posted on January 19, 2006 04:30:36 PM
I never understood how anyone can sell at 99cents and make anything with all those fees we pay then add paypal fees on top of that for a low $ item yikes. Maybe that lowering will encourage more low stuff but will not get rid of shipping gouging. In my opinion selling that low and hiking shipping is just fee avoidance. If I tried that ebay would kick me off.
I avoid high cost shippers like the plague.
**************
Can't touch this! uh huh, uh huh.
Baci le mie granulosità!
[ edited by irked on Jan 19, 2006 04:33 PM ]
posted on January 19, 2006 05:32:24 PM
Yes Fluffy is right. I don't normally list anything at 99 cents, but had some items that were about to be donated and decided to go for it. One item I listed 3 times at $49 then $35 than $24 and no takers - listed at 99 cents and ended at $68. Other items sold pretty high as well. Oh yeah - I didn't add more shipping cost either.
posted on January 19, 2006 05:34:38 PM
No bait, just that a lot of my friends have sold at that price with it ending there and them loosing their shirts on it..... Just think it kinda chancy to start an auction at that low of a price, of course you can put a reserve on it or like I said chance it.
I have started an auction at 99cents and it did well but guess I am not much of a gambler as I don't often do that. Of course ebay store items at that price get very small listing fees and I guess if you sell in bulk and buy in bulk you make money at it (if it does not go up that is). I am just not one that buys in bulk or sells in bulk either.
I have looked at it from all angles and in my small humble & open eyed opinion it is a gamble, with no reserve set.
posted on January 19, 2006 05:35:03 PM
I'm selling some things for a British gent who was a survivalist around Y2K; yup, bought into the whole scare. He asked me to sell things like water filters and knives starting at 1 cent; said he used to do it all the time. VERY reluctantly I did that with three items. Two are up to a combined total of about $86 last time I looked, and another has one bid, for 1 cent. We shall see.
______________________________
posted on January 19, 2006 05:40:38 PM
Hum now if you want to do it with stuff you are going to give away that would be different. I may just have to try it again someday with unsold things.
**************
Can't touch this! uh huh, uh huh.
posted on January 19, 2006 09:10:42 PM
I agree with fluff. I myself start auctions at 99 cents all the time and I let my pictures and description sell the item. 99.9% of the time the final prices are what I would consider good for me and are profitable. The other .1%, ohh well, no one win's all the time. But if only one or two items sell for only 99 cents the loss is made up by the saving's in listing's fee's from the others.
Just another white mouse in the ebay maze looking for some cheese. --- Mike
posted on January 19, 2006 10:12:25 PM
Each market is different. Fluff amd others, you have built a customer base that checks your auctions and makes sure not much gets away too cheap. In the postcard market, it is VERY irritating to be in competition with folks who don't know cards, list them at 99 cents with $1.00 combined shipping. They can't be making any money but figure if they pay 25 cents for a card, they are making a 400% profit-- think again! OTOH, they usually don't know how to list cards so people will find them. I work hard to seek them out, buy low and sell high. Unfortunately, they don't know how to ship them either, so sometimes the cards are bent in the mail or damaged when opening. Anyway, eBay supports many different business models and everyone has to experiment to find the one that suits them
posted on January 19, 2006 10:34:19 PM
fluff
DUH! I usually get more for my auctions because of my descriptions and pictures. Not from lack of, or lack of knowledge either.
I also realize a lot of auctions are started very low to draw in bidders. I also know that a lot of buyers are waiting until last day even minute to even bid on these low auctions so it is still chance. And I also know that if you have a good sell through item they get bids right away -usually.
I do my homework and I was only stating my observations from people I knew who lost their shirts selling like that.
I did not say everyone (key word everyone) lost their shirts and I did not say everyone sold at 99 cents--Only that when they did I didn't see how they made anything . My exact words were(I never understood how anyone can sell at 99cents and make anything with all those fees we pay then add paypal fees on top of that for a low $ item yikes.) You notice the words can at first of statement and at end for a low dollar item. I was not talking about high end stuff that does well. I don't assume anything unlike others assuming I assume... Well if you want to get technical I guess I did presume others would understand I was talking about the low dollar items that do sell at $.99, I didn't say start at $.99 in my initial post if you want to get technical again.
I do apologize for that absurd assumption that I blithely did not state so clearly- or did I? It, after all was just a quick selfless thought and my more poignant point was the outrageous shipping for those low dollar items...
**************
Can't touch this! uh huh, uh huh.
Baci le mie granulosità!
[ edited by irked on Jan 19, 2006 10:55 PM ]
posted on January 20, 2006 01:21:19 AMRoadsmith, wrote,
I'm selling some things for a British gent who was a survivalist around Y2K; yup, bought into the whole scare.
Roadsmith, here's an idea - recycle the Y2K gear as ideal for when the H5N1 (bird flu/avian virus) hits. Drum up interest with a range of pseudo patriotic slogans and jingoistic alarmist rhetoric suitable for your intended audience. Something along the same principle Republicans/Rightwingers/Radicals/Survivalists/'Patriots' use to peddle their latest bogeyman of the moment to the gullible masses. Should work a treat.
Stock up now before it arrives!! Coming to a country near you!!! Assure your family's survival!!!! etc.
I'm sure we all remember those horror stories grandad told around the camp fire about the Spanish flu right after the 'Great War' (1914-18). Feverish at breakfast, coughing (blood) at lunch, dead by dinner.
posted on January 20, 2006 03:43:10 AM
Agitprop: (Middle of the night so forgive any typing errors, please.)
Not a bad idea, actually, but I'd aim it at everyone, no matter what political stripe, who sways with the wind. This gent has another large box for me to paw through today; I dread to see what else he has in there for my enjoyment.
______________________________
posted on January 20, 2006 04:03:37 AM
In the past, I started 90% of my auctions at $1 (I know it cost a nickel more than $0.99, but I felt better psychologically at $1). I don't recall my average selling price, but it was probably between $150 and $200.
It all depends on how active a market it is. When I look in the category to determine how to market, I am more interested in the number of unique bidders than the final selling prices.
I used to fight my consignors all the time about this, and realized that some consignors just couldn't handle what they perceived as a risk. The ones who trust me, I still do it with (last week, $2050 for Gorham silver that started at $1). The real PITA about it was the emails I got making offers of $100, $200, etc., with "buyers" apparently thinking that I didn't know its value.
I also realized that for many items, I have to start at a slightly higher price, not because it might sell for $1, but because many people sort their searches by current price, and sometimes my item will get lost in the search (for example, a $1 lens listing will be lost in the middle of lens cleaners) . So, I start those at $19.99, just to move them up a bit.
Of the roughly 4000 items I have started at $1, I recall only 2 that ended at $1, and they were items that weren't going to go very high anyway (maybe $50 if I found 2 drunk bidders , but more likely $20); c'est la vie.
posted on January 20, 2006 06:18:28 AM
People have made good points for starting at .99 cents, I know I have watched and bidded on many auctions that started at .99 cents and they ended well over $20.
I am getting items gathered now to list at that starting price and will be satisfied no matter where it actually ends. I won't be "gouging" on shipping, items will be shipped priority mail as I am not going to waste time getting packing material and boxes for other types of shipping.
Ron
"I'm so depressed. My doctor refused to write me a
prescription for Viagra. He said it would be like putting
a new flagpole on a condemned building."
posted on January 20, 2006 07:30:44 AM
Ron, I'm not saying that everyone should start their auctions at 99 cents. There isn't enough time in my day to decide how other sellers should run their auctions (or enough interest, either).
Just to be clear, I was responding to irked's comments where she said she didn't understand how people could make any money and that it was a huge gamble to start items at 99 cents.
There is no one-size-fits-all pricing model.
Clearly if you know your market and your customers can support that start price, 99 cents is not much of a gamble at all.
But for people who perhaps don't do a lot of selling or researching of the things they do sell, I can see where they'd have problems. I (like most of us) have a house bulging at the seams from years of buying weird stuff. Many of these things I have no idea what they're worth. I start them at 99 cents, right alongside my jewelry pieces. If they sell, OK, if not...well, I just bought a bigger dumpster.
I have some antique sterling silver I'll be selling. Most of it will NOT start at 99 cents.
posted on January 20, 2006 07:36:19 AMmaybe $50 if I found 2 drunk bidders
I'm always on the lookout for little gifts I can ship out with purchases. Wine is awfully heavy to ship, but perhaps a bottle of Pinot Noir ("No Merlot!" )?
fLufF
--
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Jan 20, 2006 07:38 AM ]
posted on January 20, 2006 08:42:30 AM
Good morning all!
The psychological appeal of $0.99 over $1.00 is, I think, real. Probably the same at higher figures also.
Does bidder perception of shipping cost work the same way?
Fluffy, you have a lot of auctions going at the same time. I wonder what would happen if you conducted a little experiment? Start a few at $0.98 or even $0.97, with your shipping at $4.98. If nothing else, your auctions would be at the top if someone does a "lowest price first" search.
I haven't tried any $0.99 auctions. Might do that. My house is overloaded too.
Not right this minute, though. Gotta have more coffee first!
posted on January 20, 2006 08:58:34 AM
You guys are stressing over a measley $0.15 Think about it, start at $0.99 and it cost you $0.20 to list. Someone buys for $0.99 or so and how much have you made. Start for $9.99 pay $0.35 to list and if someone really wants it, you've made quite a bit more. Are you willing to gamble $5 to $10 for $0.15?
I'm not stressing over $0.15. I have absolutely zero investment in what I sell. My goal is to get this stuff outta here.
A $0.99 sale with $0.20 listing fee and $0.30+ for PayPal will accomplish that. As for packing material, that's been paid for many, many times over from past sales.
An exception is the camera lenses I sold recently for my Mom. (She had to have her heating system replaced.) I started them all at $45.00 and they did very well. All but one went to non-US buyers. I limited payment options to protect Mom from chargebacks. Of course the shipping was high but nobody seemed to mind.
Speaking of shipping, if a seller does have an investment to recoup, it makes sense to build some profit into their shipping fees. Same for a seller who is in business to earn a living.
You sell clothing. That's an entirely different market.
In fact, it's so dissimilar that I have 3 huge bins of brand-new high-end ladies fashions just sitting here going on two years now. I know I should not start them at 99 cents because one bid is all I'm likely to get. On the other hand, they've long since been paid for and I could really use the space, so why not blow them out?
Every day I pass them and say "I really should get started on that."
posted on January 20, 2006 10:22:52 AM
I was curious about my experiment with $0.99 versus $1.00, so I went and checked my 2005 auctions.
In 2005 I did 1,059 auctions starting at $1, but tried 41 at $0.99. ASP for $1 was $105, ASP for $0.99 was $165. I might have to do some more at $0.99 (41 is too small a sample size) and see if it holds up.
Claude
[edited to add the following]
There is no way to tell whether or not the items should have sold for the same amount or not, but if I had a larger sample size I would think that the "real value" of the items averaged out, and the remaining difference was the psychological difference between listing at $1 and $0.99.
PS Irked -- NOT ONE OF THESE HAD A RESERVE!
[ edited by cashinyourcloset on Jan 20, 2006 10:25 AM ]
posted on January 22, 2006 07:43:53 AM
Starting an auction at .99 cents is often far better then a higher price. Checkout link below. My buy now price is $99.99 for these three and starting them at $1.00 the bidding went to $196.
Happens almost every time as I have been "the home of the $1.00 no reserve auction" for five years.It's a little like gambling but I win 99% of the time.
posted on January 22, 2006 07:44:40 AM
Starting an auction at .99 cents is often far better then a higher price. Checkout link below. My buy now price is $99.99 for these three and starting them at $1.00 the bidding went to $196.
Happens almost every time as I have been "the home of the $1.00 no reserve auction" for five years.It's a little like gambling but I win 99% of the time.
Glad to see it working for you; it has generally worked for me also (although I do it less often now that I am tired of fighting consignors who don't see it my way).
My question, though, is whether you've ever tested the difference between $0.99 and $1.00 opening bids. My sense is that $1 is better than .99, but I think that I might be wrong on that.
posted on January 22, 2006 08:40:04 AM
Until a few weeks ago I didn't realize that there was a price difference in starting an auction at .99 cents and $1.00. My account manager clued me in to that. So really I have started most all mine at $1.00. I did list some this week at .99 and will see if there is any difference. The real idea is to start it low and have lots of bids and get the attention of the customers. You can scroll thru ebay and see all the items with no bid then come across one with 26 six bids and its just human nature to stop and see what the excitment is all about. More lookers usually means more bids and higher pricers.
posted on January 22, 2006 06:42:30 PM
Bids are so slow right now - I'm thinking of picking the best thing I have in my inventory and listing it at 99 cents. Right now I have 32 items listed and not one bid - NOT ONE BID!!!! Sometimes you just want something to happen!!!
, but more likely $20); c'est la vie.