posted on July 25, 2000 03:17:41 PM new
Well, I thought I would try yahoo one more time...........and .........I still would rather pay Ebay to post my auctions. Does anyone out there do good on Yahoo? Most of the time I can't find the right catagory to list an item in, and the few times that I did it didn't do me much good. Is it just because I'm not used to Yahoo or does this happen a lot? There have been several times that I have listed an item on Yahoo and didn't even get one hit on it. When I first found out about yahoo being free to hold an auction I thought it would be great, but I guess the old saying something for nothing is true, you get what you pay for. Maby there is someone out there that can tell me what I'm doing wrong? I'm open for suggestions. I know that things slow down this time of year but this is crazy. People should be taking advantage of the free auctions and there not. Well, I feel better now, maby someone else is doing great on Yahoo and will let me know that I'm just doing something wrong. I list the same items on Ebay and do good with them. It just doesn't seem like it should make that much difference but it does.
If that's your seller's name on Yahoo, you only have two auctions listed, so those are all I can comment on.
Make you title clearer about what you're selling (and use the whole line allowed to include words people might put into the "search". You might also make the opening price equal to the "buy price" and put "First Bid Wins!" in your title. The buyers seem to like not having to wait for the auction to run its course before being able to buy the item.
Upload your FIRST picture directly onto Yahoo when you make your listing (which you can't do if you're using AuctionWatch listing software) so you'll have a THUMBNAIL PHOTO for people to view when they click "show only photos" on a page--the equivalent of ebay's "gallery", but this one's free, and many buyers only look at the listings with thumbnails.
One auction has photos from two views, but the other has basically the same view twice, taken from the same distance and angle. You have VERY good quality photos, so zoom in for a close-up of the most interesting parts (like the face), and search for the best angles to shoot from. Don't be afraid to put the item on a stand and walk around it. Also, try perfectly neutral backgrounds like a solid color sheet, paper, or fabric (and don't be afraid to use matte velveteen in black or dark colors--it can be the perfect background.
List everything you have to sell, put them on 10 day auctions with 2 auto-relists, sit back and relax. You'll sell well on Yahoo if you have a LOT of listings.
Don't pay to feature unless your item is rare and very collectible, and then only feature it on the last day or two. If it's antique and hard to come by, open at what it brings on ebay (with no reserve), and if you want to use a buy price on it, be sure it's all you could ever hope to get for it (and then some). If your price is too high, the bidders will let you know how much they want to pay through the "question and answer feature, and you can always eventually lower it if you have to.
Four days isn't enough TIME to give buyers to pay you, unless they use a credit card payment service.
You might read previous threads here for more advice on Yahoo selling. There are really GREAT suggestions in past Yahoo message boards, and most are from sellers who've used both ebay and Yahoo.
posted on July 26, 2000 08:04:13 AM new
I think the problem on Yahoo is that most people list the items that did not sell on eaby. Try listing a few good items. I am selling about 40% of the items i list on Yahoo. It is easy and FREE.
posted on July 26, 2000 12:03:56 PM new
I am continually surprised by Yahoo. I first put a whole bunch of stuff on that didn't make it on eBay--and some started to go. Now I am trying it for an intermediate pass--new stuff and some that didn't make it first round on eBay. I think it is a great second way to move items. I still have a bunch of things that are still waiting, but that's ok.
Patience!
I think eBay is still a better place to sell becasue the audience is greater, but Yahoo is no slouch.
posted on July 26, 2000 09:12:45 PM new
I have found that Yahoo is picking up as I go along. It has picked up a lot lately. It is definitely a site that requires patience.
We list a lot of great stuff that the right person didn't see on ebay and have been using the first bid wins or a buy price. Its a great way to move things. I also list a lot of craft/sewing stuff and books on Yahoo.
So keep listing and be patient, the site keeps growing steadily.
. You might also make the opening price equal to the "buy price" and put "First Bid Wins!" in your title. The buyers seem to like not having to wait for the auction to run its course before being able to buy the item.
