do vintage fabrics sell better as variables or single listings
do fabrics sell better as variables or single listings?
I have many fabric pieces to sell.
11 comments
do fabrics sell better as variables or single listings?
I have many fabric pieces to sell.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoVariation listing is almost never the correct choice. Customers are so frequently disappointed when visiting them that many simply will not even click on a variation listing anymore.
Common reasons why include the following.
The variation they wanted was sold out or priced well above market.
The listing is seeded with a garbage item among the variations in order to rank higher in search by lowest price. This is extremely common among t-shirt sellers who will include a photo of the t-shirt graphic as a $4.99 variation when all the shirts are $14.99-$19.99
Even if you have the same clothing item in multiple sizes you should make a listing in each size.
I only use variation listings for customizable christmas ornaments.
Other downsides as a seller, they are very difficult to maintain compared to normal listings and often won't hit the search terms of the included items. I believe they interact poorly with offers as well.
inhawaii
·4 months agoIf it's the same fabric, only different colors, I would go with a variations listing.
If it's different fabrics all together, I would go with a single listing.
fabrics24
·4 months agoHowdy! I sell mostly fabrics, and I have a lot of discontinueds and other pieces they don't make anymore.
It depends on what you've got!
Fat quarters make the most sense to sell in lots; you don't really want to be listing too many things under $6, so I'd list those in groups. For general quilting and/or apparel fabrics, if you have remnants under 1yd, that goes great in lots of either like colors or like materials too.
If you're doing BTY or other large amounts, I'd only do variation listing if the materials are otherwise identical. Thread count, material, staple (if it's a cotton), finishes, stretch; those should all be pretty much the same, with the only variation being color or pattern.
If you're selling faux furs or fleeces, I'd also break down the variations; separate listings by pile length, anti-pill vs polar vs microfleece. Reversible sequins separate from non-reversible, etc.
The goal is to make everything easy to understand, and reduce INADs; if someone needs a 4-way stretch velvet in blue but the variation you have only has 2-way stretch, the person would be in the right to file a return.
If you have big, industrial bolts of outdoor canvas like I sell, I've found the most practical option depends on if you're selling remnants or BTY. I have tons of remnants (aka: 1/2-4yd pieces that might not be useful for awnings or canopies, but work great for upholstery or other crafts) that come in a variety of lengths and patterns, so those I list those as single listings. If I have BTY fabrics that are pretty much identical except for the color, I might list that as a variable. Because of the way stripes are woven in this kind of canvas, I'd only ever list color variations that were exact matches (ie: if there was a 3/4" stripe fabric and a 2" stripe fabric, those would be separate listings).
Best of luck!
soh.maryl
·4 months agoWhat a great tutorial in selling fabrics! And how generous of you to share your knowledge with someone who could be a competitor!
BTW, those pieces of outdoor canvas? Depending on size, have found they make good beach bags, lined or not.
ETA: For the handles/straps of the tote bags I make, I buy 1 inch webbing from sellers on eBay. Have you considered listing webbing that would match your outdoor fabrics? Was going to say you could whip up a bag and use it as a sample, but someone would no doubt believe you were selling the bag, no matter how many disclaimers you added. Such bags can be used as reusable grocery bags also.
fabrics24
·4 months agoOnline fabric shopping is a little scary, especially since now that JoAnn's is gone, we can no longer romp around the store and evaluate everything in person as easily. If having an intuitive layout gives my competition an edge, then I need to step it up! XD
soh.maryl
·4 months agoDon't know your location, but, in my area, we still have Michael's and Hobby Lobby. Not the selection that Joann's had, of course, but at least a source. My issue is not with finding fabric -- I could probably open my own store for that -- but the things I use, needles, webbing, trims, patterns etc. Combined with my mobility issues, am having to rely more on eBay for those things.
fabrics24
·4 months agoThat's absolutely true. I'm fortunate enough to have both of those stores within driving distance, but they're a bit of a drive, and you're right about the materials being the big thing. Getting quality notions, patterns, and tools is nightmarish.
Best of luck with the mobility issues; navigating the craft store brings joy to my heart, but not my hips or legs.
fabrics24
·4 months agoOhh, that's a great idea! Our primary business is at an awning company, and we have excess binding in tons of colors that match the canvas, so I'll see what we have in stock! Thank you for the suggestion! 😄
meme6253
·4 months agoShe did a Great Commendable Thing!!
meme6253
·4 months agoYou should Be commended for your Great advice!!
dhbookds
·4 months agoToo many variables (lol) to make a general answer...... Quilt fabrics may sell best in listings that have coordinating choices...... Dress/blouse fabrics may not....
Suggest you do research on the type of fabric you have to see how it's being sold by sellers......