posted on July 23, 2001 10:18:15 PM new
I have been posting on Yahoo for a few months now and I am not getting very many sales. Most things I have to relist at least two time before it sells. So I thought I would save some of my money and try bidville. Nothing there. Am I doing something wrong or maybe I just need another auction site. I have looked at many sites (refuse to use Ebay) but none of the sites are selling anything. Does anyone have any ideas?
posted on July 24, 2001 05:10:03 AM new
There are two areas to explore.
One is that buyers are not interested in your items/price level.
The second is that these other auction sites are not drawing bidders for your items.
You could test this by at least temporarily overcoming your objection to ebay and listing there. If items sell on ebay, you have an indication that the auction venue is the issue. If no interest, then look at your merchandise.
Disclaimer: Since, as is usual with these types of posts, no clue is given as to the type of merchandise, we can only guess as to the problem.
posted on July 24, 2001 06:48:03 AM new
Unless you are a Specialist in a certain field/s and you let customers know where you are listing.. or if you want to list on a fairly new site and wait and hope..
there isnt really any other site to go to but feebay. And look who is talking I have 98% avoided feebay since 1997 !
I have pride and dignity and have basically refused to list my goods amongst a 85% amateur competiveness. Prices are very misleading and are mostly followed because they feed on themselves.. not to speak of the quality of grading.. Ouch.
If whereever I list now or in the future and the aforementioned arrive, well then so be it as they are not even close to my standards. I have looked and looked deep in almost all current auction sites.. some very good, but lacking in up to 10 areas with no fixes in sight at the time.
Good Luck. You can consider yourself lucky when you find a sight where specialized honest knowledgeable sellers are above 10% of the sellers registered. Then you will of found a site!! All it takes is true real experience on a lookers part. Remember this.. because of most of what I said above here, fewer than 10% of REAL collectors participate in online auctions !!
I list on a real good site now but presently it is a sit and wait thing.
posted on July 24, 2001 10:28:14 AM new
As you are discovering, the main thing you need at an auction site is HITS. And for that reason there is no better site than the top dog, eBay. If you look at its "also rans" (Yahoo and Amazon), you'll notice that most items listed there are brand new products that are tremendously overpriced.
People knock eBay left and right, but the simple truth is eBay gets results. I have tried many of the other sites just like you have and always seem to come back. Until the other sites can do something to increase their traffic AND the quality of their merchandise, then I guess that eBay is the way to go.
Also, think about this. Large corporations have no sleepless nights advertising on the Superbowl for $2 million a pop, rather that running 500 ads on CNN at $4,000 a pop. Reason? They know that the $2 mil is money well spent because people actually SEE the ads. Same in the auction world. It may cost a little more, but the amount you receive in higher bids more than makes up for it.
posted on July 24, 2001 11:12:38 AM new
I don't list on eBay, Yahoo! or Amazon. Previously I listed on eBay with great success but their policies finally gave me the nudge right off of their site. Previously when I did use Yahoo! I rarely, if ever got a bid on anything.
I do list on several of the small sites and I've found a way that is working for me. I'm not saying this is a sure-fire method but I've been selling the last few weeks like crazy. I think this is the first week in several I don't have a stack of packages needing to go to the post office and actually I'm enjoying the break!
BidVille was the first that I used with any success. It took a little while before I started getting bids there. I bought a few things and built up some feedback which really seemed to help.
I'm looking at these sites more like a flea market than a huge mall. I run a set of listings at one site for a couple of weeks and if the stuff doesn't sell I'm moving it to another site (always keeping it in rotation). I'm finding that by doing this I'm getting new bidders on all of the sites and several repeat customers.
I've only ran two batches of listings through Auctionweiser and have sold three items between the two runs (all to one buyer). I'm on my second batch of listings at Carnaby, sold two out of the first batch and have a bid on one out of the second.
I also have some stuff listed on ePier for the Crazy Dayz sale and have bids on a few items there.
Now, the trick to this is to get to where you're not spending all of your time working up listings so I use copy and paste a lot and store my images on an off-site host (that way I only upload an image once).
I've found that some sites are better for certain types of merchandise than others. It takes a while to get the 'feel' for it all but I can honestly say I've been really surprised at how well it's all working out.
-----------------------------------
posted on July 24, 2001 01:21:19 PM newPeople knock eBay left and right, but the simple truth is eBay gets results.
The eBay marketplace is eroding. That is a gradual process but it is undeniable that sales on eBay are down, way down.
When I first began selling on eBay in 1997, I offered a simple web page authoring guide for eBay sellers. I believe the price was around $8.99. I worked a few hours a week, recovering from a disability, and earned about $250/hr. for my labor. As in so many other areas of eBay sales, that is something any high school kid can do. Now there are 20 competing programs and I'm lucky to make back my listing fees. It has less to do with quality than with the glut of similar items to choose from.
Not only are the inexperienced selling, but the pros have moved in and many of the auctions are pure hype, designed solely to separate a bidder from his money. There are a few good products, and many not so good ones. In the category where I sell (software), sales have been taken over by illegal "mega-CD" compilations that are just bootlegs offered at $5 each. They advertise in the Featured Category section and take most of the business. Customers probably think they are getting a deal.
Any auction site that wants to compete with eBay needs to focus on two things. One, superior service. Customer-friendly policies and responsive support go a long way to establishing loyalty. (Believe it or not, eBay was once that way.) Two, a committment to be there for the long haul. It may take months or years to build up a solid customer base. Flash-in-the-pan advertising will not do it. Bringing a customer to the site is not enough. There must be a reason for customers to come back again and stay. Most eBay wannabes haven't thought past the acquisition of funding for advertising. They must also offer a real service.
. Internet Pioneers
posted on July 24, 2001 02:36:02 PM new
Actually What no one will tell you is that listing Items two times before you sell is not bad.
I been selling on Ebay over a year started selling on yahoo a year before that even on Ebay I find there is many items I have to list two three even up to 5 time over a 5 or 6 month period before the right person comes along and buys it in fact usually it sells for a much higher price then I first originally listed it for.
only difference listing on yahoo cost less and there is no FVF .
I Always Plan on Spending as much as $3.75 to $4.25 for every $10 in items I list between listing fees Fees for billpoint and so on fees for Auction managing and FVF fees for Printing postage packing and the rest.
posted on July 24, 2001 02:49:24 PM new
Business is a funny Thing First thing is you must spend money to make money.
Second is you cant be afraid to lose money Business is like Gambleing its not like a regular pay check.
You could own the only sandwhich shop in town have 10,000 in vested in fresh goods for your salads and sandwhiches and still have day when only one or two people come in and eat.
your investemtn to open for that day might be $200 your income under $20 not for the weak of heart, the next two days could bring a $1,000 or $2,000 Return in business each day if you got discourage on the frist day you and quit you would lose Big $$$ the rest of the week or month.
full time or part time online auctions are no different..
When you Dont sell Item 99% of the time its not something you are doing wrong, Fact is you can bring the items to the public Eye buy you can't make them buy and you also can't tell when that right buyer will be comeing in.
[ edited by dman3 on Jul 24, 2001 02:53 PM ]
posted on July 24, 2001 02:58:12 PM new
I would like to say thanks to all of your replies. I think wallypog has a very good idea. Try many different sites. Who knows maybe it will work for me. I have tried ebay, it was a long time ago but I ran into the same problem as twinsoft. There were 10 or more people selling the very same thing as me. (Except I did not get any bids because of it.) Before I post anything for auction I always check and see if it is already there and how many. More than two or three and I will not post it. My prices are generally the lowest of the bunch and the shipping is usually 1-2 dollars less too. I always e-mail the high bidder within 24 hours of the auction closing, I try to send an email saying the item has been shipped. I only have a feedback of 8 with 0 neg. So maybe Damariscotta has got a point. Maybe it is just the merchandise and Ebay would be best. It probably would not hurt to try again I guess. What I sell is mostly collectible items. Hong Tze animals, African American Figurines, Spun Glass Items, etc....
Thanks again
posted on July 24, 2001 03:32:28 PM new
I feel thats is part of the trouble some have with selling in online auctions everyo0ne pays to much attention to what other sellers are doing.
I rarely look to see who is selling what in the categories im selling in With so many Items list in all the online auctions it would be very silly to think there arent many others selling or trying to sell the same items for less and more then I do.
posted on July 24, 2001 09:33:43 PM new
dman3,
Not to be disrespectful or start an argument, but the only reason I even bother checking out what is already there is because if five or six people are already trying to sell that particular item with no luck why would I have any? Also if my prices are lower than theirs would that not give me a better chance to sell my item. Sounds pretty pratical to me. Though I can understand why you prefer to "mind your own business, so to speak". Again not trying to be disrespectful just voicing my opinion.
posted on July 25, 2001 12:16:14 AM new
hI THERE & good luck in your auctions, you can get some great pointers here & wallypog's site is full of tips.
Yes you would "think" it's practical but nothing on auctions is logical..plus to make it you have to be a pit bull to get through slow times like now..
You would think it is practical..i used to spend about a half hour per item researching,comparing prices..don't bother..see one of your customers buying or browsing something else may buy your item quite often..most of the time they don't compare..
Also just because someone else lists a nice item for say 2.00...& I list the same i feel it is worth 9.99 i just do what i feel is fair..to me something for 2.00 is not worth all the time & work,or putting it that low just to sell it doesn't make sense,unless they are taking a loss to get hits.on their other items...I feel many people sell themselve short.our time is worth money..we all work very hard.
I have realized this by checking after selling an item for say 12.50 & then i see my goodness 5 others on auctions for 1.00 or 3.00 well if you put stuff too low people don't think it's worth anything,,especially since they have to pay shipping..Just do your own thing..with fees high,& sales slow we need to be selective on what we list..
I am planning on listing for christmas at e-hammer..they may really like your items,,try it on the upcoming free listing day..they also have a 18.00 a month thing now too..super people there..lots of options..you will find your spot..good luck & Keep trying..slow time of year..it's not just you..better sales coming..
posted on July 25, 2001 04:03:09 AM new
CrissyMays - I've got one word for you: Bargainandhaggle.com . I have had excellent success. It isn't an auction, but it did fit into your request of "new"
posted on July 25, 2001 06:18:03 AM new
I'm a seller in the killer book categories...and like Wallypog, I sell on six different sites (including ebay) She offers great advice on stock rotation, it really helps me a lot. I'm no "powerseller" but I usually ship out 20 or so books a week, and that's enough to pay the mortgage.
Comparing your goods to other sellers? Used to do it, but never tried to match or beat their price and I still get bids...my book may start with a higher opening than my competitor, but mine will usually sell faster and I believe it's because my photos are excellent and I take the extra time with my descriptions and I also have concise and friendly terms.
dman3 makes a good point too, a lot of my books don't sell until the second or third listing. It's all part of the game.
posted on July 25, 2001 07:36:43 AM new
Sometimes a different approach will get you bids where your competitors get none.
Last fall, I decided to give Yahoo another try (when listings were still free). I looked at my competitors' listings there and saw they were getting no bids. Then I read a thread in the AW Yahoo forum where tips were being posted. Posters in the thread strongly suggested listing "1st bid wins" auctions and saying so in the title of each auction (Yahoo at that time allowed titles twice as long as eBay). Guess what - I did very well with my auctions.
posted on July 25, 2001 07:49:57 AM new
I try to sell on a few sites at a time. I use Haggle, ePier, Auctionweiser, eDeal, and Fairmarket. I usually do pretty good that way.
posted on July 25, 2001 02:49:34 PM new
yES,When you are new you can buy a few small items here & there to build your feedback.
Yes, i think i did better exactly because of what you said.Not just a one line description,say on a book,,4 lines, inc print date,hard bound,$of pages,a little about the book,pubisher,printer,especially if there is no old paper odor.that is a real plus..take maybe 3 pics..spell out exact shipping type,how much,if it includes insurance,type out all payment options..this makes a huge difference,,i know if i am buying..if they don't mention what the shipping is & it's not actual..i pass...don't want to take the time to email them We all have our nightmare stories of buying a 5.00 item with 12.50 shipping..so i think many new people don't know how important this is to bidders.(i just copy & paste this stuff into each description)
posted on July 25, 2001 11:26:07 PM new
WOW!!! I never expected so many responses. You all have really given me something to think about. I did post one thing on ebay tonight. I am going to watch it over the next couple days and see how the pageveiws are, maybe I will post more soon. I am looking into putting some more things on bargainandhaggle, bidville, and auctionweiser. Again thank you everyone for your replies.
Crystal
posted on July 26, 2001 06:12:03 AM new
I have to confess, I am a Wallypog fan and have followed her lead in my sales approach. Not to mention hanging on her every line when I see a post from her. For one thing, what she did on Bidville was wonderful. Ok, enough about that.
I too have been hunting and taking any lead on new auction sites and posting a batch to see how it runs. I deal in antiques and collectibles, linens, books, silver, ceramics, well you name it. I have had good results with different things on different sites. So, what my research and efforts are showing me, is that certain things sell well on certain sites. Don't know why, but it's happened that way for me.
So, try different sites, rotate a couple of "same type" items through each site and note the results. It will give you a good feel for the "internet auction world", not just one exclusive site.
posted on July 27, 2001 02:07:48 AM new
Maybe posting to several of the second tier auction sites (ePier, eDeal, Auctionweiser, Carnby, etc.) would be beneficial to you.
posted on July 27, 2001 06:14:55 AM new
I just spend some time finding my way around carnaby (dotcom) and really like what I see. From what I have seen so far, they cater to BOTH buyers and sellers. Not a lot of listings yet, but I intend to keep an eye on this one.
I have 98% avoided feebay since 1997 !