would rate their sales right now on eBay. I just had the strangest experience. My latest set of auctions (15 total) are sitting and closing with no bids. I had one BIN successful transaction. I see mixed posts about whether the BIN is good for them or not but haven't read where others are talking about low -or NO- bids! Even items which had always been a sure sale have closed with no buyer.
So what is my "real" question? Perhaps, has anyone else been experiencing an unusual lack of business/bids? Are there posts elsewhere that would indicate another site where people gone? Has the constant eBay outages finally taken their toll? Is eBay being boycotted (could I be?)? My FB is excellent so it's not that. I'm stumped.
posted on November 21, 2000 07:41:42 AM new
I often see comments on people's sales, but without know what they are selling, it's hard for me to gain any insights. I sell second-hand books. Typically, my stuff sits there with no bids until the last day or so [yesterday I got a good price on one that clearly was in a last minute sniping contest].
I also operate with modest profit margins, meaning I buy low but also sell fairly low. A thrill for me is a sale that goes to $10 or more.
Having said that, things are great right now! Very pleased with ebay, half.com, and Amazon Marketplace. Yahoo is less productive, but I even made a sale there yesterday.
posted on November 21, 2000 07:50:22 AM new
My sales are GRRRRRRREAT!
34 items = 171 BIDS!
I sell Vintage collectables(anything and everything)from Estate Sales.
I only wish I had more time to list.
I bought a set of American Bricks for $12.50 and sold them last week for $172.00.
I did a major "Happy Dance" on that one
.
edited for packer by packer!!
.
Having a BAD HAIR DAY! ...
posted on November 21, 2000 07:54:39 AM new
Hi Keziak!
I sell Native American (authentic) in mostly the lower price ranges ($8-$20) and maybe 1 or 2 higher priced items (up to $90) per set of auctions I put on. I also sell hand painted Mexican pottery and keep the prices very competitive (appealing). I also sell misc. small antiques (like crocks).
I saw one of your other posts where you said Yahoo is just not cutting it for you however, if it weren't for Yahoo, I don't know what I'd do. What doesn't sell on eBay, 80% of the time is getting swiped up at Yahoo.
posted on November 21, 2000 07:59:38 AM new
Oh, fair to middlin. But my work load is increasing disproportionately, because I'm selling more items for less. Last week I spent a full day and a half answering emails. I'm going to have to think up some new strategies.
posted on November 21, 2000 08:24:46 AM new
Yes, workload is increasing and eBay bill for listing is as well. A listing fee is one thing when you're selling a fair amount but when you sell NOTHING, it hurts. I was hoping my selling would increase on eBay as I became better known but, instead, it seems to be taking a few (I should say a bunch!) of steps backward.
I really want to stay with eBay but if I keep paying bills with no sales to speak of, how can I? I just keep thinking there MUST be something I can do to turn this around.
I also bring up the point, again, have any of you who frequent different discussion boards seen anything about bidders boycotting or going elsewhere say, in response to the (what is it called?) Million Auction March? I hope it is okay to mention that here.....
posted on November 21, 2000 08:38:18 AM new
Percentage of First Lists closing successfully is Down.
Deadbeats up a bit - but mostly on small items.
Percentage of Relists closing successfully is Up.
Hits very down.
Bids very up, i.e. the things that get bid on go up higher than they would have a few months ago.
All in all, I'm happy with my first xmas season (and my first year) on eBay.
posted on November 21, 2000 08:53:05 AM new
My sales are pretty good. In my short career in Ebay (started 4/00), the last 2 months have proved to be the most successful.
It's true what they say about competition. Study your competitors and offer what they don't offer! I noticed my competitors gouged the buyers ... a little here, a lot there, etc. Okay, observed that the buyers really liked product A, so I stocked up and am taking over that arena.
Another thing about shipping cost is, I found purchasing my boxes and going below the priority mail rate really brought in a lot of business.
I made some changes to attract customers. This is it. Great service, low shipping cost, fast service and 100% customer satisfaction. I am getting more bids with this attitude. I hope your auction picks up!
posted on November 21, 2000 08:55:30 AM new
Hummmmm.....Sadie. This is interesting. I've not looked at things in terms of first list, relist, etc.
Please excuse me if I appear not too with it but, what made you think of looking at "relist" percentages? What do you attribute to getting bids on relists? I mean, do you think it is due to people who let it go the first time and are afraid to let it go again? Could it merely be that the right bidder came along? Again, I don't mean to sound from the "nether world" but I'm interested in what you have to say.
Like I said before, I really want this to work and I'm very open to suggestion and need others' views. I'm learning a great deal already and wish to thank all who have responded!
posted on November 21, 2000 09:03:10 AM new
How am I doing? GREAT!
Bids come in throughout the listing period (normally 10 days), prices are good, a good percent get multiple bids.
Yesterday I had 33 books close...22 had bids. ..6 went for more than the opening bid...8 items got first bids in the last 24 hours...one got the first bid in the last hour.
I have 15 books still up right now...2 end tonight and have bids, 1 getting the bid last night. Of the 15 up, 9 currently have bids.
I have 2 IDS, one is china, glass, collectibles..all from estates; my other id is books. I am listing about the same number of items I have for the last 2 years, I have the same percentage of listings sold as I have had for the last 2 years, the same gross income as 2 years ago.
My net income has changed-upwards- because I have more knowledge of this venue now and am able to buy better...I have a better knowledge of what sells and for how much.
I have noticed no adverse effects from the site problems ebay has had recently..in fact, a couple of Sundays ago, when so many were complaining about ebay access I had over a hundred auctions close..a number were sniped during the "down time". There was no difference in the number that closed successfully from times when there were no site problems.
posted on November 21, 2000 09:04:17 AM new
I've been doing this for over 2 years.
September and October were very very slow, down 40% from Jan - Aug.
But Nov is pircking up especially the past week. But I sell jewelry so it is early Xmas sales.
On a side note. I noticed a competitory of mine that was listing 5000 auctions at a time. Her average item was ~$15. {She used the same strategy I generally use, which is list it at a fair price and it sells real close to the oening bid} Looking at her completions I saw only about 1 in 8 had bids. This seems expensive. By my calculation she's effectively spending ~$3 in listing fees for ever item sold. This seems like a business destined for failure. Unless she;s happy working for $2 per hour.
posted on November 21, 2000 09:20:49 AM new
Thanks avmom - your points are excellent and well taken! I'll check out my competitors. Of course, with the previous checking I had done, I found what people were bidding on - shocked me! In excess of $1K kachinas, expensive pottery, etc. I'd be petrified to invest and THEN not get the bids. I also looked at the fact that some of the sellers of the expensive items are well established with their customers and (I'm sorry to say), I am afraid to try in that arena.....
Now, you said you purchased your own boxes and lowered shipping - how are you shipping? I've had experience with non-Priority mail and found it took almost 3 weeks or more to receive the shipment. Certainly not good. I won't use UPS and their rates are nothing to write home about nor is their delivery time. I've shipped some smaller items that could have gone regular mail rate and gave the buyers the option for the cheaper rate and not one buyer chose the cheaper rate. Payment arrived for the $3.20 USPS. I have given thought to absorbing shipping as a selling perk but I've already reduced my prices, I'm paying listing fees (with no sales), I'm getting zapped with PayPal fees (did you see their newest gouging-just received their email today)......
I just know there's got to be a way. I'm one of those diehards who doesn't take no for an answer but even I am getting worried. Can't run a business like this - I don't have the luxury to fool around too long. Oh woe is me (smile).
posted on November 21, 2000 09:31:54 AM new
Sales are fine if the darn BIN feature would work right!
Sales in general are strong and steady.
I see where some of you are wondering how people can sell so cheaply - some of us have been in business lots of years, and we know where and how to buy. I have one item we sell like hot cakes, it wholesales for $13.95, but because I know it sells well, I buy in quantity and pay only $9.75. We do many items like this. But as I said we have been in business a number of years, we attend the major wholesalers conventions and seek the best prices on items which we sell. We test the market, if they do well, we buy in quantity, and with most wholesalers quantity buyers get major discounts. In many instances I can sell retail for what many pay for the same item wholesale.
Lots of work, study and experience pay off. the one thing I learned from my husband was buying in quantity. Buying in quantity use to frighten me, I was afraid I'd get too many of an item and not be able to sell them, but I've learned over time, normally what I can sell and what the public wants.
posted on November 21, 2000 09:52:31 AM new
molly,
Great going on giving customers options. I haven't had a customer complain to me regarding the length of time it takes for the shipment to arrive. Most arrive 1 day (some priority - amazing!) to about 5 days.
Yes, establishing a good customer service opens up new opportunities. I also believe - who knows - that I hit my 100th feedback and things really kicked in. I believe I have developed a good rapport with my customers, and a good reputation. Customer loyalty, just like how your competitors developed one.
I am also testing the waters on Yahoo. Yahoo does get a good amount of traffic. I see it as free advertising as there are no set fees program in Yahoo other than you want the exposure - and a very affordable rate depending on what you want to sell. And I only have ONE competitor in Yahoo (Woohoo!). It certainly does not hurt to list there too. The fees on Ebay are hurting me and yes, I noticed PayPal has changed their rates. (big sigh)
Hope the sales kick in with Christmas around the corner.
avmom
Edited to add the following:
I did my first BIN auction - that was fun! Can't comment too much on that yet. Also I structure my listings this way .... it may helpful. I list my auctions for 10 days. On about the 7th or 8th day, I list more items. This way, as one set of auctions is opening it is attracting new customers and they will see I have other auction items closing. Double the exposure is my idea. I think it works.
[ edited by avmom on Nov 21, 2000 09:59 AM ]
posted on November 21, 2000 10:23:03 AM new
Hi, unknown. The seller who lists 5000 auctions and gets bids on just a few is doing fine. Also, there's no reason to believe that listing fewer items would increase bids for those items. That doesn't follow, I think.
Can I share a few secrets? First of all, unless you live on Cloud 9 like a certain poster I won't name, then YES your bids come in during the last day and probably during the last few hours. Here's what I did about it: I started targeting last-minute bidders. I switched to 3-day auctions and list them three times a day. (This brings me right up to eBay's allowed 10 identical auctions.) That way, no matter when a bidder is browsing the closing auctions, one of my auctions will always be right under foot. I call it my "carpet-bombing" strategy. Let me tell you, it works much better than Featured Plus with extra bells and whistles, and my listing costs have been cut IN HALF! (You can get 120 plain auctions for the price of a Featured Plus with a few enhancements.)
Of course, this strategy is only useful if you have lots of identical items. I buy wholesale, usually around 50 - 100 pieces at a time.
The other thing that works well with lots of identical items, is to link to your auctions using a keyword search. Okay. Let's say I've got an item listed for $10 bucks, and it receives five bids, closing at $15 bucks. Good, right? Wrong. Because I've got a half-dozen other identical auctions that are going begging. I did realize a profit, but I also LOST four sales. Better to make five sales at $10 than one at $15. (Do the math!)
So how to direct bidders to my other auctions? I do it by inserting keywords in the description. Before I list an auction, I go to eBay's Search page and do a search for +[my user id] +[a product id]. (See below.) Of course the search comes up blank but I copy the URL and paste it into my auctions. The link looks something like this:
Has this item already received bids? Click _here_ to see my other auctions for BrandX Kazoo. (Keywords: BrandxKazoo, Twinsoft.)
By using my seller id as a keyword, I insure that the search doesn't turn up any other seller's similar auction. The other keyword is a unique product identifier. (Remember when you get the Search URL to check the "titles and descriptions" box.)
This trick works well too. A few days ago I noticed three bids on one item that was about to close. As I was browsing my listings, I saw one bid come in for a similar item, on an auction that was ending later that day. I am pretty positive the bidder followed the link from the first auction that already had bids.
Had that bidder bid successfully in the first auction, he would have increased the final price by only $.50 cents, while bumping off another bidder. So using my system, I made "two sales for the price of one." Kind of my own "But It Now, Or In A Few Hours" strategy.
Anyway, these are tricks that have worked for me. The downside is that while they do generate more income, they also create more work. Try them and see if you like them. Unless you're a competitor. If you're a competitor, forget everything you just read.
posted on November 21, 2000 10:23:35 AM new
twinsoft:
"Oh, fair to middlin. But my work load is increasing disproportionately, because I'm selling more items for less. Last week I spent a full day and a half answering emails. I'm going to have to think up some new strategies"
I often wonder about this aspect of selling on ebay for the big-time sellers. How do they do it? I spend a lot of time on the email, packing, shipping, etc and I only keep about 30+ items for sale at a time. Of course I work FT and have two small kids and something approaching a life...but there's little chance I can make more money by listing very much more.
posted on November 21, 2000 10:37:10 AM new
Keziak, it's easy. Just practice this mantra until you can say it without laughing:
"Your package was mailed yesterday."
But seriously, I often wonder same thing. Obviously, some posters are lying about their volume. I have two kids and a disability. (That beats three of a kind.) Before eBay I hadn't worked in 20 years. I'm still not up to speed; I probably work three or four full days, divided over the seven day week.
To be perfectly honest, it's true that my customer support takes a beating. (You try facing 400 emails on Monday morning!) In my own defense, eBay is my sole source of income and I am fairly unskilled, so my back is against the wall. It makes life interesting.
posted on November 21, 2000 12:11:44 PM new
So Twinsoft...just who are you referring to with this comment?
"unless you live on Cloud 9 like a certain
poster I won't name,"
And with this comment?
" Obviously, some posters are lying about
their volume."
I hope it wasn't anyone who has posted to this thread. I know my post was accurate as to volume and how my sales are going...are YOU being accurate?
PS..you know, unless you have intimate knowledge of another poster's business it really isn't smart to suggest other posters are lying..or living on cloud nine. I'm surprised you would do such a thing.
posted on November 21, 2000 12:22:59 PM new
I would say my overall volume of sales has gone dramatically down the past 2 months. I had some good sales very recently (I deal in Pokemon items), and with some new items coming out in time for Christmas, I buy up what I need for my own sets, and sell the extras. Apparently I've used up most of my previous market of buyers, by finishing their sets, they don't need anymore. But I had a very nice sale this week on the new Pokemon Plush dolls, so that was OK.
I'm now pushing out into some new areas to see if I can get any sales - I knit and crochet and am going to try my hand at selling some of my work to see if there is an interesting in hand-made items.
I'm really hoping with Christmas coming, things will pick up.
posted on November 21, 2000 12:37:10 PM new
Hi, Amy. You know, when I made that comment about posters lying, (1) I was kidding and (2) I overlooked the fact that you did make comments about your number of sales. Sorry if you took offense. Actually, I was referring to Glenda's claims about her husband. And when Glenda shows up here, I hope she has a sense of humor.
As for the remark about being on Cloud 9, I really should wait until after noon to start hitting the hard stuff.
Amy, I've always enjoyed your posts and I don't mean to criticize you at all. However, since I've got your attention, there is NO WAY! you can convince me that eBay's frequent outages don't affect the number of bids or final value of auctions on eBay. At any rate, I'm glad your sales are good.
posted on November 21, 2000 01:02:13 PM new
Twinsoft...quit hitting the hard stuff so early..wait till the girls go to bed! (ask me sometimes how I survived two very active-get into everything-they were lucky they made it to adulthood without being murdered by their mother- twin sons!)
I'm not trying to convince you ebay burps don't affect auctions..what I am giving is my experiences. From my experiences with MY auctions there doesn't seem to be any real effect. I have steadily sold the same $ amount and the same amount of items for two years now. The only time I have ever seen a down turn in sales is during the summer months, but that is pretty normal for the type of merchandise I sell..it happens in the antique malls too. It's related to time of year not ebay stability.
I didn't think you really were being insulting, but did want to ask.
posted on November 21, 2000 02:22:14 PM new
Right now I'd say they are fair,I sell videos,T-Shirts and misc. Items I sold well last year are not doing as well this year.I'm new to this this so I need time to see what the best sellers are I guess.Then again maybe I'll never figure it out.I sell new stuff so it's a big guess.
posted on November 21, 2000 04:44:11 PM new
twinsoft,
Excuse me to divert a question to twinsoft and off topic a little .
I have a question. You mentioned your strategy where you would list multiple listings and add a link from your auction if the item already has a bid. Silly question here, but wouldn't it be easier to list it a dutch? What reasons would you not use dutch. I may be missing something.
posted on November 21, 2000 05:50:34 PM new
Hi, Avmom. A large part of my selling strategy is to MINIMIZE expenses. Especially eBay listing fees. A Dutch auction costs (around) $2. A single "plain vanilla" auction costs $.25. It may seem like a negligible difference but when you list many auctions, those nickels and dollars add up. By running several regular auctions instead of one Dutch auction, my items are much more visible to last-minute bidders.
Three Dutch auctions per day @ $2 each (that's not including any extra listing enhancements) times 30 days comes to $180 per month. That's for a single product line. Multiply that by 10 products and you're looking at $1,800 in listing fees each month.
Now three regular (non-Dutch) no-frills auctions per day @ $.25 each times 30 days comes to $22.50 per product line. Multiply that by 10 products and the total comes to $225 per month.
So you're looking at a difference of $1575 per month. That's $1575 that goes straight from your bank account each month to eBay, whether or not your items sell. And I can tell you from experience that starting out $1,800 in the hole to eBay each month (still following me?) is a tough hurdle to overcome. We're talking $19,000 (yes, that's nineteen THOUSAND) dollars each year in unnecessary expenses. Using my strategy, I've shaved about $1,200 from my listing fees each month, and gross sales are better than before!
This kind of calculation becomes ESPECIALLY significant if you run Featured Category auctions with Bold and Gift icon, like I used to do. Then you're just shoveling your profits back to eBay. Yes, my way is more work, but the money stays in MY pocket where it belongs.
What's the point of spending an extra $20 or $30 to run a fancy Featured Category auction and have your item listed at the top of the category? NOBODY IS LOOKING THERE!!! Everyone is searching the Closing Soon items. I've watched the effectiveness of optional listing features decline, while their price doubled. My strategy now is to run as many cheap auctions as possible, so that my auctions are always visible in the Closing Soon search.
I can't guarantee this listing strategy will work for everyone, or anyone, but it works for me. I used to pay half my profits back to eBay. Now, it's only a fraction. I was scared to try three-day auctions. But since my auctions don't get bids until the last few hours anyway, what's the difference?
posted on November 21, 2000 05:58:46 PM new
My sales are doing just great - thanks for asking. I do eBay as a hobby and I wonder if this is not a significant factor - I can afford to take the time to get things just right. If I'm too busy with other things, nothing gets listed.
posted on November 21, 2000 06:02:10 PM new
Twinsoft,
Thank you for your explanation. I had no idea how much more a dutch auction would cost. I figured it was all configured by the dollar amount. Makes perfect sense. I usually run 10 day auctions and allow the auction to run it's course and on the 7th or 8th day, I capture new attention as I open up another set of auction. Although I do like the action as one is opening another is closing, most days in between are like watching paint dry - therefore why man the station? I'm still a small operation and still testing the waters.
One thing we unanimously agree on is, the fees are killing us.
posted on November 21, 2000 06:17:21 PM new
No problems here. Some days sales are way up (100% yesterday) and some days they stink. I find that it really depends on what items we have listed.
I also think that there's a H@@l of a lot of competition right now. That could be the reason for slower sales in some categories. More items listed means less customers to go around.
