posted on January 6, 2001 10:15:51 AM
I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir here, and that the most successful sellers don't do these things....but I gotta rant.
I'm not going to "LQQK" just because you suggest it.
If you have no picture, I'm not gonna bid on it.
If your picture is about an inch by an inch square with no way to enlarge it, I'm not going to bid on it.
If your picture is of the neckline and the fabric but not the whole item, I'm not going to bid on it.
If your picture is the whole item but it's full of wrinkles and hanging funny off the hanger, I'm not going to bid on it.
If your picture is the whole item laying wrinkled and odd across your bed, I'm not going to bid on it.
If your TOS is longer than your description, I'm not going to bid on it.
If you ONLY have a picture and no description and tell me a picture is worth a thousand words....it isn't.
NOBODY is going to bid on one single pair of used sweat pants. Try packaging it together with a top.
A knit t shirt top and knit pants is not a "Pant Suit".
Just because it's a tad higher quality than what one might wear to scrub the kitchen floor does not qualify it as "business", "professional", or "executive".
Stunning is something they also do to cows before they slaughter them. In many cases, this definition works better to describe the item than what I'm sure you intended. Most of the time when I click on an item described as stunning, I'm going to be stunned, for sure. My knees will buckle and I'm heading to the floor.
Gorgeous is not a catchall term that means "a hideous melange of turquoise, chartreuse and magenta".
Now, where DO I bid and buy?
--Good photos, closeups of tailoring detail and a full shot of the entire item, either on a dressmakers dummy, mannequin or hanging flat and nicely on a hanger.
--Good entry line desription, such as "Black beaded silk sweater, size M"
--Good description of the item itself, including measurements, since one manufacturers marked size is not the same as another manufacturers marked size.
--If not a dress or a pant suit (a real pant suit, a business suit with trousers instead of a skirt), I'll bid on an outfit, top and bottom. I don't care if they are from the same manufacturer. Do they look nice together? Not stunning, thanks, just nice. Are they the same size or could a person of one of the sizes actually fit into the other item?
--All I need to know about your TOS is what payment methods you take, which one you prefer, and if you hold checks for clearance before shipping. And that is quite fine with me if you do, I just want some idea of when to expect the item if that's how I pay for it. I also need to know if you ship once a week or every day, and also how much shipping is. I do not want to be bitten with extra charges after I win the auction, no matter how small they may be. I do not need to be told not to bid if I don't intend to follow through. Yes, I understand you may have been burned in the past. However, I personally and I'm sure thousands of others don't bid unless we intend to follow through. And those that don't follow through on their bids don't care what you say to begin with. So just take it off, it's offensive.
I would like to close by saying that in general I have been genuinely delighted with clothing purchases I have made on Ebay, and when I haven't, it's because I violated one of my own bidding rules. But I see so many items just sitting languishing with no bids that I had to post a bit about WHY that might be, from a buyers perspective, and if I have helped one wrinkly hanging off half the hanger inch by inch photographer, I'll have done what I intended to do.
posted on January 6, 2001 10:50:42 AM
I don't sell clothing, however I still benefied greatly from your post. I realized that my TOS are way too long and could put off a lot of bidders. I've trimmed it down, thanks to you, and will remember what you said about photos next time I want to be lazy and put in a junk picture.
posted on January 6, 2001 11:25:26 AMStunning is something they also do to cows before they slaughter them. In many cases, this definition works better to describe the item than what I'm sure you intended.
posted on January 6, 2001 11:44:31 AM
Most everything you said could be applied in principle to all auctions. There are very few things that need no description of detail in condition and an attractive presentation of the actual appearance.
posted on January 6, 2001 11:57:16 AM
Thanks for posting this! I do sell clothing, and I must be doing something right, cause all my items sell first time around. I buy clothing too, and I am like you are so I learned from buying!
posted on January 6, 2001 12:02:14 PM
amen on the part about the clothes hanging funny on a hanger in the photo. Why bother auctioning if your photo is a major turn-off?
I just bought a lot of girls clothes this week and what clinched the deal was the seller's flexibility. I emailed to tell her I didn't want to pay over $6 to ship a large lot that included things I don't need. I asked her to let me know if she ended up not selling because I wanted just part of the lot. Instead, she offered to send just the clothes I wanted for less postage, and I took the BIN price.
posted on January 6, 2001 12:08:44 PM
Great list!.....
My favorite If your picture is of the neckline and the fabric but not the whole item, I'm not going to bid on it. Love it when the seller has like 6 pictures of details & labels, but no full shot of the garment!
In addition, I'd like to ad SIZES people! & if you could manage it, how's about some measurements?....I've run into a bunch of auctions, while shopping this week, that actually have neither size nor measurements....which, if you stop & think for a minute, is gonna make it just a wee bit difficult for buyers to decide whether or not it's for them!
posted on January 6, 2001 12:17:28 PM
I agree with goodvibrations. I only sell clothing and run at LEAST 150+ auctions every week. When I first started out I was guilty of most of the things she has complained about. But by listening to the customers and always trying to improve my auctions, I believe mine are finally where they are supposed to be. I include as much information as I can (and I always include measurements) and have several great pics in each auction.
posted on January 6, 2001 12:27:01 PM
I'm always a little confused to see people complain about an auction that goes 'on and on', but on the flip side people complain about not enough info. Sometimes i feel like you can't win. Ditto the TOS. You can't make it too long or people are "put off", but if you leave out something they don't like that either. <sigh>
My clothing auctions tend to have pretty long descriptions, including measurements for most items, and while I have trimmed my TOS and taken out anything even remotely "accusatory", I still have a good deal of info in there about what payment forms I accept, when I reasonably expect to receive the money (just so I have *something* to hold a bidder to when I am certain they are going to deadbeat anyway), and a basic overview of my return policy. I find that without this info I just answer a million repetitive questions during the auction run time.
I also take average of three pictures per item, one full length, one close up of the bodice or any details (print or embroidery or interesting neckline or whatever), and one of the labels if it's a designer brand. I shrink all my pics using www.spinwave.com 's "jpeg cruncher" to get them down as small as possible for faster loading time. I measure things every possible way, yet I still get the very rare buyer who gets the item and asks for a refund because it "doesn't fit", despite their being a size label, a size chart from the manufacturer, my own personal experienc of the fit (if it is an item in my size range), and measurements of the bust, shoulders, length, waist, blah blah blah.
I, too, have learned from mistakes made buying on eBay what NOT to do in my own auctions. I recently bought a dress that looked, from the pics, to be a calf-length dress. No length was mentioned in the description, and no measurement given, and I wrongly assumed it was a long one. Got it and it's right at the knee, and looks horrid on me (I have to wear my stuff really short or really long). So now I always ask, and in my own auctions I *always* give length measurements on dresses because that is very important to many bidders out there (myself included).
I also ALWAYS include the size in the title, even if it's only S, M, L, XL, etc... because MY pet peeve is clicking on a listing for "Long black dress" and finding it's a size five. Likewise with children's clothes I always try to fit "boy" or "girl" in the title too, because when I am searching for stuff for my kids I will do a search for say, "Baby Gap 3xl" and half of what I click on is girl's stuff when I need boys. I hate that!
posted on January 6, 2001 12:44:01 PM
Wow, great post! And thanks for including what you do bid on . . . .I occasionally buy clothing and I do a search on certain brand names that I like . . . It's always wonderful to be able to scroll down the list and see the name & size right in the title. "Danny & Nicole, Size 10." Saves a lot of time and I think helps me keep from missing anything I might like.
posted on January 6, 2001 12:44:19 PM
Great suggestions!
I primarily sell clothes and would never think of not including measurements etc. When I shop for my children on line I skip probably 60% of auctions b/cuz for whatever reasons children clothing sellers do not believe in pics or shipping terms or the clothes are just plain junk.
The only time I have shown the collar area and material without a full shot is when the item - usually mens shirts - are pin striped and the picture makes you dizzy. Normally I can increase it to show the whole size but many times you cannot. Usually my mens nordy customers all are multiple buyers so not an issue but that is a reason why full shots are not always given.
Anyway, great suggestions. I do not mind the extra work on the front end as packing is a breeze. You could not pay me to pack breakables - I guess that is why we all have our niche!!
posted on January 6, 2001 01:23:14 PM
So glad this topic came up. I really like the womens clothing auctions but I am not currently buying any clothing because I am so sick and tired of discriptions that read
its a size 10 and?????? that doesn't tell me anything since the size you wear will differ from one piece of clothing to another. Let me give an example I can wear clothing anywhere from a size 8 to a 12 depending on how its made.
If you going to sell clothing for goodness sake put measurements in your discription. If the measurements are not mentioned in the discription I DO NOT BID I am sick and tired of mailing sellers for the measurements on clothing when they should be in the discription to begin with.....The size alone means nothing.....
Lots of clothing sellers also put up very poor photos. EXAMPLE: Photo of black dress on a black background get real do you really want to sell this item? Or no picture at all that one I don't get, or just a very poor photo that you can't make out what on earth their selling....this has been bothering me for awhile now thanks for allowing me to vent myself on clothing sellers. This venting does not apply to all clothing sellers but unfortunately it applys to too many others.
posted on January 6, 2001 01:39:36 PM
Boy ~ I have learned alot from this post. So please do keep going.
This is what I want to know about. What are you guys looking for on infant and children's clothing auctions? Are you looking for measurements for a 6 month outfit? for a 3T? Please give me details of what you would like to see.
posted on January 6, 2001 03:34:58 PM
Theisland; I agree with you 100%. I too, am so tired of e-mailing sellers for the measurements on an item that I like.
posted on January 6, 2001 03:40:14 PM
All great tips and advice. I totally agree. As far as noting in your auctions how often you ship, those who ship all week shouldn't have to. But, if you only ship on certain days, I think you should note it.
I've only sold a few pieces of clothing, and haven't ever bought any. I did put lots of measurements and more pics than normal when when I listed clothes, prompted by previous threads here on AW.
posted on January 6, 2001 04:02:00 PM
Great post! I'm getting ready to sell some clothing we had from our store awhile back and this thread will help a lot when I get ready to auction them.
A few questions:
On the measurements, what exactly do you measure? Do you measure across the shoulders or do you go around while you have it up on your dress form. Do you include sleeve length? Bust size?
Some of my items also say "one size fits all". We all know how stupid that is. Do you try to estimate what size you think it will fit plus put the measurements?
One last question, if it's dry clean only, do you dry clean it first or just state that it may need dry cleaning?
posted on January 6, 2001 04:21:29 PM
Great thread!
I sell women's clothing, and thank goodness don't violate any of the suggestions put forth thus far.
As for measurements, I measure across the bustline (a couple of inches below the arm) and double that. On sweaters and such, the waist measurement isn't real important, as they are not usually fitted in that area. Hips are 7-9" below the waist, or the bottom of the sweater (which is usually smaller than the actual hip area, unless it's a really short sweater or one without ribbing). Ribbing "pulls in" the sweater at the bottom.
I also add length to just about everything, because from personal experience I know that I need a jacket or sweater to be just about 30" long. Anything less, and it's unflattering. I suspect others have similar issues.
Ditto on sleeve length. My arms are short for my height, and I need to know this, so I imagine that somebody else might, too.
"One size fits all" is the worst size descriptor in the universe! I don't even state this in the title, if that is what is on the garment. I know about what size is what bust/hip measurement (years of sewing, and buying clothing), so I'll give complete measurements in the description but also give a size estimate in the title, to get people to at least take a look.
I will iron a wrinkled garment before photographing it, and I will definitely wash anything washable that needs it. I sell a fair number of formals, which are terribly expensive to clean, but I will spot-clean as necessary. Anything else that is dry clean only, I'll use Dryel on it if it needs freshening. Anything very stained or dirty that can't be washed, I won't sell.
I only sell items that I love (or would love, if they were the right size/color/style for me). If it's grimy, grungy, ugly, or poor quality, it goes to the rag bag unless it has some redeeming feature that would make it useful to the thrift store.
posted on January 6, 2001 05:18:34 PM
Measurements are also extemely valuable as most item are used and after a wash the size may not be the true size.
We only sell NEW or LIKE NEW and measure the following:
Length
Arm Length
Chest - shirts, jackets etc.
Waist
In Seam - when pants
Slits in skirts - if there are any
Tie widths when selling ties - several men will only wear a certain width
We list size but if no size - I try on and guesstimate and say look at measurements to be sure.
Shoulder to shoulder from the back
We also list:
Material
Sometimes cleaning tag if womens items
If lined or not
We will use Dryel but other than that if more is needed than it does not fit our quality to sell.
posted on January 6, 2001 05:53:50 PM
Great Post!! I sell mostly babies clothes but when I do sell off some women's clothes, I always make sure to describe as best as I can (I learned when I sold maternity clothes and didn't include measurements!). The only this is with my TOS, I have that I will leave negative feedback. I have had deadbeat bidders come back at me and threaten negative feedback because I didn't specify that I would leave negative feedback in my TOS! In my opinion, someone who is so-so on an item I am listing, might not because it is in there-sorry it is offensive to you but that is not the intent.
posted on January 6, 2001 06:32:09 PM
Katzname: I'm looking for lots! Minimum of three pieces of clothing. I don't need measurements, anything like 3T or whatever says what I need to know.
Also, don't fold and photograph. I saw an ad for pajamas that I really couldn't tell it they were short or long sleeved in the legs due to folding.
posted on January 6, 2001 08:29:28 PM
I am fairly tall and my main complaint is the lack of inseam measurements in descriptions for ladies dress pants or jeans. Sure, almost everybody puts the WAIST size in. It has to REALLY appeal to me for me to take the time to e-mail and ask the inseam. One waist size doesn't fit all just like one-size-fits-all doesn't fit all. What really cracks me up is the catsuits advertised as one size fits all. Hehehe, what universe is that in?
posted on January 6, 2001 08:53:21 PM
I am about to start selling my daughter's outgrown clothes...
Should I list them all together as a complete wardrobe, or group like items - ie, three summer dresses, 3 short sets...
A lot of the clothes are non designer brands... most bought at WalMart, Target, etc. But are in very good condition (no stains, rips, etc - basically what a new item would look like if it was washed 5 times) Is it worth it to list them? Or would I do better to take them to my local consignment shop.
I know I often see used children's clothes on eBay but think after paying shipping it's not that great of a deal, esp since I can see and feel it.
posted on January 6, 2001 11:41:36 PM
Oh, I want to second the recommendation to include fabric content. Please don't just say "a cotton blend" either. I am one of those "cotton snobs", I LOATHE polyester anything, I can't wear wool in any amount, nylon itches me. The worst thing is when the fiber content of a garment (if known) isn't indicated in the description. I've emailed sellers to ask "Is it 100% cotton or a blend" and had the response "Yes, it's a 100% cotton blend, mostly cotton, at least it feels like cotton.." <sigh>.
Regarding whether or not to split up things into three pieces or into one big "wardrobe"; I've noticed that the huge lots get more bids when you're talking non-name brand stuff (i.e. Target/Wal-mart stuff). I currently am putting together a 24 month/2T boy's lot that covers all seasons and will be huge. Most of it is lower-end brands. When I have higher end brands I will split them up into smaller lots. The only time I sell kid's clothes one piece at a time is if I know it is a highly desirable name brand and in excellent condition AND very very cute, or something perhaps of a lesser brand, but really cute that is new with tags still attached.
posted on January 7, 2001 12:48:26 AM
Great thread! Since I mostly buy and sell clothes I really agree with a lot of the ideas here. I'm glad to know that I learned well before I started selling myself I took the elements I liked from other auctions, added what I felt was missing from a lot of auctions and didn't do what I hated in other auctions. If I get a bad picture from an item, rather than go ahead and list it now, I will retake the picture. Since my feedback is all positive, I must be doing something right!
I also state whether and item is new or used. If it's used, what condition it's in and any flaw I see. I'd rather not make another dollar or 2 than to have an unhappy customer! Besides, I've had items I wasn't sure would do well go much higher than I expected. I include cleaning instructions too, because I would want to know if it's dry clean or hand wash, etc. Oh, and I either say the pictures are close to the color or try to describe it. I know that's hard to do, but at least it gives an idea.
One peeve I have about lots is I hate it when someone puts say size 18's in with size 24. Like that's going to fit the same person?
Oh, and I always clean everything before I send it. I received a shirt one time that smelled and looked like they pulled it out of tha hamper and shoved it in the box!
Oops, wrong smiley!
~~Angels fly because they take themselves lightly~~
[ edited by mouseslayer on Jan 7, 2001 12:49 AM ]
posted on January 7, 2001 07:19:04 AM
Another thing I just thought of as I was looking at clothing this morning....with the new raised shipping fees caused by the raise in postal fees, I am rethinking or passing on many "single" items I may have bid on before.
I will gladly pay $5 for shipping/handling on a pantsuit, dress, or entire outfit. I will not pay $5 shipping/handling for a pair of slacks or a single sweater. Put them together though and I'll be happy to do that.
Just a thought. I see a ton of single items out there and if I look at the sellers other auctions there are numerous items that could be paired together. I guess the seller is hoping they will get more for each item auctioned separately than as a unit, but I think sellers need to take into account the shipping fees. I also tend not to bid on a single pair of trousers for example if I am not assured of getting a top or jacket that goes with it. No point in having one piece.
