posted on June 25, 2001 02:18:24 PM
Hello. Just letting off a little here! You really think its bad, well check out this one. We just closed up our full time retail store last month. 12 years in business. Okay we sell mostly sports collectibles. Customers always complaining because of the internet. So lack of in store traffic so we shut it down. Was doing good on Ebay and Yahoo auctions. Then, three weeks ago, myself and my brother partner got laid off our full time job. Went into work on a Monday was done on Friday!! So go to the net more! Well as of today, we have 60 non payers mostly from Ebay bidders. You go to remind them and they either signed off or are no longer users. You just cannont win. And to top that off, you now get anywhere from 5% to 15% of book! I guess we are headed off to the soupline!! Anyone beat that story? Comments welcome! Thanks
posted on June 25, 2001 02:45:41 PM
Well, I can't beat that, but I'm sorry to hear that happened to you.
I once had a customer- an old man- who's wife had just died after a long, financially devastating illness. When I told him how sorry I was, he said "Well, life is like being on a wheel. Sometimes you're at the top, sometimes you're at the bottom, but most of the time you're either on your way up or your way down."
I always think of that when I'm at the bottom of the wheel now.
Hang in there. You'll be back up top before long. Nothing ever stays the same.
posted on June 25, 2001 06:14:15 PM
It must be the industry. I, too, had a retail sports store. I lost $65k in one year to shoplifting. It adds up very quickly when dealing with hockey jerseys, etc.
I then signed on with the local pro baseball team to do the consession stand. Lost money the first year - figured I would make it up the second. They changed the team name - rendering the items useless. Sure, I could sue - but I would have to wait in line behind all the others - including the stadium's unpaid rent!
I also had a video store for 12 years. Got creamed in the Blockywood Wars.
I replaced the racks that used to hold tee shirts with bookshelves to hold eBay items. I sold part of the video store as a business and the rest of the tapes at $10 a piece, buy 10 get 1 free.
I won't be looking back for a long time.
After awhile you just roll with the punches.
Good luck to you!
BECKY
[ edited by MrsSantaClaus on Jun 25, 2001 06:15 PM ]
posted on June 26, 2001 03:34:11 AM
you know, I have always wondered if the NPB's are ebay funded, or if they have no life. I'm a smallish seller, and out of 7 closed auctions last week, 3 are NPB's-1 the email does not even work. At least the 4 that payed make it worth it.
Rick
In the begining, God created the heavens and the earth.
posted on June 26, 2001 03:45:29 AM
I think the high number of NPB's is an Industry thing.
I sell vintage jewelry and may have 1-4 NPBs a month out of 250-300 items sold.
My neighbor sells baseball and other sports cards and has 20% NPB rate.
It all depends on rarity of your items and the industry.
Try checking the items your NPB won around the same time. I bet many won the same or similiar items and just purchased the lowest priced one.
DDICffe, I really doubt NPBs are Ebay funded seem a little paranoid to me, Ebay creating false IDs building up feedback so as not to have 0 feedback then intentionally bidding on and not paying for items.
posted on June 26, 2001 05:22:48 AM
No, I can't top that just yet (maybe in September), but my sympathies and encouragement go out to you.
I agree with the wheel analogy, and hope the "up" happens for you soon! You sound pretty resourceful, so may I suggest selling your items at swap meets or consignment shops or??
Other things to do when times get tough: get rid of the car that has payments, and get one that you pay cash for. Get rid of the premium cable channels. Get rid of the second phone line. If possible, get rid of cc balances, so you're not paying 118% of the cost of everything you put on them. Shop grocery sales.
And if times are really tough, contrary to current think, welfare/foodstamps/etc are not just for freeloaders. If you need govt assistance to get on your feet, then by all means get it. You've probably paid taxes all your life, so guilt shouldn't be an issue.
You could try selling your Sports cards on Half.com, but they do take 15% of each sale. You don't have to worry about nonpaying bidders since eBay charges Half.com buyers credit cards immediately after a purchase is made. Half pays you twice a month. The Sport Card category is a new category so it may not have much competition yet and you may be able to command much higher prices than on eBay. Good luck!
posted on June 26, 2001 06:54:02 AM
If you have some other area in which you can sell the dead beats are not bad at all.
Surely you have some interests beyond sports?
posted on June 26, 2001 09:20:12 AMbluroks That Sucks! Collectibles market is in the can all over the USA. Economics plays a big part in it. Change your selling strategies, do fleas' or other non related type work for now. Quit paying auction fees while the ship is sinking. Don't be the last rat off this sinking ship. Good news is that we're all here with ya' -good company.
[ edited by Empires on Jun 26, 2001 09:21 AM ]
posted on June 26, 2001 09:37:03 AM
Some lines of business, like posters, seem like magnets for NPBs. I have one item that's been won five different times in a year and still awaits a paying bidder! The only saving grace is that it's a $5.99 item. Single-bid $4.99 or $5.99 items have a high percentage of deadbeats, while "hot" items that get competitively bid up also get paid at higher rates. That's the one saving grace lately.
posted on June 26, 2001 12:18:33 PM
When I go to the mall or shopping in general and see the store clerks either trying to look busy [or not] or the owners looking so hopeful, I marvel at what must be the sheer work and worry of having a real store. I'm an extremely small operation here, but I keep very busy. I would be uncomfortable sitting in a store and hoping a customer would drift by.
In many ways it's easier to be an employee for a company or, in my case, the government, but I got dead-bored with trying to fill up the time while watching the clock. These days, the hands on the clock simply fly by.
I like being my own boss. But then, as I say, I'm small time and have little money tied up in inventory, supplies, etc. For the most part I buy and either sell fast or dump the stuff.
I did comment to my hubby yesterday, though, that selling is no problem. GEtting paid is the problem.
Collectibles market is in the can all over the USA. Economics plays a big part in it. Change your selling strategies, do fleas' or other non related type work for now. Quit paying auction fees while the ship is sinking. Don't be the last rat off this sinking ship. Good news is that we're all here with ya' -good company.