Adjust pricing for supply and demand?

[inhawaii]

I know everyone here has strong opinions on everything.

I have a variations listing for hats (different colors).  I started out with them all being the same price.  The hats are identical except for the color. Some colors i have more of than others. Some colors seem to sell better than others. Because of this i've adjusted (raised) the pricing based on supply and demand. 

Is that a dirty, rotten thing to do ... or is that a smart thing to do?

[mam98031]

Are you selling on Ebay to make money or as a hobby?

If you are selling here to make money, then your strategy is a good solid business decision.  

There is no reason to feel you need to apologize or feel bad about doing this.  You have every right to be paid for the product AND THE SERVICES you provide to your customers.

[bigdeals.etc]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

I know everyone here has strong opinions on everything.

I have a variations listing for hats (different colors).  I started out with them all being the same price.  The hats are identical except for the color. Some colors i have more of than others. Some colors seem to sell better than others. Because of this i've adjusted (raised) the pricing based on supply and demand. 

Is that a dirty, rotten thing to do ... or is that a smart thing to do?

---

OMG, never never never never apologize for doing something like this. I say "OMG" not aimed specifically to you, but to the entire community who has molded sellers to be scared to do anything a buyer my frown upon. Has it now come to the point that a seller should feel bad for selling at a profit?

I've seen you here enough to know you sell as a business for profit. And for businesses, profit trumps making friends. I wouldn't be surprised if some people would disagree with me, but I don't care and feel those people don't understand running a business.

I do this with all of my listings. If adjusting pricing according to supply/demand was that bad, it'd be illegal. But it isn't. Otherwise I'd sue my grocery store for raising the price of bananas. Sometimes I get buyers asking about the price markups (some more rude/hostile than others). I just keep it professional and say that is the current price because of the current supply/demand. They either end up buying it or get even more upset... it's one good way to filter out all the potential bad buyers too if you ask me.

Look at it this way. If your analysis of the supply/demand of the variations are correct, if you list them as auctions without BIN, you'll see the same markup pattern of winning bids generally. Should you apologize because buyers won the more rare variations at a higher price than your more plentiful ones??

Just watch out for the old switcharoo. Buyer buys the cheapest variation then asks to change it to a more expensive one, or after receiving it, they file a return for exchange for a more expensive one. Happens to me sometimes. Don't let them get away with it.

[popeye3165]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

I know everyone here has strong opinions on everything.

I have a variations listing for hats (different colors).  I started out with them all being the same price.  The hats are identical except for the color. Some colors i have more of than others. Some colors seem to sell better than others. Because of this i've adjusted (raised) the pricing based on supply and demand. 

Is that a dirty, rotten thing to do ... or is that a smart thing to do?

---

IMO - If you have an endless supply of the hats and you don't mind making less per sale go for it if it helps! And no it isn't "dirty" it's actual quite smart if you sell the slow movers. Let us know what you do and if you are successful in making more sales.

[inhawaii]

I do not have an endless supply.  They are actually hard for me to get.  I'm trying to get more as we speak. The yellow ones have sold out quite quickly. Who would have thought.  Yellow?  Makes me think that maybe i had them priced too low? Anyways i have 0 more yellow but i've raised the price a little.  If i ever do get more, i know they are a popular color and that people will pay more ... at least i'm hoping so. 

[popeye3165]

At least you are making some sales many aren't.

[southern*sweet*tea]

---

@bigdeals.etc wrote:

---

Has it now come to the point that a seller should feel bad for selling at a profit?

---

Yes, because this is Ebay, the place where sellers are supposed to lose money while giving their items away for free.  We should be glad that someone is buying our stuff...so glad that we are happy to lose money in the process.

That's the way Ebay has been for a long, long time now.  I swear this is the only selling venue I know of with this general attitude, not just among the buyers, but many of the sellers as well.

[myboardid]

---

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

---

@bigdeals.etc wrote:

---

Has it now come to the point that a seller should feel bad for selling at a profit?

---

Yes, because this is Ebay, the place where sellers are supposed to lose money while giving their items away for free.  We should be glad that someone is buying our stuff...so glad that we are happy to lose money in the process.

That's the way Ebay has been for a long, long time now.  I swear this is the only selling venue I know of with this general attitude, not just among the buyers, but many of the sellers as well.

---

Well said!  Been like this since the 90's. 

[m60driver]

Many customers do not like seeing different prices for different colors on the exact same widget.  In my old brick and mortar store I would never charge more based upon color.  Rather, I would try to adjust inventory based upon color, or demand, and then maybe put the slow moving colors on sale when I had sold out of the top seller.  But I do understand the frustration with hats that come in packs of predetermined color assortments that don't match the demands of your customers.  Been there and had to deal with that for decades.  Perhaps on Ebay you could sell the best selling color on a separate listing at a higher price.

[myboardid]

---

@m60driver wrote:

Many customers do not like seeing different prices for different colors on the exact same widget.  In my old brick and mortar store I would never charge more based upon color.  Rather, I would try to adjust inventory based upon color, or demand, and then maybe put the slow moving colors on sale when I had sold out of the top seller.  But I do understand the frustration with hats that come in packs of predetermined color assortments that don't match the demands of your customers.  Been there and had to deal with that for decades.  Perhaps on Ebay you could sell the best selling color on a separate listing at a higher price.

^^^ BINGO!  That is your solution!

---

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

I've never adjusted price by colour, but I have definitely raised the price on 'popular' items in a series. Every time I sell out I raise the price again when I get more and relist. When they start 'sitting' I drop it again.

[mam98031]

---

@m60driver wrote:

Many customers do not like seeing different prices for different colors on the exact same widget.  In my old brick and mortar store I would never charge more based upon color.  Rather, I would try to adjust inventory based upon color, or demand, and then maybe put the slow moving colors on sale when I had sold out of the top seller.  But I do understand the frustration with hats that come in packs of predetermined color assortments that don't match the demands of your customers.  Been there and had to deal with that for decades.  Perhaps on Ebay you could sell the best selling color on a separate listing at a higher price.

---

@m60driver 

Selling on the internet has some differences from selling in a B&M.  I know often times people don't recognize the differences but there are some and so you really aren't comparing apples to apples.  

One of the biggest differences is that B&M transactions are face to face, internet transactions are not.  This one difference has a huge impact on the transaction process and not just the purchase.  It affects how people approach a return as well.  

I carry some items that different colors do have different sell values.  And they do from my supplier too.  Some are far more popular than others.  This isn't an unusual occurrence.  

[yuzuha]

I do this all the time.  It's generally understood in the world of blind box/bag items that some are more valuable than others due to their rarity compared to the others or due to which character it is.  I had a bunch of Nightmare Before Christmas blind bag keychains... I sold most of them for $7, but then I sold one of the "secret" (in other words, rare) ones for $16 to a buyer who was happy to pay that much.  I also sold one of the popular characters for $8 rather than $7.

[*madison]

I buy from a large UK online store that sells a variety of stuff, clothes, electricals, etc.. and they always charge extra for the most popular colours no matter what the item is..

[twnpopcards]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

I know everyone here has strong opinions on everything.

I have a variations listing for hats (different colors).  I started out with them all being the same price.  The hats are identical except for the color. Some colors i have more of than others. Some colors seem to sell better than others. Because of this i've adjusted (raised) the pricing based on supply and demand. 

Is that a dirty, rotten thing to do ... or is that a smart thing to do?

---

There is absolutely nothing wrong with what you are doing.  As you say, Supply and Demand, and if there are certain hats that sell better than others there is nothing wrong with raising the prices on those or lowering the price on some of the others as you would with a Sale.