posted on June 24, 2012 08:10:57 AM new
I just had to pose this question. Doing searches on items I might or might not list / buy, etc. I have come across many completed items that have sold for $4-5 with free shipping. These are small items, like toys or an article of clothing, etc. Not postcards or magazines or flat light weight items.
Is it really worth it to list & sell these items when you will only net a dollar or 2?? Even if you list for free due to no store or promo days, FVFs range from 7-9%, shipping for these items even shipped in an envelope is $1.50-2.50 depending on zone, etc. Then there are PayPal fees.This is not even considering store fees if you are a store owner, extra venue fees if applicable (Vendio, etc).
Am I missing something here?? Why list items for such a small amount if you are getting listing fees for free no matter the starting price? I have seen identical items sell for .99 (starting price) to $14.50 (starting price), so why?? I know some sellers start low thinking it will generate interest, but now, not so much.
Any thoughts?? Have I missed something here? Is there a method to this "madness?"
posted on June 24, 2012 01:24:55 PM new
Similar topic on why people sell a book for a penny has been beaten to death on AMZN .
One explanation is that those who have access to print shops pick up the defective copies from the dumpster (paperbacks)free.
Then they list them on AMZN and ship in a plain envelope,probably free too!
Postage coould be $1.98 and AMZN gives them shipping of $3.95 so they make a dollar after transaction fee and commish from AMZN.
Another reason comes from sellers who buy books in bulk and pay storage for these books.
They made their money on the scarce ones and those which cant sell ,it is better to get rid of them at a penny and make room for new books.
May be Ebay sellers feel the same way,just get rid of them to make room for new arrivals
posted on June 24, 2012 03:21:21 PM new
Too much time, effort, expense to list things just so an item can go to another home. Donate them & let the nonprofit make a few cents & the item can still go to someone who wants it.Especially with all the rules & regs on Ebay!!
posted on June 24, 2012 04:36:03 PM new
What happens to Fluffy,she was selling sterling silver jewelry starting bid of 99 cents and collect 6.95 shipping,no combined shipping either.
I used to see wholesalers selling beads for 99 cents on Ebay!
posted on June 24, 2012 04:47:15 PM new
Is it really worth it to list & sell these items when you will only net a dollar or 2////////////////////
a dollar here and a dollar there can add up.
This recession is now 4 years old,young,old,middle aged out of workers,if they have a roof over their head,this could be their gas money,or a cup of coffee while browsing for job openings at the bookstore or an ocasional treat of a slice of pizza or a DVD to enjoy.
And what about retirees?their savings is earning zero in the bank,a few dollars could mean 'meat ' on the table or a piece of lemon meringue pie!
or is it lime meingue pie?I am not a big fan of cream pie!
posted on June 24, 2012 05:49:42 PM new
So be it, if people are willing to spend the time to make a $1 or $2. My research also shows that many of these items would have sold for a lot more if they had started the auction higher, & why not, listing is almost always free these days.
My time is worth more to me, not to mention shipping materials, etc. I know many use second hand materials, but with all the fees, work, etc. I think time could be better spent on another endeavor.
Fluff did make money on shipping back in the day. Not now. Many sellers have gone the same way, away, due to high overhead & low profit.
posted on June 24, 2012 05:56:22 PM new
if i am not making at least $10, i am not going to bother at all and for $10 it has to be really worth it.
you have to also consider that these items may have been listed for much more a few months or even a year or two back, but they have dropped the price to the point that it is just to get something out of it.
i have done this before, but usually just move it auction and make sure to cover my costs through shipping or minimum bid. if it doesn't sell after a week or two, then it is gone to donate.
posted on June 24, 2012 06:02:52 PM new
It's really been this way for a long time on ebay. I never understood the odds but I guess if you start everything this way - you win some and you lose some. If not - you are not doing the math.
I'd rather look for a week for things I can pay $30 for and sell for $300 or more - hopefully much more. But maybe that just me!!
posted on June 24, 2012 06:13:27 PM new
shag: I agree, I have to net at least $10 to make it worth my time & effort.
I have dropped the price on some items if they do not sell at first, but at some point it is time to move on & donate the item.
A strategy I am using now is listing it in an auction for a reasonable price, one that I would be happy with since the FVFs are less then FP, not a low ball figure. If there are no bids, I put it into my store, usually for a little more.(You would be surprised how often it sells for more after it went for a week with no bids at a lower price). I give it a reasonable amount of time to sell & if not, I cut my losses & either pack it away if I think it still has value or donate it.
I think people are doing themselves a disfavor by pricing items so low. If it is junk throw it out. If it has value, price it as such!!
posted on June 24, 2012 06:15:30 PM new
ladyjewels, I like your way of thinking. My dad always taught me, "You make your money when you buy." So, buy right!!
posted on June 24, 2012 07:43:42 PM new
I'd rather look for a week for things I can pay $30 for and sell for $300 or more - hopefully much more. But maybe that just me!!
/
So who is pricing her item low?
a week of looking-time plus gas money,your cost could be 269.
$269+30-300=$1
posted on June 24, 2012 07:52:24 PM new
My hunch is that there are many inexperienced sellers out there who don't research the item on eBay first. They list an item that has a hundred or more up for auction already and just guess on how much to ask.
And they're not thinking about the additional fees, either.
_____________________
Gandhi's seven deadly social sins:
Politics without principle
Wealth without work
Commerce without morality
Pleasure without conscience
Education without character
Science without humanity
Worship without sacrifice
posted on June 25, 2012 07:23:37 AM new
When items dont sell,I would just sell them at a price buyers will buy,to get some or all of my cost back.
It gets kind of old to have them around the house or keep on relisting them,e.g back years ago,probably 10 years old,resin casted handpainted dogs from China sell,my cost is $1.75??
I recently sold a lot for 9.99 plus shipping of 12.95,I am just happy to get them out of the house.
I have made some money on these dogs when buyers would buy anything,so now I just liquidate them,may be I lost some money,but THEY ARE GONE ,GONE FOR GOOD !
posted on June 25, 2012 07:26:31 AM new
posted on June 24, 2012 12:57:49 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can understand the need to get rid of stuff, but donate it, trash it, or have a garage sale!!
Only Ebay & the buyers are winning in these situations!!
///////////////
GETTING RID OF ITEMS ON EBAY is no different than garage sale or charity,some of us dont do garage sale,it takes too much time and like a friend of mine told me,it is just too painful to watch someone dug into his pocket to come up with 35 cents !
posted on June 25, 2012 08:45:37 AM new
Liquidation sales are a great way to move unwanted, unloved, out of favor stock & generate some cash & space. I am not talking about that. Everyone needs to fo that, of course, even the big retailers.
I am talking about sellers that this is their regular business plan. Is it worth it? Not to me.
I personally hate garage sales, also. But, it can be a way to unload stuff in one day. In my youth ( when I was moving or whatever I had a few garage sales. Any item put on sale either sold or was trashed or donated after. Nothing was brought back into the house!
posted on June 25, 2012 08:51:34 AM new
"GETTING RID OF ITEMS ON EBAY is no different than garage sale or charity"
I have to disagree, donating to charity is a lot different than Ebay. Donating does not cost the donor anything, it helps the charity, it does not take time to take a picture or write a description, it does not take time in packaging,etc. I can also give the donor a tax write off. Win, win.
posted on June 25, 2012 02:06:05 PM new
I'm not sure if most people realize this, but you can't double write off items. Example: If you buy something to resell, you can write off the cost of it. If you can't sell it and donate it, you cannot write it off a 2nd time.
In fact, we just had a loss for a cabinet that was water damaged due to a leaking pipe. I called our tax pro and he said there is no write off for something that we are writing off the initial cost of acquiring it.
He always advises NOT to donate if we want something out of it. It is better to get something... anything of value out of it vs. donate it.
The only way for you to write off such a donation is to remove the item from your original cost of goods.
posted on June 26, 2012 04:26:33 PM new
If I spent $269 in gas and a week's time to find one item worth $300 - I would be in the wrong business.
I typically shop 2 or 3 times a week and spent less than $40 in gas. What I spend depends on what I find.
I've spent $7 and made $300 and spent $35 to make $600 and I've spent $10 and made nothing. It's the luck of the draw but you have to know what you are looking at and what you can sell.
Every Saturday my husband and I go garage sailing (we love it). We get $100 out of the bank and split it. I buy (mostly) for resale - he on the other hand buys for himself. We have a great lunch and it's our time together - we've been doing it for over 25 years.
posted on June 26, 2012 04:49:54 PM new
There are so many sellers on Ebay,you forget some are hobby sellers who may have wedding presents,gifts and family stuff they dont want and they dont use,so it is not about making a few dollars profit,it is about clearing and getting a return of capital,not RETURN ON CAPITAL.
Say they bought a pair of silver candelholders 20 years ago and they sold them for 100,thats 100 dollars in their pocket they can spend,you cant spend a pair of candleholders.
posted on June 26, 2012 05:08:32 PM new
lady: sounds like you know what you want & go after it & have fun doing it.
lost: $100 is a great deal. No one here is putting down $100 in your pocket no matter what it might have cost or sold for 20 years ago. We are talking about people listing items for $4 or $5 and FREE SHIPPING. After fees, that is NOT a good return on anything just to clean out your closets. Those are the items that should be donated.
