posted on December 25, 2000 04:38:32 PM
Anyone know where those sellers get thier ginsu knives so cheap? I mean, I know they are padding the shipping a bit, but still!! I'd even paypal someone some money for the source...I hear it's about 25cents each...
posted on December 25, 2000 04:45:57 PM
I have sold about 20,000 sets of those ginsu knives and they cost more than .25 cents . You should pay around $1.25 if you buy 1000 sets at a time . You can't even buy the fake ones for .25 cents . How they make there money is on the S&H and only about 1/2 of the bidders willl pay for the overpriced shipping costs!! I KNOW been there done that LOL LOL !! I wish you luck!!
posted on December 25, 2000 04:50:37 PM
I know where to get them for 1.25 but just look at the current ones. Many go for like .19 each with shippin fo 4.95 or 5.25 and then add in ebay costs. Plus there are many ads that offer to sell ppl wholesale company info where you can get stuff like ginsus for 25cent so I figured that was the rate. If its so unprofitlbe why are so many ppl selling them (i suppose to get rid of excess inventory perhaps, but...)
posted on December 25, 2000 05:20:59 PM
They're actually very profitable. With an initial investment of around $2,000, you can double, maybe even triple your money very easily, just on eBay. Remember that the eBay fees will be microsocopic when the sales are at around 20 cents per knife considering the amount of knives sold. A seller can make at least $1-$2 per knife, which results in huge profits. I currently have a source in which you can get these knives for as low as 90 cents if you buy enough at a time with free shipping for orders over $2,000 and plan to purchase around 2,000 sets very soon.
So let's say I get the knives for $1.00 a piece and can sell them for $6 for the first set and $3.00 for each additional set on eBay and shipping each set costs an average of $3.00 for the first set and $1.00 for each additional set. This means I would make around $1.10 per knife after fees depending on how many each person orders, more than doubling my money, making over $2,000 in only approximately 2-4 auctions.
If you are interested in this source, please email me, and we can work something out. ([email protected])
posted on December 25, 2000 06:00:34 PM
A vendor I know at the flea market was selling them for $2.00 a set. He had those buckwheat pillows, egg waves, and mighty pro grills. Living here in PA I have been told that QVC has great bargains at their surplus warehouse, and that is near philly.
posted on December 25, 2000 06:03:38 PM
WOW the math I am seeing here is pretty bad.
If you buy 2000 ginsu Knives @ .90 each and after all fees for each sale you make $1.10
You would not be doubleing your money.
By @ .90 each for 2000 knives you pay $1800
After you sell 2000 and subtract fees on the 2000 knives you make 1.10 this comes to $2200-$1800 = $400 This is profit but no where near double your money.
In order to double your money you need to make $2.70 per Knife after fees and inventory costs. this give you a total on sales of $5400-$1800 for inventory cost =$3600 this is double your money .
posted on December 25, 2000 06:15:20 PM
People are not selling those knives for the money, they are selling them exclusively to built their feedbacks in just matter of weeks. Basically they are investing money, time, effort, and etc. ONLY increase their feedback, after all they don't lose one penny on those knives.
posted on December 25, 2000 06:15:31 PMdman3: You're forgetting the over-inflated "handling" charges that many [though not all] of these sellers charge. Those charges are basically pure profit, since they don't contribute to the actual shipping costs. All a seller has to do is pad his fees by $1 or $2 per knife above and beyond his actual shipping costs and voila -- double your money!
If someone can get widgets for $1, sell them for $0.50, and charge $2 "handling" in addition to whatever it actually costs to ship them to the customer, they will automatically double their money regardless of whether the widgets sell above their opening bid or not. The bid price covers their eBay fees, and the handling is their profit. Simple math. Now, whether this is moral or ethical is a topic for another thread, but it happens nonetheless.
Regards,
Barry
---
The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
posted on December 25, 2000 06:25:05 PM
Doesnt eBay have a rule about padding shipping extremities to avoid fees. Something like it cant be more than $5 for something selling under $1? I seem to remember this rule along time ago when people were selling infocds for $0.01 + $9.99 handling. Anyone know what the limit is?
posted on December 25, 2000 07:05:05 PM
To the best of my knowledge, there is no limit. You might make a good argument to Ebay about fee avoidance and get an individual seller kicked off, but no general rule.
posted on December 25, 2000 09:32:17 PM
I think for the ginsu knives, 20 cents and $5 shipping isn't that unreasonable. After all, these are cheap, but heavy knives. The actual shipping cost is not that much further lower, and some handling fees are allowed. It's not like a $1500 computer selling for $10 with a $1490 s/h charge.
I'm assuming that, since just about all sellers sell ginsu knives the same way, eBay feels that it is fine as I have not seen any closed auctions. If they did close your featured auction though, would they refund those fees if it was your first time breaking a rule?
posted on December 25, 2000 09:59:30 PM
Looks like a bunch of the Ginsu knife auctions (most of the featured auctions with dozens of bids) were just yanked by eBay. Coincidence? I don't think so!
posted on December 25, 2000 10:07:20 PM
What would be fair, then? $.99 with shipping of $4.01? eBay can't argue with that as the knives cost seller's around $1.00 and they'd make around $2 on shipping. As a bidder, what price structure for base price and shipping would you suggest trying to make a profit of $2.00 per knife before fees if knives cost $1.10 and $2.00 to ship per set?
posted on December 25, 2000 11:47:49 PM
I question the validity of the "Ginzu" knives, as the word "Ginzu" was just a made-up word the inventors thought up (I don't know the exact meaning in Japanese; Grandfather told me it was a naughty word in English terms), and the fact that the whole lot cannot compare to the ones from Japan (Got one beautiful set from my relatives in Japan 10 years back; still cut sharp as ever).
:\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on December 26, 2000 12:05:05 AM
Well I bought 4 sets of these thinking they would be atleast good enuf for my grandmother to use as Spares at her 3 houses.. WELL they all RUSTED IMMEDIATELY on contact w/ MOISTURE.. sheeshh.. Maybe I got the CHEAP ONES??
All that & a Bag of Chips Too!!
posted on December 26, 2000 05:47:55 AM
I bought a set of these knives months ago, and I paid .99 cents for the set and 3.95 for the shipping.
They are VERY sharp knives, and although I haven't tried "cutting through soda cans" yet, I believe that that may do it! -
The only problem with these knives is that the metal part is very "Flexible". I can flex them into a "U" shape. Because they're so flexible, they kinda bounce back and I've cut my fingers more than once on them! -
posted on December 26, 2000 06:07:54 AM
I hate to be the spoiler but if you contact Quickut, the manufacturer of Ginsu, they will tell you point blank "These knives are fakes". They do not make a set called the GInsu 2000. I purchased a couple of sets off ebay and these are very cheap. Some even had rust when they arrived. They are made in mainland China and I have all the contact information if anybody needs it. I was interested in ordering several cases until I found out they were fake. Here is their pricing.
Grey Ginsu:5 cartons=240 sets.
Total:$120
Truck:$30 from my place to Guangzhou port.
Customs fee:$48
Document by express:$10
Ocean freight :From Guangzhou to Your place:About $100,if the goods is under 1 CBM.
It'll take about 20 days to arive.
So the total cost will be US$308 to get 5 cartons 240 sets Grey Ginsu.
If by airTo Olegon State)
Customs fee:$48
Documents:$10
Total weight:around 100 kgs.Freight:around$6.5/kg. 100kgs x $6.5=$650
Delivery time:10 days.
Here is the address to verify these are fakes: http://www.quikut.com/warranty.htm
So if you do the math that is roughly $1.28/set. You just need to let them know what port to ship to. Ebay has been informed(not by me) that these are fakes and that is probably why the auctions are being pulled,, not to mention the fee avoidance that is pretty evident. I paid about .25 per set plus $3.95 shipping, it aint that hard to figure out. IF you still want to sell them just email me at [email protected] for their name and address
posted on December 26, 2000 06:33:31 AM
I don't sell Ginsu Knives, but picked up a set for myself about a month ago, at my wholesalers for $.90 per SET. I didn't have to buy 1,000, only 1 Set - Marked Ginsu, and although when I opened the pack to use them I thought they looked pretty cheap, I was thrilled with their cutting ability, they are great. The next time I had to be at my wholesalers I bought 10 sets for every couple in our Bible Study Group.
I don't think I'd consider selling them because they are poorly packaged, and on first impression they "feel" rather cheaply made, but WOW do they work good. I also don't like to sell items such as these where the market is glutted.
But all this is to say the ones I got are $.90 a set whether you purchase 1 or 10,000 sets, and they are outstanding in their cutting ability.
Actually, I don't think I'd bother about selling them on eBay, too much trouble for too little profit unless you are gouging your customers on shipping or such, and our reputation is too important to us to do something as disreputable as that.
posted on December 26, 2000 06:59:40 AM
Charging an extra $1-$3 is not so extreme. Technically, if you consider EVERYTHING including all those minor details such as time, gas and the more expensive ones such as boxes and packing materials, you will realize that "overcharging" $1-$3 is truly not too bad.
I noticed something funny on eBay, also. It appears that someone posted 1,000 Ginsu knife auctions, 1,000 auctions, not one dutch auction. Just thought I'd share.
posted on December 26, 2000 10:16:45 AM
So, is it only the fake ones that rust and bend on contact with water? Which ones are the nonfake ones/how much do they cost wholesale?
posted on December 26, 2000 12:01:14 PM
I must have bought the fake ones. Ginsu 2000, I believe. They were very cheap and flimsy. I tried one out and then threw the whole set in the trash. At least I didn't spend a lot for them, because I got what I paid for.
posted on December 26, 2000 03:36:48 PM
I emailed eBay, and they said there was nothing they could do about this...but something should be done. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to tell eBay?
posted on December 26, 2000 03:43:32 PM
Anyone have an auction that they know to be the real ones? I wanna try a pair out myself before buying these in bulk
posted on December 26, 2000 05:01:09 PM
I wouldn't buy any knives right now, real or fake. With the fake's you have a good chance of eBay shutting down your auction for counterfeit OR for fee avoidance with the common fee structure. And with the real ones, very few people would buy one because they'd see these other "Ginsu" knives at half the price. Once eBay takes all these fake auctions down, I may consider purchasing some real ones now that the name has gotten around and they seem to be very popular.
To Olegon State)
