It's Funny How Goals Change When You Start Selling - Need Some Sound Advice

[nanniestreasurechest]

When I first started selling a little over a year ago, I was mainly doing it to try to sell some of my finished pieces of art and some of my professional art supplies I no longer used.  The first few months were great!  Professional preowned art supplies sell great but it's not something you can easily source. 

After that played out, I decided I wanted to keep reselling so I went out and started sourcing.  I made a lot of bad buys in the beginning but over the past year I do feel like I'm getting some better at sourcing but still have a lot to learn and much room for improvement.   I don't have a certain niche but have just been finding and looking for items I could flip for profit without getting into things such as electronics and such. 

Trying to keep this short so I will try to get to the point.  I don't have a store so I only have 250 free listings per month.  At first I thought that would be okay since I'm only wanting to make a little extra each month to help supplement my fixed retirement income.   I still don't have a goal of becoming a big time seller but I would like to try to double what I'm doing at the moment. 

Currently I have over 100 additional items I could list but with only the 250 limit I have to really watch what I'm doing.  I've been considering doing the basic store where I'm understanding that I would have 1,000 free listings each month.  When I look at the 100+ things I have to list, my thought is that I can't sell it if it's not listed.   I've been promoting at 2% and have gotten some sales through that and also have gotten several sales from offers.   I also try to be active on my account every day and at least list 1 to 3 items if my allowance allows it. 

Is it realistic to think I could double what I'm doing if I had the basic store with more listings?   I really value the sellers' opinions on this board so hopefully someone can give me some pros and cons.  I'm so undecided right now and would like to hear what other sellers think of my situation.  Again, I want to stress that I'm not looking to become a huge seller.  I don't have room for 1,000's of items but I do have room for more than the 250.  

[janet9988]

Open a 2nd account and list the extra 100 items on that account.

[4pawsup*]

Well i think you have to add up how many more than 250 you want to list. Weigh the cost of the additional listings against the cost of a basic store cost. Plus you have to take into account depending on what your selling the reduced fees you pay when you sell with a basic store. I wish you the best of luck and i am sure before long there will be sellers with more information than i can provide. Best wishes & good luck with the store. Sell sell,sell.

[nanniestreasurechest]

"Open a 2nd account and list the extra 100 items on that account."

That might be good in some ways but I don't think I want to have to keep up with more than one account.   Just want to keep things simple.  Appreciate your suggestion though!  Thanks!

[nanniestreasurechest]

"Well i think you have to add up how many more than 250 you want to list. "

@4pawsup* 

I'm thinking around 500 to 600 would probably be my goal limit on listings.  I've held back from sourcing lately because of my limits. 

[buzzapparel]

Sales on eBay do not scale up. There are better ways of making money I assure you. 

[dhbookds · Accepted solution]

A store would cost $27....ON A MONTH TO MONTH basis......do not immediately sign up for the cheaper yearly rate.  You can cancel the store at any time, if you find you don't want the "pressure", can't find the inventory, etc. 

Without a store, insertion fees over 250 listing are 35c.......

I would start listing your "extras" and pay the insertion fees, until you approach the store cost at $27........

By that time you should have more "feel" on what you might want to do......and an indication of sales....which will never be "consistent".

One caution......don't buy/ list "everything and anything".....maintain a base sale price.....$10----15.....and continually try to increase that..... Fooling with $5,6,7 items just isn't worth it (my opinion).......

[nanniestreasurechest]

I would start listing your "extras" and pay the insertion fees, until you approach the store cost at $27........

@dhbookds 

I had actually thought about this and if it would be the way to go at first.   Committing to a store for a full year and not knowing if it was going to help is one of the draw backs I'm having but I was also looking at the price month to month versus the full year commitment price.   What you are saying makes sense.  77 extra listings would bring it right at the $27 mark.   Thank you so much for your opinion.  This may be what I do for now. 

[isaiah53-57]

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@nanniestreasurechest wrote:

Is it realistic to think I could double what I'm doing if I had the basic store with more listings?   I really value the sellers' opinions on this board so hopefully someone can give me some pros and cons.  I'm so undecided right now and would like to hear what other sellers think of my situation.  Again, I want to stress that I'm not looking to become a huge seller.  I don't have room for 1,000's of items but I do have room for more than the 250.  

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@nanniestreasurechest 

Since you are retired and YOUR TIME should be the most important commodity in your life, I would be very careful about how you spend it - These boards are full of people who have had fairly successful 1st years, only to find themselves suddenly, and without reason, suffering from slow/no sales.

I can see this problem getting worse over time with the use of Promoted Listings - You start at 2% and things go OK, suddenly slow sales are upon you and you try 5% Promoted Listings and see a short term bump that fades over time - Oh No, everyone else must be promoting more than I am, better try 8% - Next thing you know, you are using ebay's "Suggested Rate" of 12% - Now you are paying 25% of the entire transaction in fees, which likely equates to 30% to 35% of the items selling price - Guess what? If you owned one of those $20 items you are selling for $7, that means that you just made $6 in profit - Thats before you even begin to account for the time spent Sourcing, Miles Driven, Gas Spent - Time Spent Cleaning, Picture Taking, Listing and Storing - Shipping Materials, Packing and Shipping - Returns, Loss, Breakage, or Theft - Taxes - etc, etc, etc...

I saw a post the other day and the OP was asking what people liked about ebay - I saw a response from someone who had 800 listings and 5 feedback in the last 30 Days - You know what he/she said?? "I Love it Here!" .... BE CAREFUL... You dont want to become THAT person...

[dhbookds]

someone who had 800 listings and 5 feedback in the last 30 Days

considering that my feedback is about 20-30% of what I sell, I don't think feedback is necessarily a good indication of how much people sell.  Also, there are many different goals.....and as you grow older.....finding what to do with TIME is more of a problem for some of us.......than younger people may realize.......

[buyselljack2016]

I had more than one account. (3 actually) My wares were on separate accounts by what they were. Really was not a big deal to have a second account.  Same bank account can be used. Just different email needed.

I would not recommend that for a "beginner", but you have been doing this for over a year, and certainly have all the basics of selling down.  A second account would have selling limits, ($$ wise as well as # wise) and holds just as your 1st account did. The 250 per month would be shown but limited below that.

Certainly up to you to decide. Your goals may be loftier than mine were.

[nanniestreasurechest]

@isaiah53-57 

Thank you for that!  Reality is sometimes hard to look at. 

My sales are not consistent.  They seem to come in spurts which is another reason I'm reluctant to do a store at this time.  As I said before, I'm not looking to make big money but just some extra to supplement my fixed income.  Would be nice to make enough to take care of property and auto insurance as well as property taxes each year.   I'm not unhappy with what I've made on here this past year but of course I would like to make at least twice that. 

As for the promotions, I had already made a rule for myself that I wouldn't promote any higher than 2%.  So if that stops working then I'll just stop promoting and let the chips fall where they may. 

I do enjoy reselling though.  I find a lot of enjoyment going out and sourcing.  It's even more fun when I actually make a sale and it's successful. 

Thank you so much for your advice.  I will definitely take everything you said into consideration. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

For $20 a month (after tax write off) having a store is a "no brainer" if you are actually buying to sell things (so you are a business trying to make money). 

[nanniestreasurechest]

@stainlessenginecovers 

I just looked at your store and it resembles what I had in my mind as my future goal.....between 500 - 600 listings.   Of course my items would be totally different than what you specialize in.   I just don't know if I should take the plunge for the store at this time.   Something in my worn out brain tells me I should but then I think about what @dhbookds  said in their advise and think maybe I should work toward that monthly payment first.   

I really appreciate your advice and am definitely considering it also. 

[az93]

I see many things that could be ended to make room for new more desirable inventory that could be relisted later.