How can I minimize listing fees?

[ubertrove]

Hello to all of you generous experts,

I'm concerned about the cost of listing items, which will eat away at my profits the more items I have for sale. Right now I have about 100 items on auction. If they don't sell, I relist them. Also, I have MANY other items I want to list, but I suspect the listing fees are going to eat away at much of my profit, especially if I have to relist several times. (Sometimes it takes months for the right buyer to find an item--and by that time the item has been relisted about 10 times.)

It almost looks like I should start up a premium store, because even 500 listings is not much, especially when they have to be renewed every 7 days. But I'm only about 3.3 months old as a consistent seller, so I might not be able to make good enough use of that level of store right off the bat.

NEED ADVICE - Should I invest in a store yet? Can I list things for fixed price with good till cancelled for most store items? I guess I want to know the best listing strategies to maximize my profits. If you have any other related advise, it would be very welcome.

[femmefan1946]

I'd put all your clothing items up as Fixed Price listings, at the price you want to get for them, on a 30 day/ Good Til Cancelled basis. Clothing, especially the lower end brands you are offering, is more of an impulse item. Don't make your customer think twice or wait for a moment.

Also you save your labour on relisting because it is automatic. Here in Ontario the minimum wage is 17 cents a minute ($11 an hour). How much time /money are you spending on manual relisting?

If you can offer Free Shipping, do. Remember that Free Shipping is code for "shipping included in price '.

Which is cheapest?

$5 item with $10 Shipping?

$10 item with $5 Shipping?

$15 item with Free Shipping?

FVF on selling price is usually lower than FVF on shipping price. If you offer Free Shipping as your First Domestic service, you will not pay Shipping FVF on ANY shipping fee you charge, including Instant Rocketship Overnight to Samarkand.

If you are still getting those 50 Free Auctions, use them. Perhaps you could offer your new items as auctions, then switch the Unsolds to Fixed Price /GTC. This would mean you constantly have new listings that have the 'ending soon' buzz.

FWIW, I find that most of my GTC items sell immediately on relisting or just before the listing ends (and is relisted). But it's nowhere near 100%, more like 60%.

If you are brave, you can get another 50 Free Auctions by listing on eBaydotCA, the Canada site. You can list in US dollars; we're the only nation allowed to do that. But you will have to use Fixed Price Shipping, since we are set up for Canada Post service and you can't use that. You will also not be able to use the Global Shipping Program. So count your blessings on that one.  (Use USPS First Class International service. It carries up to four pounds weight and is Delivery Confirmed. )

[ubertrove]

So helpful & thorough, femmefan--thank you! Although I seemed to get as many sales with minimal shipping charges as without, I have gone back and offered free shipping on most items (except a few as an experiment). That way I can easily maintain 5-star shipping scores.

I appreciate the strategy about using FPL and auctions for new items. I will begin testing that method asap.

As far as Automatic Relisting, I thought it was only offered the first time you offer an item, for another 2 (or is it 3?) ARs. I do that, but since all of my items are now on auction, I have to relist manually after the AR period is up.  (eBay help says auctions are more effective--i.e., result in more sales--but experts like you say not so. I'm going to follow your advice.)

[femmefan1946]

I don't use Free Shipping much myself, Canada Post charges are very high and most of my sales are to the US not to Canada. It can easly cost $5-6 to ship within Ontario/Quebec but $12 or more to ship the same paperback to Alberta.

Mostly I use it for postcards and dress patterns which can be sent LetterMail for the same price across Canada. When I do this, I also make US shippiing $0.00. Not International though. (For some reason I get most of my International sales from the Netherlands. Go figure.)

Mostly I do it to push up those Five Star ratings.

I wasn't talking about Automatic Relisting. Good Till Cancelled is your choice on Fixed Price Listings. These listing will keep relisting every 30 days until you sell or cancel the item*. You are charged for them every month, but ... labour costs are higher than that.

Here in Ontario the minimum wage is 17 cents a minute and my Store listings cost me a nickel each a month. If it takes me a full minute to relist an item, I have already lost money.

  (eBay help says auctions are more effective--i.e., result in more sales--but experts like you say not so. I'm going to follow your advice.)

They are wrong and have been for nearly a decade. It is rare for an auction to get more than one bid. No matter how much the bidder is willing to pay, she will win at the opening bid if there are no other bidders.

Case in point, I bid 20 pounds a few years back on a book being sold in the UK. It was scarce and part of one of the SF fandoms I follow.  As the only bidder, I paid the opening price of 50 pence plus shipping. Downside, the seller thought the book was only worth 50 pence and wrapped it poorly causing a small amount of damage. But I buy for reading not for pretty so no harm.

[femmefan1946]

I don't use Free Shipping much myself, Canada Post charges are very high and most of my sales are to the US not to Canada. It can easly cost $5-6 to ship within Ontario/Quebec but $12 or more to ship the same paperback to Alberta.

Mostly I use it for postcards and dress patterns which can be sent LetterMail for the same price across Canada. When I do this, I also make US shippiing $0.00. Not International though. (For some reason I get most of my International sales from the Netherlands. Go figure.)

Mostly I do it to push up those Five Star ratings.

I wasn't talking about Automatic Relisting. Good Till Cancelled is your choice on Fixed Price Listings. These listing will keep relisting every 30 days until you sell or cancel the item*. You are charged for them every month, but ... labour costs are higher than that.

Here in Ontario the minimum wage is 17 cents a minute and my Store listings cost me a nickel each a month. If it takes me a full minute to relist an item, I have already lost money.

  (eBay help says auctions are more effective--i.e., result in more sales--but experts like you say not so. I'm going to follow your advice.)

They are wrong and have been for nearly a decade. It is rare for an auction to get more than one bid. No matter how much the bidder is willing to pay, she will win at the opening bid if there are no other bidders.

Case in point, I bid 20 pounds a few years back on a book being sold in the UK. It was scarce and part of one of the SF fandoms I follow.  As the only bidder, I paid the opening price of 50 pence plus shipping. Downside, the seller thought the book was only worth 50 pence and wrapped it poorly causing a small amount of damage. But I buy for reading not for pretty so no harm.