High volume low value sales compared to Low volume high end sales, what is your preference?
High volume low value sales compared to Low volume high end sales, what is your preference. I chose whichever brings in the most earnings. What I find amazing is: there are Sellers who are able to sell high end luxury items seemly effortlessly.
20 comments
allstar-comics
·2 years agoThink I have had far more issues with troublesome buyers regarding inexpensive items . Luxury end items tend to sell to more well heeled folks who dont have the time and inclination to wear down sellers. They are busy creating wealth to pay for their expensive trinkets . Its the person sitting around doing zippo that is going to email you ten times asking where their item is when they paid for it a day before. That said I do both, the higher priced items dont sell as frequently and I havent built up enough inventory to overcome the lower frequency in sales
turtles-trading-post
·2 years agoHigh volume of low cost collectibles. I sell postal history and first day covers to stamp collectors. One scan, one line listings. Flat paper items that slide into a regular business envelope. Done!
The first day covers duplicate. I can have a quantity of 5-20 of same unit in a listing. And relisting the same items where I just do “Sell similar†from recently sold, leave same picture and description. Hit list!
I do average of 300-500 pieces a month. Hardly any acquisition cost, higher end dealers are happy to supply me. People buy multiple pieces, and where from 5-100 at a time.
I have a system and I constantly benchmark looking for anywhere I can speed something up or cut a cost.
redlinear
·2 years agoReally no right answer to that question.
We would all prefer half the work and twice the pay. But, we have all not chosen that path due to various reasons.
When it comes to small, less than 1 lb items?
I will not intentionally list an item for less than $5.00 net gain (or, basically list it for less than $10). IF I know that value in advance. Even if the item was given to me.
But, If I buy a box/lot of items that I don't know the prices of? Many time's I'll just take pics of each and start listing. Since I'm already "there", I might end up with several $8.00 items that will net me $3.00 (just ends up that way). BUT, they better be easy, quick, simple to process/ship.
BIG STUFF? I'll do my price research before I go through the trouble of starting listing and pics.
That stuff better make enough to pay my time and hassle of packaging. Also, the chance of return liability better be low enough that I think it's worth it to ship it.
sakic92710
·2 years agoI've been selling on eBay for 23 years. Never sold more than 7-8 'high end items' & none of them went for 4 digits. $900+ was the highest. Found it impossible to even attract attention with valuable items. I see listing go for $1,000s every day. No matter what I had, no one would spend that kind of money with me. I tried an $8,000 sailboat w/ motor & trailer - the bidding stopped under $1900. The outboard motor was worth more than that! Now it is far worse. People want something for nothing + free shipping. Best of luck with your decisions on what can make you see profits.
mementomoria
·2 years agoI would like to sell more high end items. I have lots of designer costume jewelry. The problem is that I don't feel like getting scammed. There really is no protection for sellers and therefore I will keep my items in my collection. I pretty much set my selling item value limit at $150-$200.
youn2240
·2 years agoJust keep listing it all adds up. I have a bunch of cheap items. I have expensive items. Sometimes I sell some of them!
soh.maryl
·2 years agoWouldn't that depend pretty much on WHAT the more expensive item is, how scarce it is and if the price is right? In the case of high end sales, it depends a lot on the FB that the seller has received and how well educated the buyer is about the listing being sold.
bashort
·2 years agoI do a mix, I of course like high profit sales but I am more than glad to sell a low margin repeatable that is easy to ship, we sell some items that are impossible to fully test and we do get the occasional return, selling some basic new items at low prices also helps your metrics.
inexperado
·2 years agoI am all pro High End Sales. If you're not selling Rolex and Smartphones you can be fine since these items tend to attract shady buyers and if you're not a Big Seller who can afford some shrinkage, you're fine. Who's gonna return a 1.5k Wool/Cashmere Cardigan ? These buyers know the value and will ask questions. I have never had a problem selling High End Clothing over 299.00 USD. My biggest beef is the vast majority of low value buyers who will return anything, anytime and complain.
earthdreamer
·3 years agoMy preference would be for high end sales, but I have had no luck selling more expensive items, so have settled for the lower value goods.
My average sale is now around $20. Too much labour involved for the profit margins, but currently am only trying to sell existing stock, so I'll keep going for a while.
worldcoinauctions
·3 years agoI prefer higher payments and fewer shipments... but I'm in this to sell. The ID I'm sending this from is one I just created to push volume over price. Mostly low cost but hey, I make at least a bit on every sale and the product was just lying around. (not entirely true, some of it is the same stuff I sell at higher prices but I'm selling it in low start auctions as a loss leader). In the end I will total up the net sales at the end of the year and hope they are where I want them to be! Heck I prefer sales from the storefront over any other venue. Got to pay the landlord whether I'm selling online, at events, or from the store.
simba6
·3 years agoThe down side to high value sales is they do attract scammers and that can be costly to sellers. High volume sales are more work to list and ship but most scammers don't waste their time on them.
Having a Rolex returned and finding a Timex in the box is an ouch.
crestviewlane
·3 years agoI prefer working less and getting the same income. I would rather sell a single book for $100 than 10 for $10 each. BTW, I grew up 100 miles west of Memphis in Carlisle. Go hogs!
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoI prefer working less and getting the same income. I would rather sell a single book for $100 than 10 for $10 each. BTW, I grew up 100 miles west of Memphis in Carlisle. Go hogs!
But if you paid $90 for the $100 book you bought when you sold it but only paid $.25 for the $10 books when you bought it which is better? What if you sold the 10 books in less than 30 days after you acquired them but it took you 9 months to sell the $100 book after you acquired it? Which was the better investment?
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoNot sure how to translate your "high volume, low value" and "low volume, high end" question but I focus on the after tax ROI over the time span that I held it. So it doesn't really matter what it is, it's more a matter of whether I can achieve an after tax ROI that is great enough to beat other alternatives where I could have invested my money. I.E. the market, bonds, CD's............ I will on occasion look at the ROI to see if it is staying ahead of inflation which is difficult these days given the erratic shifts.
While I look at that from a per item perspective I focus more on the year end results or a portfolio view. There are some items where the ROI has been low, 0 or even negative but those, from a big picture perspective, are offset by the positive returns.
zamo-zuan
·3 years agoIt depends on the products of course, but most of the time more volume = more profit margin, because more expensive item's doesn't usually mean a higher profit margin.
coolections
·3 years agoI agree with post #2. High value is worrisome and low value is hard to find buyers. Most all my sells that are regular are usually the items in the middle range.
inhawaii
·3 years agoWhich ever makes you the most profit after expenses.
redlinear
·3 years agoLots of work, little liability.
Little work, lots of liability.
There's really no good answer to that.
Every situation is different.
pennysdream
·3 years agoI like the middle. It is all relative. If something sell for way more then I think it should have, I freak out and worry until I don't hear from the buyer or they leave feedback.
However, on the other hand, I have to make money to replace the stuff that sold, and pay for the stuff that sits forever.