posted on October 12, 2001 03:09:07 PM
Hi Folks, I'm an old time Antique Dealer who was selling better items on e-bay usually from 150.00 to 2000.00 an item....I just say this so you will understand I'm not dealing in 5 and 10 dollar items...Would like to hear comments from like sellers ...We all know that bidding is very slow right now and has been all this year..Is there anyone still making a profit after all the fee's involved....I seem to be able to sell at cost less the fee's....What am I doing wrong???? So sad I had some great years on e-bay....Mitch
posted on October 12, 2001 03:15:26 PM
I think your to focused on High end items I have been haveing my best year selling in nearly 3 useing online auctions the last week in sept and the first few days in oct were very slow but bidding is happening.
posted on October 12, 2001 03:22:41 PM
I don't loose money on anything I sell.How much profit I make depends on whether it is bought BIN or regular auction.My best profit is BIN items which makes up 80% of my sales.On a $3.00 item I usually sell it for$7-$12.
I'm a dealer too, though the stuff I list on ebay is more moderately-priced ($10-1000, with my average sale in the $50 range). I list about 50-100 auctions/week, with recent sell-through averaging 70-75%.
My auctions are still making money, but I agree that it's not the cake walk it once was, and hasn't been for some time.
I'm *lots* more conservative in making buying decisions and almost compulsive in researching prior to buying/listing in order to stay current on the ever-fickle ebay buying public.
Before listing, make sure to check completed auctions to make sure it's worth your while. If ebay prices are soft for a certain object, you'll likely find a better market at your local antique mall or show.
The dealers who survive this depressed market will be the ones who react quickly, buy smart and stay diligent.
posted on October 12, 2001 04:40:52 PM
The items I sell over $100 are doing better now than ever. OTOH, the items that I sell under $20 are slower than ever.
It seems your product is not in the right venue. Since you have been in business for a while and know what you are doing, your pricing must be in line. Clearly, your buyers are not on ebay.
Your experience is not unusual. Certain collectibles cannot be effectively sold on ebay for the right price. You probably need to revert back to traditional channels.
To be effective on ebay, you need to understand the psychology of your potential ebay buyers. Then, you can find the product for them.
posted on October 12, 2001 06:18:02 PMfountainhouse makes a very good point. I have had greater success when searching completed auctions before listing my items, especially collectibles. Not only does it give you an idea of what it will sell for and give you a guide for starting price and BIN price, but I have also found that sometimes, I will discover a better category to put the item in that I hadn't originally thought of.
You definitely need to watch you buying prices in these times, and be more selective on what you buy and what you pass up on.
posted on October 13, 2001 08:17:58 AM
selling at cost less fees?does that mean you are losing money??
what about holding cost?and your time??
there are a lot of dealers/resellers on ebay,you are selling to other dealers and they want the cheapest price possible.
it is no longer fun and profitable selling on ebay,my ex neighbor used to make a point of asking if his bidders are dealers and 90% said yes.
posted on October 13, 2001 09:16:42 AM
I carry a larger than normal inventory across many categories, then sell only what is profitably selling. If I only relied on one product line I'd be long out of business or suffering terribly during down times too.
