Newer seller to eBay
Hi everyone so my name is Jeff I am back to selling on eBay and let me say it has changed here. I know that it will take time to grow my sellers page. I am in it for the long haul. I am sure in time I will be doing better with my sales and Auctions for now I am advertising no my social media pages often and having fun watching this all grow. If any one has any advise I am all ears.
24 comments
fish-on-73
OP4 months agoThanks everyone this give me a lot to look over and review. I apricate all the info and will take it all in. I will move to big quantities as well as purchase only.
12345jamesstamps
·4 months agoI kinda disagree with some posts here.
Auctions bring window lookers to your site.
If you can afford to lose a little in the beginning go for the auctions.
I have a base of 600+ watchers...and I wonder how many here have that many potential watchers on their site.
And those who give advice but we know not what they sell or show how many potential watchers in their store.
And if these who respond here have a good number of sales.
What a seller wants to obtain is repeat buyers...if you are selling items in the same category that is good.
And usually the cheap sales are where your feedbacks will come from.
High end sales usually don't bring feedbacks.
If it worth it to sell something for $2.00 for a great feedback?...For new sellers...yes.
Again, we can't see if some here posting have any feedbacks...
I understand some here use another account to post...but I would go with those who show a good feedback base and some sales.
In order to get a hang in selling you should sell cheapo items...there is so much to learn from what problems might arise.
Heck, I still learn things from selling.
There's 'freight forward', chargebacks, refunds, returns and so on.
Welcome and good luck.
janet9988
·4 months agohttps://community.ebay.com/t5/Ask-a-Mentor/What-am-I-doing-wrong/td-p/35560924
christworks
·4 months ago@fish-on-73 Unless it is truly something special, lots are your friend on the bait and tackle stuff. This will allow you to set your BIN higher and also save your buyers on shipping.
Make sure you have read and understand eBay's Money Back Guarantee. I see you have a no returns policy. You need to understand that no returns ≠ no refunds. There is absolutely nothing that will prevent a buyer from filing an item not as described return. If that ever happens, even if you suspect they are lying, your only option is to either refund them or require them to return the item(s), then refund. If you go the latter route, do not refund until you have the item back. Otherwise you forefit your right to get the item back. If someone opens a return and you ignore it, eBay will step in and refund the buyer with your funds. You'll get a ding on your account and you won't get the variable selling fee back. As long as you undersatnd all of this, if you want to keep your no returns policy, that's fine. Just understand that it isn't always the best way.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoStop using auction format right now. End everyone of those auctions that does not have a bid and change them to buy it now with the price you want.
Ebay stopped being about auctions many years ago.
grann-4629
·4 months agoI am all ears.
Caesar to peons: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."
Peon: "Whatcha got in the bag?"
Caesar: "Ears."
Mel
You will get lots of great help here ... best of luck and have fun!
gb58
·4 months agoYou need to increase your prices, or group more items together. You aren't making any profit on one dollar items.
Let me give you an example. You sold the crankbait fishing lure for $1 with $5.52 shipping. that is $6.52.
I don't know what your state sales tax is, but lets just say it is 10%. so that would give you $7.17 that your buyer paid.
Now lets start subtracting
$7.17
- .65 (sales tax, ebay collects and pays its from what the buyer pays you)
-.98 (13.6% ebay fees on total...sale, sales tax, shipping)
-.30 (ebay standard transaction fee)
That leaves you $5.24
However, you still have to ship the fishing lure out of that $5.24.
So, look at what your actual cost was to ship the fishing lure, and subtract it from the $5.24 and that is what you made on that $1 fishing lure sale. You may not have even made anything on the sale once you shipped it, or very little.
so larger priced lots are the only way you will make money on ebay.
pickapaper
·4 months ago@fish-on-73
That example of fees explained above isn't even counting your time to find the items, what you have to pay for the items if you buy them, your time to photograph and list them, packaging/shipping materials you have to purchase, and gasoline to drive to the post office (if applicable). All of these things add up.
bonanza125
·4 months agoDo fixing price listing and ditch the auctions once they end. People want to buy now not wait. Do the research and see what items you have for sale are selling and sold for. You will find that auction style ends lower than say fixed priced. If your claim is to stay here for the long haul you will lose on auctions. Profit is not made that way.
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoA few soft items:
Buyers are more important than sellers. That’s just the way it is.
Don’t take anything personally – bad transactions happen. If you are doing things right, and you sell enough, that will be a small percentage.
Application of common sense will help to avoid a lot of issues. I’m not saying that the rules aren’t important, but eBay policy is just common sense plus extension of normal consumer protections.
Don’t get hung up on vetting your buyers. You can spend all your time being nervous and chasing ghosts, but this isn’t healthy.
Most people in this world are wonderful. eBay buyers are not an exception – the vast, vast majority of experiences on here should be positive. If they aren’t, you are probably doing something wrong.
When something bad happens, shaking your fist at the sky will do absolutely nothing for you. If something happens, that is “out of your control” figure out a way to get it in your control. There is a solution for every problem, even if you didn’t create it.
caldreamer
·4 months agoAll sellers must enroll in new Managed Payments (that is how you get paid). You must provide EBAY with your checking account# and social security# (for tax purposes). NAME on your checking account, social security card and EBAY profile page must be EXACT MATCH (or your application may be denied). Legal name only (no nicknames).
After sale is made, EBAY immediately "deducts selling fees + shipping money" balance is deposited into your checking account 2-3 AFTER you ship the item. EBAY holds "shipping money" so you will have available funds when you print the shipping label. EBAY holds payments for 30 days for new or infrequent sellers.
EBAY charges "selling fees" on (purchase price + shipping + sales tax) plus 40 cent handling. You won't make any profit selling $1-2 items (you should "bundle" several items together to get your "sale average" up for $20.
Auctions are best if you have "rare items" that everyone is the world is searching for. Otherwise, Buy-It-Now is better (at least customer will pay). People "bidding" on auctions are notorious for "not paying".
EBAY policies you should know about:
- EBAY holds the Seller responsible if the item gets lost or damaged in shipment. EBAY will force you to refund (purchase price + shipping.
- EBAY 30-Day Money Guarantee (supersedes "no refund" policy) and allows customer to lie and claim "not as described, counterfeit, defective, missing parts). EBAY will force you to refund (purchase price + shipping BOTH ways). EBAY does NOT require the customer to prove their claims.
- Be aware because EBAY deposits money directly into your checking account (EBAY can also "deduct money" from your account, if you owe money for returns or fees.
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months agoYour prices are too low to make any significant of money with niche products. Your products are not high volume commodities.
Your auction sales are primarily on 1 or 2 bids, a sign that you should be selling fixed price.
Auctions are a small portion of Ebay sales today, unlike in the past. Buyers are spending less time on Ebay and would prefer to complete a transaction with only 1 visit to the site.
Your sold item prices are destructive to the perceived value of not only your products but those of your competition, and perhaps the site as a whole.
With an 8% increase in USPS parcel rates coming later this month, things will only get worse if you continue on this path.
fish-on-73
OP4 months agoSo best to move to set pricing makes sense overall.
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoFor what you sell, absolutely – fixed pricing is the way to go, I would think. Most of your items that are sold finish with one or two bids. The chances that you got max value out of those sales is tiny.
I’m sure that you will get plenty of great advice. Important to understand that you take it all with a grain of salt. What works for one seller won’t work for you. You’ll have a different mix of products, a different need for a certain profit level. You’ll have a different value for your time than other as well. You will understand your market better than those that give advice, either now or later.
You will probably have enough items in volume to experiment. You can go with calculated shipping, free, shipping, free return returns, buyer paid returns, etc. You can tinker with pricing. You can set pricing high if you don’t know what something will go for, and lower over time.
Look for “advice“ from competitors. Look for successful sellers in your space. Study how they do pricing, sales, listing titles, descriptions, etc.
grann-4629
·4 months agoExcellent advice for the new seller.
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoI have my moments. Not bragging, but I have won the community golden blueberry award three years running. We will have to wait until September to see if I get the unheard of quat-row.
grann-4629
·4 months agoI am still waiting for my Golden Raspberry Award ... from Archie Bunker. Keep up the great informative posts!
slippinjimmy
·4 months agoSome advice.........
Transition away from the $1 / $2 items
If you are going to sell these low price items dump the Auction format, double (or more) the price and use Fixed Price.
Run the numbers and discover what a pittance (if that) you actual get to put in your pocket after fees and expenses.
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoThis is good advice, @fish-on-73 , and what would probably work great is to make lots/sets of the cheaper items. I'm not familiar with fishing lures or other equipment, but I would have to guess you could make something appealing that would have a higher price point (most sellers look for a minimum $10-20 price point on their listings, to help them avoid losing money in the end).
roastedsaurus
·4 months agoRead the rules and know them inside out. Do that and you will avoid a lot of grief. If you aren't sure of something, come here and ask BEFORE you do anything. Good luck and be smart!
inhawaii
·4 months agoMy advice: Don't blame ebay if your sales are slow.
Good luck to you!
klhmdg
·4 months agoYou will make more money if you stop the Auctions and go with Buy It Now.
Selling items for $1 + $5 shipping, after fees , you are not making anything.
Auctions are not a thing anymore unless it is something really rare.
No one wants to sit around for a week to see if they won.
glorybells
·4 months agoMy 3 main points would be:
1) start slow
2) become very familiar with the eBay money back guarantee
3) realize there’s a steep learning curve
fish-on-73
OP4 months agoI am seeing the learning curve. And thanks for your advice I will keep it all in mind.