posted on January 16, 2001 09:31:22 PM
With the increased fees and competition related to selling on eBay hitting an all-time high - here's some advice. I'm offering it to you, as well as myself!
Things are getting tight, no doubt! However, we all can find ways to cut expenses from our businesses. During the boom years we didn't have to, now we must. 2001 is going to be a "shakeout" year. Sellers are that unable or unwilling to adapt will be lost.
Lets make this thread a helpful one and offer cost cutting measures, marketing ideas, etc., to help our business GROW. I'll go first.
1. I'm going to manage my time more efficiently! Working out of the home is great, but it has drawbacks too! I don't think I've ever put in an eight hour day. I mean, <i>eight consecutive hours</i>; therefore, I am not efficient. I'm always running out to do some household chore, around town errand, etc. I could probably double the amount of items auctioned buy buckling down.
2. Switch from 10 day auctions to 7.
3. Finally check into getting a FedEx Home Delivery account.
4. Possibly stop using eBay's Gallery, in favor of an Auctiva Showcase.
posted on January 16, 2001 09:49:13 PM
Ok, I will go next...put in my 2 cents
I am going to buckle down as well and really plan my day. Work more efficiently!
I bought a scale and use stamps.com, it makes for easier pricing on shipping and then I can do it all before I go to the post office, which is good, because the people in MY post office are very GRUMPY (they hate to see me coming )
posted on January 16, 2001 09:56:45 PM
You must go to the same post office as I do. They only have one woman running the whole show and she looks like she have retired 50 years ago.
Do you factor in the 10% upcharge on stamps.com?
Some of my Ebay seller friends say I'm wasting money with them. I feel the 10% is paid back by the amount of time I save NOT dealing with postaldroids. Plus I'd rather type/cut/paste a mailing address than hand-write it.
posted on January 17, 2001 08:08:42 AM
Excellent topic - thank you!
Something positive for a change...taking action.
Last June, I stopped all accessory features such as gallery, yellow ine and features. Sales remained constant, even up slightly. More profit.
Switched to U-Pic for insurance - less expensive and allows for a tad bit more built in profit.
Began to learn HTML - for an old dog, its really not that difficult. Now, I don't use any listing service, which I found only slowed down loading time.
Am in process of switching to Parcel Post shipping unless a buyer insists on priority. Of course, that means back to the dept. stores for shoe boxes, etc. But, in a couple of hours I ususally gather about 200+ boxes.
Since, November I also began lsting items at $5.00 or less. Even those antiques or collectibles I paid $50+ for. Gathering more hits, and greater sales.
Right now, I'm beginning the building of a website.
posted on January 17, 2001 08:13:56 AM
My goal is to sell more items and to use BIN. Yes, I know there may be cases when an item might ultimately go for more than a BIN price. But from what I can tell, the rewards for me come from selling more product. I've been very pleased with many of my BIN sales.
I will also continue to diversify where I list, so I won't have all my eggs in one basket.
I will learn about new categories of books, such as biographies and business, so when I come across such books I will know what will sell.
I will spend a lot less than I did in 2000 on supplies, by shopping smarter. I found a deal on ebay this week for 36 rolls of packing tape for a total of $25 [including shipping]. I had been spending $3.99 per roll at the supermarket! : - 0
posted on January 17, 2001 08:31:08 AM
Hey keziak!
Be careful who you buy tape from on ebay! I bought a case of tape from a seller that sells only tape and it is the WORST tape I've ever seen! It is thinner than cheap saran wrap & a huge pain to work with, plus I have to use twice as much!
Why didn't I return it? The cost to return it to the east coast would have negated much of the money I spent anyway, so I curse it every time I have to use it!
posted on January 17, 2001 08:33:10 AM
Yes, excellent topic -
I started in the fall of last year and will continue through 2001 doing antiques shows and the like. The results have been very pleasing - I recently sold among other things a pair of hand painted lamps I had tried to sell on eBay. They had only reached $60 there and never seemed to go higher - I sold them at a show for $250. There are many people out there who still like to touch and feel an item before they purchase.
I also found an excellent little designer shop to place items that missed selling on eBay.
I have also created a small list of buyers from neighboring towns, and once a week or so I load my car and hit the road with things I think they may like.
Yes, it's all about working smarter and 'working' your client list - which, if you don't have - I suggest you begin building one.
noteye
A sad Texan once commented "I Wish it would rain, not so much for myself, I have seen rain before. But, for my 10 year old son."
posted on January 17, 2001 08:36:40 AM
I need to cut back on my buying on ebay. I don't sell much, it's just a hobby, but if I do make anything I give it right back to someone else. Come to think of it I have the same problem with garage sales and slot machines.
posted on January 17, 2001 08:47:39 AM
Changes for 2001 -
1) I will be dumping all of my trading card inventory on Ebay this week on Thursday for 10-day auctions, and relist whatever doesn't sell on the 29th, to get 20 days under the old fee structure. These will include my $1.00 foil cards from one series, and 1st edition sets from other series sold as lots.
2) I will be pulling way back on my $1.00 trading card auctions as of 1/31/01 - I will only list as many as my profits from the Plush sales will generate, and pray for Free Listing Days. My auction volume will decrease probably from 75-80 every 2 weeks to 10-15 every weeks instead, in hopes of keeping fees at a minimum. This will result in less time spent working on Ebay things, less $ spent for packaging and less time at the Post Office.
3) I will cease offer Billpoint as a payment option unless specifically requested by the buyer - the fees are too high compared to Paypal.
4) My S/H fees will all go up 5-15 cents to cover the increased fees.
5) The majority of my auctions will be 7 day auctions listed on Sunday nights instead of 10 day auctions listed on Thursday nights.
6) Basically only those items that I can be VERY certain of getting bids will be up - otherwise I lose money on the items not receiving consistent bids.
7) My EOA notices will now include a blurb for my website, where I will continue to list my trading cards for any collectors interested - which means I'll need to get that updated ASAP.
8) Basically I'll be ending the majority of my low-price activity because 5 cents eats up what little profit margin I had in those items. I'll only list what my profits from the sale of other items allows me to when it allows me to list any at all.
VERY disappointing, my new little Ebay business is getting killed after only 1 year in operations... so I'll be looking at diversifying and moving into new product lines - my #1 idea now is to start offering handmade doll clothes, if there is an interest. My whole "business plan" for the year is now out the window and being re-written as I go along...
posted on January 17, 2001 09:23:26 AM
Since EBAy is a supplemental income for me, I can still afford to run low dollar auctions. But I will be doubling up items into what I hope will be alluring groups. This should result in lower listing fees, (as I'll run fewer total auctions), lower shippings costs (fewer boxes and affiliated costs as items are shipped together instead of each) but hopefully make the same gross.
posted on January 17, 2001 09:49:58 AM
HI sharkbaby - guess we'll see on the tape! I've bought tape in bulk from one other ebay seller and was completely satisfied, hope for the same from this seller.
katiyana, your post made me feel sad. I've read a lot of your posts lately and you sound very smart and with-it. Good luck!
posted on January 17, 2001 12:14:05 PM
Save money? Count me in! First, I will be listing many items in lots this year ~ brings down listing fees, shipping cost, time, and risk. (I also seem to get a higher final value you ~ save it on shipping and put it in the bid maybe?) Next, I will continue to research my treasures so I can list for as low as possible hoping that the educated bidders will take my widget into the right price range (so far this has been working ~ I've gotten GREAT activity listing $1 auctions with final values over $40). The risk has been minimal due to the increased exposure ~ I do many $8.16 auctions, too. I have about an 85% sale rate. Third, I will not accessorize with reserves and other luxuries such as featured, etc. Finally, I will hold my breath and pray for the auction gods to be on my side ~ so far so good! Interested in more smart selling tips if you've got any..... Thanks for sharing!
[ edited by chepistar on Jan 17, 2001 12:15 PM ]
posted on January 18, 2001 03:36:47 AM
Going to do more box lots for all the reasons stated already.
I do 7 and 10 days mostly because of the day I want it to come off on. Now I'll just do 7 day but that will give me a day or two I'm not listing so I'm going to learn how to write my ads offline (finally!) so I can just move them up on the days I want to list.
Going to do all $1 -$5 no reserve auctions and if I think it needs a reserve then I'll just hold it off for better timing!
Going to get more organized! Whoops, no that was my New Years resolution!
posted on January 18, 2001 06:40:14 AM
My resolution and a great tip to others like me? "I will NOT buy more than I sell, I will NOT buy more than I sell, I will NOT buy more than I sell"!
posted on January 18, 2001 10:26:10 AM
I'm going to buy in quanity and not single items. Store pic once, create listing once, hit relist everytime auction ends. What a time saver!
posted on January 18, 2001 11:17:44 AM
Well, even though I never got any answers, I've decided to move everything to a Shoporium store. Once the yahoo, lycos, etc auctions are consolidated there I'll continue with a variation on my previous routine. List on ebay using auctionsubmit, move failures into shop. promote shop. repeat until out of picture hosting space...
