Auction

[sigma_storelk]

Always my auctions end with a loss. Please help!!!

[tdumonde2014]

Start your Auctions at the minimum price that you will accept.

[kensgiftshop]

@sigma_storelk 

What did you expect, starting auctions at $0.99?

A lot of that cheap China junk can be picked up at any dollar store.

[dbfolks166mt]

     Like I tell all Sri Lankan sellers you should have read some of the help files available to you on eBay BEFORE you started listing items. Not sure what you mean by loss.

     It's a loss if your selling price of the item - your total cost is negative. If you are selling items for $1.00 with free shipping I can easily see how that is happening. You are drop shipping out of China which is a recipe for disaster to begin with. 

[eleanor*rigby]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

@sigma_storelk 

What did you expect, starting auctions at $0.99?

A lot of that cheap China junk can be picked up at any dollar store.

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So, priced about right, then? 😉

[sigma_storelk]

Start at 0.01$

[sigma_storelk]

I start at 0.01$

[a_c_green]

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@sigma_storelk wrote:

I start at 0.01$

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That is even worse. If you are going to run an auction listing, your opening price should be the lowest price that you would be willing to sell for, if you only ever get one bid.

There is no point in running an auction for a new item with a known value. Just decide how much you want to get for it, and list it as a Fixed Price with no Make Offer and with Immediate Payment Required. 

[reallynicestamps]

EBay is not your friend.

EBay is your landlord.

Take any advice from eBay and ask yourself: how does this help me?

Also.

Never sell anything you do not have in your hand.

Make sure your opening price covers your costs, including your labour and a small amount for self-insurance in case things go wrong.

By the way, most of us lost some money on our first few sales.

That is why we tell new sellers to sell things that it will not hurt them financially to lose.

You have your Payoneer account and Sri Lankan business license?  Best wishes on your new endeavour.

[maxine*j]

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@sigma_storelk wrote:

I start at 0.01$

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Yes, and you're losing money.   So why do you keep doing that?   You can start the auction at any amount you like.

But, frankly, as long as you dropship this rubbish from China, you're going to lose no matter what you charge. 

You're trying to sell the same stuff that thousands of other dropshippers have been convinced to try to sell.  And it's mostly the same junk that we get here in the U.S. by the container-load every day from China to be sold in dollar and discount stores where people can buy it super-cheap, hassle-free, and without waiting for it.

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[soh.maryl]

If you always start at one cent, then why would you be surprised when your auctions "end with a loss"?

[luckythewinner]

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@sigma_storelk wrote:

Always my auctions end with a loss. Please help!!!

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Don't ask us for help. 

We did not list your items at a starting price that was a loss - you did that. 

[klhmdg]

Sounds like you need to really research selling AND have a better business plan.

Drop shipping stuff from China to the US is not a good business plan either. 

We have enough cheap dollar store stuff. 

Only you can help yourself.

[katzrul15]

@sigma_storelk 

Is there a reason you do only auctions?  There are hundreds (if not thousands) of Sellers selling these stickers that are all the rage to affix to your yeti cup and laptop.  DD bought a package recently that had 100 stickers for $4.  You are trying to sell 10 stickers at a time - am guessing your competition is offering larger quantities and at your price points.

Are there not items that are indigenous to Sri Lanka/your region that you can sell vs drop-shipping items from China?  There is not much online a U.S. Buyer cannot resource, but there have to items you could sell to other markets that cannot as easily resource certain things?

What items are hard to find/acquire in Sri Lanka?  Can you import those in/resource those online and then sell them for a profit?  

Unfortunately, you will likely never have a successful selling career on e-Bay as drop-shipping from China is not a viable business plan and benefits no one, except the drop-shipper you are buying from.

Good luck, be safe.

[ittybitnot]

Always my auctions end with a loss. Please help!!!

@sigma_storelk 

Don't use auctions.   Used fixed price that covers your costs and immediate payment required.   To be successful starting auctions at a low price you must have a "following" and desirable items that nobody else has.  New junk from China are NOT those products. 

You need to do some research (Google) on your PRODUCT before listing it here.  You will have better success if you have a listing for something that is NOT readily available on the internet at a better price.   Why would I (or anyone else on the planet) buy ONE from you when I can by 100 from AliEXP for the same price?