neglus
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posted on March 24, 2008 05:25:36 PM new
rch 24, 2008 | 05:00PM PST/PT
Stephanie Tilenius
Hi everyone...I'm back with some good news. As you've heard us say a number of times already this year, great service will make the difference in 2008 and beyond. So to reward sellers who consistently delight their buyers, we're cutting insertion fees through the end of the month.
Starting tomorrow, if you have Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) of at least 4.5 on all criteria - and you specify your shipping costs or use the Shipping Calculator - simply list your auction-style item with a starting price of 99¢ or less to pay an insertion fee of only 1¢! New sellers who don't yet have DSR ratings are also eligible. This promotion will run through March 31st, so make sure to take advantage quickly.
Check out our information page for all the details.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Tilenius
General Manager, eBay North America
http://pages.ebay.com/promo/startlow08/
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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pixiamom
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posted on March 24, 2008 05:31:46 PM new
Yuck is right. Pitooi, pitooi spit it out of my system!
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cblev65252
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posted on March 24, 2008 05:32:36 PM new
Like I'm giving my items away with the way traffic has been on ebay. This brings out the bottom feeders that I don't want anyway. No thanks!
Cheryl
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neglus
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posted on March 24, 2008 05:50:13 PM new
Do you think you could list at 99 with a higher BIN? That's the only way I could do it. Can you imagine the crapola that's going to be listed this week? I should have taken the week off.
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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vintageads4u
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posted on March 24, 2008 05:51:41 PM new
And how is this changing that awful image that John Donahoe has of ebay as a giant flea market???
Beth
Antique Ad Shop
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cblev65252
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posted on March 24, 2008 06:09:53 PM new
Well, this will boost their first quarter numbers. It's no coincidence that the sale ends on the 31st.
Cheryl
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ladyjewels2000
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posted on March 24, 2008 06:17:04 PM new
Ditto to what vintageads4u said.
At first I thought of cleaning out some inventory but then I have to ship it super fast and cheap. Think I'd rather donate it.
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deichen
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posted on March 24, 2008 06:17:10 PM new
Whooppee! I never start at $.99.
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mcjane
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posted on March 24, 2008 06:37:13 PM new
Am I reading this right, your starting bid has to be 99 cents or under & can not be over?
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pmelcher
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posted on March 24, 2008 07:22:20 PM new
Yes, 99 cents or under to pay only 1 cent for listing. I really don't have anything I want to give away right now. Oh yes, you also have to specify shipping costs or use a calculator.
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sthoemke
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posted on March 24, 2008 07:49:28 PM new
Ah crap. Stuff just doesn't sell well during these special promotions - too many items listed all at once. I was going to list a bunch, but guess I'll wait another week... At least spring break and Easter vactions well be over by then.
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merrie
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posted on March 24, 2008 08:09:13 PM new
Wow, what "good news" - let me give my items away during the slowest time of the year and as a bonus I have to struggle to keep my "stars" in order. Talk about jumping through hoops!! and who benefits?? Not the seller that gives away their items in order to save a little on listing. Thanks for the great news, but I'll pass.
Yuck is right!!
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jtomp
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posted on March 24, 2008 08:52:36 PM new
I am passing too. They must think we are really stupid or very very gullible.
JT
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pixiamom
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posted on March 24, 2008 08:59:10 PM new
Trying to keep a level head - is there any way I can make this promo work for me? The answer keeps coming back - nope! Then, is there any way I can compete in this over-flooded environment? Nope, not unless I have absolutely unique items that won't be lost in the riff-raff. Who can take the chance, offering choice items during such a sale? This is a disaster - I'd love to take spring break off but can't possibly see how I can afford to - it looks like eBay is offering me little choice.
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MAH645
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posted on March 24, 2008 09:38:51 PM new
Tell customers in your ad that if they go to your store and buy 10 postcards or more they get free shipping. I have tryed telling customers if they pay regular shipping on the auction item that they can get an additional item in my store with free shipping but that doesn't seem to work.
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otteropp
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posted on March 24, 2008 10:09:48 PM new
On the flip side...what a GREAT week to BUY!
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pmelcher
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posted on March 25, 2008 04:24:51 AM new
I hadn't thought of that, yes we can buy! I actually may list a few things like single handkerchiefs that I usually would not spend 35 cents to list, of course I have to remember Vendio fees, FVF and PayPal fees plus the cost of envelopes and gas to the Post Office. On second thought maybe not!
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amber
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posted on March 25, 2008 05:01:31 AM new
There is nothing I want to sell for 99 cents, and with the market flooded, that is what most of the auctions will sell for.
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cashinyourcloset
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posted on March 25, 2008 05:08:49 AM new
Why do you all persist in thinking that starting an auction at $0.99 will have it end there?
I started thousands of auctions at $1 with No Reserve, and had an average selling price just shy of $200. Do you think that there won't be more than one bidder if you have an item really worth something? Do you have so little faith in your item that you're unwilling to let the free market price it for you?
If you don't like auctions, that's your choice. It's not eBay's fault. I happen to like auctions, and have made money on them. On eBay.
Nothing flea market about it, unless you put flea market items up.
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pmelcher
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posted on March 25, 2008 05:57:16 AM new
Actually you are right, I just need to trust in the value of my things. I do have some nice items that I could gamble on, thank you for the gentle 'smack upside my head'!
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cashinyourcloset
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posted on March 25, 2008 06:23:07 AM new
pmelcher,
I'm glad that you took it in the way intended. I re-read it after going to the gym (which usually mellows me out), and it sounded a bit harsh to me.
For those of you who haven't tried a "real" auction, take the opportunity. Don't list everything you have, but see if low-price no-reserve auctions work for your kinds of items. You might be pleasantly surprised (and if you're not pleased, this advice is unsolicited and is worth precisely what you paid for it  ).
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merrie
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posted on March 25, 2008 06:29:08 AM new
To me it is not worth the gamble for quality items.
Save .34 if you normally list up to 9.99, save .54 if you normally list up to 24.99,save .99 up to $49.99, etc. Although my items generally get more than one bid and do not end at the starting bid it is not worth the gamble (save .54 and lose $24.00 if it generally sells for 24.99 and this week sells for .99), although I guess for a penny you could always stop the auction early if there did not appear to be any interest.
Hmmmmm....
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cashinyourcloset
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posted on March 25, 2008 06:54:36 AM new
Merrie,
Don't stop the auction early. 99% of the time, the price only goes up after you can no longer end the auction.
My estimate, based on thousands of items, is that you will ON AVERAGE get 20-30% more for your items by starting them low. You will sometimes get burned, but seldom very badly. You will also sometimes get a lot more than you thought.
However, if you are nervous about it and are going to be sitting with your finger on the cancel button all week, don't bother. It will never work.
Regarding: "lose $24.00 if it generally sells for 24.99 and this week sells for .99," I am curious as to your theory of why a buyer, who last week would have been willing to pay $24.99 for an item, would this week be unwilling to bid more than 0.99 (plus the increment). Why would that be? The only sensible answer I come up with is that some buyers don't like auctions and are impatient. I counter that with the thought that there are many eBay buyers out there who long for auctions (and are tired of BINs and items priced at their intrinsic value).
Why not try one $24.99 item and see how it goes at $0.99. Worst case, you lose $24, and I consider that unlikely if the item truly sells for $25 otherwise.
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badgeman
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posted on March 25, 2008 07:24:52 AM new
Check out this seller. He starts just about everything at 99 cents. goods-byeauction. Selle about everything he lists.
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neglus
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posted on March 25, 2008 07:25:07 AM new
Cash - you are assuming that people can find the item. This week, with the site teeming with $.99 listings, getting an item seen is going to be a challenge. Also, I read somewhere that eBay reduces (or eliminates) US listing visibility on non-US sites. Bring Best Match in to the equation along with any other tests eBay may be doing ....it certainly seems it may not be the best time to experiment with $.99 listings.
I thought about setting up a new id to list $.99 postcards with higher shipping than I usually offer, different combined shipping discounts etc but still don't think it would be worth the effort.
I think I will list at my usual starting prices - with any luck, buyers will get sick of seeing crap at 99 cents and skim to find the higher priced offerings.
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http://stores.ebay.com/Moody-Mommys-Marvelous-Postcards?refid=store
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merrie
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posted on March 25, 2008 07:57:20 AM new
cash: your thoughts are welcomed. The items I sell generally sell quite well since I list them at at least 50% below retail, and there are not a thousand of them flooding the market, but many times it sells at the starting price, one buyer. In those cases the item will sell for 99 cents. I will try it and see. Clean out a few things.
Also, in person auctions do NOT start at 99 cents.
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pixiamom
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posted on March 25, 2008 08:25:14 AM new
Otteropp is right - it is a good time to buy.
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cashinyourcloset
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posted on March 25, 2008 09:51:54 AM new
Merrie,
You're right; if the market for your items is shallow, i.e., few bidders, it might not be right for a $1/NR auction. A deeper auction item (LV handbag, anyone?) will do appreciably better at $1/NR than at $599.
To neglus's point about visibility, maybe the time to do a trial balloon isn't during this event. I do think it's worth a try sometime. It's not as though you're listing a multi-thousand dollar item. At worst, you'll lose roughly the cost of a half-dozen cups of coffee at Starbucks; at best, you'll find a different way of pricing auctions that CAN work very well.
Neglus,
Re: "buyers will get sick of seeing crap at 99 cents and skim to find the higher priced offerings."
- Bottom feeders never tire of finding crap at 99 cents; they live for it. They don't even care if they never win an auction, they'll keep trying.
- The bottom feeders are seldom the ones who win a $1/NR auction; they've dropped out by then
- By the time the eventual buyer sees the listing, the price is at $10-$25, and there have been a half-dozen bids. They're much more interested in that than the item at $25 with no bids (cross-reference why the guys are always going after the girl who already has a boyfriend and ignoring the equally attractive girl who doesn't have a bf). All you need is 2 or more of this kind of bidder, and you've got a successful auction.
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deur1
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posted on March 25, 2008 10:42:13 AM new
This is not good for me, actually it is harmful. Listing on a week when folks are glutting the place with 99 cent listings.
Of course some may find it helps their business.
I concur with thread starter all-in-all it = YUCK!
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merrie
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posted on March 25, 2008 11:10:15 AM new
Thanks for the advice, cash. I listed a few things, we will see what happens.
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