Advise please

[pepper1202]

I’m selling a bunch of older Hallmark ornaments. I have some that are brand new, never taken out of the box and that is how they are listed. Therefore my display pic is only of the box. I have a potential buyer who wants me to open up the box and take a picture. I’m hesitant to do that because then it’s not an unopened box. I’m also more concerned that it’s a buyer with 0 feedback. Should I open it up? Quite frankly, 0 feedback gives me the willies so I’m not inclined to bend for an iffy buyer.

[pepper1202]

To add: they just joined today. I say it’s a no.

[pastimpressions]

If that some still voice inside speaks to you.....listen. You can block if you are inclined to do so.

You also have an item that is a collectible of sorts. Overall condition (including the box) lends to its desirability & potential value. As such, I don't think a reasonable person would expect you to open (and potentially damage a box) for a chance at a hypothetical sale.

But on the other side of the coin, INAD or other such claims would have to be addressed should they be made as those additional angle/item pics were not offered. 

I personally would save these items for a more seasoned Ebayer.

Best of luck with shop & sales!

[albertabrightalberta]

Are the boxes sealed or can they be opened and tucked back shut? 

Personally when I sell collectibles, if it's a new item, I do remove it from the box to photograph it and will have a statement in the listing explaining that it's new and was only removed from the packaging to take pictures. But the items I've sold don't come in boxes that can't be opened without destroying them.

[fbusoni]

@pepper1202 

My advice would be to block this buyer immediately.

He may have a similar item brand new in the box and wants you to render yours potentially less valuable.

Even if he does not, buyers who ask for special dispensations have no boundaries.  They are nothing but trouble, in my long experience here, because they are NEVER satisfied.

[kickin.assets]

Don’t open the box! And ALWAYS go with your gut.

Whether a buyer is a 0 or 10,000 has nothing to do with anything. We were all 0s once.

I’ve found that most people who ask questions, never purchase. Do you really want to devalue an item for someone who in all likelihood isn’t going to buy? 

[bonanza125]

I would say no. You are selling them sealed unopened. That is the way it should be sold. Opening them reduces the value of the item and the accuracy of the description. You did the right thing tell the buyer no. 

[luckythewinner]

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@fbusoni wrote:

My advice would be to block this buyer immediately.

buyers who ask for special dispensations have no boundaries.

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IMHO a buyer asking to see the actual item they are buying is not grounds for blocking.

But that is just my opinion, and eBay lets a seller block whoever they want.

[simba6]

As a rule, buyers that make special requests seldom purchase but are real trouble if they do.

[stainlessenginecovers]

I would open and show. It's a $10-$15 item, so not a big deal (not like they are worth $500 because they are 'unopened'. 

Besides, they are NOT shrink wrapped from the factory so you can open and put it right back as is. There is no 'tampered' tape or anything of the sorts on those boxes. 

[a_c_green]

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@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

I would open and show. It's a $10-$15 item, so not a big deal (not like they are worth $500 because they are 'unopened'. 

Besides, they are NOT shrink wrapped from the factory so you can open and put it right back as is. There is no 'tampered' tape or anything of the sorts on those boxes. 

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We store ours in their original boxes every time we pack up the tree in January. In December they come out of their boxes again. To my recollection, there is no seal to be broken when opening them for the first time.

[onlinecentral]

For every seven questions I receive, I get one sale. Then add some follow up questions. I would wait for another buyer.

In a previous discussion, a seller received a request for additional pictures. They sent the pictures to the buyer and added them to their listing. The next message from the would be buyer was an insulting low ball offer.

[funfactorychannel]

you selling ornaments that can easily put back in then show it. The newer ones already have ebay stock photo to show how it looks..

I open up all the old ones all the time, have no problem with people buying. Your not breaking the box, just becareful of opening and putting it back. About Half my inventory are ornaments

Ornament collecting is not like Toy or Comic where every condition matters so much, that they wish you dead over a bent corner.

[duffy4444]

    I also sell Hallmark ornaments. If a potential buyer asked me to open a box I described as never opened, I would reply and tell them to look at other sellers' listings of the same item  and see their unboxed photos that show the actual ornament. Since you have described yours as being "brand new, never taken out of the box", then that's how they should remain, IMHO. Savvy collectors know when items have been removed for photos or whatever reason, and there are a lot of savvy Hallmark collectors... it's ok to wait for one to come along and see your special listings.

   After replying with a message to encourage the potential buyer to look at the photos from other listings, I wouldn't necessarily block the buyer yet. If there were any further complications or mindless contact requests, I would put the buyer on my BBL in a heartbeat. The BBL is perhaps the only seller protection left that allows us to preempt problems that our gut says may be coming from either a bad buyer or one who simply represents a likely problem down the road.

   It's good you trusted your initial instincts.

Cheers, Duffy

[pls-consignments]

I sell these as well...."Unopened" 😉