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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

I was in the fine jewelry industry 23 years and I'm also a gemologist with technical expertise on stones, metals, labor and fabrication cost. I had been on Ebay before and listed a few modest value items not wanting to list my better pieces right away by testing the waters. I last month listed 20 items a few of those were better jewelry pieces. I've sold a few this month but notice paypal and ebay fees are taking a big bite . I'm seriously concidering not relisting or new listing my best expensive jewelry. I'm getting ridiculous lowball offers even on signed and designer items. I'm not desperate and the quality of buyer is bottom feeder types. I know finding a bargain is great but when I take the time and research to list my items against exact item listings and still get lowballed it's time to look at other selling avenues.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

@blingygirl57 You can set your Best Offers to auto-decline below a certain price. You can also choose to not use best offer.

 

If you need help finding the links for eBay & PayPal fees, let us know. They are available and should be reviewed before you list anything.

 

Hope this is at least a little helpful.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

As noted in the other post, you can set an auto-decline price if you don't want to hear from lowballers.

 

If you want to attract the serious buyers, you need better pictures.

View Best Answer in original post

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

I can offer some technical help - search engines are all about keywords. The more you have the more likely you are to be found. I would never list an item as a "black dress" I would list it as a "black sleeveless silk Ralph Lauren floor length evening dress size 14 - NWT". 

 

Same with your items: "VINTAGE Oval Ruby and Diamond accent Tennis Chain Bracelet in 10K Gold (or filled depending on what it is)" 

 

When I buy I never put in jeans I put in EXACTLY what I want - American Eagle 34 x 34 medium wash bootcut jeans NEW.  More and more buyers are also becoming just as picky and specific about what they want so the more keywords you use the more likely you will come up in their search.  Will you get a BETTER buyer? No way to tell but you will at least get more eyes on your listing and increase your odds of selling it - AT ALL - or at least have buyers consider it by comparing info with other offerings.  You are asking them to pay ALOT provide details to justify the price.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

@blingygirl57 You can set your Best Offers to auto-decline below a certain price. You can also choose to not use best offer.

 

If you need help finding the links for eBay & PayPal fees, let us know. They are available and should be reviewed before you list anything.

 

Hope this is at least a little helpful.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

Agree with what's been said. Try the Auto-decline http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/best-offer.html#automatically

Or switch to fixed price listings

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

As noted in the other post, you can set an auto-decline price if you don't want to hear from lowballers.

 

If you want to attract the serious buyers, you need better pictures.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

OP,

 

eBay and PayPal do not take any more of a bite than the fee schedules would indicate. IMHO you should have known exactly how big that bite would be before you listed your first item.

 

When you advertise that you accept Best Offers, buyers generally assume your prices are inflated and have no idea whether you are desperate or not. The lowball offers are buyers just trying to figure out how much they are inflated and whether you are desperate.

 

When you take the time and research to list your items against exact item listings and still get lowballed, you could simply price just below the going rate and not use Best Offer.

 

IMHO you could probably improve your sales prospects by inproving your listings. Having a title that simply says "emerald and diamond necklace" is not going to distinguish your listing from the other 3,100 emerald and diamond necklaces out there. As a gemologist with technical expertise on stones and metals, you should be able to add to your title and include information like:

 

- length of the necklace

- the composition and weight of the chain

- how many of each type of stone

- size and quality of the stones

 

And the other poster has a good point, your pictures are not sufficient quality.

 

Unlucky

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

Hello,
I recognise your handle. Didn't you get refused an offer on a pair of shoes? The seller got annoyed because you told her your budget was a certain amount? Yes, I could put in work to list an item like I was doing an appraisal narrative description however, it doesn't mean I'll get a better caliber of buyer. Also, I find that any padding of price must factor in what I need to clear after both eBay and PayPal take thier cut. No seller would find it worth their time to barely break even unless they are selling large volumes of items. I've gotten some good feedback on setting minimum offers and auto reject low offers. Will use fixed price setting only.
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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

None of the regulars here were the original OP.  They just responded in the thread.

 

My family has been in the fine jewelry business for decades.  I have both sold and bought here for 18 years.

 

And your descriptions are lacking.

 

On necklaces I want to see length.

 

On bracelets, you need circumfrances.

 

All precious metal pieces need gram weights for me to have a clue if your prices are competitive.

 

On diamonds I want to see size, clarity, color, etc.

 

Fine jewelry categories are bursting at the seams so you need it all in there or buyers are going to hit the back buttonn

 

Or they are going to assume it is light weight and low quality and bid accordingly so they are not out much money if it is.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

Point taken thank you. I am using eBay instead of leaving my pieces at my local jeweler on consignment. I was not willing to give them half the selling price for using case space. Also, because they don't often call you right away when your pieces sell and they got their cut. Amazon has a wider audience which I may explore. I had in the past been very detailed in my listing and you know what I still got questions and they never bought. Maybe it's my fault because after that experience I thought it wouldn't increase my sales. EBay is hit or miss.
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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items


@emerald40 wrote:

None of the regulars here were the original OP.  They just responded in the thread.

 

My family has been in the fine jewelry business for decades.  I have both sold and bought here for 18 years.

 

And your descriptions are lacking.

 

On necklaces I want to see length.

 

On bracelets, you need circumfrances.

 

All precious metal pieces need gram weights for me to have a clue if your prices are competitive.

 

On diamonds I want to see size, clarity, color, etc.

 

Fine jewelry categories are bursting at the seams so you need it all in there or buyers are going to hit the back buttonn

 

Or they are going to assume it is light weight and low quality and bid accordingly so they are not out much money if it is.



Agree - I sell vintage that I get as payment for cleaning basement or that is given to me by family or friends.  I am what I am and have no illusions.  I make the price I make.  I am nowhere near Emerald's category but there are still certain expectations in listings like accuracy, details, etc.  I dont expect to make much and know my stuff isnt the high end - mostly sterling or filled - but we are still asking buyers to buy from US as opposed to other sellers and they need info to compare.

 

Honestly I dont have very high expectations anyway since this is basically a big electronic yard sale and most folks are looking for bargains.  If an item is truly that valuable this may not be the venue for it because you wont get retail here.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

14K white gold - solid or filled?  What are the markings?  Age?  Size of the pendant?

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

You might also consider the "handcraft and vintage site" for selling.  I sell there too and some items do better here some better there.  Depends on the item - there are just different buyers in each market.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

Have you researched similar pieces for sell through rate and actual selling prices on eBay?

 

You may be getting lowball offers because your type of items just do not sell for the price you want.

 

Seriously you need to improve those listings.

 

Describe the item completely.  And only the item.  Your listing is advertising space, use it to sell your item, not to rant about eBay taking down the listing or anything else.  Take good pictures.  Use as many applicable keywords as possible in the titles.

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

Thank you, I've already figured out Ebay is not the sellers paradise it use to be. If I had to sell for a living I wouldn't be here. I collected fine jewelry 35yrs. A big yard sales is an accurate description lol. So maybe fine jewelry is not a good bet.
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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items


@blingygirl57 wrote:
Hello,
Yes, I could put in work to list an item like I was doing an appraisal narrative description however, it doesn't mean I'll get a better caliber of buyer. Also, I find that any padding of price must factor in what I need to clear after both eBay and PayPal take thier cut. No seller would find it worth their time to barely break even unless they are selling large volumes of items.

OP,

 

You have me confused with someone else. I have never tried to buy shoes on eBay in my life.

 

But that aside .. I simply disagree. I think changing your title from emerald and diamond necklace to something like 17" emerald and diamond necklace 4 diamonds, 3 emeralds, 10k gold herringbone chain  would greatly improve your chances of someone clicking on your listing when they see it in search results.

 

It would also mean that people searching the words gold, 10K, herringbone and 17" would find your listing whereas they may not find it now. And the more people who see your listing, the better the chance you have of getting a better offer.

 

Also, if you did mention your expertise as a gemologist and give some technical details, it might probably eliminate some of the lowball offers - because those buyers would realize you are an expert and not someone just selling off mom's estate who has no idea what they are doing.

 

But perhaps your sales will improve if you simply don't make any changes, and just assume that the entire problem is with the buyers.

 

Unlucky

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Ridiculous low ball offers on expensive items

I have been doing it for 18 years.

 

But would I start selling as a newbie, to be honest "no."

 

I am here because so far so good.  And I have always kept my day job.

 

But with expensive, fine jewelry, I know I can be that guy who was out a $11,000 Rolex watch due to a scammer.

 

I have also noticed that many of my long time fine jewelry sellers who I have bought some amazing things from are no longer selling the quality of merchandise they used to.

 

I am also downgrading some of my selections as well.  

 

 

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